Image display apparatus, image display system, and image display method

• US 7,683,933 B2
• Filed: 01/06/2006
• Issued: 03/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Adeyiga; Temitope
• Application Number:
  US11/326,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,537 Days
• Field of Search: 348/143, 348/207.11, 348/207.99, 348/207.12, 709/203, 345/501, 715/513
• US Class Current: 348/207.11
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

In an image display system which has a management station for saving, in a server, management data that contains at least names, identification numbers, and connection numbers of image sensing devices, and is described in the data description language, and the display style of the management data, and a display device, and which displays a video obtained from an arbitrary one or more image sensing devices connected, the management data of the image sensing devices is read out from the server, the display style of the readout management data is read out from the server, and an image is generated and displayed by applying the management data to the display style.

Claims

1. An image display method, comprising:

the memory step of memorizing plural window patterns described in a style designation language;

the first selection step of selecting one window pattern from a plurality of window patterns including a first window pattern which displays at least one video obtained from at least one selected image sensing device, a second window pattern which displays a first map display indicating positions of at least one image sensing device existing in a first area and displays the at least one video obtained from the selected at least one image sensing device, a third window pattern which displays a second map display indicating positions of the at least one image sensing device existing in a second area wider than the first area and displays the at least one video obtained from the selected at least one image sensing device;

the second selection step of selecting at least one image sensing device for obtaining a video to be displayed in an image display window;

the window configuration step of presenting inquires, wherein at least one of the presented inquiries relates to the selected at least one image sensing device, and outputting window configuration information;

the window generation step of generating the image display window by synthesizing the at least one video which is obtained from the image sensing device selected in the second selection step and a window pattern, selected in the first selection step, which is described in a style designation language in accordance with the window configuration information,

the third selection step of, in a case where the image display window generated in the window generation step includes one of the first and second map displays, selecting the first or second area to be expressed in the other of the first and second map displays in response to an instruction for changing the image display window; and

the changing step of changing the image display window, generated in the window generation step, so as to include the first or second map display expressing the first or second area selected in the third selection step.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the window configuration step comprises:

the style selection step of selecting a style used from a plurality of styles held in advance by presenting the inquiries;

the attribute information selection step of selecting attributes of the selected style, which can be changed, by presenting the inquiries; and

the generation step of generating the window configuration information by associating the style selected in the style selection step, and the attributes selected in the attribute information selection step.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the window configuration step further comprises the attribute edit step of editing attributes of the selected style, which can be changed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein a function of the image sensing device includes at least one of a pan angle, tilt angle, zoom ration, and image quality, and can be controlled, and

the window configuration information includes a style of an operation display for controlling the function.

5. An image display apparatus, comprising:

a selection unit configured to

select from a plurality of window patterns, at least one window pattern which displays at least one video obtained from a selected at least one image sensing device, a first window pattern which displays a first map display indicating positions of the at least one image sensing device existing in a first area and displays the at least one video obtained from the selected at least one image sensing device, a second window pattern which displays a second map display indicating positions of the plural image sensing devices which exist in a second area wider than the first area and displays the plural videos obtained from the selected plural image sensing devices,

select at least one image sensing device for obtaining a video to be displayed in an image display window, and

a window configuration unit configured for presenting inquiries wherein at least one of the presented inquiries relates to the selected at least one image sensing device and outputting window configuration information; and

a window generation unit configured to generate the image display window based on the window configuration information outputted by the window configuration unit and a window pattern selected by the selection unity

wherein the selection unit selects, in a case where the image display window generated in the window generation unit includes one of the first and second map displays, the first or second area to be expressed in the other of the first and second map displays in response to an instruction for changing the image display window; and

the image display window, generated by the window generation unit, is changed so as to include the first or second map display expressing the first or second area selected by the selection unit.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising first memory for holding a plurality of styles of a window configuration,

wherein said window configuration unit comprises:

a style selection unit for selecting a style used from the plurality of styles by presenting the inquiries;

an attribute information selection unit for selecting attributes of the selected style, which can be changed, by presenting the inquiries; and

a generation unit for generating the window configuration information by associating the style selected by said style selection unit, and the attributes selected by said attribute information selection unit.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said window configuration unit further comprises an attribute edit unit for editing attributes of the selected style, which can be changed.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a function of the image sensing device includes at least one of a pan angle, tilt angle, zoom ratio, and image quality can be controlled, and

the window configuration information includes a style of an operation display for controlling the function.

9. A computer-readable medium storing a program for displaying a video obtained from a selected image sensing device, comprising:

first computer readable program code means for selecting one window pattern from a plurality of window patterns including a first window pattern which displays at least one video obtained from a selected at least one of a plurality of image sensing devices, a second window pattern which displays a first map display indicating positions of the at least one image sensing device which exists in a first area and displays the at least one video obtained from the selected at least one of a plurality of image sensing devices, a third window pattern which displays a second map display indicating the positions of the at least one image sensing device which exists in a second area wider than the first area and displays the at least one video obtained from the selected at least one of a plurality of image sensing devices;

second computer readable program code means for selecting at least one of a plurality of image sensing devices for obtaining video to be displayed in an image display window;

third computer readable program code means for determining a configuration of the image display window based on the selected at least one image sensing device, and outputting window configuration information;

fourth computer readable program code means for generating the image display window on the basis of the window configuration information and a window pattern selected by the first computer readable program code means,

fifth computer readable program code means for, in a case where the image display window generated by the fourth computer readable program code means includes one of the first and second map displays, selecting the first or second area to be expressed in the other of the first and second map displays in response to an instruction for changing the image display windows; and

sixth computer readable program code means for changing the image display window, generated by the fourth computer readable program code means, so as to include the first or second map display expressing the first or second area selected by the fifth computer readable program code means.

10. A window configuration method, comprising the steps of:

outputting a window pattern list to an external device;

outputting a list of the image sensing devices detected, to the external device;

receiving window pattern information indicating a window pattern selected from the window pattern list from the external device;

receiving device information indicating at least one image sensing device selected from the list of the image sensing devices connected, from the external device;

generating an image display window in which display sizes of the at least two videos are equal in a case where the received window pattern information indicates the window pattern in which the display sizes of at least two videos are equal, or generating an image display window in which a display size of the video corresponding to a first image sensing device included in the selected image sensing devices is bigger than a display size of the video corresponding to a second image sensing device included in the selected image sensing devices in a case where the received window pattern information indicates a window pattern in which the display size of the video corresponding to the first image sensing device is bigger than the display size of the video corresponding to the second image sensing device, or generating an image display window including a map display indicating positions of the selected plural image sensing devices which exist in a first area in a case where the received window pattern information indicates a window pattern in which the map display is displayed in the image display window, or generating the image display window without a map display in a case where the received window pattern information indicates a window pattern in which the map display is not displayed in the image display window;

storing the generated image display window, and

in a case where the image display window generated in the generating step includes the map display, changing the image display window so as to include a map display expressing an area other than the first area in accordance with information specifying the area other than the first area received from the external device.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a list of at least one stored image display window to the external device;

receiving information indicating one image display window from the external device; and

transmitting data necessary for generating the image display window indicated by the information.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

receiving information indicating an image sensing device to be added to the list of the image sensing devices from the external device; and

adding the received information of the image sensing device to the list of the image sensing devices,

wherein the list of the image sensing devices includes information necessary for adding a new image sensing device.

13. The method according to claim 10, wherein a function of the image sensing device includes at least one of a pan angle, tilt angle, zoom ratio, and image quality, and can be controlled, and

the image display window includes a display for controlling the function.

14. A window configuration apparatus, comprising:

first memory for storing a window pattern list;

second memory for storing a list of image sensing devices connected;

transmission unit configured to output the window pattern list and the list of the image sensing devices connected, to an external device;

reception unit configured to receive window pattern information indicating a window pattern selected from the window pattern list and device information indicating at least one image sensing device selected from the list of the image sensing devices connected;

window generation unit configured to generate an image display window including the map display indicating positions of the selected at least one image sensing device in a case where the window pattern information from the external device indicates a window pattern in which the map display is displayed, or generate an image display window without the map display in a case where the window pattern information from the external device indicates a window pattern in which the map display is not displayed; and

third memory for storing the generated image display window, and

changing unit configured to, in a case where the image display window generated by the window generation unit includes the map display, change the image display window so as to include a map display expressing an area other than the first area in accordance with information specifying the area other than the first area received from the external device.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said transmission unit transmits a list of at least one stored image display window to the external device, and said reception unit receives information indicating one image display window from the external device, and said transmission unit transmits data necessary for generating the image display window indicated by the information.

16. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said reception unit receives information indicating an image sensing device to be added to the list of the image sensing devices from the external device, and

the window configuration apparatus further adding the received information of the image sensing device to the list of the image sensing devices,

wherein the list of the image sensing devices includes information necessary for adding a new image sensing device.

17. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a function of the image sensing device includes at least one of a pan angle, tilt angle, zoom ratio, and image quality, and can be controlled, and

the image display window includes a display for controlling the function.

18. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the information of the image sensing apparatus to be added to the list of the image sensing devices includes a network address of the image sensing apparatus to be added.

19. An image display system comprising the window configuration apparatus described in claim 14, at least one image sensing apparatus, at least one external device, and at least one display apparatus, wherein each external device comprises:

an unit configured to request the window pattern list and the list of the image sensing devices to the window configuration apparatus;

a display unit configured to display the window pattern list and the list of the image sensing devices;

a selection unit configured to select a window pattern from the displayed window pattern list and at least one image sensing apparatus from the displayed list of the image sensing devices; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the selected window pattern and information indicating the selected image sensing apparatus.

20. A computer-readable medium storing a program for window configuration, comprising:

first computer readable program code means for outputting a window pattern list to an external device;

second computer readable program code means for outputting a list of the image sensing devices connected, to the external device;

third computer readable program code means for receiving window pattern information indicating a window pattern selected from the window pattern list from the external device;

fourth computer readable program code means for receiving device information indicating or more one image sensing devices selected from the list of the image sensing devices connected, from the external device;

fifth computer readable program code means for generating an image display window including the map display indicating positions of the selected at least one of a plurality of image sensing devices in a case where the window pattern information from the external device indicates a first window pattern in which the map display is displayed, or generating the image display window without the map display in a case where the window pattern information from the external device indicates a second window pattern in which the map display is not displayed;

sixth computer readable program code means for storing the generated image display window; and

seventh computer readable program code means for, in a case where the image display window generated by the fifth computer readable program code mean includes the map display, changing the image display window so as to include a map display expressing an area other than the first area in accordance with information specifying the area other than the first area received from the external device.