Shooting system, access control apparatus, monitoring apparatus, control method, and storage medium for processing an image shot by an image sensing apparatus to restrict display

• US 7,907,180 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Issued: 03/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takayama, Hirosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Villecco; John M
• Application Number:
  US11/848,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20080055422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,292 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.3, 348/211.8, 348/211.11, 348/211.13
• US Class Current: 348/211.8
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

A shooting system which has an image sensing apparatus and a monitoring apparatus, distributes an image from the image sensing apparatus to the monitoring apparatus, and allows the monitoring apparatus to remote-control the image sensing apparatus, comprises: an unit adapted to set access permission information containing at least information on a user permitted to access, for each partial area contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus; an unit adapted to set access restriction information with which the access-permitted user restricts access by other users to the access-permitted partial area; an unit adapted to generate an image having undergone an image process to restrict view of the partial area for the other access-restricted users; and an unit adapted to distribute the image having undergone the image process to the other access-restricted users.

Claims

1. A shooting system which connects an image sensing apparatus to a monitoring apparatus capable of displaying an image shot by the image sensing apparatus, and which distributes an image from the image sensing apparatus to the monitoring apparatus, the system comprising:

an administrator setting unit configured to set a first administrator to administrate whether an apparatus is permitted to display a first partial area contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, and to set a second administrator to administrate whether an apparatus is permitted to display a second partial area contained in the shootable range of the image sensing apparatus;

an image processing unit configured to perform a process to restrict display of a partial area; and

an image distribution unit configured to distribute, to a monitoring apparatus, an image of the first partial area which has not been processed by the image processing unit to restrict display and an image of the second partial area which has been processed by the image processing unit to restrict display, in a case where the monitoring apparatus is permitted by the first administrator to display the first partial area and is not permitted by the second administrator to display the second partial area.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a data storage unit configured to store restriction information containing at least user information for identification of the monitoring apparatus which is permitted to display a partial area.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein the data storage unit stores range information of the partial area, identification information representing the partial area, the information on the administrator, and information on a shooting condition and restriction content to restrict display.

4. The system according to claim 2, wherein the data storage unit further comprises a unit configured to update the restriction information.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing apparatus comprises the administrator setting unit, and

wherein the image distribution unit distributes the image based on restriction information from the monitoring apparatus which is set as the administrator.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises a display unit configured to display a setup window configured to set the restriction information.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the administrator setting unit can set plurality of administrators for one display-restricted partial area.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing apparatus transmits, to the monitoring apparatus, a message that the monitoring apparatus is set as the administrator.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus further comprises a restriction removal unit configured to remove a restriction from the partial area.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said restriction removal unit comprises (a) a unit configured to designate the display-restricted partial area from which the restriction is to be removed, (b) a unit configured to input an authentication pattern, and (c) a unit configured to transmit the input authentication pattern to the image sensing apparatus, and

wherein the image sensing apparatus further comprises (a) a unit configured to collate the authentication pattern with preset authentication information, and (b) a unit configured to, when the authentication pattern matches the authentication information, distribute, to the monitoring apparatus, an image from which the restriction is removed, and when the authentication pattern does not match the authentication information, notify the monitoring apparatus of an authentication failure.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein when the restriction is removed, the data storage unit changes the restriction information to access permission information.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein when a plurality of display-restricted partial areas exist, the monitoring apparatus can remove the restriction from each partial area.

13. An access control apparatus which controls distribution of an image from an image sensing apparatus to a monitoring apparatus, comprising:

an administrator setting unit configured to set a first administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a first partial area contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, and to set a second administrator to administrate a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a second partial area contained in the shootable range of the image sensing apparatus; and

a control unit configured to control distribution, to a monitoring apparatus of, an image of the first partial area which has not been processed to restrict display and an image of the second partial area which has been processed to restrict display, in a case where the monitoring apparatus is permitted by the first administrator to display the first partial area and is not permitted by the second administrator to display the second partial area.

14. A monitoring apparatus which displays an image distributed from an image sensing apparatus, comprising:

a restriction setting unit configured to set another monitoring apparatus to be permitted to display a first partial area on which the monitoring apparatus is set as an administrator that is permitted to set the another monitoring apparatus, among partial areas contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, the partial areas comprising the first partial area and a second partial area; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit restriction information based on the setting by the restriction setting unit to the image sensing apparatus,

wherein the monitoring apparatus is set to be permitted to display the second partial area on which another monitoring apparatus is set as an administrator that is permitted to set the monitoring apparatus.

15. A method of controlling a shooting system which connects an image sensing apparatus to a monitoring apparatus capable of displaying an image shot by the image sensing apparatus, and which distributes an image from the image sensing apparatus to the monitoring apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a first administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a first partial area contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, and a second administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a second partial area contained in the shootable range of the image sensing apparatus;

performing an image processing to restrict display of a partial area; and

distributing, to a monitoring apparatus, an image of the first partial area which has not been processed in the performing step to restrict display and an image of the second partial area which has been processed in the performing step to restrict display, in a case where the monitoring apparatus is permitted by the first administrator to display the first partial area and is not permitted by the second administrator to display the second partial area.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which effects a method as recited in claim 15.

16. A method of controlling a control apparatus which distributes an image to the monitoring apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

setting a first administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a first partial area contained in a shootable range of an image sensing apparatus, and a second administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a second partial area contained in the shootable range of the image sensing apparatus; and

controlling to distribute, to a monitoring apparatus, an image of the first partial area which has not been processed to restrict display and an image of the second partial area has been processed to restrict display, in a case where the monitoring apparatus is permitted by the first administrator to display the first partial area and is not permitted by the second administrator to display the second partial area.

17. A method of controlling a monitoring apparatus which displays an image distributed from an image sensing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

setting another monitoring apparatus to be permitted to display a first partial area on which the monitoring apparatus is set as an administrator that is permitted to set the another monitoring apparatus, among partial areas contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, the partial areas comprising the first partial area and a second partial area; and

transmitting the restriction information based on the setting in the setting step to the image sensing apparatus,

wherein the monitoring apparatus is set to be permitted to display the second partial area on which another monitoring apparatus is set as an administrator that is permitted to set the monitoring apparatus.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to control distribution of an image from an image sensing apparatus which to a monitoring apparatus, the computer executing a method comprising the steps of:

setting a first administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a first partial area contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, and a second administrator to administrate whether a monitoring apparatus is permitted to display a second partial area contained in the shootable range of the image sensing apparatus; and

controlling to distribute, to a monitoring apparatus, an image of the first partial area which has not been processed to restrict display and an image of the second partial area which has been processed to restrict display, in a case where the monitoring apparatus is permitted by the first administrator to display the first partial area and is not permitted by the second administrator to display the second partial area.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a program for causing a computer to display an image distributed from an image sensing apparatus, the computer executing a method comprising the steps of:

setting another monitoring apparatus to be permitted to display a first partial area on which the computer is set as an administrator that is permitted to set the another monitoring apparatus, among partial areas contained in a shootable range of the image sensing apparatus, the partial areas comprising the first partial area and a second partial area; and

transmitting restriction information based on the setting in the setting step to the image sensing apparatus,

wherein the computer is set to be permitted to display the second partial area on which another monitoring apparatus is set as an administrator that is permitted to set the computer.