Network camera system and control method therefore

• US 7,945,938 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohsawa, Hiroyuki, Sato, Hiroshi, Mitarai, Yusuke, Matsugu, Masakazu, Takanezawa, Tetsuhiro, Mori, Katsuhiko, Kato, Masami
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOGUE, DENNIS A
• Application Number:
  US11/417,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/196 using television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/183 for receiving images from a single remote source

Abstract

A network camera system is provided that detects an occurrence of a condition change at a periphery of an image pickup apparatus, obtains a direction of the detected condition change, and notifies a user of the occurrence of the condition change and a direction of the condition change on a display of a terminal device.

Claims

1. A network camera system configured to display an image picked up by an image pickup apparatus on a terminal device via a network, the system comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect an occurrence of a condition change of a first type based on notification from a first sensor and to detect an occurrence of a condition change of a second type based on notification from a second sensor;

a notification unit configured to notify, in a case where the detection unit detects the occurrence of the condition change of the first type, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the first type such that a first icon corresponding to the first sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the first type is displayed on a display of the terminal device, and to notify, in a case where the detection unit detects the occurrence of the condition change of the second type, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the second type such that a second icon corresponding to the second sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the second type is displayed on the display of the terminal device; and

a changing unit configured to change a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type or the direction of the condition change of the second type in accordance with a selection of the first icon or the second icon displayed on the display of the terminal device.

2. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device displays the first icon or the second icon in a superposed manner in a direction of the condition change relative to a center of a video display area of the terminal device.

3. The network camera system according to claim 2, wherein the first icon or the second icon is not displayed in the superposed manner if an image of the condition change area is included in a video display area of the terminal device.

4. The network camera system according to claim 2, wherein in displaying the first icon or the second icon in the superposed manner, a size of the icon can be changed.

5. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the changing unit changes a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type in accordance with the selecting the first icon and changes the pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the second type in accordance with the selecting the second icon.

6. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of icons is displayed in a superposed manner in a number of the condition changes.

7. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the terminal device displays an image picked up after changing the direction information on the terminal device via the network, and

wherein the detection unit detects the occurrence of the condition change.

8. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the first sensor is one of an optical sensor, a voice sensor, and a temperature sensor or a combination thereof.

9. A method for controlling a network camera system configured to display an image picked up by an image pickup apparatus on a terminal device via a network, the method comprising:

detecting an occurrence of a condition change of a first type based on notification from a first sensor and detecting an occurrence of a condition change of a second type based on notification from a second sensor;

notifying, in a case where the occurrence of the condition change of the first type is detected in the detecting step, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the first type such that a first icon corresponding to the first sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the first type is displayed on a display of the terminal device, and notifying, in a case where the occurrence of the condition change of the second type is detected in the detecting step, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the second type such that a second icon corresponding to the second sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the second type is displayed on the display of the terminal device; and

changing a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type or the direction of the condition change of the second type in accordance with a selection of the first icon or the second icon displayed on the display of the terminal device.

10. An image pickup apparatus configured to send a picked up image to a terminal device via a network, the apparatus comprising:

a detection unit configured to detect an occurrence of a condition change of a first type based on notification from a first sensor and to detect an occurrence of a condition change of a second type based on notification from a second sensor;

a notification unit configured to notify, in a case where the detection unit detects the occurrence of the condition change of the first type, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the first type or the information for obtaining the direction of the condition change of the first type such that a first icon corresponding to the first sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the first type is displayed on a display of the terminal device, and, to notify, in a case where the detection unit detects the occurrence of the condition change of the second type, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the second type or the information for obtaining the direction of the condition change of the second type such that a second icon corresponding to the second sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the second type is displayed on the display of the terminal device;

a receiving unit configured to receive information relative to either of the first icon or the second icon which is selected in the terminal device; and

a changing unit configured to change a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type or the direction of the condition change of the second type in accordance with the receiving the information relative to the icon which is selected in the terminal device.

11. A terminal device configured to receive and display an image picked up by an image pickup apparatus via a network, the device comprising:

an obtaining unit configured to obtain a direction of a condition change of a first type and to obtain a direction of a condition change of a second type based on notification from the image pickup apparatus;

a display unit configured to display on a display, in a case where the obtaining unit obtains the direction of the condition change of the first type corresponding to a first sensor, a first icon corresponding to the first sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the first type, and to display on the display, in a case where the obtaining unit obtains the direction of the condition change of the second type corresponding to a second sensor, a second icon corresponding to the second sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the second type; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit information to the image pickup apparatus, in response to a selection of the first icon or the second icon, for changing a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type or the direction of the condition change of the second type.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, the medium utilizable in an image pickup apparatus configured to send a picked up image to a terminal device via a network, the medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for detecting an occurrence of the condition change of a first type based on notification from a first sensor and for detecting an occurrence of a condition change of a second type based on notification from a second sensor;

computer-executable instructions for notifying, in a case where the occurrence of the condition change of the first type is detected in the detecting step, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the first type or the information for obtaining the direction of the condition change of the first type such that a first icon corresponding to the first sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the first type is displayed on a display of the terminal device, and, for notifying, in a case where the occurrence of the condition change of the second type is detected in the detecting step, the terminal device of a direction of the condition change of the second type or the information for obtaining the direction of the condition change of the second type such that a second icon corresponding to the second sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the second type is displayed on the display;

computer-executable instructions for receiving information relative to the first icon or the second icon which is selected in the terminal device; and

computer-executable instructions for changing a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type or the direction of the condition change of the second type in accordance with the receiving the information relative to the icon which is selected in the terminal device.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer-executable instructions, the medium utilizable in a terminal device configured to receive and display an image picked up by an image pickup apparatus via a network, the medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for obtaining a direction of a condition change of a first type and for obtaining a direction of a condition change of a second type based on notification from the image pickup apparatus;

computer-executable instructions for displaying on a display, in a case where the direction of the condition change of a first type corresponding to the first sensor is obtained in the obtaining step, a first icon corresponding to the first sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the first type, and for displaying on the display, in a case where the direction of the condition change of the second type corresponding to a second sensor is obtained in the obtaining step, a second icon corresponding to the second sensor and having a shape that can specify the direction of the condition change of the second type; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting information to the image pickup apparatus, in response to a selection of the first icon or the second icon, for changing a pickup direction of the image pickup apparatus to the direction of the condition change of the first type or the direction of the condition change of the second type.