Image processing system, image supply apparatus, image receiving apparatus, lighting apparatus and controlling method therefor

• US 7,995,101 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Koide, Yuji
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): GEBRIEL, SELAM T
• Application Number:
  US11/268,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060098099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,101 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.2, 348/207.99, 315/318, 315/312, 315/362
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

There is provided an image processing system including an image supply unit arranged to transmit image data by wireless communication, an image receiving unit arranged to receive the image data supplied from the image supply unit, a first lighting unit arranged to illuminate an area in which the wireless communication with the image supply unit is possible, a detecting unit arranged to detect whether the image supply unit is in the area, and a controller arranged to control image communication between the image supply unit and the image receiving unit in accordance with an output of the detecting unit.

Claims

1. An image processing system comprising:

an image supply apparatus arranged to transmit image data by wireless communication;

an image receiving apparatus arranged to receive the image data supplied from the image supply apparatus; and

a lighting apparatus,

wherein the lighting apparatus comprises;

a first lighting unit arranged to illuminate an area in which communication with the image supply apparatus is possible;

a detecting unit arranged to detect whether the image supply apparatus is in the area; and

a controller arranged to control, in response to the detecting unit detecting the image supply apparatus in the area, to start communication between the detected image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus,

wherein the controller controls lighting conditions of the first lighting unit so that a state of the image communication between the detected image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus can be identified.

2. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting unit is configured to wirelessly communicate with the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus, and to directly start the wireless communication between the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus.

3. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting unit changes a value of a lighting parameter according to the state of the image communication between the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus.

4. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the lighting apparatus further comprises a second lighting unit, wherein the first lighting unit is turned on according to a lighting operation of the second lighting unit.

5. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting unit is turned on according to whether a power supply of the image receiving apparatus is on.

6. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the controller permits transmission of the image data from the image supply apparatus to the image receiving apparatus in cases in which the detecting unit detects that the image supply apparatus is in the area.

7. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting unit includes a plurality of lighting parameters,

wherein the image supply apparatus includes a lighting parameter detecting unit arranged to detect at least one of the lighting parameters to determine whether the image supply apparatus is in the area based on at least one of the lighting parameters, and

wherein at least one of the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus changes an image processing method of the image data in accordance with an output of the lighting parameter detecting unit.

8. An image processing system according to 7, wherein the lighting parameter indicates a lighting color and the lighting parameter detecting unit detects the lighting color.

9. An image processing system according to claim 7, wherein the lighting parameter indicates a shape of the area, and the lighting parameter detecting unit detects the shape.

10. An image processing system according to claim 7, wherein the lighting parameter indicates a lighting cycle and the lighting parameter detecting unit detects the lighting cycle.

11. An image processing system according to claim 7, wherein the first lighting unit includes a plurality of lighting devices and a value of at least one of the lighting parameters is different in each of the plurality of the lighting devices.

12. An image processing system according to claim 1, wherein the first lighting unit changes a value of a lighting parameter in accordance with an output of the detecting unit.

13. A controlling method of an image processing system which includes an image supply apparatus arranged to transmit image data by wireless communication, an image receiving apparatus arranged to receive the image data supplied from the image supply apparatus, and a lighting apparatus that includes a first lighting unit, the controlling method comprising steps of:

an illuminating step of illuminating, using the first lighting unit, an area in which communication with the image supply apparatus is possible;

a detecting step of detecting whether the image supply apparatus is in the area; and

a controlling step of controlling, in response to the detecting step detecting the image supply apparatus in the area, to start communication between the detected image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus,

wherein the controlling step controls lighting conditions of the first lighting unit so that a state of the image communication between the detected image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus can be identified.

14. A controlling method according to claim 13, further comprising:

a changing step of changing a value of a lighting parameter in accordance with the state of the image communication between the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus.

15. A controlling method according to claim 13, wherein the lighting apparatus further includes a second lighting unit, and

wherein the method further comprising a lighting step of turning on the first lighting unit according to a lighting operation of the second lighting unit.

16. A controlling method according to claim 13, further comprising a lighting step of turning on the first lighting unit according to whether a power supply of the image receiving apparatus is on.

17. A controlling method according to claim 13,

wherein the controlling step permits transmission of the image data from the image supply apparatus to the image receiving apparatus in cases where, in the detecting step, it is detected that the image supply apparatus is in the area.

18. A controlling method according to claim 13, wherein the first lighting unit has a plurality of lighting parameters, and

wherein the method further comprises:

a lighting parameter detecting step of detecting at least one of the lighting parameters to determine whether the image supply apparatus is in the area based on at least one of the lighting parameters, and

a changing step of changing an image processing method of at least one of the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus in accordance with a result of the lighting parameter detecting step.

19. A controlling method according to claim 18, wherein the lighting parameter indicates a lighting color and the lighting parameter detecting step detects the lighting color.

20. A controlling method according to claim 18, wherein the lighting parameter indicates a shape of the area, and the lighting parameter detecting step detects the shape.

21. A controlling method according to claim 18, wherein the lighting parameter indicates a lighting cycle and the lighting parameter detecting step detects the lighting cycle.

22. A controlling method according to claim 13, further comprising a changing step of changing a lighting parameter of the first lighting unit in accordance with a result of the detecting step.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a computer-executable program for causing a computer to perform the controlling method according to claim 13.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing program code for the controlling method according to claim 13.

25. A lighting apparatus comprising:

a first communication unit arranged to communicate with an image supply apparatus which can transmit which transmits image data to an image receiving apparatus;

a lighting unit arranged to illuminate an area in which communication with the image supply apparatus is possible; and

a detecting unit arranged to detect whether the image supply apparatus is in the area and

a controller arranged to control, in response to the detecting unit detecting the image supply apparatus in the area, to start communication between the detected image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus,

wherein the controller controls lighting conditions so that a state of communication between the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus can be identified.

29. A lighting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the detecting unit detects weather the image supply apparatus is in the area or not in accordance with the communication between the first communication unit and the image supply apparatus.

30. A lighting apparatus according to claim 25, further comprising;

a second communication unit arranged to communicate with the image receiving apparatus, wherein the communication between the image receiving apparatus and the image supply apparatus starts in response to the second communication unit informing the image receiving apparatus that the detecting unit has detected the image supply apparatus in the area.

31. A lighting apparatus according to claim 25, wherein a communication method of the first communication unit between the lighting apparatus and the image supply apparatus is different from a communication method between the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus.

26. A controlling method of controlling a lighting apparatus comprising steps of:

a communicating step of establishing communication between the lighting apparatus and an image supply apparatus which can transmit image data to an image receiving apparatus;

an illuminating step of illuminating an area in which communication with the image supply apparatus is possible; and

a detecting step of detecting whether the image supply apparatus is in the area; and

a controlling step of controlling to, in response to the detecting step detecting the image supply apparatus in the area, start communication between the detected image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus,

wherein the controls lighting conditions so that a state of communication between the image supply apparatus and the image receiving apparatus can be identified.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a computer-executable program for causing a computer to perform the controlling method according to claim 26.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing program code for the controlling method according to claim 26.