Video system

• US 8,031,231 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitsutake, Hideaki, Sekine, Masayoshi, Muramoto, Tomotaka, Suga, Akira, Iijima, Katsumi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan; Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): OSINSKI, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US11/615,185
• Publication Number:
  US 20070103560A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 345/619, 345/704, 345/786, 345/787, 345/830, 348/208.14, 348/169, 348/333.02, 3482111-21114, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/170, 348/143, 348/156, 348/159, 348/333.05, 348 1401- 1409, 709/204
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

In a video system of the invention, control means is provided for a terminal input apparatus which is connected by a communication network of a camera on the partner side and which comprises an image display apparatus having a multiwindow display function for selecting and displaying the camera. An image pickup operation which is required to the camera on the partner side, for example, the image pickup direction, focal distance, panning, exposure amount, white balance, automatic focusing, and the like of the designated camera are inputted by using an image display and a window display of the image display apparatus. The operation of the camera on the partner side and the operations of a tripod, a movable arm, and the like to hold the camera are controlled through communicating means. A photographed image is displayed by the display apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlling a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a communication device configured to communicate with a plurality of control apparatuses through a network;

a control device configured to, in a case that a first control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses controls, through the network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom, inhibit a second control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the parameter of the same camera through the network for a time period previously determined; and

an output device configured to output display control information to control a display to display a residual time for the inhibition of controlling the parameter in response to said control device inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device releases the second control apparatus from being inhibited from controlling the camera after the time period has lapsed.

9. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said output device is further configured to output display control information to control a display of the second control apparatus to display a name of the first control apparatus in response to said control device inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.

3. A method of controlling a camera, said method comprising the steps of:

communicating with a plurality of control apparatuses through a network;

in a case that a first control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses controls, through the network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom, inhibiting a second control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the parameter of the same camera through the network for a time period previously determined; and

outputting display control information to control a display to display a residual time for the inhibition of controlling the parameter in response to said inhibiting step inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.

4. A method according to claim 3, further comprising a step of releasing the second control apparatus from being inhibited from controlling the camera after the time period has lapsed.

5. An apparatus for controlling a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a control device configured to, in a case that a first control apparatus included in a plurality of control apparatuses controls, through the network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom, inhibit a second control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the parameter of the same camera through a network for a time period previously determined;

a communication device configured to communicate with the plurality of control apparatuses through the network, based on a control result by said control device; and

an output device configured to output display control information to control a display to display a residual time for the inhibition of controlling the parameter in response to said control device inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.

6. A method of controlling a camera, said method comprising the steps of:

in a case that a first control apparatus included in a plurality of control apparatuses controls, through the network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom, inhibiting a second control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the parameter of the same camera through a network for a time period previously determined for arbitration between the plurality of control apparatuses before starting the control of the parameter;

communicating with the plurality of control apparatuses through the network, based on a control result in said inhibiting step; and

outputting display control information to control a display to display a residual time for the inhibition of controlling the parameter in response to said inhibiting step inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.

7. An apparatus for controlling a camera, said apparatus comprising:

a determination device configured to determine whether one of a plurality of control apparatuses controls, through a network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom for a time period previously determined for arbitration between the plurality of control apparatuses before starting the control of the parameter;

a control device configured to, in a case that a first control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses controls, through the network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, and zoom, inhibit a second control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the parameter of the same camera through the network;

a communication device configured to communicate with the plurality of control apparatuses through the network, based on a control result by said control device; and

an output device configured to output display control information to control a display to display a residual time for the inhibition of controlling the parameter in response to said control device inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.

8. A method of controlling a camera, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether one of a plurality of control apparatuses controls, through a network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom for a time period previously determined for arbitration between the plurality of control apparatuses before starting the control of the parameter;

in a case that a first control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses controls, through the network, a parameter of the camera including at least one of vertical pan, horizontal pan, and zoom, inhibiting a second control apparatus included in the plurality of control apparatuses from controlling the parameter of the same camera through the network;

communicating with the plurality of control apparatuses through the network, based on a control result in said inhibiting step; and

outputting display control information to control a display to display a residual time for the inhibition of controlling the parameter in response to said inhibiting step inhibiting the second control apparatus from controlling the parameter.