Apparatus for transmitting an HTML file with a captured or stored image to an electronic device over a network

• US 8,134,605 B2
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Hata, Hajime
• Primary Examiner(s): VILLECCO, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US11/821,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20070252897A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 725/105, 725/96, 725/87, 725/80, 725/82, 348/211.9, 348/211.3, 348/211.4, 348/211.7, 348/211.8, 348/211.2, 348/207.1, 348/552
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40117 Interconnection of audio or video/imaging devices home automation networks H04L12/2803; bitstream network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

In order that a digital video (DV) camera function as a WWW server in a network, an image capturing section captures an image of a subject. A DV encoder encodes an image signal input from the image capturing section. A recording and playback section plays back DV data recorded in a DV cassette tape. An IP packet assembling/disassembling section assembles a DV signal input from the DV encoder, a DV signal input from the recording and playback section, or an HTML file input from a WWW server processing section into IP packets, and outputs them to an IEEE 1394 interface. The IEEE 1394 interface transmits, via the network, the IP packets input from the IP packet assembling/disassembling section to a personal computer which accessed the DV camera.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus connectable to a network, comprising:

image capturing means for capturing a moving image;

storage means for storing said captured moving image;

playback means for playing back said stored moving image at a controllable playback speed;

maintaining means for maintaining a composition file which forms a home page with a display area for displaying said captured or stored moving image within the home page;

receiving means for receiving via said network a first command output by a remote electronic device, said first command requesting a home page from said maintaining means, said receiving means subsequently receiving from said remote electronic device a second command, said second command selectively controlling said image capturing means and/or said playback means;

detecting means for detecting whether said second command from said remote electronic device requests a real-time image which is being captured by said image capturing means or a pre-recorded image which is stored in said storage means;

transmission means for transmitting said composition file via said network to said electronic device in response to said received first command, whereby said home page is displayed on said electronic device;

MPEG compression means, operable at a controllable compression rate, for MPEG-compressing said moving image captured by said image capturing means or the played back stored moving image to generate an MPEG-compressed moving image data;

supply means for supplying said MPEG-compressed moving image data generated by said MPEG compression means to said electronic device via said network in response to said subsequently received second command, said MPEG-compressed moving image data representing either said real-time image or said pre-recorded image, depending upon said received second command, whereby the supplied image is displayed in said display area of said home page displayed on said electronic device; and

line checking means for checking a communication capacity and a degree of congestion on said network and for controlling said MPEG compression means to change the MPEG compression rate of said MPEG compression means when said second command requests a real-time image, thereby increasing the MPEG compression rate of the MPEG-compressed real-time image supplied over said network to said electronic device from said image capturing apparatus when the communication capacity of said network is small, and, when said second command requests a pre-recorded image, increasing the MPEG compression rate of the MPEG-compressed played back image supplied over said network to said electronic device from said image capturing apparatus when the communication capacity of said network is small, to correspond to the communication capacity and degree of congestion on said network.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said network conforms with an IEEE 1394 standard.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said image capturing apparatus is a digital video camera.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said electronic device is a personal computer.

5. An image capturing apparatus connectable to a network, comprising:

image capturing means for capturing a moving image;

storage means for storing said captured moving image;

playback means for playing back said stored moving image at a controllable playback speed;

control means for controlling the playback speed of said playback means;

maintaining means for maintaining a composition file which forms a home page with a display area for displaying said captured or stored moving image within the home page;

receiving means for receiving via said network a command output by an electronic device, said command selectively requesting a real-time moving image or a played back moving image;

detecting means for detecting whether said command requests a real-time image which is being captured by said image capturing means or a pre-recorded image which is stored in said storage means;

transmission means for transmitting said composition file via said network to said electronic device in response to said received command, whereby said home page is displayed on said electronic device;

supply means for supplying said moving image data to said electronic device via said network to correspond to said received command, whereby the supplied image is displayed in said display area of said home page displayed on said electronic device; and

line checking means for checking a communication capacity and a degree of congestion on said network and for controlling said control means to change the playback speed of said playback means, thereby decreasing said playback speed when the communication capacity of said network is small or when the line is congested, when said command requests the playback of a pre-recorded moving image.