Image acquisition system and method of authenticating image acquisition device in the image acquisition system

• US 8,169,493 B2
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Gocho, Nagahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): WANG, KENT F
• Application Number:
  US12/429,356
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/207.99, 348/211.1, 348/211.4, 348/211.8, 348/211.9, 348/211.99, 348/734, 348/222.1, 726/19, 726 27- 28, 455/150.1, 455/151.1, 455/151.2, 455/352, 455/556.1, 340/5.2, 340/62.5, 340/63, 340/5.62, 340/5.63, 345/158, 345/169
• US Class Current: 348/211.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/44 Secrecy systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4433 to an apparatus, part of an apparatus or an apparatus function
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

An image acquisition system includes an image acquisition device and a commanding device configured as a separate member from the image acquisition device to transmit an image acquisition execution command to the image acquisition device and thereby to cause the image acquisition device to perform an image acquisition operation. The commanding device includes an authentication information transmission unit configured to transmit authentication information to the image acquisition device to cause the image acquisition device to authenticate the commanding device. The image acquisition device includes an authentication information receiving unit configured to receive the authentication information transmitted from the commanding device, an authentication information recognition unit configured to recognize the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving unit, and a function limiting unit configured to limit a predetermined function of the image acquisition device based on the authentication information recognized by the authentication information recognition unit.

Claims

1. An image acquisition system comprising:

an image acquisition device having an image acquisition unit; and

a commanding device, which is configured as a separate member from a main body of the image acquisition device, and which is configured to transmit an image acquisition execution command to the main body of the image acquisition device to cause the image acquisition unit to perform an image acquisition operation;

wherein the commanding device includes;

an authentication information transmission unit configured to transmit authentication information to the image acquisition device to cause the image acquisition device to authenticate the commanding device;

wherein the image acquisition device includes;

an authentication information receiving unit configured to receive the authentication information transmitted from the authentication information transmission unit of the commanding device;

an authentication information recognition unit configured to recognize the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving unit; and

a function limiting unit configured to limit a predetermined function of the image acquisition device based on the authentication information recognized by the authentication information recognition unit;

wherein the commanding device further includes;

a commanding device information transmission unit configured to transmit one of an image acquisition command for the image acquisition operation of the image acquisition device including the image acquisition execution command and an authentication mode switching command for limiting the function of the image acquisition device, as a commanding device information;

wherein the image acquisition device includes;

a commanding device information receiving unit configured to receive the commanding device information transmitted from the commanding device information transmission unit of the commanding device;

a command identification unit configured to identify contents of the commanding device information received by the commanding device information receiving unit; and

a mode setting unit configured to set an authentication mode of the image acquisition device in response to the authentication mode switching command identified by the command identification unit;

wherein the function limiting unit of the image acquisition device limits functions of the image acquisition device in accordance with the authentication mode set by the mode setting unit; and

wherein the image acquisition device further includes;

a time measuring unit configured to count time;

wherein the mode setting unit of the image acquisition device sets a prohibit mode as the authentication mode based on the time counted by the time measuring unit; and

wherein the function limiting unit of the image acquisition device prohibits the image acquisition device from execution of the functions thereof by other than the commanding device in a case in which the prohibit mode is set by the mode setting unit.

2. The image acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the measuring unit of the image acquisition device continues to count the time even after a power supply of the image acquisition device is switched off;

and

wherein the mode setting unit of the image acquisition device sets the prohibit mode upon counting of a predetermined time by the time measuring unit.

3. The image acquisition system according to claim 2, wherein the mode setting unit of the image acquisition device sets the prohibit mode as the authentication mode one of (i) after a battery is one of consumed up and removed, one of immediately and upon lapse of a preset time and (ii) as a result of monitoring a voltage.

4. The image acquisition system according to claim 1, wherein the mode setting unit of the image acquisition device sets the prohibit mode as the authentication mode one of (i) after a battery is one of consumed up and removed, immediately and upon lapse of a preset time and (ii) as a result of monitoring a voltage.

5. An image acquisition system comprising:

an image acquisition device having an image acquisition unit; and

a commanding device, which is configured as a separate member from a main body of the image acquisition device, and which is configured to transmit an image acquisition execution command to the main body of the image acquisition device to cause the image acquisition unit to perform an image acquisition operation;

wherein the commanding device includes;

an authentication information transmission unit configured to transmit authentication information to the image acquisition device to cause the image acquisition device to authenticate the commanding device;

wherein the image acquisition device includes;

an authentication information receiving unit configured to receive the authentication information transmitted from the authentication information transmission unit of the commanding device;

an authentication information recognition unit configured to recognize the authentication information received by the authentication information receiving unit; and

a function limiting unit configured to limit a predetermined function of the image acquisition device based on the authentication information recognized by the authentication information recognition unit;

wherein the commanding device further includes;

a commanding device information transmission unit configured to transmit one of an image acquisition command for the image acquisition operation of the image acquisition device including the image acquisition execution command and an authentication mode switching command for limiting the function of the image acquisition device, as a commanding device information;

wherein the image acquisition device includes;

a commanding device information receiving unit configured to receive the commanding device information transmitted from the commanding device information transmission unit of the commanding device;

a command identification unit configured to identify contents of the commanding device information received by the commanding device information receiving unit; and

a mode setting unit configured to set an authentication mode of the image acquisition device in response to the authentication mode switching command identified by the command identification unit;

wherein the function limiting unit of the image acquisition device limits functions of the image acquisition device in accordance with the authentication mode set by the mode setting unit; and

wherein the image acquisition device further includes;

a built-in memory;

wherein the function limiting unit of the image acquisition device causes an acquired image to be stored only in the built-in memory in a case in which a prohibit mode prohibiting execution of the function of the image acquisition device by other than the commanding device is set as the authentication mode by the mode setting unit and in a case in which the image acquisition operation is performed by the image acquisition unit based on the image acquisition execution command from the commanding device identified by the command identification unit.

6. The image acquisition system according to claim 5, wherein the function limiting unit of the image acquisition device limits any of operations of reading, displaying, copying, transferring, and printing of the image stored in the built-in memory so as to be performed only in accordance with the image acquisition command from the commanding device authenticated by the authentication information recognized by the authentication information recognition unit.

7. The image acquisition system according to claim 6, wherein the image acquisition device further includes a removable memory;

and

wherein the image stored in the built-in memory is encrypted and stored when said image is one of copied and transferred to the removable memory.

8. The image acquisition system according to claim 7, wherein the commanding device further includes a selecting unit configured to select whether the image acquired by the image acquisition unit is recorded in the built-in memory or in the removable memory.

9. The image acquisition system according to claim 5, wherein the image acquisition device further includes a removable memory;

and

wherein the image stored in the built-in memory is encrypted and stored when said image is one of copied and transferred to the removable memory.

10. The image acquisition system according to claim 9, wherein the commanding device further includes a selecting unit configured to select whether the image acquired by the image acquisition unit is recorded in the built-in memory or in the removable memory.