Network camera apparatus and distributing method of video frames

• US 8,302,142 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takanezawa, Tetsuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vieaux, Gary C
• Application Number:
  US12/961,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20110074962A1
• Time in Patent Office: 693 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.3, 725/105, 725/94, 725/96
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

When a request for a transmitting method of video frames of the client apparatus is received in a communicating unit to communicate with said client apparatus, whether the received request for the transmitting method of the video frames is a request for the transmitting method of the video frames for recording or a request for the transmitting method of the video frames for a live display is discriminated. If the received request for the transmitting method of the video frames is the request for the transmitting method of the video frames for recording, each of the video frames formed in an image sensing unit is temporarily stored in a memory and each of the stored video frames is transmitted. If the received request for the transmitting method of the video frames is the request for the transmitting method of the video frames for the live display, a process for transmitting the latest frame among the video frames formed in the image sensing unit is repetitively executed.

Claims

1. A network camera apparatus for transmitting video frames formed in an image sensing unit to a client apparatus, the network camera apparatus comprising:

a communication unit configured to communicate with the client apparatus;

acquiring means for acquiring a time interval related to the video frames formed in the image sensing unit;

determining means for determining a type of a video frame request from the client apparatus; and

a control unit configured to (a) in a case where the determining means determines that the video frame request is for a live display and the transmission of a last video frame formed at a first timing is not completed by a second timing later than the first timing by the time interval, control transmitting of a video frame such that a video frame formed at the second timing is not transmitted to the client apparatus and (b) in a case where the determining means determines that the video frame request is for recording and the transmission of the last video frame formed at the first timing is not completed by the second timing, memorize in a memory the video frame formed at the second timing such that the video frame formed at the second timing can be transmitted to the client apparatus at a timing later than a transmission timing corresponding to the second timing.

2. The network camera apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit transmits the video frame formed at the second timing and stored in the memory in response to a request from the client apparatus at the timing later than the transmission timing.

3. The network camera apparatus according to claim 2, wherein when a plurality of video frames are memorized in the memory, the plurality of memorized video frames are not transmitted because the transmission of a previous video frame has been delayed more than a predetermined time interval based on the acquired time interval, and the control unit transmits the plurality of memorized video frames in response to the request from the client apparatus at the timing later than the transmission timing.

4. A video frame transmitting method of a network camera apparatus for transmitting video frames formed in an image sensing unit to a client apparatus, the method comprising:

(a) acquiring a time interval related to the video frames formed in the image sensing unit;

(b) determining a type of a video frame request from the client apparatus;

(c) in a case where it is determined that the video frame request is for live display and the transmission of a last video frame formed at a first timing is not completed by a second timing later than the first timing by the time interval, controlling transmitting of a video frame such that a video frame formed at the second timing is not transmitted to the client apparatus; and

(d) in a case where it is determined that the video frame request is for recording and the transmission of the last video frame formed at the first timing is not completed by the second timing, memorizing in a memory the video flame formed at the second timing such that the video flame formed at the second timing can be transmitted to the client apparatus at a timing later than a transmission timing corresponding to the second timing.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the video frame formed at the second timing and stored in the memory is transmitted in response to a request from the client apparatus at the timing later than the transmission timing.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein when a plurality of video frames are memorized in the memory, the plurality of memorized video frames are not transmitted because the transmission of a previous video frame has been delayed more than a predetermined time interval based on the acquired time interval, and the plurality of memorized video frames are transmitted in response to the request from the client apparatus at the timing later than the transmission timing.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores a computer program for allowing a computer to execute the method according to claim 4.