Imaging apparatus, control method and storage medium

• US 8,665,336 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohshima, Hideaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US12/837,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20110019008A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/211.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 348/231.2, 348/231.3
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

An imaging apparatus notifies, to an external apparatus, a media content stored in a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, and a control content for use in a control of the imaging apparatus and having a same format as the format of the media content. When the control content is requested from the external apparatus, the imaging apparatus performs a control corresponding to the requested control content. The imaging apparatus determines whether the imaging apparatus notifies the media content or the control content according to an operation mode of the imaging apparatus.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus communicable with an external apparatus, the imaging apparatus comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine whether an operation mode of the imaging apparatus is a reproduction mode, in which media content is reproduced from a storage medium, or a recording mode;

a notification unit configured to notify media content and control content to the external apparatus, the media content being stored in a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, the control content corresponding to controlling the imaging apparatus; and

a control unit configured to, in accordance with the notified control content being requested from the external apparatus, perform control corresponding to the requested control content,

wherein the notification unit notifies the media content in a case where the determination unit determines that the operation mode of the imaging apparatus is the reproduction mode and notifies the control content in a case where the determination unit determines that the operation mode of the imaging apparatus is the recording mode,

wherein the notification unit further notifies operation mode content associated with the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before notifying the control content, and

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises an operation mode control unit configured to set an operation mode of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the operation mode content being requested from the external apparatus.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording mode is a shooting mode.

3. The imaging apparatus to claim 1, further comprising:

a generation unit configured to generate content according to the control of the control unit; and

a transmission unit configured to transmit the content generated by the generation unit to the external apparatus that is a transmission source of a request.

4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the imaging apparatus to start shooting a still image file when the external apparatus requests control content associated with starting still image shooting.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the imaging apparatus to start generating a moving image file when the external apparatus requests control content associated with starting moving image shooting.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is further configured to cause the imaging apparatus to change a setting of an audio file when the external apparatus requests control content associated with changing a setting of audio content.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the requested control content includes a predetermined filename.

8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a decision unit configured to decide a medium type based upon the predetermined filename.

9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the media content is stored in the storage medium of the imaging apparatus before the imaging apparatus is connected to the external apparatus.

10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a name of a file for the control content is different from a name of a file for the media content.

11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a file for the control content and a file for the media content, which corresponds to the control content and is generated according to the control content, have the same file extension.

12. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a generation unit configured to generate the control content associated with a control in a case that the operation mode is determined to be the recording mode.

13. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus communicable with an external apparatus, the method comprising:

determining whether an operation mode of the imaging apparatus is a reproduction mode, in which media content is reproduced from a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, or a recording mode;

notifying the media content and control content to the external apparatus, the media content being stored in a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, the control content corresponding to controlling the imaging apparatus; and

performing control corresponding to the control content, in accordance with the control content being requested from the external apparatus,

wherein notifying the media content and the control content includes notifying the media content in a case where the operation mode of the imaging apparatus is determined to be the reproduction mode and notifying the control content in a case where the operation mode is determined to be the recording mode,

wherein the method further comprises notifying operation mode content associated with the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before notifying the control content, and

wherein the imaging apparatus sets an operation mode in accordance with the operation mode content being requested from the external apparatus.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which, when executed by a computer, causes an imaging apparatus to perform a method comprising:

determining whether an operation mode of the imaging apparatus is a reproduction mode, in which media content is reproduced from a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, or a recording mode;

notifying the media content and control content to an external apparatus, the media content being stored in a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, the control content corresponding to controlling the imaging apparatus; and

performing control corresponding to the control content, in accordance with the control content being requested from the external apparatus, wherein notifying the media content and the control content includes notifying the media content in a case where the operation mode of the imaging apparatus is determined to be the reproduction mode and notifying the control content in a case where the operation mode is determined to be the recording mode,

wherein the method further comprises notifying operation mode content associated with the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before notifying the control content, and

wherein the imaging apparatus sets an operation mode in accordance with the operation mode content being requested from the external apparatus.

15. An imaging apparatus communicable with an external apparatus, the imaging apparatus comprising:

a determination unit configured to determine an operation mode of the imaging apparatus;

a notification unit configured to notify media content and control content to the external apparatus, the media content being stored in a storage medium of the imaging apparatus before the imaging apparatus is connected to the external apparatus, the control content corresponding to controlling the imaging apparatus; and

a control unit configured to, in accordance with the control content being requested from the external apparatus, perform control corresponding to the requested control content,

wherein the notification unit determines whether the notification unit notifies the control content in accordance with a determination result of the determination unit,

wherein the notification unit further notifies operation mode content associated with the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before notifying the control content, and

wherein the imaging apparatus further comprises an operation mode control unit configured to set an operation mode of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the operation mode content being requested from the external apparatus.

16. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the requested control content includes a predetermined filename.

17. The imaging apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a determination unit configured to determine a storage medium type based upon the predetermined filename.

18. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a name of a file for the control content is different from a name of a file for the media content.

19. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a file for the control content and a file for the media content, which corresponds to the control content and is generated according to the control content, have the same file extension.

20. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising a receiving unit configured to receive a request for notification of contents from the external apparatus,

wherein the notification unit notifies the contents in response to receiving by the receiving unit the request for notification of contents from the external apparatus.

21. The imaging apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the determination unit determines the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before the receiving unit receives the request for notification of contents from the external apparatus.

22. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the determination unit determines the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before the notification unit notifies the contents.

23. The imaging apparatus according to claim 15, further comprising an operation unit configured to receive an operation from a user,

wherein the operation mode of the imaging apparatus is changed in accordance with the operation which is received by the operation unit.

24. A method for controlling an imaging apparatus communicable with an external apparatus, the method comprising:

determining whether an operation mode of the imaging apparatus is a reproduction mode, in which media content is reproduced from a storage medium of the imaging apparatus, or a recording mode;

notifying media content and control content to the external apparatus, the media content being stored in a storage medium before the imaging apparatus is connected to the external apparatus, the control content corresponding to controlling the imaging apparatus;

performing control corresponding to the control content in accordance with the control content being requested from the external apparatus;

determining whether the imaging apparatus notifies the control content in accordance with a determination result of the determining;

notifying operation mode content associated with the operation mode of the imaging apparatus before notifying the control content; and

setting an operation mode of the imaging apparatus in accordance with the operation mode content being requested from the external apparatus.