Communication system and communication terminal

• US 8,692,666 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2011
• Issued: 04/08/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Imaging Corporation (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Ishii, Hirofumi, Fujimaru, Masamitsu
• Primary Examiner(s): BLOUNT, ERIC
• Application Number:
  US13/205,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20120032795A1
• Time in Patent Office: 974 Days
• Field of Search: 340/539.1, 348/159
• US Class Current: 340/539.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00159 for sharing images without access restriction, e.g. publishing images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00251 with an apparatus for taking photographic images, e.g. a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3278 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums

Abstract

A camera system includes a plurality of first cameras and a second camera. Each of the plurality of first cameras has a first receiving section that receives a control signal, a first image pickup section that photographs a first image based on the control signal, and a first transmitting section that transmits the first image and terminal information based on the control signal. The second camera has a second image pickup section that photographs a second image, a second transmitting section that transmits the control signal, a second receiving section that receives the first image and the terminal information, a camera selecting section that selects the first camera that satisfies a predetermined condition as control target camera based on the terminal information, and a storing section that stores the second image.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a plurality of first communication terminals that respectively have a first receiving section that receives a control signal, a first image pickup section that photographs a first image based on the control signal, and a first transmitting section that transmits the first image and terminal information based on the control signal; and

a second communication terminal that has a second image pickup section that photographs a second image, a second transmitting section that transmits the control signal, a second receiving section that receives the first image and the terminal information, a terminal selecting section that selects the first communication terminal that satisfies a predetermined condition from among the plurality of first communication terminals as a control target terminal based on the terminal information, and a storing section that stores the second image.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the terminal selecting section selects a first communication terminal that photographs a subject that is the same as a subject that the second image pickup section photographs.

3. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein:

the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal each have a direction sensor, and the first transmitting section of the first communication terminal transmits a direction in which the first image pickup section photographs as the terminal information; and

the terminal selecting section of the second communication terminal selects the control target terminal based on information of the direction sensors of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.

4. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein:

the first and second communication terminals each have a positional information detecting sensor, and the first communication terminal transmits positional information as the terminal information; and

the terminal selecting section of the second communication terminal selects the control target terminal based on information of the positional information detecting sensors of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal.

5. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein:

the first communication terminal has a posture detection sensor and transmits posture information as the terminal information; and

the terminal selecting section of the second communication terminal selects the control target terminal based on the posture information.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein:

the first communication terminal has a function of the second communication terminal, and the second communication terminal has a function of the first communication terminal; and

the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal each have a mode switching section that switches between a share mode that permits control based on the control signal from another image pickup apparatus and a private mode that does not permit control based on the control signal from another image pickup apparatus.

7. The communication system according to claim 6, wherein:

the first communication terminal performs control based on the control signal from the second communication terminal only when the second communication terminal is operating in the share mode.

8. A communication terminal, comprising:

a terminal selecting section that, from among a plurality of first communication terminals that respectively have a first receiving section that receives a control signal, a first image pickup section that photographs a first image based on the control signal, and a first transmitting section that transmits the first image and terminal information based on the control signal, selects the first communication terminal that satisfies a predetermined condition as a control target terminal based on the terminal information;

a second image pickup section that photographs a second image;

a second transmitting section that transmits the control signal;

a second receiving section that receives the first image and the terminal information; and

a storing section that stores the second image.

9. The communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

the terminal selecting section selects a first communication terminal that photographs a subject that is the same as a subject that the second image pickup section photographs.

10. The communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein:

the first communication terminal and the communication terminal each have a direction sensor, and the first transmitting section of the first communication terminal transmits a direction in which the first image pickup section photographs as the terminal information; and

the terminal selecting section selects the control target terminal based on information of the direction sensors of the first communication terminal and the communication terminal.

11. The communication terminal according to claim 10, wherein:

the first communication terminal and the communication terminal each have a positional information detecting sensor, and the first communication terminal transmits positional information as the terminal information; and

the terminal selecting section selects the control target terminal based on information of the positional information detecting sensors of the first communication terminal and the communication terminal.

12. The communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

the first communication terminal has a posture detection sensor and transmits posture information as the terminal information; and

the terminal selecting section selects the control target terminal based on the posture information.

13. The communication terminal according to claim 9, wherein the subject is a person.

14. The communication terminal according to claim 10, comprising:

a display section that displays the second image and a plurality of the first images;

wherein the second image is displayed in a center of the display section, the first image that is photographed from a position close to the subject is displayed above the second image, and the first image that is photographed from a position far from the subject is displayed below the second image.

15. The communication terminal according to claim 8, wherein:

the first communication terminal has a function of the communication terminal, and the communication terminal has a function of the first communication terminal; and

the first communication terminal and the communication terminal each have a mode switching section that switches between a share mode that permits control based on the control signal from another image pickup apparatus and a private mode that does not permit control based on the control signal from another image pickup apparatus.

16. The communication terminal according to claim 15, wherein:

the first communication terminal performs control based on the control signal from the communication terminal only when the communication terminal is operating in the share mode.

17. A communication terminal, comprising:

a communication section that performs wireless communication with a plurality of other communicable terminals;

a vibration information detecting section which has a vibration detecting section that detects a vibration and selects a first vibration pattern type that is similar to a detected vibration pattern from among a plurality of predetermined vibration pattern types, and a timing section that clocks a vibration detection time, and which outputs first vibration information including the first vibration pattern type and the vibration detection time;

a control section that specifies one or more communication candidate terminals from among the communicable terminals based on the first vibration information that the vibration information detecting section outputs and second vibration information that is received from the communicable terminals; and

a display section that displays an image showing the one or more communication candidate terminals that the control section specifies.

18. The communication terminal according to claim 17, wherein:

the vibration detecting section detects a vibration that is generated by an action of a user that manually holds a main body section that has the vibration detecting section.

19. The communication terminal according to claim 18, wherein:

a communicable terminal that transmits the second vibration information including a vibration pattern type that is the same as the first vibration pattern type of the first vibration information that the vibration information detecting section outputs is specified as the communication candidate terminal.

20. The communication terminal according to claim 19, further comprising:

an operation section that selects a communication-permitted terminal for which communication is permitted from among the communication candidate terminals based on images showing the communication candidate terminals that are displayed on the display section.