Image capture apparatus that photographs a specific subject, a communication method, a storage medium and a communication system

• US 9,313,472 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2014
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Casio Computer Company Limited
• Inventors: Saitou, Kouichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Lam, Hung
• Application Number:
  US14/191,083
• Publication Number:
  US 20140285679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 776 Days
• Field of Search: 348/14.01, 348/211.1, 348/231.9, 348/E7.07, 348/E7.081
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00336 with an apparatus performing pattern recognition, e.g. of a face or a geographic feature image or video recognition or understanding of scenes G06V20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

An image capture apparatus includes a second communication control unit, a first communication control unit and a communication unit. The second communication control unit controls the communication unit so as to transmit information of a face image serving as identification information to identify a specific subject to one other image capture apparatus. The first communication control unit controls the communication unit so as to receive from the other image capture apparatus, from among images captured by the image capture unit included in each image capture apparatus, an image in which a subject designated by the transmitted face image is captured.

Claims

1. An image capture apparatus comprising:

a CPU which is operable as;

a transmission control section that transmits identification information for identifying a specific subject to one other apparatus; and

a reception control section that receives, from among images photographed by an image capture section included in the other apparatus, an image in which a subject designated by identification information transmitted by the transmission control section is photographed by the other apparatus having received the identification information, and is transmitted to an own apparatus address,

wherein the reception control section receives from the other apparatus an image transmitted, in a case in which the subject designated by the identification information transmitted by the transmission control section is photographed by the other apparatus and transmitted to the own apparatus address when the own apparatus is in a state capable of image capture.

2. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception control section further receives identification information transmitted from the other apparatus, and

wherein the transmission control section transmits, to the one other apparatus having transmitted the identification information, an image in which a subject designated by the identification information received by the reception control section is photographed by way of an image capture section included in the own apparatus.

3. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is a face image similar to characteristic information of a subject used in image designation.

4. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the identification information is information specifying characteristic information of the subject differing from characteristic information of the subject used in image recognition.

5. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reception control section determines propriety of reception according to whether the subject designated by the identification information has been recognized within a captured image.

6. The image capture apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the reception control section determines whether the subject designated by the identification information has been recognized within a captured image, based on a priority order of a subject being set.

7. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specific subject is a specific person.

8. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an image captured by the image capture section and an image received by the reception control section comprise one of a moving image, a still image, and a continuous shooting image.

9. The image capture apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising an image correction section that corrects a joining portion between moving images at a switching timing of a plurality of moving images, in a case of the image received being a moving image.

10. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is further operable as a storing control section that controls storing of an image, wherein the storing control section controls a storing section so as to store an image received.

11. The image capture apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the CPU is further operable as a determination section that determines whether the image photographed satisfies a condition based on predetermined information different from the identification information, in case of the subject designated by identification information transmitted by the transmission control section being photographed by the other apparatus having received the identification information, and

wherein the reception control section controls to receive the image photographed by the other apparatus from the other apparatus, in a case of the image photographed by the other apparatus being determined to satisfy the condition based on the predetermined information different from the identification information by the determination section, and controls not to receive the image photographed by the other apparatus from the other apparatus, in a case of the image photographed by the other apparatus being determined not to satisfy the condition based on the predetermined information different from the identification information by the determination section.

12. An image capture apparatus comprising:

a CPU which is operable as;

a transmission control section that transmits identification information for identifying a specific subject to one other apparatus;

a reception control section that receives, from among images photographed by an image capture section included in the other apparatus, an image in which a subject designated by identification information transmitted by the transmission control section is photographed by the other apparatus having received the identification information, and is transmitted to an own apparatus address; and

a storing control section that controls storing of an image,

wherein the storing control section controls a storing section so as to store an image received, and

wherein the storing control section controls the storing section, in a case of an image in which the subject designated by the identification information is captured not being included among images received by the reception control section, so as not to store the image captured.

13. The image capture apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the storing control section controls the storing section, in a case of the subject designated by the identification information being captured in the own apparatus, so as to store the image captured.

14. A communication method executed by an image capture apparatus, the method comprising:

transmitting identification information that identifies a specific subject to one other apparatus; and

receiving, from among images captured by an image capture section included in the other apparatus, an image in which a subject designated by the identification information transmitted in the transmitting is captured by the other apparatus having received the identification information, and transmitted to an own apparatus address,

wherein the receiving receives from the other apparatus an image transmitted, in a case in which the subject designated by the identification information transmitted in the transmitting is photographed by the other apparatus and transmitted to the own apparatus address when the own apparatus is in a state capable of image capture.