Server apparatus and method of transmitting video data

• US 9,491,416 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2011
• Issued: 11/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kamei, Yoichi, Matsumoto, Shinichi, Kono, Akihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUNDUR, PADMAVATHI V
• Application Number:
  US13/273,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20120096126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/20 for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6334 for authorisation, e.g. by transmitting a key wireless communications network key management H04W12/04; wireless communications network access security H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/695 Control of camera direction for changing a field of view, e.g. pan, tilt or based on tracking of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/185 from a mobile camera, e.g. for remote control

Abstract

When a camera server receives an instruction involving invalidation of viewing limitation (masking processing) of video from a privileged client, the camera server limits viewing of video data with respect to a general client and a recording client. The camera server stores the video data of a limited period in a secondary storage device. When the camera server receives an instruction involving validation of the viewing limitation from the privileged client, the camera server transmits the stored video data of the limiting period to the recording client.

Claims

1. A transmission apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory communicatively coupled to the processor for storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform operations comprising;

receive an image captured by an image capturing unit;

perform a privacy mask process to the captured image;

transmit a privacy mask processed image to a privileged client apparatus and a non-privileged client apparatus, and

in response to receiving a request from the privileged client apparatus to generate a panoramic image at the privileged client apparatus;

capturing by the image capturing unit, a plurality of images by changing an image capturing direction of the image capturing unit;

transmitting the plurality of images to the privileged client apparatus without transmitting the plurality of captured images to the non-privileged client apparatus;

generating a panoramic image at the privileged client using the plurality of images;

receiving, the panoramic image from the privileged client apparatus; and

transmitting a privacy mask processed image from the panoramic image to the non-privileged client apparatus.

2. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor notifies a second receiving apparatus of a reception of a request for image data of which viewing is not limited from a first receiving apparatus.

5. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first image data corresponds to image data over which a masking image is not superimposed, and

the panoramic image of which viewing is limited corresponds to image data over which a masking image is superimposed.

6. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

a first image data corresponds to image data which is acquired by an imaging apparatus without limiting a range of at least any one of a panning angle, a tilting angle, and a zoom value of the imaging apparatus, and

the panoramic image of which viewing is limited corresponds to panoramic image which is acquired by the imaging apparatus by limiting a range of at least any one of a panning angle, a tilting angle, and a zoom value of the imaging apparatus.

9. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor limits viewing of a first image data by the second receiving apparatus by stopping a transmission of image data to the second receiving apparatus.

10. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor transmits a first image data to a first receiving apparatus while viewing of an image data by a second receiving apparatus is limited by the limiting unit and

transmits a second image data of which viewing is limited to the second receiving apparatus while viewing of the image data by the second receiving apparatus is limited.

11. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor suspends transmission of a first image data to a second receiving apparatus during a suspending period, and

the processor transmits, after the suspending period is passed, to the second receiving apparatus a second image data of which viewing is limited.

12. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the processor limits, while a plurality of first captured images each of which viewing is not limited is transmitted, in response to a request for generating a panoramic image from a first receiving apparatus having a viewing authority, to the first receiving apparatus, viewing of the plurality of first captured images by a second receiving apparatus having no viewing authority,

the processor acquires, from the first receiving apparatus, the panoramic image generated from the plurality of first captured images by the first receiving apparatus, and

the processor transmits, after the panoramic image is acquired from the first receiving apparatus, to the second receiving apparatus a panoramic image of which viewing is limited, the panoramic image of which viewing is limited being generated by superimposing a predetermined image on a panoramic image of which viewing is not limited.

15. The transmission apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising determining, by the processor, whether a privacy mask process is performed or not dependent on a type of the request.

3. A transmission method performed by a transmission apparatus, the method comprising:

receiving an image captured by an image capturing unit;

performing a privacy mask process to the captured image;

transmitting a privacy mask processed image to a privileged client apparatus and a non-privileged client apparatus, and

in response to receiving a request from the privileged client apparatus to generate a panoramic image at the privileged client apparatus;

capturing by the image capturing unit, a plurality of images by changing an image capturing direction of the image capturing unit;

transmitting the plurality of images to the privileged client apparatus without transmitting the plurality of captured images to the non-privileged client apparatus;

generating a panoramic image at the privileged client apparatus using the plurality of images;

receiving, the panoramic image from the privileged client apparatus; and

transmitting a privacy mask processed image from the panoramic image to the non-privileged client apparatus.

7. The transmission method according to claim 3, wherein

a first image data corresponds to image data over which a masking image is not superimposed, and

the panoramic image of which viewing is limited corresponds to image data over which a masking image is superimposed.

13. The transmission method according to claim 3, further comprising:

limiting a transmission of a first image data by suspending transmission of the first image data to a second receiving apparatus during a suspending period;

transmitting, after the suspending period is passed, to the second receiving apparatus a second image data of which viewing is limited.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-executable instructions for transmitting image data to receiving apparatuses, the medium comprising:

computer-executable instructions for receiving an image captured by an image capturing unit;

computer-executable instructions for performing a privacy mask process to the captured image;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting a privacy mask processed image to a privileged client apparatus and a non-privileged client apparatus, and

in response to receiving a request from the privileged client apparatus to generate a panoramic image at the privileged client apparatus;

computer-executable instructions for capturing by the image capturing unit, a plurality of images by changing an image capturing direction of the image capturing unit;

computer-executable instructions for transmitting the plurality of images to the privileged client apparatus without transmitting the plurality of captured images to the non-privileged client apparatus;

computer-executable instructions for generating a panoramic image at the privileged client apparatus using the plurality of images;

computer-executable instructions for receiving, the panoramic image from the privileged client apparatus; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting a privacy mask processed image from the panoramic image to the non-privileged client apparatus.

8. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, wherein

a first image data corresponds to image data over which a masking image is not superimposed, and

the panoramic image of which viewing is limited corresponds to image data over which a masking image is superimposed.

14. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 4, the medium further comprising:

computer-executable instructions for limiting a transmission of a first image data by suspending transmission of the first image data to a second receiving apparatus during a suspending period; and

computer-executable instructions for transmitting after the suspending period is passed, to the second receiving apparatus a second image data of which viewing is limited.