Image processing apparatus, system, method, and medium

• US 9,609,199 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Issued: 03/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Nakata, Takamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): OSINSKI, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/747,813
• Publication Number:
  US 20150381872A1
• Time in Patent Office: 644 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/741 by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/743 Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 Mixing

Abstract

An image processing apparatus capable of communicating with an external apparatus via a network includes, a combining unit configured to combine a plurality of images captured under different exposure conditions, an exposure setting unit configured to acquire an image under a set exposure condition, a reception unit configured to receive a command for specifying an operation of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit from the external apparatus, and a first control unit configured to control a timing of the operation of the exposure setting unit, specified by the command received by the reception unit, based on an operation state of at least one of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit.

Claims

1. An image processing apparatus communicating with an external apparatus via a network, the image processing apparatus comprising:

a combining unit configured to combine a plurality of images captured under different exposure conditions;

an exposure setting unit configured to acquire an image under a set exposure condition;

a reception unit configured to receive a command for specifying an operation of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit from the external apparatus; and

a first control unit configured to control a timing of the operation of the exposure setting unit, specified by the command received by the reception unit, based on an operation state of at least one of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit.

2. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first control unit is configured to control the timing of the operation for each of a plurality of images combined by the combining unit.

3. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the operation state includes a change of the operation state of at least one of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit, and

wherein the change of the operation state includes the operation of the combining unit or the exposure setting unit specified by the command received by the reception unit.

4. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an operation specifying unit configured to automatically specify the operation of the exposure setting unit,

wherein the first control unit is configured to perform the control based on the operation state of at least one of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit and a specified result of the operation specifying unit.

5. The image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a transmission unit configured to transmit a response command corresponding to the command; and

a second control unit configured to control a transmission timing of the response command in accordance with the timing of the operation of the exposure setting unit controlled by the first control unit.

6. A method for controlling an image processing apparatus communicating with an external apparatus via a network and including a combining unit configured to combine a plurality of images captured under different exposure conditions and an exposure setting unit configured to acquire an image under a set exposure condition, the method comprising:

receiving a command for specifying an operation of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit from the external apparatus; and

controlling a timing of the operation of the exposure setting unit, specified by the received command, based on an operation state of at least one of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute a method for controlling an image processing apparatus communicating with an external apparatus via a network and including a combining unit configured to combine a plurality of images captured under different exposure conditions and an exposure setting unit configured to acquire an image under a set exposure condition, the method comprising:

receiving a command for specifying an operation of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit from the external apparatus; and

controlling a timing of the operation of the exposure setting unit, specified by the received command, based on an operation state of at least one of the combining unit and the exposure setting unit.