Image capturing system, image capturing device, and image capturing method

• US 9,998,647 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2016
• Issued: 06/12/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kashiwa, Kotaro, Marukawa, Kazuyuki, Ozheki, Yukihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Laballe, Clayton E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Linda B
• Application Number:
  US15/208,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20160323497A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• Field of Search: 396325
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/662 by using master/slave camera arrangements for affecting the control of camera image capture, e.g. placing the camera in a desirable condition to capture a desired image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/80 Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• 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 7/188 Capturing isolated or intermittent images triggered by the occurrence of a predetermined event, e.g. an object reaching a predetermined position signal generation from motion picture films H04N5/253

Abstract

To enable satisfactory simultaneous and widely varied pictures to be obtained, for example, by allowing a common user to obtain an overall picture while the common user performing desired image capturing, or the like. A first image capturing device image-captures a subject to record this image, and also transmits a trigger signal to a second image capturing device. The second image capturing device image-captures an image to record this image in accordance with the trigger signal. Thus, the first and second image capturing devices enable both of an overall image and a zoomed image to be obtained with simultaneous timing.

Claims

1. A first image capturing device comprising:

circuitry configured to

capture a first image in response to a capturing operation,

generate first meta-data including a title related to the first image,

record the first image in association with the first meta-data on a first recording medium, and

transmit the first meta-data and a start trigger signal to a second image capturing device which independently captures a second image of a scene and records the second image on a second recording medium,

wherein the second image capturing device records the first meta-data transmitted thereto in association with the second image in response to receiving the start trigger signal, and

wherein at least the start trigger signal is automatically transmitted in response to the capturing operation, and

wherein the circuitry transmits a power control signal, for controlling a power status of the second image capturing device, to the second image capturing device.

2. The first image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the second image capturing device generates second meta-data related to the second image and records the second meta-data in association with the second image in response to receiving the start trigger signal.

3. The first image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry transmits an apparatus identifying information of the first image capturing device to the second image capturing device, and wherein the second image capturing device records the received apparatus identifying information of the first image capturing device in association with the second image.

4. The first image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the first meta-data is time information indicative of the time at which the first image is captured.

5. The first image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the first meta-data is user information which has been input before the capturing operation.

6. The first image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry automatically transmits the start trigger signal and the first meta-data to the second image capturing device in response to the capturing operation.

7. The first image capturing device according to claim 1, wherein the power control signal is a power off signal.

8. A method of controlling a second image capturing device from a first image capturing device comprising:

capturing a first image of an object in response to a capturing operation at the first image capturing device,

generating first meta-data including a title related to the first image,

recording the first image in association with the first meta-data on a first recording medium,

transmitting the first meta-data and a trigger signal to the second image capturing device which independently captures a second image of a scene and records the second image on a second recording medium, and

transmitting a power control signal, for controlling a power status of the second image capturing device, to the second image capturing device,

wherein the first meta-data transmitted to the second image capturing device is recorded in association with the second image, and

wherein at least the trigger signal is automatically transmitted in response to the capturing operation.

9. A second image capturing device comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive first meta-data including a title related to a first image to be captured by a first image capturing device and a trigger signal from the first image capturing device,

wherein at least the trigger signal is automatically transmitted in response to a capturing operation which is executed by the first image capturing device to capture the first image;

capture a second image of a scene for recording in response to receiving the trigger signal, and

receive a power control signal, for controlling a power status of the second image capturing device, from the first image capturing device.

10. A method of recording a second image of a scene, comprising:

receiving first meta-data including a title related to a first image to be captured by a first image capturing device and a trigger signal from the first image capturing device,

wherein at least the trigger signal is automatically transmitted in response to a capturing operation which is executed by the first image capturing device to capture the first image;

capturing a second image of a scene for recording in response to receiving the trigger signal, and

receiving a power control signal, for controlling a power status of the second image capturing device, from the first image capturing device.

11. An image capturing system comprising a plurality of image capturing devices,

wherein a first image capturing device includes circuitry configured to:

capture a first image in response to a capturing operation,

generate first meta-data including a title related to the first image,

record the first image in association with the first meta-data on a first recording medium, and

transmit the first meta-data and a start trigger signal to a second image capturing device which independently captures a second image of a scene and records the second image on a second recording medium,

wherein the second image capturing device records the first meta-data transmitted thereto in association with the second image in response to receiving the start trigger signal,

wherein at least the start trigger signal is automatically transmitted in response to the capturing operation, and

wherein the circuitry transmits a power control signal, for controlling a power status of the second image capturing device, to the second image capturing device;

wherein the second image capturing device includes circuitry configured to;

receive first meta-data including the title related to the first image and the start trigger signal from the first image capturing device; and

capture the second image in response to receiving the start trigger signal.