Imaging system, imaging method, image service system and image service method

• US 20020178116A1
• Filed: 05/16/2002
• Published: 11/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/22/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamasaki, Masafumi
• Application Number:
  US10/147,169
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178116A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00193 to a portable storage medium, e.g. a read-writable compact disk
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00286 with studio circuitry, devices or equipment, e.g. television cameras television studio circuitry, devices or equipment per se H04N5/222
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00299 with a television transmission apparatus, e.g. a videophone, a teletext system or a digital television system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32771 in response to a request, e.g. for a particular document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32776 using an interactive, user-operated device, e.g. a computer terminal, mobile telephone H04N1/32782, H04N1/32784 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/632 : for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters
• 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

Abstract

Each user can arbitrarily select and use one of a plurality of cameras on a network by only accessing a management center server from a user terminal via the Internet. For this reason, the user can acquire various images taken by the selected camera via the network. The server stores and manages a user identification code used to identify the user terminal or the user, and a camera identification code used to identify the camera selected by the user terminal or the owner of that camera in association with each other, and can charge a use fee for each camera.

Claims

1. An imaging system comprising:

a plurality of cameras; and

a terminal used to control said plurality of cameras, said terminal comprising;

selection means for selecting one of said plurality of cameras;

display means for displaying a control panel used to control the camera selected by said selection means; and

control information sending means for sending control information to the selected camera in accordance with operation at the control panel, and

each of said plurality of cameras comprising;

control means for controlling the camera in accordance with the control information sent from said terminal.

2. An imaging system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of cameras comprises moving image sending means for sending a moving image taken by the camera to said terminal, and said terminal displays the moving image in the same window as said display means displays the control panel.

3. An imaging system according to claim 2, wherein said terminal further comprises:

operating means for extracting a still image from the moving image; and

image storage means for storing the still image extracted.

4. An imaging system according to claim 2, which further comprises a management center, and in which said plurality of cameras and said terminal are connected via said management center, the control panel of said terminal has operating means for extracting a still image from the moving image, and said management center comprises an image storage device for storing the extracted still image.

5. An imaging system according to claim 1, which further comprises a management center, and in which said plurality of cameras and said terminal are connected via said management center, and said management center comprises storage means for storing fee data corresponding to use of a camera by a user who is an owner of said terminal.

6. An imaging system according to claim 1, which further comprises a management center, and in which said plurality of cameras and said terminal are connected via said management center having display information of the control panel, and said terminal comprises reception means for receiving from said management center information of the control panel associated with the camera selected by said terminal.

7. An imaging system comprising:

a plurality of cameras; and

a terminal used to control said plurality of cameras, said terminal comprising;

storage means for storing category information indicating types of images;

category information display means for displaying the category information in the form of text or images;

designation means for designating one of images of the category information displayed by said category information display means;

selection means for selecting a camera that provides the image designated by said designation means, on the basis of the category information;

control panel display means for displaying a control panel used to control the camera selected by said selection means; and

sending means for sending control information to the selected camera in accordance with operation at the control panel, and

each of said plurality of cameras comprises control means for controlling the camera in accordance with the control information sent from said terminal.

8. An imaging system according to claim 7, wherein each of said plurality of cameras comprises moving image sending means for sending a moving image taken by the camera to said terminal, and

said terminal displays the moving image in the same window as said display means displays the control panel.

9. An imaging system according to claim 8, wherein said terminal further comprises:

operating means for extracting a still image from the moving image; and

image storage means for storing the still image extracted.

10. An imaging system according to claim 8, which further comprises a management center, and in which said plurality of cameras and said terminal are connected via said management center, and said terminal comprises operating means for extracting a still image from the moving image, and said management center comprises an image storage device for storing the extracted still image.

11. An imaging system according to claim 7, which further comprises a management center, and in which said plurality of cameras and said terminal are connected via said management center, and said management center comprises storage means for storing fee data corresponding to use of a camera by a user who is an owner of said terminal.

12. An imaging system according to claim 7, which further comprises a management center, and in which said plurality of cameras and said terminal are connected via said management center having display information of the control panel, and said terminal comprises reception means for receiving from said management center information of the control panel associated with the camera selected by said terminal.

16. An image service system according to claim 15, wherein the imaging condition of the camera includes at least one of a camera direction, zoom, and shutter timing.

19. An image service system according to claim 18, wherein fees are independently set for the plurality of cameras, and

said management means stores the user identification code, the camera identification code, and a fee for using the camera connected to the user terminal.

20. An image service system according to claim 18, further comprising means for, when a new camera is registered in said image service system, sending information that pertains to the new camera to the user terminal.

21. An image service system according to claim 18, further comprising means for sending an image sample taken by the selected camera to the user terminal.

22. An image service system according to claim 19, further comprising means for sending the fee for using each of the plurality of cameras, to the user terminal.

23. An image service system according to claim 18, further comprising means for sending information required to transfer the fee from a bank account of the user to a bank account of the camera owner, on the basis of the user identification code and camera identification code managed by said management means.

24. An image service system according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera, and

means for controlling the selected camera via the network on the basis of the designated imaging condition.

26. An image service system according to claim 25, wherein fees are independently set for the plurality of cameras, and

said management means stores the user identification code, the camera identification code, and a fee for using the camera connected to the user terminal.

27. An image service system according to claim 25, further comprising means for, when a new camera is registered in said image service system, sending information that pertains to the new camera to the user terminal.

28. An image service system according to claim 25, further comprising means for sending an image sample taken by the selected camera to the user terminal.

29. An image service system according to claim 26, further comprising means for sending the fee for using each of the plurality of cameras, to the user terminal.

30. An image service system according to claim 25, further comprising means for sending information required to transfer the fee from a bank account of the user to a bank account of the camera owner on the basis of the user identification code and the camera identification code managed by said management means.

31. An image service system according to claim 25, further comprising:

means for making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera, and

means for controlling the selected camera via the network on the basis of the designated imaging condition.

13. An imaging method applied to a system which comprises a plurality of cameras, and a terminal used to control said plurality of cameras, and provides an imaging service using said plurality of cameras, said method comprising:

a step of selecting a one of said plurality of cameras;

a step of displaying a control panel used to control the selected camera, on display means;

a step of sending control information to the selected camera in accordance with operation at the control panel; and

a step of controlling camera operations in accordance with the control information sent from said terminal.

14. An imaging method applied to a system which comprises a plurality of cameras, and a terminal used to control said plurality of cameras, and provides an imaging service using said plurality of cameras, said method comprising:

a step of reading category information indicating types of images, from storage means that stores and displaying the category information in the form of text or images, on category information display means;

a step of designating one of images of the category information displayed by the category information display means, by using designation means;

a step of selecting a camera that provides the image using selection means, on the basis of the category information designated by designation means;

a step of displaying a control panel used to control the camera selected by selection means, on control panel display means;

a step of sending control information to the selected camera in accordance with operation at the control panel, by sending means; and

a step of controlling camera operations in accordance with the control information sent from said terminal.

15. An image service system for selectively controlling operations of a plurality of cameras in accordance with a request input from each user terminal via a network, said system comprising:

means for making the user terminal select a camera used in imaging;

means for sending an image from the selected camera to the user terminal via the network;

means for making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera; and

means for controlling the selected camera on the basis of the imaging condition.

17. An image service method for selectively controlling operations of a plurality of cameras in accordance with a request input from each user terminal via a network, said method comprising:

a step of making the user terminal select a camera used in imaging;

a step of sending an image from the selected camera to the user terminal via the network;

a step of making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera; and

a step of controlling the selected camera on the basis of the imaging condition.

18. An image service system which interconnects a plurality of cameras and a user terminal used to select one of the plurality of cameras via a network, and sends an image of the selected camera to the user terminal, said system comprising:

means for receiving an image taken by the camera selected by the user terminal, in response to a predetermined operation at the user terminal via the network;

means for storing the image received; and

management means for managing a user identification code and a camera identification code to charge a fee for using the selected camera,

wherein the user identification code is used to identify the user terminal or a user of the user terminal, and the camera identification code is used to identify the selected camera or an owner of the camera.

25. An image service system which interconnects a plurality of cameras and a user terminal used to select one of the plurality of cameras via a network, and sends an image of the selected camera to the user terminal, said system comprising:

means for sending a moving image from the camera selected by the user terminal to the user terminal via the network;

means for extracting a image from the moving image on the basis of a predetermined operation at the user terminal;

means for storing a still image as a high-resolution image; and

management means for managing a user identification code and a camera identification code to charge a fee for using the selected camera,

wherein the user identification code is used to identify the user terminal or a user of the user terminal, and the camera identification code is used to identify the selected camera or an owner of the selected camera.

32. An image service system which interconnects a plurality of cameras and a user terminal used to select one of the plurality of cameras via a network, and sends an image of the selected camera to the user terminal, said system comprising:

means for making the user terminal select a camera used in imaging;

means for sending an image from the selected camera to the user terminal via the network;

means for making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera;

means for controlling the selected camera via the network on the basis of the imaging condition; and

managing means for managing information required to charge a camera use fee for each user terminal.

33. An image service system according to claim 32, further comprising means for managing information required to pay a fee to an owner of each camera.

35. An image service method according to claim 34, further comprising a step of sending information required to transfer the fee from a bank account of the user to a bank account of the camera owner, on the basis of the user identification code and the camera identification code.

36. An image service method according to claim 34, further comprising;

a step of making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera, and

a step of controlling the selected camera via the network on the basis of the designated imaging condition.

38. An image service method according to claim 37, further comprising a step of sending information required to transfer the fee from a bank account of the user to a bank account of the camera owner on the basis of the user identification code and the camera identification code.

39. An image service method according to claim 37, further comprising:

a step of making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera, and

a step of controlling the selected camera via the network on the basis of the designated imaging condition.

34. An image service method applied to a system which interconnects a plurality of cameras and a user terminal used to select one of the plurality of cameras via a network, and sends an image of the selected camera to the user terminal, said method comprising:

a step of receiving an image taken by the camera selected by the user terminal, in response to a predetermined operation at the user terminal via the network;

a step of storing the received image; and

a step of managing a user identification code and a camera identification code to charge a fee for using the selected camera,

wherein the user identification code is used to identify the user terminal or a user of the user terminal, and the camera identification code is used to identify the selected camera or an owner of the selected camera.

37. An image service method applied to a system which interconnects a plurality of cameras and a user terminal used to select one of the plurality of cameras via a network, and sends an image of the selected camera to the user terminal, said method comprising:

a step of sending a moving image from the camera selected by the user terminal to the user terminal via the network;

a step of extracting a image from the moving image on the basis of a predetermined operation at the user terminal;

a step of storing a still image as a high-resolution image; and

a step of managing a user identification code and a camera identification code to charge a fee for using the selected camera,

wherein the user identification code is used to identify the user terminal or a user of the user terminal, and

the camera identification code is used to identify the selected camera or an owner of the selected camera.

40. An image service method applied to a system which interconnects a plurality of cameras and a user terminal used to select one of the plurality of cameras via a network, and sends an image of the selected camera to the user terminal, said method comprising:

a step of making the user terminal select a camera used in imaging;

a step of sending an image from the selected camera to the user terminal via the network;

a step of making the user terminal designate an imaging condition of the selected camera;

a step of controlling the selected camera via the network on the basis of the imaging condition; and

a step of managing information required to charge a camera use fee for each user terminal.

41. An image service method according to claim 40, further comprising a step of managing information required to pay a fee to an owner of each camera.