Remote image-pickup system, camera device, and card substrate

• US 20050174445A1
• Filed: 01/11/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yamashina, Tomokuni
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,550 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.700
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

A remote image-pickup system includes a camera device including an image-pickup unit for capturing an image of a subject and generating picture signals and a card slot; and a plurality of types of card substrates which are selectively inserted into the card slot and which convert the format of the picture signals so as to output the converted signals to an external device. By inserting different card substrates into the card slot, a plurality of formats of picture signals can be output from the camera device. Accordingly, the format of the picture signals output from the camera device can be flexibly expanded. Further, since many circuits for converting the picture signals need not be incorporated into the camera device, an increase in the size and price of the camera device can be prevented.

Claims

1. A remote image-pickup system comprising:

a camera device comprising;

an image-pickup unit for capturing an image of a subject and generating picture signals; and

a card slot; and

a plurality of types of card substrates which are selectively inserted into the card slot and which convert the format of the picture signals so as to output the converted signals to an external device.

2. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of card substrates comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an analog card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to an analog signal format;

a serial digital interface card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a serial digital interface signal format;

a digital video card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a digital video signal format; and

a network-transmission card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to an Internet-protocol signal format.

3. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of types of card substrates comprise an optical-transmission card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a format capable of being transmitted through an optical-fiber cable and for transmitting the converted signals.

4. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 3, further comprising a relay device which is connected to the optical-transmission card substrate through the optical-fiber cable and which relays the picture signals between the camera device and the external device.

5. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 4,

wherein the optical-transmission card substrate multiplexes the picture signals and transmits the multiplexed picture signal, and

the relay device receives the multiplexed picture signal from the optical-transmission card substrate and demultiplexes the picture signal.

6. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 5, wherein the optical-transmission card substrate multiplexes the picture signals and a synchronizing signal and transmits the multiplexed signal.

7. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 4, wherein the relay device comprises a card slot to which the plurality of types of card substrates can be selectively inserted.

8. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 4, further comprising:

a control device for remotely controlling the camera device,

wherein the control device is connected to the relay device, and a camera-operation control signal generated by the control device is transmitted to the camera device via the relay device, the optical-fiber cable, and the optical-transmission card substrate.

9. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 8, wherein the camera-operation control signal comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an image-pickup-condition control signal for controlling the image-pickup condition of the image-pickup unit;

a lens control signal for controlling the operation of a lens included in the image-pickup unit;

a pan control signal for controlling the drive of the image-pickup unit in pan directions; and

a tilt control signal for controlling the drive of the image-pickup unit in tilt directions.

10. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 4, wherein an external synchronizing signal is input to the relay device, and the external synchronizing signal is transmitted to the camera device via the optical-fiber cable and the optical-transmission card substrate.

11. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 1, wherein the camera device comprises a card identifying unit for identifying the type of the card substrate inserted into the card slot.

12. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 1, wherein the image-pickup unit comprises a 3-plate CCD.

13. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 1, wherein, in the camera device, the image-pickup unit is integrated with a driving unit which drives the image-pickup unit in pan and/or tilt directions.

14. A remote image-pickup system according to claim 1, wherein a connector unit including a plurality of input/output terminals and the card slot are disposed in substantially parallel with each other on one side of the camera device.

15. A camera device comprising:

an image-pickup unit for capturing an image of a subject and generating picture signals; and

a card slot to which a plurality of types of card substrates for converting the format of the picture signals and outputting the converted signals to an external device can be selectively inserted.

16. A camera device according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of types of card substrates comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an analog card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to an analog signal format;

a serial digital interface card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a serial digital interface signal format;

a digital video card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a digital video signal format; and

a network-transmission card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to an Internet-protocol signal format.

17. A camera device according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of types of card substrates comprise an optical-transmission card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a format capable of being transmitted through an optical-fiber cable and for transmitting the converted signals.

18. A camera device according to claim 17, wherein, when the optical-transmission card substrate is inserted into the card slot, a camera-operation control signal transmitted from a control device which controls the camera device can be received through the optical-fiber cable.

19. A camera device according to claim 18, wherein the camera-operation control signal comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of:

an image-pickup-condition control signal for controlling the image-pickup condition of the image-pickup unit;

a lens control signal for controlling the operation of a lens included in the image-pickup unit;

a pan control signal for controlling the drive of the image-pickup unit in pan directions; and

a tilt control signal for controlling the drive of the image-pickup unit in tilt directions.

20. A camera device according to claim 17, wherein, when the optical-transmission card substrate is inserted into the card slot, an external synchronizing signal can be received through the optical-fiber cable.

21. A camera device according to claim 15, further comprising a card identifying unit for identifying the type of the card substrate inserted into the card slot.

22. A camera device according to claim 15, wherein the image-pickup unit comprises a 3-plate CCD.

23. A camera device according to claim 15, wherein the image-pickup unit is integrated with a driving unit which drives the image-pickup unit in pan and/or tilt directions.

24. A camera device according to claim 15, wherein a connector unit including a plurality of input/output terminals and the card slot are disposed in substantially parallel with each other on one side of the camera device.

25. A card substrate which is inserted into a card slot provided in a camera device for capturing an image of a subject and generating picture signals and which converts the format of the picture signals generated by the camera device so as to output the converted signals to an external device.

26. A card substrate according to claim 25, comprising any of

an analog card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to an analog signal format;

a serial digital interface card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a serial digital interface signal format;

a digital video card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a digital video signal format; and

a network-transmission card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to an Internet-protocol signal format.

27. A card substrate according to claim 25, comprising an optical-transmission card substrate for converting the format of the picture signals to a format capable of being transmitted through an optical-fiber cable and for outputting the converted signals.

28. A card substitute according to claim 26, wherein the optical-transmission card substrate multiplexes the picture signals and transmits the multiplexed picture signal.

29. A card substrate according to claim 28, wherein the optical-transmission card substrate multiplexes the picture signals and a synchronizing signal and transmits the multiplexed signal.