IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD

• US 20140226031A1
• Filed: 04/17/2014
• Published: 08/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yoshida, Chisato, Date, Osamu
• Granted Patent: US 10,091,413 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/164 Feedback from the receiver or from the transmission channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0025 Adapting an image communication to a non-image communication or vice versa, e.g. data rate-conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0027 Adapting to communicate with plural different types of apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0096 Portable devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio

Abstract

This invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method for supplying an optimum amount of image data to another apparatus. When a PDA 91 has a maximum transfer rate of 1.5 Mbps, a mobile phone 1 determines that a maximum speed of communication with the PDA 91 is low, reduces accordingly the amount of moving image data captured by a CCD of the mobile phone, and supplies the captured moving image data to the PDA 91. The PDA 91 displays a low-quality moving image 93 on its display unit. When the PDA 91 has a maximum transfer rate of 480 Mbps, the CPU of the mobile phone leaves unchanged the amount of moving picture data captured by the CCD and supplies the captured moving image data to the PDA 91. The PDA 91 then displays a high-quality moving image 94 on the display unit. This invention applies advantageously to digital cameras.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture image data of an object;

a plurality of communication units configured to transmit the captured image data to a communication device via a network; and

an adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of the image data based on at least one of (i) which communication unit of the communication units is selected by a selecting unit which is configured to select any one of the communication units to transmit the image data or (ii) information related to communication capability.

3. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said adjusting unit adjusts the amount of the image data captured by said imaging unit based on a communication speed at which the captured image data are transmitted by the selected communication unit.

4. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein

said selected communication unit further transmits data other than the captured image data;

and

said adjusting unit reduces the amount of the image data captured by said imaging unit when said selected communication unit transmits the other data.

5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said adjusting unit adjusts a number of pixels of image data outputted from said imaging unit.

6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said adjusting unit sets a communication speed of the image data based on the device which is connected to the imaging apparatus via the network.

7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2,

wherein said adjusting unit sets a communication speed of the imaging data based on a network speed of said network which is connected to the imaging apparatus.

8. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said communication units are configured to connect with the communication device via the network.

9. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said network includes at least one of a wireless network or a wired network.

10. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said wired network is at least one of USB, IEEE 1394, SCSI, Ethernet(R)-based IEEE 802.3 or some other suitable standard.

11. An imaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said wireless network is at least one of a telephone network, IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth, or infrared-based IrDa.

12. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said information related to communication capability includes maximum transfer rate of the network.

13. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said information related to communication capability includes compatibility of communication standard.

14. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said imaging apparatus is a mobile phone.

15. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said communication device is a mobile phone.

16. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said adjusting unit is configured to adjust based on change of transfer rate.

17. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:

a compressing unit configured to compress the image data.

18. An imaging apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the compressing unit is configured to compress the image data based on transfer rate of the network.

19. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the imaging apparatus is configured to capture a still image and a moving image.

20. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising:

a control unit configured to set each quality mode to a still image mode and a moving image mode.

21. An imaging apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the communication units are to receive a quality mode instruction from the communication device, and the control unit is to set the quality mode based on the quality mode instruction.

22. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication units are to receive an image capture instruction from the communication device, and the imaging unit captures the image data according to the image capture instruction.

23. An imaging apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the communication units are to receive an image transfer instruction from the communication device and transfer the captured image data to the communication device.

24. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the communication units are to transfer the image data and other data.

25. An imaging apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the other data is movie data.

26. An imaging apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjusting unit adjusts an amount of the image data according to load on a central processing unit.

27. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an imaging unit configured to capture image data of an object;

a communication unit configured to transmit the captured image data to a communication device via a plurality of communication networks; and

an adjusting unit configured to adjust an amount of the image data based on at least one of (i) which communication network of the communication networks is selected by a selecting unit which is configured to select any one of the communication networks to transmit the image data, or (ii) information related to communication capability.

28. An imaging method comprising:

capturing image data of an object;

transmitting the captured image data to a communication device via a network from a selected communication unit; and

adjusting an amount of the image data based on at least one of (i) which communication unit of a plurality of the communication units is selected as the selected communication unit or (ii) information related to communication capability.

29. An imaging method comprising:

capturing image data of an object;

transmitting the captured image data to a communication device via a selected communication network; and

adjusting an amount of the image data based on at least one of (i) which communication network of a plurality of communication networks is selected as the selected communication network or (ii) information related to communication capability.

30. A non-transitory record medium recorded with a program executed by a computer, the program comprising:

capturing image data of an object;

transmitting the captured image data to a communication device via a network from a selected communication unit; and

adjusting an amount of the image data based on at least one of (i) which communication unit of a plurality of the communication units is selected as the selected communication unit or (ii) information related to communication capability.

31. A non-transitory record medium recorded with a program executed by a computer, the program comprising:

capturing image data of an object;

transmitting the captured image data to a communication device via a selected communication network; and

adjusting an amount of the image data based on at least one of (i) which communication network of a plurality of communication networks is selected as the selected communication network or (ii) information related to communication capability.