Image capture apparatus and method and method with a remote signaling device

• US 7,602,421 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2002
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheatle, Stephen Philip, Hunter, Andrew Arthur
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US10/191,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20030020811A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,652 Days
• Field of Search: 34821199-2114, 348/211.8, 348/211.13
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

Image capture apparatus whereby a narrow beam infra-red transmitter (10) and a short range radio receiver (12) are mounted within a personal digital camera (14). A push-button mechanism (16) is provided on the outer cover of the camera (14) to activate the transmitter (10) when required. An environmental camera (18) is provided with a narrow beam infra-red receiver (20) and a short range radio transmitter (22). In the case whereby, for example, a user wishes to capture an image of themselves using the environment camera (18), they can simply position themselves within the camera'"'"'s field of view (26), point the digital camera (14) at the camera (18) and press the push-button mechanism (16) causing the transmitter (10) to transmit an image capture request signal (28) to the security camera (18). The captured image is transmitted via a short range transmitter (22) to the user'"'"'s personal camera (14) where it is received by the receiver (12).

Claims

1. An image system comprising:

at least one image capture apparatus; and

at least one remote image capture device comprising a transmitter;

each at least one image capture apparatus comprising;

a portable signalling device for transmitting a signal to a respective of the at least one remote image capture device to cause said remote image capture device to capture one or more still or moving images, said signal being transmitted to said image capture device in response to a triggering action or instruction by a user, said image capture device being selected by direction of said signal and/or said signalling device towards said image capture device;

receiving apparatus for receiving a signal including image data representative of said image(s) from said remote image capture device; and

storage or display apparatus for storing and/or displaying said received image data, at least one of said signal from said portable signalling device and said signal from said remote image capture device including data determining or specifying the location at which a captured image can be viewed and/or retrieved,

wherein said signalling device is arranged to include in said image capture request signal transmitted to said remote image capture device a request for said image data to be transmitted to a specified storage and/or display apparatus, said remote image capture device configured to cause said transmitter to transmit a confirmation signal to said signalling device after said image(s) have been captured and said image data has been transmitted to said specified storage and/or display apparatus.

2. Image system according to claim 1, wherein the storage or display apparatus is mounted in or on a personal digital or video camera separate from the remote image capture device.

3. Image system according to claim 1, wherein the image data is transmitted to a central storage area and/or is stored in said remote image capture device, and details of how to retrieve the image when required are transmitted to the signalling device.

4. Image system according to claim 1, wherein the signalling device is mounted in or on a user'"'"'s personal still or video camera, personal digital assistant (PDA), or mobile telephone.

5. Image system according to claim 4, wherein the signalling device is mounted in or on a user'"'"'s personal still or video camera.

6. Image system according to claim 1, wherein the signalling device includes an infra-red transmitter which can be manually directed at the remote image capture device from which it is required to obtain a captured image.

7. Image system according to claim 6, wherein the transmitter is activated by means of a push-button or switch.

8. Image system according to claim 1, wherein said signalling device is adapted to include user identity data in said signal transmitted to said remote image capture device.

9. Image system according to claim 8, wherein said signalling device is additionally adapted to transmit said user identity data to a remote viewing device in which captured images corresponding to said user identity can be viewed.

10. Image system according to claim 1, wherein said signalling device includes display apparatus and said remote image capture device is arranged to transmit said image data to said signalling device for display on said display apparatus.

11. Image system according to claim 10, each at least one image capture apparatus comprising main storage and/or display apparatus, wherein said image data is transmitted to both said signalling device and said main storage and/or display apparatus.

12. Image system according to claim 11, wherein said image data is transmitted at a lower resolution to said signalling device than to said main storage and/or display apparatus.

13. Image system according to claim 1, each at least one image capture apparatus comprising audio data capture apparatus for capturing audio data to accompany said image data.

14. Image system according to claim 13, wherein said remote image capture device comprises audio data capture apparatus for capturing audio data and an audio data transmitter for transmitting said audio data to said storage and/or display apparatus.

15. Image system according to claim 13, wherein said signalling device and/or said storage and/or display apparatus comprises audio data capture apparatus for capturing audio data.

16. Image system according to claim 1, each at least one image capture apparatus comprising an indicator for indicating one or more of receipt of image capture request signal by said remote image capture device, estimated or expected time delay between image capture request and image capture, and the moment at which image capture takes place.

17. Image system according to claim 1, each at least one image capture apparatus comprising preview apparatus on which a user can preview images prior to capture thereof.

18. Image system according to claim 17, each at least one image capture apparatus adapted to allow a user to alter or adapt parameters of an image within the field of view of said remote image capture device prior to capture of said image.

19. Image system according to claim 18, wherein said signalling device is arranged to include in said signal transmitted to said remote image capture device data specifying one or more parameters of the image to be captured.

20. Image system according to claim 1, each at least one image capture apparatus comprising a radio receiver for receiving image data representative of an image captured by the remote image capturing device.

21. Image system according to claim 1, wherein said signal transmitted to said image capture device in response to a triggering action or instruction by a user is a directional signal.

22. A method of capturing an image, the method comprising the steps of:

triggering or instructing a portable signalling device to transmit a signal to a remote image capturing device to cause said remote image capture device to capture an image, said remote image capture device being selected by directing the portable signalling device and/or the signal transmitted thereby towards said image capture device;

transmitting image data representative of said image captured by said remote image capture device to said remote storage and/or display device;

transmitting a signal, either from said signalling device to said remote image capture device, or from said remote image capture device to said signalling device, the signal including data determining or specifying the location at which said captured image(s) can be or are to be retrieved and/or viewed, wherein said image capture request signal transmitted to said remote image capture device includes a request for said image data to be transmitted to a specified storage and/or display apparatus; and

transmitting a confirmation signal to said portable signalling device from said remote image capture device after said image(s) have been captured and said image data has been transmitted to said specified storage and/or display apparatus.

23. Method according to claim 22, said signal transmitted to said remote image capturing device from said portable signalling device being a directional signal.

24. A method of capturing an image, the method comprising the steps of:

triggering or instructing a portable signalling device to transmit a signal to a remote image capturing device to cause said remote image capture device to capture an image, said remote image capture device being selected by directing the portable signalling device and/or the signal transmitted thereby towards said image capture device;

transmitting image data representative of said image captured by said remote image capture device to said remote storage and/or display device;

transmitting a signal, either from said signalling device to said remote image capture device, or from said remote image capture device to said signalling device, the signal including data determining or specifying the location at which said captured image(s) can be or are to be retrieved and/or viewed,

wherein said data determining or specifying the location at which said captured image(s) are to be retrieved and/or viewed is included in said signal transmitted from the portable signalling device to the selected remote image capturing device to cause it to capture one or more still or moving images, wherein said image capture request signal transmitted to said remote image capture device includes a request for said image data to be transmitted to a specified storage and/or display apparatus; and

transmitting a confirmation signal to said portable signalling device from said remote image capture device after said image(s) have been captured and said image data has been transmitted to said specified storage and/or display apparatus.

25. An image system comprising:

at least one image capture apparatus; and

at least one remote camera comprising a transmitter;

each at least one image capture apparatus comprising;

a remote control device for transmitting a signal to a selected remote camera of the at least one remote cameras to cause said camera to capture one or more still or moving images, said camera being selected by direction of the remote control toward the selected remote camera, where said one or more still or moving images captured by said camera are transmitted to a central storage location, said camera including a transmitter for transmitting to the remote control data representative of how to retrieve/view said one or more captured images via said central storage location,

wherein said remote control device is arranged to include in said image capture request signal transmitted to said selected remote camera a request for said one or more images to be transmitted to a specified storage and/or display apparatus, said selected remote camera configured to cause said transmitter to transmit a confirmation signal to said remote control device after said one or more images have been captured and said one or more images have been transmitted to said specified storage and/or display apparatus.

26. An image system comprising:

at least one image capture apparatus; and

at least one remote camera comprising a transmitter;

each at least one image capture apparatus, comprising;

a portable control device for transmitting a signal to a remote camera of the at least one remote cameras selected by direction of the portable control device toward a chosen camera, said signal including data representative of storage or viewing apparatus in or on which one or more images captured by said camera are required to be stored or viewed, said camera being arranged in response to said signal to capture one or more still or moving images and transmit said images to said storage or viewing apparatus, wherein said portable control device is adapted to control one or more cameras selected from a plurality of cameras,

wherein said portable control device is arranged to include in said image capture request signal transmitted to said selected remote camera a request for said one or more images to be transmitted to a specified storage and/or display apparatus, said selected remote camera configured to cause said transmitter to transmit a confirmation signal to said portable control device after said one or more images have been captured and said one or more images have been transmitted to said specified storage and/or display apparatus.

27. An image system comprising:

a plurality of cameras and a plurality of remote control devices, wherein each of said remote control devices is configured to transmit a signal to any one of said plurality of cameras to select a selected one of said plurality of cameras out of said plurality of cameras, said signal to said selected one of said plurality of cameras being a directional signal, in response to receipt of said signal, said selected camera is adapted to capture one or more still or moving images and transmit image data representative of said one or more captured images to a specified remote storage or viewing device,

wherein each of said remote control devices is arranged to include in said image capture request signal transmitted to a respective selected remote camera a request for said one or more images to be transmitted to a specified storage and/or display apparatus, said respective selected camera comprising a transmitter, said respective selected camera configured to cause said transmitter to transmit a confirmation signal to its respective remote control device after said one or more images have been captured and said one or more images have been transmitted to said specified storage and/or display apparatus.