Network camera system and network camera control program

• US 7,954,130 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2006
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Yanai, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HOGUE, DENNIS A
• Application Number:
  US11/565,134
• Publication Number:
  US 20070130600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19676 Temporary storage, e.g. cyclic memory, buffer storage on pre-alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/18 Closed-circuit television [CCTV] systems, i.e. systems in which the video signal is not broadcast

Abstract

A network camera system that transmits video captured by a camera to a client via a network include a recording device directly connected thereto or built therein, wherein the client switches between a normal mode in which the camera transmits continuous video images and a file transfer mode in which video captured by the camera is temporarily stored as a file in the recording device and the file is transferred to the client in response to an instruction from the client.

Claims

1. A network camera system that transmits video captured by a camera to a client device via a network, the network camera system comprising:

a recording device directly connected to the camera or built into the camera; and

the client device configured to switch between a normal mode in which the camera transmits continuous video images, and a file transfer mode in which video captured by the camera is temporarily stored as a file in the recording device and the file is transferred to the client device in response to an instruction from the client device, wherein

the client device measures usage during the transmitting of the continuous video images in the normal mode over the network, and switches from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when the measured usage exceeds a preset usage value.

2. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to switch from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when a moving object is detected from the video captured by the camera.

3. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to switch from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when a predetermined object is detected from the video captured by the camera.

4. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to switch between the normal mode and the file transfer mode according to a preset schedule.

5. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the camera stores video for a last certain period of time during the normal mode as the file in the recording device and transfers the file to the client device in response to an instruction from the client device.

6. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to perform file transfer in the file transfer mode using a size within the preset usage band of the network.

7. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to perform file transfer in the file transfer mode by maneuverably changing a size within the preset usage band of the network.

15. The network camera system according to claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to suspend file transfer in the file transfer mode when the preset usage band is exceeded.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a network camera control program including instructions, which when executed by a client computer, causes the client computer to receive video captured by a camera via a network by performing a method comprising:

capturing continuous video images in the camera; and

switching between a normal mode in which continuous video images captured by the camera are continuously received via the network, and a file transfer mode in which the continuous video images captured by the camera are temporarily stored as files in a recording device directly connected to the camera or built into the camera, and the files being received via the network, wherein

the switching includes measuring, in the client computer, usage during the receiving of continuous video in the normal mode over the network, and switching from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when the measured usage exceeds a preset usage value.

9. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes switching from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when a moving object is detected from the video captured by the camera.

10. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes switching from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when a predetermined object is detected from the video captured by the camera.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes switching between the normal mode and the file transfer mode according to a preset schedule.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, the method further comprising:

storing video of a last certain period of time during the normal mode as the file in the recording device during the normal mode and then receiving the file.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes performing file transfer in the file transfer mode using a size within the preset usage band of the network.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes performing file transfer in the file transfer mode by maneuverably changing a size within the preset usage band of the network.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the method further includes suspending file transfer in the file transfer mode when the preset usage band is exceeded.

17. A network camera control method for transmitting video captured by a camera to a client device via a network, the method comprising:

capturing continuous video images in the camera; and

switching between a normal mode in which continuous video images captured by the camera are continuously received via the network and a file transfer mode in which the continuous video images captured by the camera are temporarily stored as files in a recording device directly connected to the camera or built in the camera and the files being received via the network, wherein

the switching includes measuring, in the client computer, usage during the receiving of continuous video in the normal mode over the network, and switching from the normal mode to the file transfer mode when the measured usage exceeds a preset usage value.