Communication management apparatus, method and computer-readable storage medium for generating image data identification information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10264302-B2
Application number	US-201715707553-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 18, 2017
Priority date	Sep 30, 2016
Publication date	Apr 16, 2019
Grant date	Apr 16, 2019

Abstract

A communication management apparatus includes a receiver to receive image type information indicating a type of an image from a first communication terminal; circuitry to generate image data identification information for identifying image data to be transmitted from the first communication terminal to a second communication terminal, based on reception of the image type information; and a transmitter to transmit the image data identification information that is generated to the first communication terminal, and transmit the image data identification information that is generated and the image type information that is received to the second communication terminal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A communication system, comprising:
a first communication terminal; and
a communication management apparatus that includes:
a receiver to receive image type information indicating a type of an image from the first communication terminal, the type of image being a full spherical image;
circuitry to generate, based on the image type information, image data identification information for identifying image data to be transmitted from the first communication terminal to a second communication terminal; and
a transmitter to transmit the image data identification information to the first communication terminal, and to transmit the image data identification information and the image type information to the second communication terminal, wherein

the first communication terminal is communicable with the communication management apparatus through a network, and
the first communication terminal is configured to:
determine an image type based on a globally unique identifier that is obtained from an image capturing device that obtains a full spherical image; and
transmit the image type information to the communication management apparatus, the image type information indicating a result of the determination.

2. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein
the communication management apparatus further comprises a memory that stores session identification information for identifying a communication session of a video call in association with a destination of each of a plurality of communication terminals, the plurality of communication terminals including at least the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal, and
the transmitter transmits the image data identification information and the image type information to a destination of the second communication terminal that is stored in the memory in association with a same session identification information as session identification information with which the first communication terminal is associated.

3. The communication system of claim 1 , further comprising:
the second communication terminal, wherein
the second communication terminal is communicable with the communication management apparatus through the network.

4. The communication system of claim 3 , wherein the second communication terminal generates data of a full spherical image based on image data transmitted from the first communication terminal.

5. The communication system of claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first communication terminal and the second communication terminal is a video conference terminal, a personal computer, a smartphone, a digital television, a smartwatch, or a car navigation apparatus.

6. The communication system of claim 1 , wherein a full spherical image is generated from two hemispherical images.

7. A communication management method performed by a communication system that includes a first communication terminal and a communication management apparatus, the first communication terminal being communicable with the communication management apparatus through a network, the method comprising:
receiving, by the communication management apparatus, image type information indicating a type of an image from the first communication terminal, the type of image being a full spherical image;
generating, by the communication management apparatus and based on the image type information, image data identification information for identifying image data to be transmitted from the first communication terminal to a second communication terminal;
transmitting, by the communication management apparatus, the image data identification information to the first communication terminal;
transmitting, by the communication management apparatus, the image data identification information and the image type information to the second communication terminal;
determining, by the first communication terminal, an image type based on a globally unique identifier that is obtained from an image capturing device that obtains a full spherical image; and
transmitting, by the first communication terminal, the image type information to the communication management apparatus, the image type information indicating a result of the determination.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program that causes a computer to perform a communication management method, the communication management method comprising:
receiving image type information indicating a type of an image from a first communication terminal, the type of image being a full spherical image;
generating, based on the image type information, image data identification information for identifying image data to be transmitted from the first communication terminal to a second communication terminal;
transmitting the image data identification information to the first communication terminal; and
transmitting the image data identification information and the image type information to the second communication terminal, wherein
the first communication terminal is communicable with the computer through a network, and
the first communication terminal is configured to:
determine an image type based on a globally unique identifier that is obtained from an image capturing device that obtains a full spherical image; and
transmit the image type information to the computer, the image type information indicating a result of the determination.

Assignees

• Morita Kenichiro
• Yoshida Kumiko
• Matsuno Yoichiro
• Imai Takuya
• Nagamine Shoh
• Mikami Junpei
• Ricoh Co Ltd

Inventors

• Morita Kenichiro
• Yoshida Kumiko
• Matsuno Yoichiro
• Imai Takuya
• Nagamine Shoh
• Mikami Junpei

Classifications

• H04N23/662

  by using camera arrangements where one camera controls another camera to affect the control of camera image capture, e.g. placing the camera in a desirable condition to capture a desired image · CPC title

• H04N23/698

  for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture · CPC title

• H04N7/142 Primary

  Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title

• H04N1/00244

  with a server, e.g. an internet server (fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324) · CPC title