Image pickup system, image pickup apparatus, and method of controlling the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119549-A1
Application number	US-201414893180-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 29, 2014
Priority date	May 31, 2013
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a method of setting an OSD function according to a related technique, it is not allowed to select various superimposing techniques. In a case where a monitoring camera supports a plurality of superimposing techniques, a user is supposed to select one of the superimposing techniques via a troublesome operation. In view of the above, an image pickup apparatus is provided which includes a reception unit configured to receive an acquisition request for information associated with an image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus, and a transmission unit configured to, in a case where the acquisition request for the information associated with the image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus is received by the reception unit, transmit information associated with the image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus.

First claim

1 . An image pickup system including:
an image pickup apparatus, wherein the image pickup apparatus includes an image sensing unit, and a superimposing unit configured to superimpose superimposing information on a picked-up image output from the image sensing unit; and an external apparatus configured to communicate with the image pickup apparatus via a network, wherein the external apparatus includes a reception unit configured to receive relation information from the image pickup apparatus via the network, wherein the relation information indicates whether the superimposing of information, superimposed by the superimposing unit, is related to information associated with an image source.

2 . The image pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein the image source is an image sensor.

3 . The image pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein the relation information is information indicating whether the superimposing information, superimposed by the superimposing unit, is related to information associated with an encoding method.

4 . The image pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein the relation information is information indicating whether the superimposing information, superimposed by the superimposing unit, is related to information associated with an image stream.

5 . The image pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein the external apparatus further comprises a user interface unit configured to allow a user to set the superimposing information based on the relation information received by the reception unit.

6 . An image pickup apparatus comprising:
a reception unit configured to receive an acquisition request for information associated with an image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus; and a transmission unit configured to transmit information associated with the image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus in a case where the acquisition request for the information associated with the image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus is received by the reception unit.

7 . An image processing apparatus configured to superimpose an image on a picked-up image picked-up by an image pickup apparatus and output a result, the image processing apparatus comprising:
a transmission unit configured to transmit an acquisition request for information associated with an image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus; a reception unit configured to receive the information associated with the image superimposing method available in the image pickup apparatus; an analysis unit configured to analyze the information associated with the image superimposing method received by the reception unit; a selection unit configured to select at least one superimposing method according to a result of the analysis performed by the analysis unit; and an output unit configured to output the image superimposing method selected by the selection unit.

8 . A method of controlling an image pickup system comprising:
outputting a picked-up image from an image sensing unit of an image pickup apparatus; superimposing, via the image pickup apparatus, superimposing information on a picked-up image output from the image sensing unit; receiving, by an external apparatus configured to communicate with the image pickup apparatus via a network, relation information from the image pickup apparatus via the network, wherein the relation information indicates whether the superimposed superimposing information is related to information associated with a image source.

9 . A method of controlling an image pickup apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving an acquisition request for information associated with an image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus; and transmitting information associated with the image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus in a case where the acquisition request for the information associated with the image superimposing method of the image pickup apparatus is received.

10 . (canceled)

11 . An image pickup apparatus comprising:
an image sensing unit, an encoding unit configured to encode a picked-up image; a reception unit configured to receive information associated with superimposing setting of the image pickup apparatus; and a superimposing unit configured to perform a superimposing process specified by the information associated with the superimposing setting for a picked-up image to which the same encoding method is applied as the encoding method specified by the information associated with the superimposing setting received by the reception unit, wherein the picked-up image subjected to the superimposing process is different from a picked-up image specified by the information associated with the superimposing setting.

12 . The image pickup apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the information associated with the superimposing setting of the image pickup apparatus includes at least information identifying an encoding method.

13 . The image pickup apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the encoding unit supports at least one of encoding methods including Motion JPEG, H.264, MPEG4, MPEG2, and H.265.

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Niida Mitsuo

Classifications

• H04N23/631

  Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/661

  Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet · CPC title

• G08B13/19667

  Details realated to data compression, encryption or encoding, e.g. resolution modes for reducing data volume to lower transmission bandwidth or memory requirements · CPC title

• H04N7/183

  for receiving images from a single remote source · CPC title

• G08B13/19671

  Addition of non-video data, i.e. metadata, to video stream · CPC title