JP4298145B2 - Camera control method, mobile phone, and camera control service server - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a remote camera using, for example, a mobile phone.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, when a remote camera is controlled, a dedicated control terminal is connected to the camera, and the dedicated operation terminal communicates with the control terminal.
[0003]
In recent years, there is a method for controlling a remote camera by operating computer software via a network such as the Internet.
[0004]
However, in any of the above cases, a dedicated operation terminal or computer is required to control the camera.
[0005]
In addition, the control terminal has a function of receiving a signal from a telephone line and a function of detecting a dial tone signal (DTMF). A telephone is called from a general telephone, and the camera is controlled by a button of the telephone. There is a way.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to this method, even when the control terminal is in a remote place, it is necessary to make a call directly to the control terminal, and it is necessary to keep connecting the telephone while performing the control. There was a problem.
[0007]
An object of the present invention is to solve such problems and to provide a method for controlling a remote camera at a low communication cost by using a mobile phone with a general network connection function as a remote controller via a network. And
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above-described object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for controlling a camera by using a mobile phone to connect to a camera control service server that provides a camera control service. the in mobile phones, in response to a predetermined operation of a user, the association with advance of the plurality of operating a respective control commands for controlling each said camera pressing of the plurality of buttons of the mobile phone has Data described to send a camera control command corresponding to the button pressing operation to the network is received from the camera control service server, and based on the received data, any of the plurality of buttons of the mobile phone The camera control can be executed by outputting a camera control command corresponding to the pressing operation of the button. The features.
[0009]
According to a twenty-second aspect of the present invention, in a mobile phone capable of controlling the camera by connecting to a camera control service server that provides a camera control service via a network, according to a predetermined operation. the mobile phone plurality of buttons each camera corresponding to the pressing operation of said plurality of operation buttons and respective advance in correspondence of a control command for controlling the camera of the pressing operation the camera control commands included in the A command for requesting data described to be transmitted to the control service server is output to the network, and a plurality of buttons of the mobile phone are provided based on the data received from the camera control service server in response to the command. Output means for outputting a camera control command corresponding to an operation of pressing any button Characterized in that it has.
According to the invention of claim 24, in a camera control service server that provides a camera control service to a mobile phone connected via a network, the mobile phone is responsive to a data request command from the mobile phone. It is described that each of the plurality of button pressing operations is associated with each control command for controlling the camera , and the camera control command corresponding to the plurality of operation button pressing operations is transmitted to the network. Corresponding to a pressing operation of any one of a plurality of buttons of the mobile phone that the mobile phone transmits based on the data received from the transmitting means, and a transmission means for transmitting the received data to the mobile phone Receiving a camera control command and controlling the camera based on the received camera control command And having a control means.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0011]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram for controlling a camera in the embodiment.
[0012]
The mobile phone 1 has an Internet connection function. The Internet connection service center 2 connects to the Internet 3 in response to a connection request from the mobile phone 2. The Internet 3 connects LANs. The camera control service server 4 is configured by a computer and receives a command related to camera control via the Internet 3. The cable 5 is formed by an ISDN line, and transfers the camera control command received by the camera control service server 4 to the network camera server 6.
[0013]
The camera 7 can drive pan, tilt, and zoom. The network camera server 6 controls the camera 7 by serial communication such as RS-232C based on the control command transferred from the camera control service server 4. The relay device 8 relays the video of the camera 7. The video broadcast station 9 receives the video from the relay device 8. The monitor 10 displays the video received by the video broadcast station 10.
[0014]
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the mobile phone 1.
[0015]
The liquid crystal display 11 can display the captured image of the camera 7 received via the network. The button 12 is used both for inputting a telephone number and inputting a camera control command.
[0016]
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a computer used for the camera control service server 4.
[0017]
The CPU 31 controls the entire camera control service server. The main storage unit 32 is configured by a RAM or the like. The external storage device 33 is a removable storage device such as a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. The secondary storage device 34 is configured by a hard disk or the like. The mouse 35 functions as a pointing device. 36 is a keyboard, 37 is a network interface, 38 is a video board, and 39 is a monitor.
[0018]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a software configuration of the camera control service server 4.
[0019]
In the camera control service server 4, a Web server 71 is operating, a camera control service start CGI (Common Gateway Interface) program 72 for starting the camera control service, and a camera control service CGI program for realizing the camera control service 73 is installed.
[0020]
Next, a camera control method in the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a display screen of the liquid crystal display 11 of the mobile phone 1.
[0021]
When a user accesses the URL of the camera control service server 4 from the mobile phone 1 by a predetermined operation, HTML data related to the camera control service is sent to the mobile phone 1 via the Internet connection service center 2, and the HTML Display is performed on the liquid crystal display 11 as shown in FIG. 4 based on the data. Here, an operation for accessing a desired URL from the mobile phone 1 can be performed using a known method, and thus the description thereof is omitted.
[0022]
Here, for example, when the “6” button of the button 12 is pressed,
The Internet connection service center 2 is notified that the “6” button has been pressed, and further notified to the remote camera control service server 4 via the Internet 3.
[0023]
The camera control service server 4 interprets the received signal and transmits a “pan right” command to the network camera server 6 via the ISDN line 7. Further, the network camera server 6 transmits a “pan right” command to the camera 7 by serial communication, and the camera 7 that has received this pans a certain amount to the right.
[0024]
Similarly,
When button “1” is pressed, the backlight compensation function is turned on / off,
When button “2” is pressed, it tilts up,
When button “3” is pressed, the zoom is increased,
When button “4” is pressed, it pans to the left,
When button “5” is pressed, it returns to the home position,
When button “8” is pressed, it tilts downward,
When button “9” is pressed, it zooms down,
When the button “*” is pressed, the amount of pan / tilt in one operation is reduced.
When the button “#” is pressed, the amount of panning and tilting with a single operation increases.
When the button “0” is pressed, the camera control service is terminated.
[0025]
The video of the camera 7 panned in this way is broadcast from the video broadcasting station 8 such as a television broadcasting station via the repeater 7 and displayed on the monitor 10.
[0026]
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing HTML data of the screen of the camera control service shown in FIG. FIG. 5 shows data described in Compact HTML.
[0027]
In FIG. 5, ICC is the command name of the camera control service CGI, and the CGI ID argument is an identification ID for identifying the camera control right. The CMD argument is an identifier indicating the type of control. By specifying the access key attribute of the A tag, the user of the mobile phone 1 can make a CGI call only by pressing the button 12.
[0028]
The communication cost of the user of the camera control method of the present embodiment depends on the amount of packets (communication data amount) between the mobile phone 1 and the Internet connection service center 2 regardless of the distance from the remote camera 7. Shall be charged. The total amount of packets is calculated at the Internet connection service center 2. By using such a charging system, it is possible to greatly reduce the communication fee for camera control.
[0029]
In addition, as a service fee for the camera control service, it is conceivable to charge the user in proportion to the number of control command transmissions. In this case, the Internet connection service center 2 is achieved by having software for counting the number of transmissions of control commands from the mobile phone 1.
[0030]
In addition, it is conceivable to charge the user on a monthly basis as a service fee for the camera control service.
[0031]
Next, the operation of the camera control service server 4 by software will be described in detail.
[0032]
First, when the cellular phone 1 accesses the camera control service server 4, the CGI 72 for starting the camera control service is activated.
[0033]
The CGI 72 for starting the camera control service determines whether it is possible to grant the control right of the camera 7 to the accessing user. When the control right of the camera 7 can be given, the screen data of FIG.
[0034]
The cellular phone 1 interprets the returned data and displays the screen of FIG. 4 on the liquid crystal display 11.
[0035]
Here, for example, when the “6” button of the button 12 is pressed, the mobile phone 1 issues an HTTP command to call ICC CGI with an argument according to the designation of the A tag to which the access key attribute is added.
[0036]
When the Web server 71 of the camera control service server 4 receives this HTTP command, the camera control service CGI (ICC) 72 is activated.
[0037]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the camera control service CGI 72 after the start of activation.
[0038]
In FIG. 6, when the camera control service CGI 72 is activated, first, the argument of the ID address of the received signal is analyzed (step 61).
[0039]
Next, it is determined whether or not the value of the ID argument matches the ID of the mobile phone 1 that currently gives the control right to the camera 7 (step 62). If they do not match, the process is stopped and an error message is output to the mobile phone having the received argument ID (step 66).
[0040]
If the IDs match, it is determined whether the right to control the camera has expired and the right has expired for the mobile phone having that ID (step 63). If the time has expired, the process is stopped and the process proceeds to Step 66. If the time has not expired, a camera control command corresponding to the CMD argument is sent to the network camera server 6 and a reply of the operation end of the camera 7 is awaited (step 64).
[0041]
When the operation of the camera 7 ends, the HTML data shown in FIG. 5 is output (step 65). The HTML data output in this way is sent to the Internet 3 as a reply of the CGI call by the Web server 71 and transferred to the mobile phone 1 via the Internet connection service center 2. Then, the same screen as FIG. 4 is displayed again on the liquid crystal display 11 of the mobile phone 1.
[0042]
The camera control from the mobile phone 1 according to the present embodiment includes pan, tilt and zoom, pan speed, tilt speed, zoom speed, focus, preset, white balance, shutter speed, power on / off, wiper. The button 12 may be controlled by pressing the button 12, such as a washer, defroster, illumination, image quality adjustment, and image recording. The image recording of the camera 7 may be either a still image or a moving image, and is achieved by installing a secondary storage device such as a hard disk in the network camera server 6 and recording the image in the secondary storage device.
[0043]
In addition to using television broadcasting, the video of the camera 7 may be transmitted remotely using the Internet 3 or LAN, may be transmitted via a telephone line, or may be transmitted by a wireless device. You may send it. Further, the video may be recorded as a still image or a moving image. When transmitting on the Internet, the video of the camera 7 may be output on the Internet 3 via the network camera server 6 and the camera control service server 4. The video transmitted over the Internet can be displayed on the liquid crystal display 11 of the mobile phone 1.
[0044]
In the present embodiment, the screen data is described in Compact HTML, but may be described in MML, HDML, or WML according to the type of information terminal service of the mobile phone 1. The camera control service server 4 preferably supports all these information service standards simultaneously.
[0045]
In this embodiment, the camera control service server 4 is configured to control the camera via the network camera server 6. However, when the camera 7 is a network camera having a network interface, the camera control service server 4 uses the camera 7. It may be configured to directly control, or may be configured to directly control the camera control service server 4 and the camera 7 by serial connection.
[0046]
In the present embodiment, the camera 7 is controlled via the Internet 3, but a network other than the Internet 3 that can use TCP / IP may be used. In this embodiment, the camera control service start CGI 71 and the camera control service CGI 72 are configured as separate programs. However, the operations may be switched according to an argument by combining them into one CGI program.
[0047]
In this embodiment, a mobile phone that connects to the Internet via the Internet connection service center 2 is used. However, a mobile phone that can be directly connected to the Internet from a relay station represented by the camera control service server and a direct TCP / IP protocol are interpreted. A mobile phone that can be used may be used.
[0048]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, there is an effect that a remote camera can be controlled using an input button of a mobile phone with a network connection function.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a camera control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a camera control service server according to the embodiment of this invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display screen of a mobile phone that performs a camera control service according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a diagram showing data on a display screen for performing a camera control service of the mobile phone according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of a camera control service CGI.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a software configuration of a camera control service server.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Mobile phone 2 Internet connection service center 3 Internet 4 Camera control service server 6 Network camera server 7 Camera 9 Video broadcasting station 10 Monitor

Claims (27)

A method for controlling a camera by using a mobile phone to connect to a camera control service server that provides a camera control service,
In the mobile phone, in response to a predetermined operation by a user, each of the plurality of operation buttons is associated with each of a plurality of button pressing operations of the mobile phone and a control command for controlling the camera. Receives from the camera control service server data described to send a camera control command corresponding to the pressing operation to the network,
Based on the received data, the camera control can be executed by outputting a camera control command corresponding to a pressing operation of any one of a plurality of buttons of the mobile phone. Camera control method.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the network is the Internet.   3. The camera control command according to claim 2, wherein the camera control command is output as an HTTP command, and the control command is received from the network connection service center via the Internet by the camera control service server having a Web server. Camera control method.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein data transferred to the mobile phone is in an HTML format.   2. The control command output from the mobile phone according to claim 1, wherein the camera pan, tilt, zoom, pan speed, tilt speed, zoom speed, backlight correction, focus, home operation, preset, white balance, shutter speed, A camera control method comprising a control command for controlling at least one of a power source, a wiper, a washer, a defroster, illumination, image quality adjustment, and a VTR.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the network is a network using TCP / IP.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein an identification code for identifying the mobile phone is added to the control command.   5. The control command according to claim 3, wherein an identification code for identifying the mobile phone is added to the control command, and it is determined whether the control command is an identification code for which camera control rights are permitted. Camera control method.   4. The camera control method according to claim 3, wherein the control command is in a CGI call format.   10. The camera control method according to claim 9, wherein the camera control service server executes control of the camera using a CGI program.   4. The camera control method according to claim 3, wherein the camera control service server controls the camera via a network camera server.   4. The camera control method according to claim 3, wherein the camera has a network interface and controls the camera by directly outputting a control command from the camera control service server to the camera.   12. The camera control method according to claim 11, wherein the network camera server and the camera are serially connected.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the video of the camera is broadcast via a video broadcasting station.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the camera image is transmitted over the Internet.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the camera video is recorded as a still image or a moving image.   5. The camera control method according to claim 4, wherein the data is described in a Compact HTML data format.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the data is described in an HDML data format.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the data is described in an MML (Mobile Markup Language) data format.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein the data is described in a WML data format.   2. The camera control method according to claim 1, wherein a charge for using the mobile phone is charged in accordance with a communication data amount of the mobile phone. In a mobile phone that can control the camera by connecting to a camera control service server that provides a camera control service via a network,
In response to a predetermined operation, the camera corresponding to the pressing operation of said plurality of operation buttons and respective advance in correspondence of a control command for controlling respectively the camera of a pressing operation of a plurality of buttons which the mobile phone has A command requesting data described to be sent to the camera control service server to the network, and based on the data received from the camera control service server in response to the command, the mobile phone A mobile phone comprising output means for outputting a camera control command corresponding to a pressing operation of any one of a plurality of buttons of the mobile phone.   23. The mobile phone according to claim 22, wherein a usage fee for the mobile phone is charged according to a communication data amount of the mobile phone. In a camera control service server that provides a camera control service to a mobile phone connected via a network,
Depending on the data request command from the mobile phone, the association with previously depressing operation of the plurality of operation buttons and a respective control command of the mobile phone with each of the pressing operation of a plurality of buttons included in order to control the camera Transmitting means for transmitting to the mobile phone data described so as to transmit a camera control command to the network;
The mobile phone receives a camera control command corresponding to a pressing operation of any one of a plurality of buttons of the mobile phone, which is transmitted based on the data received from the transmission means, and receives the received camera control A camera control service server comprising control means for controlling the camera based on a command.   25. The camera control service server according to claim 24, wherein the data transmitted to the mobile phone is description data for screen display of the mobile phone.   26. The control command output from the mobile phone according to claim 24, wherein the camera pan, tilt, zoom, pan speed, tilt speed, zoom speed, backlight correction, focus, home operation, preset, white balance, shutter A camera control service server, which is a control command for controlling at least one of speed, power, wiper, washer, defroster, illumination, image quality adjustment, and VTR.   27. The camera control service server according to claim 24, wherein the camera control service server is serially connected to the camera.

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