An imaging apparatus includes a control unit to perform insertion/retraction of an infrared cut filter into and from an optical path of an imaging optical system; a reception unit to receive a third command to cause the control unit to automatically control insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter; and a determining unit configured to determine whether or not the third command includes additional information based on the output of the reception unit; wherein, in the event that the determining unit has determined that the third command includes additional information, the control unit controls insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter based on the additional information, and in the event that the determining unit has determined that the third command does not include additional information, the control unit controls insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter based on control information which the control unit has beforehand.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An imaging apparatus connected to an external client device via a network, the imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging optical system; an imaging unit configured to image an image of a subject formed by the imaging optical system; an infrared cut filter configured to cut infrared light; an insertion/retraction unit configured to insertion and retraction the infrared cut filter to and from an optical path of the imaging optical system; a reception unit configured to receive, from the external client via the network, automatic adjustment information relating to insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter, along with an automatic insertion/retraction control command for the imaging apparatus to automatically control insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter by the insertion/retraction unit; a control unit configured to automatically control the insertion/retraction unit, based on the automatic insertion/retraction command received by the reception unit; and a transmission unit configured to transmit insertion/retraction specifying information relating to the automatic adjustment information to the external client via the network; wherein the insertion/retraction specifying information transmitted by the transmission unit indicates whether or not automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for each of a case where the infrared cut filter is inserted into the optical path and a case where the infrared cut filter is retracted from the optical path.
2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the insertion/retraction information indicates whether the automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be individually specified for each of a case where the infrared cut filter is inserted into the optical path and a case where the infrared cut filter is retracted from the optical path, or the automatic adjustment information can be specified in common.
3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the insertion/retraction information can describe insertion specifiable information indicating that automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for a case of inserting the infrared cut filter into the optical path, and retraction specifiable information indicating that automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for a case of retracting the infrared cut filter from the optical path, in that order.
4. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein, after insertion/retraction information is transmitted by the transmission unit, the reception unit receives the automatic adjustment information along with the automatic insertion/retraction command, from the external client via the network.
5. The imaging apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the automatic insertion/retraction control command can describe each of the insertion/retraction specifying information and the automatic adjustment information, in that order.
6. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the reception unit receives the insertion/retraction specifying information along with the automatic adjustment information, from the external client via the network.
7. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a first determining unit configured to determine whether or not the reception unit has received the insertion/retraction specifying information along with the automatic adjustment information; and a reply unit configured to reply, in the event that the first determining unit determines that the reception has not occurred, error information as a reply to the automatic insertion/retraction control command received by the reception unit.
8. The imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising: a second determining unit configured to determine whether or not insertion/retraction specifying information received by the reception unit and insertion/retraction specifying information transmitted by the transmission unit agree; wherein the replay unit returns error information as a replay to the automatic insertion/retraction control command received by the reception unit in the event that the second determining unit determines that these do not match.
9. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the automatic adjustment information includes brightness information relating to the brightness of the subject.
10. The imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the range of brightness information is restricted to a predetermined range.
11. The imaging apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the automatic adjustment information includes response time information relating to response time of insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter.
12. A client device connected via a network to an imaging apparatus which includes an imaging optical system, an imaging unit configured to image an image of a subject formed by the imaging optical system, an infrared cut filter configured to cut infrared light, an insertion/retraction unit configured to insertion and retraction the infrared cut filter to and from an optical path of the imaging optical system, and a control unit configured to automatically control the insertion/retraction unit, the client device comprising: a transmission unit configured to transmit, to the imaging apparatus via the network, automatic adjustment information relating to insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter, along with an automatic insertion/retraction control command for the imaging apparatus to automatically control insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter by the insertion/retraction unit; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire insertion/retraction specifying information relating to the automatic adjustment information used by the control unit, from the imaging apparatus via the network; wherein the insertion/retraction specifying information acquired by the acquisition unit indicates whether or not automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for each of a case where the infrared cut filter is inserted into the optical path and a case where the infrared cut filter is retracted from the optical path.
13. The client device according to claim 12 , wherein the insertion/retraction information indicates whether the automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be individually specified for each of a case where the infrared cut filter is inserted into the optical path and a case where the infrared cut filter is retracted from the optical path, or the automatic adjustment information can be specified in common.
14. The client device according to claim 13 , wherein the insertion/retraction information can describe insertion specifiable information indicating that automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for a case of inserting the infrared cut filter into the optical path, and retraction specifiable information indicating that automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for a case of retracting the infrared cut filter from the optical path, in that order.
15. The client device according to claim 12 , wherein, after insertion/retraction information is acquired by the acquisition unit, the transmission unit transmits the automatic adjustment information along with the automatic insertion/retraction command, to the imaging apparatus via the network.
16. The client device according to claim 15 , wherein the transmission unit transmits insertion/retraction specifying information which matches the insertion/retraction specifying information acquired by the acquisition unit, to the imaging apparatus via the network.
17. The client device according to claim 15 , wherein the automatic insertion/retraction control command can describe each of the insertion/retraction specifying information and the automatic adjustment information, in that order.
18. The client device according to claim 12 , wherein the transmission unit transmits the insertion/retraction specifying information along with the automatic adjustment information, to the imaging apparatus via the network.
19. The client device according to claim 12 , wherein the automatic adjustment information includes brightness information relating to the brightness of the subject.
20. The client device according to claim 19 , wherein the range of brightness information is restricted to a predetermined range.
21. The client device according to claim 20 , wherein the automatic adjustment information includes response time information relating response time of insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter.
22. An imaging system configured of an imaging apparatus, and an external client device connected to the imaging apparatus via a network; the imaging apparatus including an imaging optical system, an imaging unit configured to image an image of a subject formed by the imaging optical system, an infrared cut filter configured to cut infrared light, an insertion/retraction unit configured to insertion and retraction the infrared cut filter to and from an optical path of the imaging optical system, a reception unit configured to receive, from the client device via the network, automatic adjustment information relating to insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter, along with an automatic insertion/retraction control command for the imaging apparatus to automatically control insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter by the insertion/retraction unit, and a control unit configured to automatically control the insertion/retraction unit, based on the automatic insertion/retraction command received by the reception unit; and the client device including an acquisition unit configured to acquire insertion/retraction specifying information relating to the automatic adjustment information used by the control unit, from the imaging apparatus via the network; wherein the insertion/retraction specifying information indicates whether or not automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for each of a case where the infrared cut filter is inserted into the optical path and a case where the infrared cut filter is retracted from the optical path.
23. A control method of an imaging apparatus which includes an imaging optical system, an imaging unit configured to image an image of a subject formed by the imaging optical system, an infrared cut filter configured to cut infrared light, an insertion/retraction unit configured to insertion and retraction the infrared cut filter to and from an optical path of the imaging optical system, and a control unit configured to automatically control the insertion/retraction unit, connected to an external client device via a network, the method comprising: a reception step to receive, from the external client via the network, automatic adjustment information relating to insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter, along with an automatic insertion/retraction control command for the imaging apparatus to automatically control insertion/retraction of the infrared cut filter by the insertion/retraction unit; a control step to automatically control the insertion/retraction unit, based on the automatic insertion/retraction command received in the reception step; and a transmission step to transmit insertion/retraction specifying information relating to the automatic adjustment information to the external client via the network; wherein the insertion/retraction specifying information transmitted in the transmission step indicates whether or not automatic adjustment information used by the control unit can be specified for each of a case where the infrared cut filter is inserted into the optical path and a case where the infrared cut filter is retracted from the optical path.
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May 10, 2013
February 23, 2016
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