Image pickup apparatus, information processing apparatus, display apparatus, information processing system, image data sending method, image displaying method, and computer program

An information processing apparatus comprising:

• an image processing unit configured to produce data of a plurality of kinds of images to be displayed in one screen;
• an image extraction unit configured to connect pixel strings, which configure a row of the data of the plurality of kinds of images, to each other for each unit number of pixels for connection determined on a basis of a given rule to produce a stream;
• and
• a communication unit configured to transmit the stream to a display apparatus;
• wherein the image extraction unit switchably determines whether the unit number of pixels for connection is to be set to a fixed value or a variable value in response to the kind of each image.

A display apparatus comprising:

• a communication unit configured to receive, from a host terminal, a stream which is configured by connecting pixel strings which configure a row of data of a plurality of kinds of images to be displayed in one screen for each unit number of pixels determined on a basis of a predetermined rule and includes data of a first kind image wherein a pixel number for one row or a pixel number obtained by equally dividing one row into a predetermined number is used as a unit for connection and data of a second kind image wherein a number of pixels with which a length of the stream when the connection of the plurality of kinds of images makes one round becomes equal to a given value is used as a unit for connection;
• a frame memory configured to store pixel strings of the second kind image included in the received stream irrespective of the unit for connection;
• and
• a display image production unit configured to produce, every time a pixel string of the unit for connection of the first kind image included in the stream is received, pixel strings included in one row of a display screen from the pixel string and read out a pixel string included in a corresponding row of the second kind image from the frame memory and then output the produced pixel strings and the read out pixel string to positions at which the pixel strings are to be displayed in accordance with outputting scanning of the row of the display screen.

An information processing system comprising:

• an image pickup apparatus configured to pick up an image of an object as a moving picture;
• a host terminal;
• and
• a display apparatus configured to display a moving picture on a basis of an image frame obtained from the image picked up by the image pickup apparatus;
• the image pickup apparatus including
• an image data production unit configured to produce data of a plurality of kinds of images from the image frame for each of pixel strings which configure a row, and
• an image sending unit configured to extract a pixel string in a region requested from the host terminal from within the data of the plurality of kinds of images and produce a stream configured by connecting the pixel strings for each number of pixels determined on a basis of a predetermined rule and then transmit the stream to the host terminal;
• the host terminal including
• an image processing unit configured to classify a stream transmitted thereto from the image pickup apparatus for each kind of an image and perform a predetermined process to produce data of a plurality of kinds of images to be used for display,
• an image extraction unit configured to produce a stream configured by connecting pixel strings, which configure a row of the data of the plurality of kinds of images, for each pixel number determined on a basis of a predetermined rule, and
• a communication unit configured to transmit the stream to the display apparatus;
• both of the image sending unit of the image pickup apparatus and the image extraction unit of the host terminal switchably determining whether the unit number of pixels for connection is to be set to a fixed pixel number equal to a number of pixels for one row in a region of an object of transmission or a number of pixels obtained by equally dividing one row into a given number or to a variable pixel number such that a length of the stream when the connection of the plurality of kinds of images makes one round becomes equal to a given value in response to the kind of each image;
• the display apparatus including
• a frame memory configured to store a pixel string of an image of the variable pixel number included in the received stream irrespective of the unit for connection, and
• a display image production unit configured to produce, every time a pixel string of the fixed pixel number included in the stream is received, pixel strings included in one row of a display screen from the received pixel string and read out a pixel string included in a corresponding row from within the image of the variable pixel number from the frame memory and then output the produced pixel strings and the read out pixel string to a position at which the pixel strings are to be displayed in accordance with outputting scanning of the row of the display screen.

An image data sending method performed by an image pickup apparatus, comprising:

• producing data of a plurality of kinds of images from an image frame obtained by picking up an image of an object as a moving picture for each of pixel strings which configure a row and storing the produced data into a memory;
• extracting a pixel string in a region requested from a host terminal from within the data of the plurality of kinds of images stored in the memory and producing a stream configured by connecting the pixel strings for each number of pixels determined on a basis of a given rule;
• and
• transmitting the produced stream to the host terminal;
• the producing switchably determining whether the unit number of pixels for connection is to be set to a fixed value or a variable value in response to the kind of each image.

An image data sending method performed by an information processing apparatus, comprising:

• producing data of a plurality of kinds of images to be displayed in one screen and storing the produced data into a memory;
• producing a stream which is configured by connecting pixel strings which are stored in the memory and configure a row of the data of the plurality of kinds of images for each unit number of pixels determined on a basis of a given rule;
• and
• transmitting the stream to a display apparatus;
• wherein the producing switchably determines whether the unit number of pixels for connection is to be set to a fixed value or a variable value in response to the kind of each image.

An image displaying method performed by a display apparatus, comprising:

• receiving, from a host terminal, a stream which is configured by connecting pixel strings which configure a row of data of a plurality of kinds of images to be displayed in one screen for each unit number of pixels determined on a basis of a predetermined rule and includes data of a first kind image wherein a pixel number for one row or a pixel number obtained by equally dividing one row into a predetermined number is used as a unit for connection and data of a second kind image wherein a number of pixels with which a length of the stream when the connection of the plurality of kinds of images makes one round becomes equal to a given value is used as a unit for connection;
• storing pixel strings of the second kind image included in the received stream irrespective of the unit for connection in a frame memory;
• and
• producing, every time a pixel string of the unit for connection of the first kind image included in the stream is received, pixel strings included in one row of a display screen from the pixel string, reading out a pixel string included in a corresponding row of the second kind image from the frame memory and then outputting the produced pixel strings and the read out pixel string to positions at which the pixel strings are to be displayed in accordance with outputting scanning of the row of the display screen.

A computer program for a computer, comprising:

• producing data of a plurality of kinds of images from an image frame obtained by picking up an image of an object as a moving picture for each of pixel strings which configure a row;
• extracting a pixel string in a region requested from a host terminal from within the data of each of the plurality of kinds of images and connecting the pixel strings to each other for each unit number of pixels for connection determined on a basis of a given rule to produce a stream;
• and
• transmitting the stream to the host terminal;
• wherein the producing switchably determines whether the unit number of pixels for connection is to be set to a fixed value or a variable value in response to the kind of each image.

A computer program for a computer, comprising:

• producing data of a plurality of kinds of images to be displayed in one screen;
• connecting pixel strings, which configure a row of the data of the plurality of kinds of images, to each other for each unit number of pixels for connection determined on a basis of a given rule to produce a stream;
• and
• transmitting the stream to a display apparatus;
• wherein the producing switchably determines whether the unit number of pixels for connection is to be set to a fixed value or a variable value in response to the kind of each image.

A computer program for a computer, comprising:

• receiving, from a host terminal, a stream which is configured by connecting pixel strings which configure a row of data of a plurality of kinds of images to be displayed in one screen for each unit number of pixels determined on a basis of a predetermined rule and includes data of a first kind image wherein a pixel number for one row or a pixel number obtained by equally dividing one row into a predetermined number is used as a unit for connection and data of a second kind image wherein a number of pixels with which a length of the stream when the connection of the plurality of kinds of images makes one round becomes equal to a given value is used as a unit for connection;
• storing pixel strings of the second kind image included in the received stream irrespective of the unit for connection in a frame memory;
• and
• producing, every time a pixel string of the unit for connection of the first kind image included in the stream is received, pixel strings included in one row of a display screen from the pixel string and reading out a pixel string included in a corresponding row of the second kind image from the frame memory and then outputting the produced pixel strings and the read out pixel string to positions at which the pixel strings are to be displayed in accordance with outputting scanning of the row of the display screen.