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US 6,556,240 B2Granted
Video camera system having remote commander
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorsHiroki Oka, Toshiyuki Hisatsune, Tetsu Sumii, Osamu Sakurai, Shigeya Yasui
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Abstract
An image pickup system that is small in scale, handy to maneuver, easy to operate and advanced in editing capabilities is disclosed. A commander device is used both as a remote commander and as a microphone in operating a video camera for image pickup. Wearing a headset on the head, a user looks at images appearing on a headset display to monitor and verify recorded images without recourse to a view finder of the video came. Function of the components making up the system are changed by operation of a mode switch attached to the video camera.
Claims29
An image pickup system comprising a commander, a video camera and a display device;
- wherein said commander includes:
- a microphone for obtaining an audio signal;
- moving state detecting means for detecting movements of the commander brought about by the user;
- command information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of command information;
- command information generating means for generating a plurality of kinds of command information which correspond to a plurality of different operations performed by a user, the generation of the command information being carried out on the basis of said plurality of kinds of command information which are stored in said command information storing means;
- said command information generating means generating command information based on the movements detected by said moving state detecting means;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting said audio signal and said command information as transmitted information;
- wherein said video camera includes:
- image pickup means for obtaining an image pickup signal by imaging and object;
- receiving means for receiving said transmitted information;
- recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing said image pickup signal to an from a recording medium;
- image information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of image information;
- display-ready video signal generating means for generating a display-ready video signal based on the image pickup signal reproduced from said recording medium by said recording and reproducing means and said image information;
- the display-ready video signal comprising the image pickup signal and a graphic user interface (GUI);
- transmitting means for transmitting said display-ready video signal;
- controlling means for controlling said image pickup means, said recording and reproducing means and said display-ready video signal generating means in accordance with any one of a plurality of operation modes;
- and
- an operation mode setting switch for setting one of said plurality of operation modes;
- and
- wherein said display device includes:
- receiving means for receiving said display-ready video signal transmitted from said transmitting means of said video camera;
- and
- displaying means for displaying an image represented by the received display-ready video signal.
21 more elements
An image pickup apparatus comprising:
- image pickup means for obtaining an image pickup signal by imaging an object;
- receiving means for receiving a signal which is supplied from an external device and which includes command information;
- wherein said external device is a commander, having:
- moving state detecting means for detecting movements of the commander brought about by the user;
- command information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of command information;
- command information generating means for generating a plurality of kinds of command information which correspond to a plurality of different operations performed by a user, the generation of the command information being carried out on the basis of said plurality of kinds of command information which are stored in said command information storing means;
- said command information generating means generating command information based on the movements detected by said moving state detecting means;
- and
- transmitting means for transmitting an audio signal and said command information as transmitted information;
- recording and reproducing means for recording and reproducing said image pickup signal to an from a recording medium;
- image information storing means for storing a plurality of kinds of image information;
- display-ready video signal generating means for generating a display-ready video signal based on the image pickup signal reproduced from said recording medium by said recording and reproducing means and said image information;
- transmitting means for transmitting said display-ready video signal;
- controlling means for controlling said image pickup means, said recording and reproducing means and said display-ready video signal generating means in accordance with any one of a plurality of operation modes;
- and
- an operation mode setting switch for setting one of said plurality of operation modes.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.