Apparatus and system for camera head determination in an image sensing system

An image processing apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of ports adapted to connect to a plurality of cameras;
• a connection unit adapted to connect a terminal apparatus;
• an image processing unit adapted to process signals input from the cameras via said plurality of ports;
• a switching unit adapted to switch between said plurality of ports, signals from the switched camera being processed by said image processing unit;
• a receiving unit adapted to receive a request from the terminal apparatus;
• a determination unit adapted to, in case an initialization request is received from the terminal apparatus by said receiving unit, determine whether the plurality of cameras are connected to the plurality of ports;
• an acquisition unit adapted to, in case said determination unit determines that the plurality of cameras are connected to the connection unit, acquire attribute information stored in each of the cameras connected with said plurality of ports by reading out the attribute information from the cameras;
• a storage unit adapted to store the attribute information of each of the cameras acquired by said acquisition unit together with connection information of said plurality of ports;
• a sending unit adapted to, in response to the initialization request, send to the terminal apparatus the attribute information of each of the cameras acquired by said acquisition unit;
• and
• a control unit adapted to, in case a port switching request is received from the terminal apparatus by said receiving unit in order to switch said switching unit to the requested port and said storage unit stores the connection information indicating that a camera is connected to the requested port, read out the attribute information of the camera corresponding to the requested port stored in said storage unit, and set in the image processing unit an image processing parameter corresponding to the attribute information of the camera connected to the requested port.

A control method for controlling an image processing apparatus having a first connection unit for connecting to a plurality of cameras, a second connection unit adapted to connect to a terminal apparatus, and an image processing unit for processing signals input from at least one of said plurality of cameras via said first connection unit, said control method comprising:

• receiving a request from the terminal apparatus;
• determining whether the plurality of cameras are connected to the first connection unit in case an initialization request is received from the terminal apparatus in said receiving step;
• acquiring attribute information stored in each of the cameras connected to said first connection unit by reading out the attribute information from the cameras;
• storing in a storage unit the acquired attribute information of each of the cameras together with connection information of said first connection unit;
• sending, in response to the initialization request, to the terminal apparatus the attribute information of each of the cameras stored in said storage unit;
• and
• switching to a requested camera whose signals are to be processed by said image processing unit, reading out the attribute information of the requested camera stored in said storage unit, and setting in the image processing unit an image processing parameter corresponding to the read attribute information, in case a camera switching request is received from the terminal apparatus and said storage unit stores the connection information indicating that the requested camera is connected to said first connection unit.

A control method for controlling an image processing apparatus having a plurality of ports for connecting to a plurality of cameras, a connection unit adapted to connect a terminal apparatus, and an image processing unit for processing signals input from at least one of said plurality of cameras via said plurality of ports, signals from the switched camera being processed by said image processing unit, said control method comprising:

• receiving a request from the terminal apparatus;
• determining whether the plurality of cameras are connected to the plurality of ports in case an initialization request is received from the terminal apparatus in said receiving step;
• acquiring attribute information stored in each of the cameras connected to said plurality of ports by reading out the attribute information from the cameras;
• storing in a storage unit the acquired attribute information of each of the cameras together with connection information of said plurality of ports;
• sending, in response to the initialization request the acquired attribute information of each of the cameras to the terminal apparatus;
• and
• switching to a requested port, reading out the attribute information of the camera corresponding to the requested port stored in said storage unit, and setting in the image processing unit an image processing parameter corresponding to the read attribute information, in case a port switching request is received from the terminal apparatus and said storage unit stores the connection information indicating that the requested camera is connected to the requested port.