Camera device, communication system, and camera system

A camera device comprising:

• an image capturing unit;
• a storage unit configured to store attribute information of one or more target objects used for identifying the corresponding target objects, wherein the storage unit stores identification information of the target objects and the attribute information of the target objects in association with each other;
• an identification unit configured to identify a target object in an image captured by the image capturing unit based on the attribute information;
• a requesting unit configured to request an external device to identify the target object in the image when the identification unit is not able to identify the target object in the image;
• a storage control unit configured to receive attribute information of the target object from the external device that is requested to identify the target object, and control the storage unit to store the received attribute information;
• a transmission unit configured to transmit identification information of the target object to another camera device when the identification unit identifies the target object in the image;
• a determination unit configured to determine, when identification information is received from another camera device, whether or not the received identification information is stored in the storage unit, wherein when the determination unit determines that the received identification information is not stored in the storage unit, the storage control unit receives attribute information of the target object that is identified by the received identification information from the other camera device that is a transmission source of the received identification information, and controls the storage unit to store the received attribute information;
• and
• a moving time calculation unit configured to calculate a time difference between a time point at which the identification information is transmitted from the other camera device and a time point at which the identification unit identifies the target object based on the identification information or a time point at which the requesting unit requests for the identification, as a moving time of the target object that is associated with the identification information, when the identification information is received from the other camera device, wherein the transmission unit transmits the identification information to a predetermined number or less of other camera devices in ascending order of the moving time calculated by the moving time calculation unit.

A communication system comprising a plurality of camera devices and a server, wherein

• the server comprises:
• a first storage unit configured to store attribute information of one or more target objects used for identifying the corresponding target objects;
• a first identification unit configured to identify a target object based on the attribute information when any one of the camera devices requests for identification of a target object in an image;
• and
• a first transmission unit configured to transmit the attribute information used for identifying the target object in the image to the camera device that requests for identification of the target object when the first identification unit identifies the target object, and
• each of the camera devices comprises:
• an image capturing unit;
• a second storage unit configured to store attribute information of one or more target objects used for identifying the corresponding target objects, wherein the second storage unit stores identification information of the target objects and the attribute information of the target objects in association with each other;
• a second identification unit configured to identify a target object in an image captured by the image capturing unit based on the attribute information stored in the second storage unit;
• a requesting unit configured to request the server to identify the target object in the captured image when the second identification unit is not able to identify the target object in the captured image;
• a storage control unit configured to receive the attribute information of the target object in the captured image from the server, and control the storage unit to store the received attribute information;
• a transmission unit configured to transmit identification information of the identified target object to another camera device when the identification unit identifies the target object in the captured image;
• a determination unit configured to determine, when identification information is received from another camera device, whether or not the received identification information is stored in the second storage unit, wherein when the determination unit determines that the received identification information is not stored in the second storage unit, the storage control unit receives the attribute information of the target object that is identified by the received identification information from the other camera device, and controls the second storage unit to store the received attribute information;
• and
• a moving time calculation unit configured to calculate a time difference between a time point at which the identification information is transmitted from the other camera device and a time point at which the identification unit identifies the target object based on the identification information from the other camera device or a time point at which the requesting unit requests for the identification, as a moving time of the target object associated with the identification information, when the identification information is received from the other camera device, wherein when the moving time calculated by the moving time calculation unit is shorter than a pre-defined time, the transmission unit transmits the identification information to the other camera device that has transmitted the identification information.

A camera system comprising a plurality of camera devices,

• wherein each of the camera devices comprises:
• an image capturing unit;
• a storage unit configured to store attribute information of one or more target objects used for identifying the corresponding target objects, wherein the storage unit stores identification information of the target objects and the attribute information in association with each other;
• an identification unit configured to identify a target object in an image captured by the image capturing unit based on the attribute information stored in the storage unit;
• a requesting unit configured to request another camera device to identify the target object in the image when the identification unit is not able to identify the target object in the image;
• and
• a storage control unit configured to receive attribute information by which the target object whose identification is requested by the requesting unit is able to be identified, from the other camera device, and control the storage unit to store the received attribute information;
• a transmission unit configured to transmit identification information of an identified target object to another camera device when the identification unit identifies the target object in the image;
• a determination unit configured to determine, when identification information is received from another camera device, whether or not the received identification information is stored in the storage unit, wherein when the determination unit determines that the received identification information is not stored in the storage unit, the storage control unit receives the attribute information of the target object that is identified by the identification information from the other camera device that is a transmission source of the received identification information, and controls the storage unit to store the received attribute information;
• and
• a moving time calculation unit configured to calculate a time difference between a time point at which the identification information is transmitted from the other camera device and a time point at which the identification unit identifies the target object based on the identification information or a time point at which the requesting unit requests for the identification, as a moving time of the target object that is associated with the identification information, when the identification information is received from the other camera device, wherein the transmission unit transmits the identification information to a predetermined number or less of other camera devices in ascending order of the moving time calculated by the moving time calculation unit.