| Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus -> Monitor Keywords |
|
|
 
Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatusRelated Patent Categories: Electrical Computers And Digital Processing Systems: Multicomputer Data Transferring, Master/slave Computer ControllingRemote control system and access control method for information input apparatus description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20060242254, Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 09/894,233 filed on Jun. 27, 2001 which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/607,687 filed Feb. 26, 1996, now abandoned, which claims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.119 based on Japanese Patent Application No. 7-037913 filed on Feb. 27, 1995 and Japanese Patent Application No. 7-190345 filed on Jul. 26, 1995, which are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety as if fully set forth herein. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] 1. Field of the Invention [0003] The present invention relates to a remote control system and an access control method for an information input apparatus and, more particularly, to a remote control system and a remote control method of remotely operating a camera apparatus equipped with a video camera and a microphone for a TV conference, and an access control method of controlling access to a camera apparatus connected to a network. [0004] 2. Description of the Related Art [0005] As a monitoring system or a communication conference system, a network system has been proposed in which computers connected to video cameras are connected in a network to allow an operator to remotely operate a video camera connected to another arbitrary computer and to receive an image from a given video camera. In this video transmission system, a given computer can remotely operate a given video camera and receive an image taken by the video camera. When microphones are also installed together with video cameras, it is possible to simultaneously receive an image taken by a given video camera and voices collected by a microphone attached to the video camera. [0006] The above remote monitoring system and TV conference system use cameras whose panning, tilting, and zooming are remotely controllable. However, the TV conference system is a dedicated system installed in a conference room, and so terminals capable of participating in the conference are usually limited. That is, it is not expected that a terminal which is not a conference member newly participates in the conference while the conference is being held. Accordingly, all terminals need to become conference members in advance, and a system manager performs a setting operation for that purpose. [0007] Recently, however, high-speed computer networks have rapidly become popular and improvements in the function and reduction in the cost of workstations or personal computers have advanced. As a result, it has become possible to realize a TV conference system in which many unspecified persons can participate by using personal computers and the like apparatuses. [0008] In such a TV conference system in which unspecified persons are expected to participate, a large number of persons take part in and leave the TV conference as needed, and consequently system management becomes more and more important. The system management is to control participation in and retirement from the conference (connection and disconnection of a terminal with respect to the network), set access permissions between terminals of conference participants, and inform access states between the conference participants. [0009] It is particularly necessary to be able to dynamically manage granting and withholding of permission to perform a camera operation. The following consideration also is necessary for terminals except for dedicated terminals installed in a conference room. That is, general computers are arranged in accordance with their respective principal purposes. Therefore, if a video camera for a TV conference is arranged in the vicinity of such a computer, an image which the user does not want another person to see is transmitted to other terminals as, e.g., a background. It is unnatural and troublesome to draw a curtain in the background only for a TV conference. A video camera of the self-terminal can be made unable to be controlled by other terminals. However, this makes smooth conversions difficult and impairs the advantage that images of persons and materials can be taken and transmitted in proper sizes at proper locations any time. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0010] It is an object of the present invention to provide an access control system and an access control method which solve the above conventional problems and are used for an information input apparatus, particularly a camera apparatus, connected to a computer network. That is, it is an object of the present invention to allow a camera owner to freely set an acquisition right to an image (and voices) obtained by a video camera (and a microphone) which he or she owns and a remote operation right to the video camera. [0011] To achieve the above object, one preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses an access control method of controlling access to an information input apparatus connected to a network via a terminal, comprising: [0012] the registration enter/delete step of entering or deleting registration of said information input apparatus in or from management information for managing access to said information input apparatus via said network; [0013] the set step of setting, in the management information, a right to access, via said network, said information input apparatus registered in the management information; and [0014] the management step of managing access to said information input apparatus via said network on the basis of the management information. [0015] It is another object of the present invention to provide a remote control system and a remote control method capable of dynamically managing granting and withholding of permission to perform a camera operation of a camera apparatus connected to a computer network, thereby allowing a large number of users to remotely operate, where necessary, camera apparatuses connected to the network without stopping the system and easily take part in or leave the TV conference. [0016] To achieve the above object, one preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a camera apparatus remote control system comprising: [0017] a camera apparatus capable of being remotely operated via a network; and [0018] managing means for managing access to said camera apparatus via said network on the basis of stored management information. [0019] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a plurality of stages of access limiting modes in a remote operation of camera apparatuses connected to a computer network and thereby allow each user to set an appropriate imaging or photographing enable range including operation inhibition. [0020] To achieve the above object, one preferred embodiment of the present invention discloses a camera apparatus remote control system comprising: [0021] a camera apparatus capable of being remotely operated via a network; and [0022] managing means for managing access to said camera apparatus via said network on the basis of stored management information, Continue reading about Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus... Full patent description for Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method and system for providing tts collect call Next Patent Application: High-speed data readable information processing device Industry Class: Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomputer data transferring or plural processor synchronization ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Remote control system and access control method for information input apparatus patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 1.21263 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Daimler Chrysler , DirecTV , Exxonmobil Chemical Company , Goodyear , Intel , Kyocera Wireless , 174 |
 * Protect your Inventions * US Patent Office filing 
PATENT INFO |
|
