Abstract: A method for editing an image on a display unit, an apparatus for executing the method and a computer program product for the method, wherein a predetermined CG object is designated in an image on the display unit, and in order to edit the image, a first command list for speech, motion, moving image reproduction or audio reproduction is displayed on the display unit, a command for editing the designated CG object is selected from the first command list and executed for the designated CG object.

Abstract: The invention provides a circulating recording apparatus which can dynamically modify the capacity of a circulating recording area while holding a predetermined amount of recording data corresponding to the past. A single circulating recording area of the circulating recording apparatus can include memory areas distributed among a plurality of recording media. The circulating recording apparatus includes a circulating recording area management table composed of a plurality of table entries corresponding to the number of memory blocks constituting the circulating recording area and each entry includes pointer information for accessing the memory blocks and contents information of the data stored in the memory blocks. The data block write operation into the circulating recording area in a circulating manner and the data read operation from a specified memory block are conducted in accordance with the circulating recording area management table.

Abstract: An object tracking method and an object tracking apparatus for tracking an object in an image based on an image signal obtained from an image pickup device. At least one of the feature amounts including the position, size and the moving distance of the object in the image is detected, and based on the detection result, the image pickup lens of the image pickup device is controlled thereby to track the object. At the same time, the range of a partial area of the image is set based on the detection result, and the image of the partial area thus set is enlarged to a predetermined size and displayed on a monitor.

Abstract: An image data recording and reproducing system comprises an image data input unit, an ID generator generating an ID inserted to image data from the image data input unit, a plurality of image data recorders for recording the image data, and an output unit for outputting the image data recorded into the plurality of image data recorders, wherein each of the plurality of image data recorders has an ID table and an image data storage area, and an ID of the ID table is matched with image data of the image data storage area on the bases of recording position information of the image data.

Abstract: A change detecting apparatus and monitoring system using the apparatus as a notification apparatus. The change detecting apparatus has an input unit receiving a monitor image captured by a pickup unit, a region specification unit specifying N regions (N≧2) in the monitor image, a notification destination specification unit specifying notification destinations of image changes in the monitor image in advance according to the image change characteristics, a change detection unit detecting an image change in the N regions, a characteristics extraction unit extracting a feature of the image change, a monitor information generation unit generating monitor information related to the detected image change and a transmission unit transmitting the monitor information. Based on the detected image change characteristics, the monitor information is transmitted to a notification destination set in the notification destination specification unit.

Abstract: A circulating memory apparatus and a data storage and distribution system using a circulating recording area effectively and having an improved access efficiency to the circulating recording area are disclosed. A memory area secured in a disk unit is used in circulation thereby to record the time series input data. The time series input data are edited into a data block of a predetermined size including a plurality of subblocks, and written into the disk unit by data block. In response to a request for outputting specific data, the data are read by subblock from the disk unit into a cache memory thereby to selectively output the specific data contained in the subblocks.

Abstract: A change detecting method and apparatus constituted by an input portion for inputting image data obtained by imaging apparatus, a processing unit for processing the image data inputted from the input portion, and a storage for storing the image data. The processing unit has an image data change detecting portion, a monitoring information generating/transmitting portion. The storage has a monitoring schedule table. The image data change detecting portion reads the image data from the storage based on the monitoring schedule table, and detects a change in image data from the image data. The monitoring information generating/transmitting portion generates monitoring information based on a result of the detected change and outputs the monitoring information.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a video includes the steps of extracting frame images from an input video, calculating a time length between each of the frame images and a next one of the frame images, assigning index information determined by the calculated time length to each of the frame images, stringing together the index information assigned to the frame images, and characterizing the input video by the strung-together index information. The index information is a character code, and the strung-together index information is a character code string. The frame images include head frame images located at scene changes of the input video. The input video is being broadcasted or is included in a data base.

Abstract: An intruding object monitoring method using an intruding object monitoring system having a first intruding object monitoring apparatus for monitoring a monitor area by inputting images of the area and at least one second intruding object monitoring apparatus for performing a following of an intruding object. By this method, first intruding object monitoring apparatus acquires detection information of an object intruding into the monitor area, the second intruding object monitoring apparatus captures the intruding object in accordance with the detection information supplied from the first intruding object monitoring apparatus. After the intruding object is captured, the second intruding object monitoring apparatus performs the following of the captured intruding object independently of the first intruding object monitoring apparatus.

Abstract: A video distribution method and a video distribution system connected to a transmission path such as the Internet. The system has a video signal input unit, an encoder for converting the video signal into a digitally compressed image data, an image accumulation and distribution unit for accumulating and distributing the digitally compressed image data, a notification unit for reading the accumulated images and detecting an image change, an image browsing data converter for reducing the accumulated image, and an information terminal for accessing the images of the image accumulation and distribution unit and the image browsing data converter. The notification unit, upon detection of an image change, records the image change occurrence time. The information terminal acquires the image from the image accumulation and distribution unit or the video browsing data converter based on the change occurrence time information stored in the notification unit.

Abstract: A system and method capable of storing and accumulating video images of targets at places that can not be shot by a monitoring camera and distributing the accumulated video images to one or more devices are provided. A mobile having an image pickup function with a camera unit is connected to a video storage/distribution device through a network. Video data generated by the image pickup mobile is accumulated in the video storage/distribution device to be distributed to a browser PC and a mobile. A data converter for converting the protocol and data format of the video data is provided between the image pickup mobile and the video storage/distribution device, while an authentication server for permitting prescribed mobile to communicate with the video storage/distribution device is provided. Communication of audio data is realized among the image pickup mobile, the browser PC and the mobile.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a video includes the steps of extracting frame images from an input video, calculating a time length between each of the frame images and a next one of the frame images, assigning index information determined by the calculated time length to each of the frame images, stringing together the index information assigned to the frame images, and characterizing the input video by the strung-together index information. The index information is a character code, and the strung-together index information is a character code string. The frame images include head frame images located at scene changes of the input video. The input video is being broadcasted or is included in a data base.

Abstract: An object tracking method and an object tracking apparatus. Based on two or more frames of images acquired at different time points from an imaging unit, an image changing area is detected between the frames. Based on the image changing area thus detected, the position of an object is detected. The detected position of the object is set as a new detected position of the object in place of the present detected position of the object, thereby detecting and tracking an object intruding into a monitor area.

Abstract: An intruding object detecting method and an intruding object detecting apparatus for judging whether an detected object is an intruding object or not even in the condition that there are shadows of moving objects other than target objects to be detected, such as shaking trees, leaves thereof, etc.

Abstract: An image distribution system includes an image storage distribution apparatus for storing images picked up by an imaging unit and an image conversion apparatus for obtaining an image from the image storage distribution apparatus if the image is required by a mobile terminal and then distributing the image to the mobile terminal. In this system, a frame for selecting an image range to be enlarged is displayed on the stored image displayed on the mobile terminal. The frame may be optionally moved or changed in size. With this frame, the desirous range of the image is enlarged multiple times, and the enlarged image is displayed on the mobile terminal.

Abstract: An image data storage method and system for editing image date transmitted from an image producing apparatus through a network and storing it in a removable recording medium includes a network, an image producing apparatus for transmitting image data through the network, an image storing and delivering server for storing the image data transmitted from the image producing apparatus through the network and delivering it through the network, an image receiving apparatus for communicating with the image storing and delivering server through the network to receive the image data from the image storing and delivering server, and an external recording apparatus combined with the image receiving apparatus for storing the image data from the image receiving apparatus in a recording medium. The image receiving apparatus stores reproduction software for reproducing the image data in the recording medium together with image data.

Abstract: Object detection method and apparatus, including an image-pickup unit picking up the image of a target region, a first recording device accumulating, as a reference image, an image signal from the image-pickup unit, a second recording device storing a table which defines surveillance information on the image signal, an object detection processing unit detecting a target object from the image signal and the reference image, a memory table storing a processing result from the processing unit, and a display unit. The image signal from the image-pickup unit is saved based on the table of the second recording device, and the processing result in the memory table is displayed on the display unit. The surveillance information in the table of the second recording device is modified based on the display of the processing result obtained by the object detection processing unit.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for detecting an object in the image pickup field by template matching and tracking the detected object. An intruding object is detected from an image acquired by an image pickup device which takes the image of an image pickup field. A template image is formed from the detected object and is stored in a storing unit. A template matching is performed between a present input image of the image pickup field and the template image stored in the storing unit to detect the location of that part of the object which has a maximum degree of coincidence with the template image. An edge detection of the object is performed over a predetermined search area in the present input image which area includes the detected part of the object having a maximum degree of coincidence. Based on results of the edge detection, the detected part of the object is corrected and is determined as the present location of the object.

Abstract: A method of editing a video program including computer graphics animation, having the steps of setting a camera view point as a view point of images of the video program broadcasted and a user's view point for editing images picked up from the camera view point, the user's view point being different from the camera view point, storing the images picked up from the camera view point and user's view point, respectively, in a storage unit, reading out the images of the camera view point from the storage unit and displaying the images thereof on a screen of a display unit, reading out the images of the user's view point from the storage unit and displaying the images thereof on the screen of the display unit, and editing the images picked up by the camera view point in accordance with the images picked up from the user's view point.

Abstract: A method of characterizing a video includes the steps of extracting frame images from an input video, calculating a time length between each of the frame images and a next one of the frame images, assigning index information determined by the calculated time length to each of the frame images, stringing together the index information assigned to the frame images, and characterizing the input video by the strung-together index information. The index information is a character code, and the strung-together index information is a character code string. The frame images include head frame images located at scene changes of the input video. The input video is being broadcasted or is included in a data base.