Information processing apparatus, image capturing apparatus, and control methods for the same

Abstract

The information processing apparatus which plays video sent from a image capturing apparatus, comprises a list requesting unit which sends a request for segment list to the image capturing apparatus to acquire the segment list, a determination unit that determines a segment to be requested among the segments indicated in the acquired segment list, a first segment requesting unit that sends a request for the determined segment to the image capturing apparatus, a first segment acquisition unit that acquires the requested segment, and a playing unit that plays the acquired segment, wherein the list requesting unit sends a request for a latest segment list to the image capturing apparatus, whenever the segment is acquired a predetermined number of times by the first segment acquisition unit, and the determination unit determines a segment to be requested, based on the latest segment list.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An information processing apparatus that has a communication unit for communicating with an image capturing apparatus and plays video data captured by the image capturing apparatus by sequentially acquiring segments, which are each a portion of the video data, said apparatus comprising:
 a list requesting unit that sends, to the image capturing apparatus via the communication unit, a request for a segment list, where the segment list includes segment information indicating at least one segment which the image capturing apparatus has not yet sent to the information processing apparatus among segments of video data that is being captured by the image capturing apparatus;   a list acquisition unit that acquires, from the image capturing apparatus, the t list requested by the segment list requesting unit;   a first determination unit that determines a predetermined segment, as a live image to be played, among the segments indicated in the segment list acquired by the list acquisition unit;   a first segment requesting unit that sends a request for the segment determined by the first determination unit to the image capturing apparatus via the communication unit;   a first segment acquisition unit that acquires the segment requested by the first segment requesting unit; and   a playing unit that plays, as the live image, the segment acquired by the first segment acquisition unit.   
     
     
         2 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the list requesting unit sends a request for a latest segment list to the image capturing apparatus, whenever the segment is requested or acquired one time by the first segment requesting unit or the first segment acquisition unit. 
     
     
         3 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first segment acquisition unit stores the acquired segment into a predetermined storage,
 wherein the apparatus further comprising:   a second determination unit that determines whether the segment list acquired by the first segment acquisition unit includes information indicating a past segment other than the latest segment to be played by the playing unit; and   a control unit that, if it is determined that the past segment is indicated in the segment list acquired by the first segment acquisition unit, acquires the past segment by sending a request for the past segment to the image capturing apparatus, and stores the acquired past segment into the predetermined storage without playing the past segment by the playing unit,   wherein the control unit merges, in temporal order, the segments stored in the predetermined storage to generate a seamless video data.   
     
     
         4 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the control unit includes:
 a saving unit that saves the merged video data.   
     
     
         5 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , further comprising a setting unit that sets whether video data captured by the image capturing apparatus is to be saved by the saving unit,
 wherein if saving of video data is set by the setting unit, the control unit acquires the past segment.   
     
     
         6 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the control unit sends a request for an oldest segment, as the past segment, among the segments indicated in the latest segment list. 
     
     
         7 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the segment information includes information for specifying a segment and information of a time length of the segment. 
     
     
         8 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         9 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the information processing apparatus is a tablet device. 
     
     
         10 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a setting unit that sets whether video data captured by the image capturing apparatus is to be saved by the saving unit,
 wherein if saving of video data is set by the setting unit, the control unit acquires the past segment other than a latest segment, among the segments indicated in the segment list.   
     
     
         11 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the control unit sends a request for an oldest segment, as the past segment, among the segments indicated in the segment list. 
     
     
         12 . A method for controlling an information processing apparatus that has a communication unit for communicating with an image capturing apparatus and plays video data captured by the image capturing apparatus by sequentially acquiring segments, which are each a portion of the video data, the method comprising:
 a list requesting step of sending, to the image capturing apparatus via the communication unit, a request for a segment list, where the segment list includes segment information indicating at least one segment which the image capturing apparatus has not yet sent to the information processing apparatus among segments of video data that is being captured by the image capturing apparatus;   a list acquisition step of acquiring, from the image capturing apparatus, the segment list requested in the list requesting step;   a first determination step of determining a predetermined segment, as a live image to be played, among the segments indicated in the segment list acquired in the list acquisition step;   a first segment requesting step of sending a request for the segment determined in the first determination step to the image capturing apparatus via the communication unit;   a first segment acquisition step of acquiring the segment requested in the first segment requesting step; and   a playing step of playing, as the live image, the segment acquired in the first segment acquisition step.   
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program which, when executed on a computer, causes that computer to perform a method for controlling an information processing apparatus that has a communication unit for communicating with an image capturing apparatus and plays video data captured by the image capturing apparatus by sequentially acquiring segments, which are each a portion of the video data, the method comprising:
 a list requesting step of sending, to the image capturing apparatus via the communication unit, a request for a segment list, where the segment list includes segment information indicating at least one segment which the image capturing apparatus has not yet sent to the information processing apparatus among segments of video data that is being captured by the image capturing apparatus;   a list acquisition step of acquiring, from the image capturing apparatus, the segment list requested in the list requesting step;   a first determination step of determining a predetermined segment, as a live image to be played, among the segments indicated in the segment list acquired in the list acquisition step;   a first segment requesting step of sending a request for the segment determined in the first determination step to the image capturing apparatus via the communication unit;   a first segment acquisition step of acquiring the segment requested in the first segment requesting step; and   a playing step of playing, as the live image, the segment acquired in the first segment acquisition step.   
     
     
         14 . An information processing apparatus that communicates with an image capturing apparatus and plays video data captured by the image capturing apparatus by sequentially acquiring segments, which are each a portion of the video data, said apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a communication interface;   wherein the processor is configured to function as following units, a list acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a first segment requesting unit, a first segment acquisition unit, and a playing unit, wherein   the list requesting unit that sends, to the image capturing apparatus via the communication interface, a request for a segment list, where the segment list includes segment information indicating at least one segment which the image capturing apparatus has not yet sent to the information processing apparatus among segments of video data that is being captured by the image capturing apparatus;   the list acquisition unit that acquires, from the image capturing apparatus via the communication interface, the segment list requested by the segment list requesting unit;   the first determination unit that determines a predetermined segment, as a live image to be played, among the segments indicated in the segment list acquired by the list acquisition unit;   the first segment requesting unit that sends a request for the segment determined by the first determination unit to the image capturing apparatus via the communication interface;   the first segment acquisition unit that acquires the segment requested by the first segment requesting unit via the communication interface; and   the playing unit that plays, as the live image, the segment acquired by the first segment acquisition unit.   
     
     
         15 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the list requesting unit sends a request for a latest segment list to the image capturing apparatus, whenever the segment is requested or acquired one time by the first segment requesting unit or the first segment acquisition unit. 
     
     
         16 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the first segment acquisition unit stores the acquired segment into a predetermined storage,
 wherein the apparatus further comprising:   a second determination unit that determines whether the segment list acquired by the first segment acquisition unit includes information indicating a past segment other than the latest segment to be played by the playing unit; and   a control unit that, if it is determined that the past segment is indicated in the segment list acquired by the first segment acquisition unit, acquires the past segment by sending a request for the past segment to the image capturing apparatus, and stores the acquired past segment into the predetermined storage without playing the past segment by the playing unit,   wherein the control unit merges, in temporal order, the segments stored in the predetermined storage to generate a seamless video data.   
     
     
         17 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the control unit includes:
 a saving unit that saves the merged video data.   
     
     
         18 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 17 , further comprising a setting unit that sets whether video data captured by the image capturing apparatus is to be saved by the saving unit,
 wherein if saving of video data is set by the setting unit, the control unit acquires the past segment.   
     
     
         19 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the control unit sends a request for an oldest segment, as the past segment, among the segments indicated in the latest segment list. 
     
     
         20 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the segment information includes information for specifying a segment and information of a time length of the segment. 
     
     
         21 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the information processing apparatus is a mobile phone. 
     
     
         22 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the information processing apparatus is a tablet device. 
     
     
         23 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 14 , further comprising a setting unit that sets whether video data captured by the image capturing apparatus is to be saved by the saving unit,
 wherein if saving of video data is set by the setting unit, the control unit acquires the past segment other than a latest segment, among the segments indicated in the segment list.   
     
     
         24 . The information processing apparatus according to  claim 16 , wherein the control unit sends a request for an oldest segment, as the past segment, among the segments indicated in the segment list.