Video capturing system and network system to support privacy mode

Abstract

A video capturing system includes: a storage medium to store a plurality of image information sets corresponding to a plurality of reference images, respectively; and a video processing device to selectively control video capture and at least one other operation associated with video capture according to a privacy level selected from a privacy mode, wherein the video processing device includes a face detector to sense a face image from the captured video, and a privacy level controller to select one of a plurality of privacy levels according to an image information set matched with the face image sensed from the plurality of image information sets.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A video capturing system comprising:
 a storage medium to store a plurality of image information sets corresponding to a plurality of reference images, respectively; and   a video processing device to selectively control video capture and at least one other operation associated with video capture according to a privacy level selected from a privacy mode,   wherein the video processing device includes a face detector to sense a face image from the captured video, and a privacy level controller to select one of a plurality of privacy levels according to an image information set matched with the face image sensed from the plurality of image information sets.   
     
     
         2 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the storage medium is configured to store the plurality of privacy levels corresponding to the plurality of image information sets, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the face detector is operable to acquire face images, to generate the plurality of image information sets in association with the acquired face images, and to generate signals to store the plurality of image information sets in the storage medium. 
     
     
         4 . The video capturing system of  claim 3 , wherein the video processing device is operable to set privacy levels corresponding to the plurality of image information sets by determining a privacy level corresponding to each of the image information sets according to the number of face images associated with the corresponding image information set from among the acquired face images, and to generate signals to store the set privacy levels in the storage medium. 
     
     
         5 . The video capturing system of  claim 4 , further comprising an external terminal to receive a user input indicating a privacy level corresponding to a selected image information set from among the plurality of image information sets, and wherein the video processing device is operable to correct the privacy level stored in association with the selected image information set in response to the user input. 
     
     
         6 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the sensed face image comprises a first face image and a second face image,
 the first and second face images are matched with first and second image information sets of the plurality of image information sets, respectively,   the first and second image information sets correspond to first and second privacy levels of the plurality of privacy levels, respectively, and   the privacy level controller selects the privacy level having a higher priority between the first and second privacy levels, with the priorities of the first and second privacy levels being predetermined.   
     
     
         7 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a communicator to provide communication with an external device,
 wherein the video processing device is operable to transmit event information to the external device through the communicator when each of the plurality of image information sets is not matched with the sensed face image.   
     
     
         8 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the video processing device is operable to operate in the privacy mode when the image information set is matched with the sensed face image from among the plurality of image information sets, and to stop the privacy mode a predetermined time period after starting to operate in the privacy mode. 
     
     
         9 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the video processing device is operable to control at least a part of the operations when a first privacy level of the plurality of privacy levels is selected, and to control other parts of the operations when a second privacy level of the plurality of privacy levels is selected. 
     
     
         10 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , wherein the video capturing device is operable to stop the capturing of the video when a first privacy level of the plurality of privacy levels is selected. 
     
     
         11 . The video capturing system of  claim 10 , further comprising a communicator to provide communication with an external device,
 wherein the operations comprise transmitting the captured video to the external device through the communicator, and   the video capturing device is operable to stop transmitting the captured video to the external device when a second privacy level of the plurality of privacy levels is selected.   
     
     
         12 . The video capturing system of  claim 11 , wherein the storage medium comprises a nonvolatile storage medium,
 wherein the operations comprise at least one of a first operation of storing the captured video in the nonvolatile storage medium and a second operation of storing the captured video in an external storage medium through the communicator, and   the video capturing device is operable to stop the first and second operations when a third privacy level of the plurality of privacy levels is selected.   
     
     
         13 . The video capturing system of  claim 1 , further comprising a communicator to provide communication with an external device,
 wherein the video processing device is operable to transfer the selected privacy level to the external device through the communicator.   
     
     
         14 . A network system comprising a plurality of video capturing devices connected to the network,
 wherein a first video capturing device of the plurality of video capturing devices comprises:   a communicator to provide communication through the network;   a storage medium to store a plurality of image information sets corresponding to a plurality of reference images, respectively; and   a video processing device to selectively control capturing video and at least one other operation associated with the captured video according to a privacy level selected from a privacy mode,   wherein the video processing device includes a face detector to sense a face image from the captured video, and a privacy level controller to select one of a plurality of privacy levels according to an image information set matched with the sensed face image from among the plurality of image information sets, and   at least one second video capturing device of the plurality of video capturing devices is operable to enter the privacy mode when one of the plurality of privacy levels for the first video capturing device is selected.   
     
     
         15 . The network system of  claim 14 , further comprising a computer device to communicate with the plurality of video capturing devices through the network,
 wherein the first video capturing device is operable to transfer the selected privacy level to the computer device through the communicator, and   the computer device is operable to control the second video capturing device to operate in the privacy mode according to the selected privacy level.   
     
     
         16 . The network system of  claim 15 , wherein the computer device is operable to transfer the selected privacy level to the second video capturing device, and
 the second video capturing device is operable to control the capturing video and at least one operation associated with the captured video according to the selected privacy level in the privacy mode.   
     
     
         17 . The network system of  claim 14 , wherein the second video capturing device is operable to selectively control the operations in substantially the same manner as the first video capturing device in the privacy mode. 
     
     
         18 . The network system of  claim 14 , wherein the face detector is operable to acquire face images, to generate the plurality of image information sets in association with the acquired face images, and to store the plurality of image information sets in the storage medium. 
     
     
         19 . The video capturing system of  claim 18 , wherein the video processing device is operable to set privacy levels corresponding respectively to the plurality of image information sets by determining a privacy level corresponding to each of the image information sets according to the number of face images associated with the corresponding image information set among the acquired face images, and to generate signals to store the set privacy levels in the storage medium. 
     
     
         20 . The video capturing system of  claim 19 , further comprising an external terminal to receive a user input indicating a privacy level corresponding to a selected image information set from among the plurality of image information sets, and wherein the video processing device is operable to correct the privacy level stored in association with the selected image information set in response to the user input.