GB2563088A

GB2563088A - Methods, systems and devices for accessing images

Info

Publication number: GB2563088A
Application number: GB1709411.1A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Lynch Paul
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2017-06-04
Filing date: 2017-06-13
Publication date: 2018-12-05
Also published as: GB2563087A; GB201709411D0; GB201708890D0

Abstract

Systems and a method of accessing a stored image of a target. A system has a data processing device and one or more remote cameras. The data processing device transmits request data comprising a target identifier S302 & S303, and the camera(s) determine whether a stored image matches the target identifier S304 and transmits images with a matching identifier S305. The target identifier may be a location, time or image characteristic identifier. The images captured by the one or more cameras may be stored in a remote resource S105.

Description

Methods, systems and devices for accessing images

The present techniques relate to electronic devices and to systems and methods of accessing images by a user.

Traditionally, people wanting images (e.g. pictures or videos) of themselves may use a “selfie stick” which can be difficult to use or may be awkward to carry around. Alternatively, a requestor may request another person to take images of them on the requestor’s camera device. However, the requestor may not be comfortable requesting that other people send pictures due to be being socially awkward. In other examples, the requestor may not want a requestee to send a picture taken or acquired on the requestee’s device, as doing so may reveal confidential information about the requestor, such as a telephone number.

The present techniques seek to provide improvements to existing systems and methods for accessing images of a target.

According to a first technique there is provided a system comprising: a data processing device and one or more camera devices remote therefrom; wherein the data processing device is configured to transmit request data to the one or more camera devices, the request data comprising a target identifier; and wherein the one or more camera devices are configured to determine whether a stored image has an associated image identifier that matches the target identifier, and to transmit one or more images matching the target identifier for access by a user.

According to a further technique there is provided a method of obtaining an image of a target comprising: transmitting, from a first device to a camera device, request data comprising a target identifier for a desired image; receiving, at the camera device, the request data; determining, at the camera device, whether a stored image identifier matches the target identifier; transmitting, from the camera device to the first device, an image associated with the stored image identifier in response to a match.

According to a further technique there is provided a system comprising: a data processing device and a remote resource, the remote resource having camera data from one or more camera devices stored thereat; wherein the data processing device is configured to transmit request data to the remote resource, the request data comprising a target identifier for a target; wherein the remote resource is configured to determine whether an image identifier in the camera data matches a target identifier; and to make one or more images associated with matching identifiers accessible by a user.

According to a further technique there is provided a device operable in a system and having components adapted to perform the steps of the claimed methods.

According to a further technique there is provided a resource operable in a system and having components to perform the steps of the claimed methods.

According to a further technique there is provided a computer program product comprising computer-program code tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program code executable by a computer system for performing the steps of the claimed methods.

The present techniques are diagrammatically illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 schematically shows a block diagram of a camera device according to an embodiment;

Figure 2 schematically shows a system comprising a data processing device and a plurality of camera devices;

Figure 3 schematically shows an example of a target and camera devices according to an embodiment;

Figure 4 schematically shows an example of a target and camera devices according to a further embodiment; and

Figure 5 is a flow diagram of steps in an example application.

Figure 1 schematically shows a block diagram of a device 2, hereafter “camera device” 2, which may be an electronic device with a camera such as a mobile phone, digital camera, glasses etc.

The camera device 2 comprises processing circuitry 4, such as a microprocessor or integrated circuit(s) for processing data (e.g. applications) and for controlling various operations performed by the camera device 2.

The camera device 2 also has communication circuitry 6 for communicating with one or more resources remote therefrom such as data processing devices (e.g. further camera devices, computer terminals), services (e.g. cloud service), gateway devices (not shown) etc.

The communication circuitry 6 may use wireless communication 7, such as cellular (e.g. EDGE, 3G, 4G) or wireless networks such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth or Bluetooth Low

Energy (BLE), using any suitable communications protocol such as, for example, lightweight machine-to-machine (LWM2M), IEEE 802.11, WiMAX, or Bluetooth protocols. The communication circuitry 6 may also comprise short range communication capabilities such as radio frequency identification (RFID) or near field communication (NFC).

The camera device 2 also comprises storage circuitry 8 (e.g. non-volatile/volatile storage), for storing data provisioned on or generated by the camera device 2, hereafter “device data”.

Such device data may include application data, which comprises a software application.

Such device data may also include identifier data comprising one or more device identifiers to identify the camera device 2 and may comprise one or more of: universally unique identifier(s) (UUTD), globally unique identifier(s) (GUTD) and IPv6 address(es), although any suitable device identifier(s) may be used.

The device data may also include authentication data for establishing trust/cryptographic communications between the camera device 2 and a remote resource. Such authentication data may include certificates (e.g. signed by a root authority), cryptographic keys (e.g. public/private key pairs; symmetric key pairs), tokens etc. The authentication data may be provisioned on the camera device 2 by any authorised party (e.g. by an owner, a manufacturer or an installer).

In embodiments, the camera device 2 comprises location determination circuitry 12 to generate location data. Such location determination circuitry may comprise global positioning system (GPS) circuitry and/or may comprise localization circuitry such that the camera device can use any location determination technique, for example, the multilateration of radio signals between one or more communications towers. In other examples triangulation or trilateration techniques may be used. In other examples the location determination circuitry 12 may comprise an accelerometer that detects motion and generates location data in accordance with the motion.

The camera device 2 also comprises input/output (FO) circuitry 13. Such an FO device may comprise a display such as an OLED (organic FED) display, FCD (liquid crystal display). In examples the FO circuitry 13 may be a touchscreen such that a user can provide inputs via the touchscreen (e.g. using a finger).

The camera device 2 also comprises power circuitry 14 to power the various circuity and components therein. In examples, the power circuitry 14 may comprise a battery. In another example, the power circuitry 14 may include an energy harvester such as a Wi-Fi energy harvester, which may power the camera device 2 and/or charge the battery.

The camera device also comprises time circuitry 16 to generate time data, which, in examples, comprises a UNIX time value, although any suitable time value may be generated.

The camera device 2 also comprises camera circuitry 10 having a camera to acquire images (one or more pictures or videos).

The camera device 2 applies one or more image identifiers to the acquired image, and store the acquired images in the storage circuitry 8. In the following description, the acquired images and/or associated image identifiers are referred to as “camera data.”

Such image identifiers may comprise one or more of: location data generated using the location determination circuitry 12 when the image is acquired; time data e.g. generated when the image is acquired; and characteristic data, generated, for example, using image analysis software executed using the processing circuitry. Such image analysis software may analyse the image post-acquisition thereof to identify characteristics of the image, such as, for example, object recognition, text recognition and/or facial recognition, although this list is not exhaustive. In other examples, the image analysis may occur at the time the image is being acquired.

Figure 2 schematically shows an example system 100 comprising a requestor device 20, a remote resource 30 and a plurality of camera devices 2a-2d, whereby the devices 2/20 and resources 30 may communicate with each other using any suitable communication means.

A requestor device 20 is a data processing device capable of running applications thereon and generate request data (e.g. in response to a user input), which can be transmitted, directly or indirectly, to the one or more camera devices 2. Such a requestor device 20 may be, for example, a mobile device, a tablet device etc.

Although only one requestor device 20 is depicted in Figure 2, the system may have a plurality of such requestor devices as will become apparent to a person skilled in the art. Furthermore, the system may comprise other data processing devices (not shown), which may in communication with one or more of the devices/resources in the system.

The remote resource 30 may comprise one or more services (e.g. cloud services), platforms, servers, computing infrastructure etc, and may further comprise storage 31 to store data thereat. The remote resource 30 may be located on a different network to the camera devices and requestor devices (e.g. on the internet).

In the present illustrative example, the remote resource 30 comprises an application service, but the remote resource 30 may comprise other services such as management services and registry services, although this list is not exhaustive.

In the examples, the remote resource maintains a database of all camera devices registered therewith, such that the camera devices may transmit location data to the remote resource 30 (e.g. every ‘n’: milliseconds, seconds or minutes etc., where ‘n’ is an integer), the camera devices may also include time data in the location data, whereby the remote resource can record the locations of the different camera devices, and the times at which the camera devices were in those locations.

The requestor device 20 may communicate with the camera devices 2a-2d directly or indirectly, via the resource 30.

The application service 30 may be used to generate data (e.g. command data, 15 comprising instructions for a device to perform one or more operations), or receive data (e.g.

request data, camera data etc.) from, the camera devices and/or requestor device.

An interested party can access data at the remote resource 30 (e.g. via a user interface (UI)) on the requestor device 20, whereby the UI is provided as part of an application running on the requestor device 20.

The requestor device 20 communicates with one or more of the camera devices 2a-2d directly, or indirectly via remote resource 30, whereby a user transmits request data from the requestor device 20 to one or more of the camera devices 2a-2d (e.g. via a UI).

As above, the resource 30, camera devices 2a-2d and/or requestor devices 20 may be provisioned with authentication data. The authentication data may comprise a public key or certificate (e.g. for the remote resource 30 or another device 2/20 or application), whereby the authentication data may be provisioned thereon, for example, as part of a registration process with the remote resource 30.

The communications between the camera devices 2a-2d, the remote resource 30 and/or the requestor devices 20 may optionally be provided with end-to-end security, such as, for example, transport layer security (TLS), datagram transport layer security (DTLS) or secure socket layer (SSL).

A user may want an image of a target which may, for example, be one or more of: a location, an object (such as a vehicle, building, structure) and a person, although this list is not exhaustive.

The target requestor generates request data requesting an image of the target. Such a 5 request may be made via the requestor device 20 (e.g. via a software application running on the requestor device which a user can interact with via a user interface on the requestor device or another data processing device).

The requestor device 20 then transmits the request data to one or more camera devices 2a-2d (e.g. directly or indirectly) via a remote resource 30.

The request data may comprise one or more of: identifier data, cryptographic data, authentication data, parameter data, privacy data, address data, command data and target data, although this list is not exhaustive. Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the request data may be transmitted in one or more communications.

In examples the identifier data may comprise a requestor identifier. Such a requestor identifier may comprise a GUID or a UUID for the requestor device and/or may comprise a username of the user that generated the request. It will be appreciated that these examples of requestor identifiers are not exhaustive, and any suitable identifier may be provided.

The cryptographic data may be generated by performing a cryptographic operation on the request data (e.g. a signing and/or encryption operation).

As above, the authentication data may comprise cryptographic keys, certificates, tokens etc. In some examples, the remote resource 30 and/or camera devices receiving the request data can verify a signature provided by the requestor device using authentication data thereon (e.g. a corresponding key) and ignore the request data if the signature cannot be verified.

The parameter data defines the minimum requirements for desired image (e.g. size, resolution, aperture quality, colour (e.g. colour, black and white, sepia etc.) exposure, focal length, frames per second, ISO, red-eye reduction. It will be understood that this list is not exhaustive.

In some examples, the remote resource 30 may maintain a database or registry of the capabilities of all camera devices with which it is in communication, and will not transmit requests to camera devices that cannot meet the minimum requirements as defined in the parameter data, and/or any camera devices receiving such requests (e.g. directly from a requestor device) may ignore such requests if they cannot meet the minimum requirements.

The address data may comprise an identifier for a device(s)/location to which the camera device receiving the request should transmit camera data. Such address data may comprise any suitable identifier such as for example an IPv4 address, IPv6 address, cellular number and an instant messaging identifier although this list is not exhaustive.

The command data may comprise instructions for the receiving camera device(s).

The target data may comprise target identifiers which define, for example, a location identifier for the requested target (longitude/latitude/elevation); a time identifier ; a time identifier defining a time during which an image of the requested target is requested; a characteristic identifier defining a characteristic of the target, although this list is not exhaustive. In examples the location identifier may define a location window (e.g. ±: meters, kilometres etc.), whilst the time identifier may comprise a time window (e.g. ±: seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, years etc.)

A camera device receiving the request data can then determine whether any images stored thereat comprise associated image identifiers matching the one or more target identifiers in the request data.

On identifying any such matching images, the camera device may establish a communication channel with the requestor device using address data provided in the received request data such that the camera device can transmit camera data comprising the one or more matching images to the requestor device via the established channel. Additionally, or alternatively, the camera device may transmit the camera data to a requestor device via a short range communications channel, which may be initiated by the requestor or a camera user (e.g. via NFC by bumping devices, or via RFID by bring devices into range).

Additionally, or alternatively, the camera device 2 may transmit the camera data to the remote resource 30 for storage thereat, whereby an authorised user can access the acquired image (e.g. via an application running on the requestor device such as an image viewer application).

In embodiments, the camera device 2 having a matching image may apply a device identifier to the camera data (e.g. an identifier for the requestor device or an identifier for an authorised user). Additionally, or alternatively, such a device identifier may comprise a signature (e.g. by signing the camera data with a cryptographic key received in the request data (e.g. a public key of the requestor device)). Such a device identifier may be used to confirm that the camera data is provided in response to the request data.

Figure 3 schematically shows an example of a requestor device 20 and camera devices

2-2e.

In the present illustrative examples, the cameras devices 2 may belong to spectators at the football match the camera device 2 being a mobile phone or digital camera or the like. Additionally, or alternatively, the camera devices 2a-2c may be fixed camera devices e.g. on the goalpost or on the stadium structure itself such as a structural beam or advertising hoarding. Such fixed cameras may be provided on a rotor and may automatically acquire images of the pitch and crowd throughout the match. Additionally, or alternatively, the camera devices 2d2e may be mobile camera devices such as a computer-controlled cable-suspended camera 2d or may be a computer controlled drone 2e having a camera thereon, which may automatically acquire images during the match. On acquiring an image, the respective camera devices apply image identifiers thereto and store the image thereat and/or transmit the acquired images to a remote resource for storage thereat.

After the match, the target requestor may want to access images of the match, players or the stadium, so the target requestor generates a request for one or more images.

As above, such a request may be made by target requestor using a data processing device (e.g. via an application running thereon), with request data (e.g. command data, address data, target data and/or parameter data), being transmitted to a remote resource 30.

As above, such the target data may comprise target identifiers such as a location identifier defining a location of requested target (e.g. co-ordinates of the pitch or stadium itself); a time identifier defining a time at which the image was acquired (e.g. ± 20minutes each side of the start of the match); a characteristic identifier defining a characteristic of the target (e.g. a name or number of a player), although this list is not exhaustive.

In examples, on receiving the request data, the remote resource 30 can transmit the request data to all camera devices, or may determine which camera devices were within the stadium 50 defined in the request data, and send the request data to those camera devices.

On receiving the request data, a camera device will determine whether any images stored thereon have associated image identifiers matching target identifiers, and transmit camera data comprising any matching images to the remote resource (not shown) to be accessed by the target requestor or may be transmitted to another device in accordance with the address data in the request data.

In embodiments, the camera device may provide an indication that a request data was received to a camera user, such that a camera user can authorise or prevent a search of the stored image, or may authorise or prevent transmission of any matching images from the camera device. Such an indication may be a visual signal (e.g. a light or notification on a screen), a sound or a vibration.

In other examples, the remote resource can search storage to check whether any camera data received from the camera devices comprise associated image identifiers matching the one or more target identifiers. On identifying any matching images, the remote resource can make the matching images available to the requestor (e.g. via an image viewer application or by transmitting the matching image(s) thereto).

It will also be appreciated that the target requestor may purchase one or more matching images such that camera users or owners can be compensated for such purchases.

In Figure 4, the cameras devices 2 may belong to people on a street, or may be fixed camera devices (e.g. on lampposts, buildings) or mobile camera devices (e.g. a dashboard camera on a vehicle; a helmet camera on a cyclist; or a body camera on a police officer). As above, on acquiring an image, the respective camera devices apply image identifiers (e.g. image location identifier, image time identifier, image characteristic identifier) thereto, and store camera data comprising the image and associated image identifiers in storage thereat and/or transmit the camera data to a remote resource for storage thereat.

When an incident occurs on the street (e.g. is a person is robbed or attacked), the target requestor (a user from the police service) may want to access images of the location at the time the incident occurred, or a period of time before/after the incident.

In the present illustrative example, the target requestor generates a request for one or more images of location of the incident. As above, such a request may be made via a data processing device 20, with request data comprising target data being transmitted to a remote resource 30.

As above, such target data may comprise target identifiers defining a location of requested target (e.g. co-ordinates of the street); a time at which the incident occurred was acquired (e.g. ± 5minutes each side of the start of the incident); a characteristic of the target (e.g. a face of a potential suspect; or the face of the victim), although this list is not exhaustive.

On receiving the request data, a camera device will determine whether any images stored thereon have associated image identifiers matching one or more target identifiers, and transmit camera data comprising any matching images to the remote resource (not shown) to be accessed by the target requestor, and/or such matching images may be transmitted to another device (e.g. the data processing device 20) in accordance with the address data in the request data.

In embodiments, a camera device may provide an indication to a camera user that the request data was received, such that the camera user can authorise or prevent a search for a stored image, or may authorise or prevent transmission of any matching images from the camera device. Such an indication may be a visual signal (e.g. a light or notification on a screen), a sound or a vibration.

The skilled person will recognise that the techniques are not limited to the embodiments 15 above, and other embodiments may be used. For example, a requestor may want images of a location (e.g. a scenic location such as a beach, a cliff, a waterfall etc.) and generate request data accordingly.

In other examples, the user may wish to identify assailants (e.g. by defining characteristic data) or vehicles (e.g. by defining a number plate) and generate request data accordingly.

Figure 5a illustratively shows steps in an example method 100, whereby the method starts at step S101.

At step S102, an image is acquired by a camera device (e.g. by a camera user or by a fixed camera device or mobile camera device).

At step SI03 the camera device applies one or more image identifiers to the acquired images. Such image identifiers may comprise one or more of location identifier; time identifier; and characteristic identifier.

At step SI04, a camera device stores the acquired images comprising associated image identifiers at storage thereat.

At step SI05, the camera device transmits the camera data comprising the acquired images and associated image identifiers to a remote resource for storage thereat. Such a step is optional as depicted by the dashed line.

At step SI06, the method ends.

Figure 5b illustratively shows steps in an example method 200, whereby the method starts at step S201.

At step S202, a requestor generates, via a data processing device, request data. The request data may comprise one or more of: identifier data, cryptographic data, authentication data, parameter data, privacy data, address data, command data and target data, although this list is not exhaustive. The target data comprises target identifiers which define one or more of: a location of requested target (longitude/latitude/elevation); a time window during which the image was acquired; and a characteristic of the target, although this list is not exhaustive.

At step S203 the data processing device transmits the request data, directly or indirectly (e.g. via a remote resource), to one or more camera devices. The requestor and the one or more camera devices may, for example, be registered with an application hosted at the remote resource which has address data for all devices registered therewith (e.g. data processing devices/camera devices etc.), such that the hosted application forward the request data to the camera devices.

At step S204, a camera device receiving the request data searches images stored thereon to determine whether any of the stored images comprise associated image identifiers matching the one or more target identifiers.

At step S205, the camera device transmits any matching images to the requestor. Transmitting the matching images to the requestor comprises transmitting camera data comprising the matching images, directly or indirectly, to a data processing device in control of the requestor (e.g. as specified by address data). Additionally, or alternatively, transmitting the matching images to the requestor comprises transmitting camera data comprising the matching images to a remote resource for access by the requestor. For example, the requestor may access the images at the remote resource via an application running on a data processing device.

At step S206, the method ends.

Figure 5c illustratively shows steps in an example method 300, whereby the method starts at step S301.

At step S302, a requestor generates, via a data processing device, request data comprising one or more target identifiers.

At step S303 the data processing device transmits the request data to a remote resource.

At step S304, the remote resource searches images received from the one or more camera devices to determine whether any of the received images comprise associated image identifiers matching the one or more target identifiers.

At step S305, the remote resource transmits camera data comprising any matching images to the requestor.

At step S306, the method ends.

Whilst the present example describes transmitting the acquired images to a remote resource, the acquired images can, additionally, or alternatively, be transmitted to a data processing device (e.g. the requestor device), for access thereat.

A person skilled in the art will, on reading the specification, appreciate that the present techniques may be used in many applications.

For example, rather than taking a “selfie” a target requestor can identify camera users in the vicinity on a map on the target requestor’s device (e.g. via a software application), and send a request to specific camera users (e.g. a beach, concert, beauty spot) to acquire images of the target requestor. The user can then access the pictures via a remote resource. Additionally, or alternatively, a communications channel can be established between the devices and the acquired images transferred directly to the target requestor’s device (e.g.via BLE, NFC etc).

In a further illustrative example, the target may be coordinates for an area where a missing person was last seen, and camera users at the location may acquire images at the location on receiving request data defining the location as a target. In such an example, the distance threshold from the target may be expanded (e.g. to 2km) to increase the number of camera users acquiring images, to increase the likelihood of capturing the missing person.

In other examples, the target may comprise an electronic tag without a display, and may be provided on a person (e.g. on clothing) or on an animal (e.g. a saddle on a horse, or a dog collar) so one or more camera users can acquire images thereof.

In an illustrative example, a parent could place a target tag in a child’s clothing whereby the parent can request that camera users acquire images of the target electronic tag when detected by cameras.

It will be appreciated that the acquired image may comprise one or more pictures or one or more videos.

In the examples above, a duration for which the camera devices should acquire images may be defined in the request data. In other examples the camera devices may only acquire a threshold number of images (e.g. 10 pictures and/or 10 videos) for any particular target. In other examples, the camera devices may continue to acquire images until the requestor device can no longer be captured (e.g. it moves out of range) or until a request to cease acquiring images is received. Such a request to cease may be generated by the target requestor and/or the remote resource.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present technology may be embodied as a system, method or computer program product. Accordingly, aspects of the present technology may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, and entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects.

Embodiments of the present techniques further provide a non-transitory data carrier carrying code which, when implemented on a processor, causes the processor to carry out the methods described herein.

The techniques further provide processor control code to implement the abovedescribed methods, for example on a general purpose computer system or on a digital signal processor (DSP). The techniques also provide a carrier carrying processor control code to, when running, implement any of the above methods, in particular on a non-transitory data carrier or on a non-transitory computer-readable medium such as a disk, microprocessor, CDor DVD-ROM, programmed memory such as read-only memory (firmware), or on a data carrier such as an optical or electrical signal carrier. The code may be provided on a (nontransitory) carrier such as a disk, a microprocessor, CD- or DVD-ROM, programmed memory such as non-volatile memory (e.g. Flash) or read-only memory (firmware). Code (and/or data) to implement embodiments of the techniques may comprise source, object or executable code in a conventional programming language (interpreted or compiled) such as C, or assembly code, code for setting up or controlling an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or code for a hardware description language such as

Verilog™ or VHDL (Very high speed integrated circuit Hardware Description Language). As the skilled person will appreciate, such code and/or data may be distributed between a plurality of coupled components in communication with one another. The techniques may comprise a controller which includes a microprocessor, working memory and program memory coupled to one or more of the components of the system.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for the above-described techniques may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including object oriented programming languages and conventional procedural programming languages. Code components may be embodied as procedures, methods or the like, and may comprise sub10 components which may take the form of instructions or sequences of instructions at any of the levels of abstraction, from the direct machine instructions of a native instruction set to highlevel compiled or interpreted language constructs.

It will also be clear to one of skill in the art that all or part of a logical method according to the preferred embodiments of the present techniques may suitably be embodied in a logic apparatus comprising logic elements to perform the steps of the above-described methods, and that such logic elements may comprise components such as logic gates in, for example a programmable logic array or application-specific integrated circuit. Such a logic arrangement may further be embodied in enabling elements for temporarily or permanently establishing logic structures in such an array or circuit using, for example, a virtual hardware descriptor language, which may be stored and transmitted using fixed or transmittable carrier media.

In an embodiment, the present techniques may be realised in the form of a data carrier having functional data thereon, said functional data comprising functional computer data structures to, when loaded into a computer system or network and operated upon thereby, enable said computer system to perform all the steps of the above-described method.

As used in this specification and claims, the terms “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” and “like,” and the verbs “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and their other verb forms, when used in conjunction with a listing of one or more components or other items, are each to be construed as open-ended, meaning that the listing is not to be considered as excluding other, additional components or items. Other terms are to be construed using their broadest reasonable meaning unless they are used in a context that requires a different interpretation.

In the preceding description, various embodiments of claimed subject matter have been described. For purposes of explanation, specifics, such as amounts, systems and/or configurations, as examples, were set forth. In other instances, well-known features were omitted and/or simplified so as not to obscure claimed subject matter. While certain features have been illustrated and/or described herein, many modifications, substitutions, changes and/or equivalents will now occur to those skilled in the art. It is, therefore, to be understood that the appended claims are intended to cover all modifications and/or changes as fall within claimed subject matter.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a data processing device and one or more camera devices remote therefrom; wherein the data processing device is configured to transmit request data to the one or more camera devices, the request data comprising a target identifier; and wherein the one or more camera devices are configured to determine whether a stored image matches the target identifier, and to transmit one or more images matching the target identifier for access by a user.

2. The system according to claim 1, the system comprising a remote resource.

3. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein request data is transmitted directly to the one or more camera devices.

4. The system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the request data is transmitted indirectly to the one or more camera devices.

5. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the stored image has an associated image identifier.

6. The system according to any preceding claims, wherein the image identifier comprises one or more of: an image location identifier, an image time identifier, an image characteristic identifier.

7. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the target identifier comprises one or more of: a target location identifier defining a location for the requested target; a time identifier defining a time during which an image of the requested target is requested; a characteristic identifier defining a characteristic of the requested target.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the target location identifier comprise a location window.

9. The system according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein the time identifier comprises a time window.

10. The system according to any of claims 2 to 9, wherein the matching images are transmitted to one or more of: the remote resource, the data processing device and another device.

11. The system according to any preceding claim, wherein the image comprises a picture or video.

12. The system according to any preceding claim wherein the request data comprises one or more of: identifier data, cryptographic data, authentication data, location data, parameter data, privacy data, address data and command data.

13. A method of obtaining an image of a target comprising:

transmitting, from a first device to a camera device, request data comprising a target identifier for a desired image;

receiving, at the camera device, the request data;

determining, at the camera device, whether a stored image identifier matches the target identifier;

transmitting, from the camera device to the first device, an image associated with the stored image identifier in response to a match.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

accessing, at the first device, the image.

15. The method according to claims 13 or 14, wherein transmitting request data comprising a target identifier for a desired image comprises:

transmitting the request to the camera device via a remote resource.

16. A system comprising:

a data processing device and a remote resource, the remote resource having camera data received from one or more camera devices stored thereat;

wherein the data processing device is configured to transmit request data to the remote resource, the request data comprising a target identifier for a target;

wherein the remote resource is configured to determine whether an image identifier in the stored camera data matches a target identifier; and to make one or more images associated with matching identifiers accessible by a user.

5

17. A device operable in a system and having components adapted to perform the steps of the method of any of claims 13 to 15.

18. A resource operable in a system and having components to perform the steps of the method of any of claims 13 to 15.

.0

19. A computer program product comprising computer-program code tangibly stored on a computer-readable medium, the computer program code executable by a computer system for performing the steps of the method of any of claims 13 to 15.