Image capturing device, distribution system, distribution method, and recording medium

1. An image capturing device, comprising:

an imaging device configured to capture an image to obtain captured image data, the captured image data to be distributed in a plurality of streams;

a hardware encoder; and

circuitry configured to

implement a software encoder;

determine, for each stream of the plurality of streams, a corresponding encoding method of the captured image data according to a corresponding encoding parameter for the stream;

perform encode processing on the captured image data, concurrently, to generate a plurality of items of streaming image data, each encode processing being performed using the encoding method having been determined for each stream, wherein the encoding method for each stream of the plurality of streams indicates which one of the hardware encoder and the software encoder is to be used to perform the encode processing for the stream;

distribute the generated plurality of items of streaming image data;

determine a number of processes that can be concurrently performed by the hardware encoder;

allocate one or more of the plurality of streams to the hardware encoder, starting from a stream with the corresponding encoding parameter requiring a highest processing load, until the allocated number of streams reaches the number of processes that can be concurrently performed by the hardware encoder; and

allocate other one or more of the plurality of streams, other than the one or more streams having been allocated to the hardware encoder, to the software encoder.

2. The image capturing device of claim 1 ,

the circuitry is further configured to determine to use the hardware encoder to perform the encode processing for at least one of the plurality of streams when the encoding parameter requires a high processing load.

3. The image capturing device of claim 2 ,

wherein the encoding parameter indicates a resolution of the streaming image data, and

the circuitry is further configured to use the hardware encoder to perform the encode processing for at least one of the plurality of streams when the encoding parameter requires a high resolution.

4. The image capturing device of claim 2 ,

wherein the encoding parameter indicates a frame rate of the streaming image data, and

the circuitry is further configured to determine to use the hardware encoder to perform the encode processing for at least one of the plurality of streams when the encoding parameter requires a high frame rate.

5. The image capturing device of claim 2 ,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to generate the plurality of items of streaming image data concurrently using both the hardware encoder and the software encoder.

6. The image capturing device of claim 1 ,

wherein the circuitry is further configured to store, in a memory, the encoding parameter for each stream of the plurality of streams, and determine the encoding method according to the stored encoding parameter.

7. The image capturing device of claim 6 ,

wherein, based on a determination that a particular encoding parameter for a particular stream of the plurality of streams changes during distribution of the streaming image data, the circuitry is further configured to change the encoding method for the particular stream.

8. A distribution system, comprising:

the image capturing device of claim 1 ; and

one or more communication terminals, each communication terminal comprising terminal circuitry configured to obtain one of the plurality of items of streaming image data that is suitable to the communication terminal, and display an image based on the received streaming image data on a display.

9. The distribution system of claim 8 , wherein the terminal circuitry of each communication terminal is further configured to select the one of the plurality of items of streaming image data for display, according to a network band of communication.

10. The distribution system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a distribution control apparatus comprising processing circuitry configured to:

send a request for acquiring the captured image data to the image capturing device;

store, in a memory, the plurality of items of streaming image data received from the image capturing device; and

in response to a request from a communication terminal, distribute the plurality of items of streaming image data to the communication terminal.

11. A method for distributing a plurality of items of streaming image data, comprising:

implementing a software encoder;

obtaining captured image data having been captured by an imaging device, the captured image data to be distributed in a plurality of streams;

determining, for each stream of the plurality of streams, a corresponding encoding method of the captured image data according to a corresponding encoding parameter for the stream;

performing encode processing on the captured image data, concurrently, to generate a plurality of items of streaming image data, each encode processing being performed using the encoding method having been determined for each stream, wherein the encoding method for each stream of the plurality of streams indicates which one of a hardware encoder and the software encoder is to be used to perform the encode processing for the stream;

distributing the generated plurality of items of streaming image data;

determining a number of processes that can be concurrently performed by the hardware encoder;

allocating one or more of the plurality of streams to the hardware encoder, starting from a stream with the corresponding encoding parameter requiring a highest processing load, until the allocated number of streams reaches the number of processes that can be concurrently performed by the hardware encoder; and

allocating other one or more of the plurality of streams, other than the one or more streams having been allocated to the hardware encoder, to the software encoder.

12. A non-transitory recording medium which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the processors to perform a method for distributing a plurality of items of streaming image data, comprising:

implementing a software encoder;

obtaining captured image data having been captured by an imaging device, the captured image data to be distributed in a plurality of streams;

determining, for each stream of the plurality of streams, a corresponding encoding method of the captured image data according to a corresponding encoding parameter for the stream;

performing encode processing on the captured image data, concurrently, to generate a plurality of items of streaming image data, each encode processing being performed using the encoding method having been determined for each stream, wherein the encoding method for each stream of the plurality of streams indicates which one of a hardware encoder and the software encoder is to be used to perform the encode processing for the stream;

distributing the generated plurality of items of streaming image data;

determining a number of processes that can be concurrently performed by the hardware encoder;

allocating one or more of the plurality of streams to the hardware encoder, starting from a stream with the corresponding encoding parameter requiring a highest processing load, until the allocated number of streams reaches the number of processes that can be concurrently performed by the hardware encoder; and

allocating other one or more of the plurality of streams, other than the one or more streams having been allocated to the hardware encoder, to the software encoder.

13. The image capturing device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to determine, for each stream of the plurality of streams, one of the hardware encoder and the software encoder to perform the encode processing for the stream.