Patent ID: 7161623

Claim:
A communication apparatus, which connects to an image sensing device, for transferring an image sensed by the image sensing device to a plurality of clients via a network, comprising: a first reception unit that receives from a client, via the network, a transmission request for transferring a real time image; a control unit that controls the view angle of the image sensing device in accordance with a request received by said first reception unit from a client having the right of control of the image sensing device; a first transfer unit that transfers, to the plurality of clients which request the transfer of a real time image, a real time image sensed by the image sensing device in accordance with the request from the client having the right of control of the image sensing device; a recording unit that controls the image sensing device in accordance with a predetermined schedule and records an image sensed by the image sensing device as a non-real time image on a recording medium; a restriction unit that restricts a transmission operation by said first transfer unit while said recording unit controls the image sensing device and records the image sensed by the image sensing device; a second reception unit that receives from one of the plurality of clients, via the network, a transmission request for transferring a non-real time image; and a second transfer unit that transfers a non-real time image, recorded by said recording unit, when said second reception unit receives the transfer request for transferring a non-real time image from said one of the plurality of clients.