The fog cam at San Francisco state university has been running continuously since 1994 is the oldest Web Camera that still operating. Jennicam was the most widely reported-on webcam, started in 1996.
The original conception of Web Camera is the output of information should available on a public web page, to meet with the concept other cameras are mounted at public places, bridges, public squares and others. To eliminate the need to use an external usb or firewire camera many computer hardware manufacturers build Web Camera directly into laptop and desktop screens.
Following to the development of computer and information technology, communication between one person with the other or among a few people the used of Web Camera are gradually increased. Reaches millions of mainstream pc users for one-to-one live video communication over the internet is the add of it’s capabilities to the instant messaging system. Increasing of their popularity are due to addition of new features such as auto-focus, the automatic face tracking, automatic lighting controls and real-time enhancements and their performance can be varied by program.
The advantage of this technology have taken by some online video broadcasting sites technology to create internet television programs and enable conversations between prominent journalists, scientists or even who are deaf, hard-of-hearing to communicate with sign language. For security purposes the Web Camera is also useful, movement and sound can be watched or be recorded when they are detected with the aid of the software and computer.
Typically Web Camera is included of a lens with a large f/number, an image sensor can be cmos or ccd, and some support electronics are present to read the image from the sensor and transmit it to the host computer with the usb video device class (uvc) specification allows for interconnectivity of webcams to computers.
