Image data communication system and method thereof, and image pickup apparatus and image data processing method

• US 20020047916A1
• Filed: 05/31/2001
• Published: 04/25/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Miyagi, Shiro, Maki, Kimio, Ozawa, Mio
• Granted Patent: US 7,107,607 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/384.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33315 reading or reproducing mode only, e.g. sheet size, resolution

Abstract

In an image data communication system, a digital image recording apparatus captures a desired still image or moving video image. For a color still image, the digital image recording apparatus compresses the image based on JPEG to create a color GIF (graphics interchange format) file. This file is converted to image data having an amount of data which can be processed with a portable telephone or a portable information terminal. An image sender transfers the image data generated from the digital image recording apparatus to an image distribution server. The image distribution server records the image data in an internal recording apparatus and notifies a recipient that the image is ready for distribution by sending, for example, an e-mail message to the portable telephone or the portable information terminal.

Claims

1. An image data communication system, comprising:

an image display apparatus having a capability of displaying an image consisting of no more than a maximum amount of image data; and

an image pickup apparatus operable to capture an image as an image signal, to convert said image signal to a selected amount of image data, said selected amount of image data being no greater than said maximum amount of image data, and to output said selected amount of image data to said image display apparatus.

2. The image data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a recording medium for recording said image signal.

3. The image data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup apparatus is operable to convert said image signal to said selected amount of image data and to record said selected amount of image data on a recording medium.

4. The image data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image display apparatus is a portable terminal capable of displaying an image.

5. The image data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup apparatus uses a subtractive color process to convert said image signal to said selected amount of image data.

6. The image data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a wired network for transmitting said selected amount of image data from said image pickup apparatus to said image display apparatus.

7. The image data communication system according to claim 6, further comprising an image storage server connected to said wired network, wherein said selected amount of image data is output from said image pickup apparatus to said image storage server.

8. The image data communication system according to claim 7, wherein said image display apparatus downloads said selected amount of image data from said image storage server.

9. The image data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless transmission path and a wired network for transmitting said selected amount of image data from said image pickup apparatus to said image display apparatus.

10. The image data communication system according to claim 9, further comprising an image storage server connected to said wired network, wherein said selected amount of image data is output from said image pickup apparatus to said image storage server.

11. The image data communication system according to claim 10, wherein said image display apparatus downloads said selected amount of image data from said image storage server.

12. The image data communication system according to claim 1, further comprising a communication apparatus connected to said image pickup apparatus, wherein said selected amount of image data is output from said image pickup apparatus to said image display apparatus via said communication apparatus.

13. The image data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image pickup apparatus includes a communication apparatus, and said selected amount of image data is output from said image pickup apparatus to said image display apparatus via said communication apparatus.

14. The image data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said image display apparatus includes a communication apparatus, said image display apparatus receiving said selected amount of image data from said image pickup apparatus via said communication apparatus.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said converting step converts said image signal to said selected amount of image data using a subtractive color process.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said step of transmitting said selected amount of image data includes transmitting said selected amount of image data using a wireless transmission path and/or a wired network.

19. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a communication apparatus operable to transmit said selected amount of image data to an image display apparatus.

20. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a recording medium for recording said selected amount of image signal.

21. The image pickup apparatus according to claim 20, wherein said image data processing unit is operable to convert said image signal to said selected amount of image data and to then record said selected amount of image data on said recording medium.

15. A method for sending image data from an image pickup apparatus to an image display apparatus having a capability of displaying an image consisting of no more than a maximum amount of image data, said method comprising:

capturing an image as an image signal in said image pickup apparatus;

converting said image signal to a selected amount of image data, said selected amount of image data having no greater than said maximum amount of image data;

transmitting said selected amount of image data to said image display apparatus; and

receiving said selected amount of image data and displaying said selected amount of image data as an image on said image display apparatus.

18. An image pickup apparatus, comprising:

an image pickup device operable to capture an image as an image signal;

an image data processing unit operable to convert said image signal to a selected amount of image data; and

an output unit operable to output said selected amount of image data.

22. A method for generating image data from an image captured as an image signal, said image data to be displayed on an image display apparatus having a capability of displaying an image consisting of no more than a maximum amount of image data, said method comprising:

converting said image signal to a selected amount of image data, said selected amount of image data having no greater than said maximum amount of image data.