Digital electronic still camera which receives an input/output control program through a detachable communication interface card

• US 20020054212A1
• Filed: 10/05/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1994
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hiroki Fukuoka
• Original Assignee: Hiroki Fukuoka
• Inventors: Fukuoka, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 7,432,952 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00962 Input arrangements for operating instructions or parameters, e.g. updating internal software program loading in general G06F9/445; network-specific protocols involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00973 from a remote device, e.g. receiving via the internet instructions input to a computer terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0036 Detecting or checking connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0051 Card-type connector, e.g. PCMCIA card interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A digital electronic camera which can accept various types of input/output cards or memory cards. When an I/O card is inserted into and connected with the camera, a processor within the camera determines the type of I/O card which has been connected by reading a memory location within the card. A control program which is contained in the I/O card is transferred to a memory within the camera in order for the camera to perform I/O functions which correspond to the type of the inserted card. Different types of I/O cards which may be used include a modem card, a LAN card, a SCSI card, or an ISDN interface. Image signals and audio signals are transmitted between the camera and an external processor, information describing the status of the camera is transmitted from the camera to the external processor, and commands to control the camera are transmitted to the camera from the external processor.

Claims

1. A digital electronic camera system, comprising:

a digital electronic camera including;

a lens; and

an electronic image pick-up which receives images through the lens;

a detachably connected input/output interface including;

a connector which detachably connects to the camera;

a connector which connects to a processing device which is external to the electronic camera; and

a memory which stores a control program for controlling communication between the camera and the processing device.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the camera further includes:

control means, connected to the connector which detachably connects to the camera, which controls an input and output of the camera using the control program.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the camera further includes:

a memory;

means for transferring the control program from the memory of the interface to the memory of the camera; and

control means, connected to the memory of the camera, which controls an input and output of the camera using the control program in the memory of the detachably connected interface.

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein:

said means for transferring transfers the control program from the memory of the interface to the memory of the camera at a time when the interface is connected to the camera.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the camera further includes:

image coding means for encoding digital representations of images captured by the electronic image pick-up.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the camera further includes:

a microphone for capturing audio signals.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the camera further comprises:

a memory for storing images captured by the electronic image pick-up; and

retrieving means for retrieving images stored in the memory of the camera.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the interface further comprises:

a memory for storing images captured by the electronic image pick-up.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the memory of the interface is a non-volatile rewritable memory.

10. A method for controlling a digital electronic camera, comprising the steps of:

capturing an image by an electronic image pick-up of the camera;

storing the captured image in an image memory; and

transferring the image in the image memory to a processing device external to the camera through a detachably connected interface of the camera using a communication controller which uses a control program contained in the interface.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein:

said step of transferring transfers the image using the communication controller which is located in the camera.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of:

transferring the control program to a control program memory in the camera,

wherein said step of transferring the image transfers the image using the communication controller which uses the control program in the control program memory of the camera.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein said step of transferring the control program transfers the control program at a time when the interface is connected to the camera.

14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of:

encoding the captured image; and

recording audio by a microphone of the camera.

16. An input/output interface according to claim 15, wherein the digital electronic camera includes a control means, connected to the connector which detachably connects to the camera, which controls an input and output of the camera using the control program in the memory of the detachably connected interface, wherein:

the input/output interface includes means for transferring the control program from the memory of the interface to a memory of the camera and the control means controls the input and output of the camera using the control program in the memory of the camera which has been transferred from the memory of the input/output interface.

15. An input/output interface which detachably connects to a digital electronic camera having a lens and an electronic image pick-up which receives images through the lens, the input/output interface comprising:

a connector which detachably connects to the camera;

a connector which connects to a processing device which is external to the electronic camera; and

a memory which stores a control program for controlling communication between the camera and the processing device.