Image-capturing apparatus, image processing system, control method, and storage medium

• US 20020093572A1
• Filed: 12/21/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sekine, Masayoshi
• Granted Patent: US 6,952,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00888 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00904 Arrangements for supplying power to different circuits or for supplying power at different levels H04N1/00896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus H04N2201/0074; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015

Abstract

An image-capturing apparatus has a function for printing an image with the use of an external printer. The image-capturing apparatus includes an image-capturing section, a control section, and a clock generating section. The control section controls the operation of the entire image-capturing apparatus, including the image-capturing section (hardware), and executes printing processing for printing an image by the external printer. The clock generating section generates a higher operating frequency when the control section executes printing processing (i.e., in a printing mode) than when the image-capturing section obtains an image (i.e., in an image-capturing mode), for the control section.

Claims

1. An image-capturing apparatus having a function for printing a captured image with the use of an external printing function, comprising:

image-capturing means for obtaining the captured image;

control means for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus, including at least the image-capturing means and for executing printing processing for printing the captured image; and

clock generating means for generating a clock having an operating frequency for operating the image-capturing means and the control means,

wherein the clock generating means generates clocks having different operating frequencies for the control means, as between when the printing processing is executed and when the image-capturing means obtains an image.

2. An image-capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising storage means having at least a storage area for image-capturing processing, used for processing performed by the image-capturing means,

wherein the control means uses the storage area for image-capturing processing as an area for printing output processing when the printing processing is executed.

3. An image-capturing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a special circuit for storing an image taken by the image-capturing means into the storage means.

4. An image-capturing apparatus directly connectable to a printer and operable in at least either an image-capturing mode or a printing mode or both, comprising:

control means for controlling the operation of the entire apparatus; and

clock generating means for giving the control means a clock having a higher operating frequency than an operating frequency used in the image-capturing mode, in the printing mode.

5. An image-capturing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the clock generating means gives the control means the clock having the higher operating frequency after it is confirmed that an appropriate printer is connected and its state is normal.

6. An image-capturing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

development means operative in the image-capturing mode;

image compression means operative in the image-capturing mode; and

image decompression means operative in the image-capturing mode,

wherein the development means, image compression means, and image decompression means are implemented as hardware.

7. An image-capturing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising storage means used with different memory allocation as between the image-capturing mode and the printing mode.

8. A printer system comprising:

a printer;

an image-capturing apparatus directly connectable to the printer and operative in at least either an image-capturing mode or a printing mode or both;

control means for controlling the operation of at least the entire image-capturing apparatus; and

clock generating means for giving the control means a clock having a higher operating frequency than an operating frequency used in the image-capturing mode, in the printing mode.

9. A control method for an image-capturing apparatus having at least an image-capturing mode for obtaining an image and a printing mode for printing the obtained image by a printer externally connected, comprising:

a mode switching step, of switching between the image-capturing mode and the printing mode; and

a frequency switching step, of switching the operating frequency of the image-capturing apparatus according to mode switching made in the mode switching step.

10. A control method according to claim 9, wherein an operating frequency in the printing mode is higher than an operating frequency in the image-capturing mode.

11. A control method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of sharing a memory included in the image-capturing apparatus, with different memory allocation as between the printing mode and the image-capturing mode.

13. A storage medium according to claim 12, wherein an operating frequency in the printing mode is higher than an operating frequency in the image-capturing mode.

12. A storage medium storing a computer-readable program for executing a control method, the control method comprising:

a mode switching step, of switching between an image-capturing mode and a printing mode; and

a frequency switching step, of switching the operating frequency of the image-capturing apparatus according to mode switching made in the mode switching step.

14. An image-capturing apparatus having a plurality of operation modes, comprising:

control means for controlling the operation of the entire image-capturing apparatus; and

frequency changing means for changing the operating frequency of the control means according to an operation mode.

15. A control method for an image-capturing apparatus having a plurality of operation modes, comprising:

an operation-mode changing step; and

a frequency changing step, of changing an operating frequency used for control of the image-capturing apparatus according to an operation-mode change.