Image-capturing device

• US 20020093575A1
• Filed: 11/29/2001
• Published: 07/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kusaka, Yosuke
• Granted Patent: US 7,339,610 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.9
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• 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 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

An image-capturing device according to the present invention includes: an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data; a buffer memory that temporarily stores the image data; a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects a portable memory to a main body; a wireless communication circuit capable of wirelessly communicating with an external device; and an image storage control unit that stores the image data temporarily stored at the buffer memory into the portable memory connected at the connection unit and transfers the image data temporarily stored at the buffer memory to the external device via the wireless communication circuit if the portable memory is substantially unusable.

Claims

1. An image-capturing device, comprising:

an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data;

a buffer memory that temporarily stores the image data;

a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects a portable memory to a main body;

a wireless communication circuit capable of wirelessly communicating with an external device; and

an image storage control unit that stores the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the portable memory connected at said connection unit and transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit if the portable memory is substantially unusable.

2. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, wherein:

the portable memory is a memory card; and

said connection unit is a memory card slot at which a memory card is detachably loaded.

3. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a connection detection unit that detects whether or not the portable memory is connected at said connection unit wherein;

said image storage control unit transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit if said connection detection circuit detects that the portable memory is not connected at said connection unit.

4. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, wherein:

said image storage control unit detects whether or not a storage capacity of the portable memory connected at said connection unit is insufficient and transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit if the storage capacity of the portable memory connected at said connection unit is detected to be insufficient.

5. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a nonvolatile internal memory, wherein;

said image storage control unit stores in said internal memory image identification information used to identify the image data and transmission recipient information used to identify the external device to which the image data are to be transmitted, when transferring the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit.

6. An image-capturing device according to claim 5, wherein:

said image storage control unit transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit to store the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the external device if the portable memory is substantially unusable; and

when a substantially usable portable memory is detected to be connected at said connection unit after the image data are transferred, said image storage control unit receives the transferred image data via said wireless communication circuit from the external device to which the image data have been transmitted based upon said image identification information and said transmission recipient information stored in said internal memory and stores the image data thus received into the portable memory.

7. An image-capturing device according to claim 5, wherein:

said image storage control unit stores thumbnail image data of the image data transferred to the external device into said internal memory.

8. An image-capturing device, comprising:

an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data;

a buffer memory that temporarily stores the image data;

a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects a portable memory to a main body;

a wireless communication circuit capable of communicating with an external device through a wireless line; and

an image storage control unit that transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit to store the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device and stores the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the portable memory connected at said connection unit if the external device is substantially unusable.

9. An image-capturing device according to claim 8, wherein:

the portable memory is a memory card; and

said connection unit is a memory card slot at which a memory card is detachably loaded.

10. An image-capturing device according to claim 8, wherein:

said image storage control unit detects whether or not wireless communication with the external device is enabled and stores the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the portable memory connected at said connection unit if wireless communication with the external device is detected to be disabled.

11. An image-capturing device according to claim 8, wherein:

said image storage control unit detects whether or not a storage capacity of the external device is sufficient and stores the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the portable memory connected at said connection unit if the storage capacity of the external device is detected to be insufficient.

12. An image-capturing device, comprising:

an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data;

a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects a portable memory to a main body;

a wireless communication circuit capable of communicating with an external device through a wireless line; and

an image storage control unit that stores the image data into the portable memory if the portable memory is connected at said connection unit and transfers the image data to the external device via said wireless communication circuit if the portable memory is not connected at said connection unit.

13. An image-capturing device, comprising:

an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data;

a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects either a portable memory or a wireless communication circuit capable of wirelessly communicating with an external device to a main body; and

an image storage control unit that stores the image data into the portable memory if the portable memory is connected at said connection unit and transfers the image data to the external device via the wireless communication circuit if the wireless communication circuit is connected at said connection unit.

14. An electronic camera, comprising:

an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data;

a buffer memory that temporarily stores the image data;

a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects a portable memory to a main body;

a wireless communication circuit capable of wirelessly communicating with an external device; and

an image storage control unit that stores the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the portable memory connected at said connection unit and transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit if the portable memory is substantially unusable.

15. An electronic camera, comprising:

an image sensor that captures a subject image and generates image data;

a buffer memory that temporarily stores the image data;

a connection unit that electrically and detachably connects a portable memory to a main body;

a wireless communication circuit capable of communicating with an external device through a wireless line; and

an image storage control unit that transfers the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device via said wireless communication circuit to store the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory to the external device and stores the image data temporarily stored at said buffer memory into the portable memory connected at said connection unit if said the external device is substantially unusable.