Imaging device

• US 20020183093A1
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Published: 12/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kuba, Hirokazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,856,815 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0036 Detecting or checking connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0046 Software interface details, e.g. interaction of operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0056 Using mechanical couplings, e.g. mating elements H04N2201/0049, H04N2201/0051, H04N2201/0058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

When sending photographic image data obtained in an electronic camera 1 via a communication interface 42 to a radio telephone line of a PDC 3, a PHS 4, etc., an RISC-CPU 11 converts the image data to data having a configuration allowing communication and further converts by software processing the communication-allowing configuration data to data corresponding to the type of the radio telephone line.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

a discriminating means for discriminating type of a radio telephone line connected to the device;

a first converting means for converting photographic or recorded image data of a scene to communication data; and

a second converting means for converting, at the time of image data transmission, the communication data in correspondence to the discriminated type of radio telephone line and converting, at the time of image data reception, received data to communication data capable of being recognized by the device in correspondence to the type of radio telephone line.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the second converting means includes a memory means with a plurality of stored error correction programs corresponding to respective different radio telephone lines, the error correction programs contributing to the correction of the digital values of communication data obtained in the first converting means.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the second converting means further includes a means for selecting a specified error correction program corresponding to the discriminated type of radio telephone line from the memory means.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the discriminating means discriminates a telephone line connected to the device to be a radio telephone line or a wired telephone line, and outputs, when the connected telephone line is discriminated to be a radio telephone line, the type of the connected radio telephone line.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4, which further comprises:

a serial interface functioning as part of the communication interface when a connected telephone line is discriminated to be a radio telephone line and functioning as a wired telephone line interface when the connected telephone is discriminated to be a wired telephone line; and

a switching means for switching the serial interface according to the output of the discriminating means.

6. An imaging device comprising:

an electronic imaging means for converting a scene image to an image signal;

an image processing means for converting the image signal obtained in the electronic imaging means to image data;

a communication processing means for converting the image data obtained in the image processing means to data having a configuration allowing communication; and

a memory means with data conversion programs stored therein for being used to convert, at the time of data transmission, the communication-allowing configuration data obtained in the communication processing means to data conforming to the type of a pertinent telephone line and also convert, at the time of data reception, data different in dependence on the type of the telephone line to data having a configuration conforming to the communication processing means.

7. The imaging device according to claim 6, wherein:

the memory means stores a plurality of different data conversion programs corresponding to respective different types of telephone lines, and the imaging device includes;

a connecting means for connecting the device to a telephone line;

a discriminating means for discriminating the type of a telephone line connected thereto via the connecting means; and

a selecting means for selecting a particular data conversion program among the plurality of data conversion programs stored in the memory means in correspondence to the discrimination result in the discriminating means.

8. The imaging device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the data conversion programs are error correction programs.

9. The imaging device according to claim 6, which further comprises:

a line connecting means for connecting a telephone line to the device;

an external device connecting means for connecting an external device to the device;

a checking means for checking the connecting states of the telephone line connecting means and the external device connecting means;

a serial interface for permitting data communication via the telephone line or data communication with the external device; and

a switching means for switchably connecting the telephone line connecting means and the external device connecting means to the serial interface according to the result of checking in the checking means.