Digital camera, customer authentication communication terminal equipment, and encoding service system

• US 20030052975A1
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Published: 03/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Corporation Limited (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Azuma, Motoo
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00151 with selective access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00161 Viewing or previewing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00167 Processing or editing H04N1/00196 - H04N1/00201 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0018 of images captured using a loaned, rented or limited-use still digital camera, e.g. recyclable or disposable camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4406 Restricting access, e.g. according to user identity mechanisms actuated y cards, PIN or the like in apparatus for dispensing G07F7/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4486 using digital data encryption

Abstract

The digital camera comprises a photoelectric conversion part configured to perform a photoelectric conversion of a field image and output a first image signal, a first processing part configured to perform a first signal processing of the image signal and output a second image signal, an encoding part configured to encode the second image signal and output a third image signal, a second processing part configured to perform a second signal processing to the second image signal and output a fourth image signal, a first memory configured to memorize a customer ID information, a code key used in the encoding part, and the third image signal, and a second memory configured to memorize the fourth image signal.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a photoelectric conversion part configured to perform a photoelectric conversion of a field image and output a first image signal;

a first processing part configured to perform a first signal processing of the image signal and output a second image signal;

an encoding part configured to encode the second image signal and output a third image signal;

a second processing part configured to perform a second signal processing to the second image signal and output a fourth image signal;

a first memory configured to memorize a customer ID information, a code key used in the encoding part, and the third image signal; and

a second memory configured to memorize the fourth image signal.

2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the first processing part performs a processing of compressing the image signal.

3. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the image signal is one of a static image, a moving image, and a voice signal or combination thereof.

4. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second processing part performs a processing of reducing a size of the image signal.

5. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the first memory is an attachable and detachable storage medium.

6. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second memory is an attachable and detachable storage medium which is the same as or different from the first storage medium.

7. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the second processing part includes a part which performs a conversion into a data format only for a predetermined device.

8. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the first memory or the second memory memorizes a number of scenes, which can be photographed, beforehand.

9. The digital camera according to claim 8, wherein a number of scenes which has been photographed is subtracted from a number of scenes which can be photographed memorized in the first memory or the second memory, and a subtraction result is re-recorded in the first memory or the second memory.

10. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the third image signal is transferred to an external device.

11. An encoded image service system comprising:

a receipt part configured to receive an encoded electronic image signal sent by a customer;

a customer manager configured to manage a customer registration to the system and an account information to the registered customer;

a coded image rendering part configured to decode the code of the encoded electronic image signal;

a system encoding part configured to encode the electronic image signal to which the code is decoded, independently; and

an image server part configured to perform at last one processing of a print output of the electronic image signal to which the code is decoded, and the storage and record of the image signal which is encoded independently according to a service demand of the customer.

12. The encoded image service system according to claim 11, wherein

the customer manager further includes:

an information receipt part configured to receive a customer ID information, the encoded electronic image signal, and a demand service information;

an authentication part configured to attest whether the customer has registered; and

an account part configured to charge a user for a use charge corresponding to a content of a service demanded by the customer.

13. The encoded image service system according to claim 12, wherein the customer ID information is included in the first code key to decode the code of the encoded electronic image signal.

14. The encoded image service system according to claim 12, wherein the account part memorizes an individual information of the customer.

15. The encoded image service system according to claim 12, wherein the account part adds a predetermined amount of a use charge to an amount of an account to the customer for every predetermined use period and an addition result is memorized, again while contracting to the customer.

16. The encoded image service system according to claim 12, wherein the account part includes a time part configured to time a required time necessary to execute a demanded service from the customer and adds a predetermined use amount to the amount of the account to the registered user at each passage of the unit time during executing the demand service to memorize an addition result again.

17. The encoded image service system according to claim 12, wherein the account part includes a part configured to receive a service scene information from the customer, and adds an amount of a use charge corresponding to a number of service scenes to an amount of an account to the customer to memorize an addition result again.

18. The encoded image service system according to claim 12, wherein the receipt part includes a part configured to receive the encoded image signal and adds a charge according to a number of scenes of the encoded image signal to an amount of an account to the registered user to memorize it again.

19. The encoded image service system according to claim 11, wherein the coded image rendering part memorizes the first decode key group of two or more customers who can decode the encoded image signal.

20. The encoded image service system according to claim 11, wherein the customer manager creates a predetermined record medium memorizing a first code key which is registered to the customer manager by a customer registration and is possible to perform coding and registers a first decode key which can performing decoding corresponding to the first code key to the coded image rendering part.

21. The encoded image service system according to claim 11, further comprising an image encoding part configured to encode the decoded image signal with the first code key or the second code key.

22. The encoded image service system according to claim 21, wherein the image encoding part includes a second code key memory memorizing the second code key set to each of a plurality of customers, and encodes the decoded image signal by the coded image rendering part using the second code key.

23. The encoded image service system according to claim 22, wherein the second decode key for decoding is created for each customer by the customer registration.

24. The encoded image service system according to claim 22, wherein the image server part memorizes the image signal encoded by the image encoding part.

25. A customer authentication communication terminal equipment comprising:

an information receipt part configured to receive a customer ID information, an encoded electronic image signal, and a demand service information which are transmitted by using a communication part, or transferred from an attachable and detachable nonvolatile memory;

a communication part configured to communicate with a encoded image service system described in claim 11;

and

a customer authentication manager configured to attest a registration of a customer to the corresponding system.

26. The customer authentication communication terminal equipment according to claim 25, further comprising a manager configured to manage a lending and return information of a digital camera prepared for lending.

27. The customer authentication communication terminal equipment according to claim 25, wherein the customer authentication manager judges an authentication according to an information received from the encoded image service system.

28. The customer authentication communication terminal equipment according to claim 25, wherein the customer authentication manager displays an account information received from the encoded image service system.