Share link between image capturing devices

• US 20030160870A1
• Filed: 02/22/2002
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Ziemkowski, Theodore B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,136,094 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

A digital image capturing system includes at least two digital image capturing devices and a bi-directional link cable connecting the image capturing devices. The image capturing devices are capable of sharing data items over the bi-directional link cable.

Claims

1. A digital image capturing system, comprising:

at least two digital image capturing devices; and

a bi-directional link cable connecting said at least two digital image capturing devices;

wherein said at least two digital image capturing devices are capable of sharing data items over said bi-directional link cable.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises sharing real time image views.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises sharing images.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises sharing image information.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said bi-directional link cable comprises an audio/visual (A/V) cable.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said bi-directional link cable comprises a universal serial bus (USB) cable.

7. The device of claim 1, with a digital image capturing device of said at least two digital image capturing devices further comprising:

an input/output (I/O) port capable of connecting to said bi-directional link cable;

a processor communicating with said I/O port; and

a memory communicating with said processor and including an image storage, an image receive driver, and an image transmit driver;

wherein said processor determines if said I/O port is connected to said bi-directional link cable, determines if said digital image capturing device is a master or a slave, and shares said data items over said bi-directional link cable.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein a digital image capturing device of said at least two digital image capturing devices operates as a pseudo host.

9. A digital image capturing device, comprising:

an input/output (I/O) port capable of connecting to a bi-directional link cable;

a processor communicating with said I/O port; and

a memory communicating with said processor and including an image storage, an image receive driver, and an image transmit driver;

wherein said processor determines if said I/O port is connected to said bi-directional link cable, determines if said digital image capturing device is a master or a slave, and shares data items over said bi-directional link cable.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises transmitting and receiving data items.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises sharing real time image views.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises sharing images.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the sharing of said data items comprises sharing image information.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein said bi-directional link cable comprises an audio/visual (A/V) cable.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein said bi-directional link cable comprises a universal serial bus (USB) cable.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein said digital image capturing device operates as a pseudo host.

17. A method of linking a first digital image capturing device to one or more other digital image capturing devices, comprising the steps of:

providing at least two digital image capturing devices capable of sending and receiving data items over a bi-directional link cable; and

providing I/O ports on said at least two digital image capturing devices.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of sharing data items.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of sharing real time image views.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of sharing images.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of sharing image information.

22. The method of claim 17, with the step of providing at least two digital image capturing devices further comprising providing one or more digital image capturing devices capable of operating as a pseudo host.

23. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

detecting a connection of a bi-directional link cable in said digital image capturing device;

accepting a master or slave input that determines whether said digital image capturing device is a master or a slave;

accepting an image selection of a first data item to be sent to a connected slave digital image capturing device if said digital image capturing device is a master;

transmitting said first data item to said connected slave digital image capturing device if said digital image capturing device is a master;

accepting a second data item from a connected master digital image capturing device if said digital image capturing device is a slave; and

displaying said second data item on said digital image capturing device if said digital image capturing device is a slave.

24. A method of linking a first digital image capturing device to one or more other digital image capturing devices, comprising the steps of:

detecting a connection of a bi-directional link cable in said first digital image capturing device;

accepting a master or slave input that determines whether said first digital image capturing device is a master or a slave;

accepting an image selection of a first data item to be sent to a connected slave digital image capturing device if said first digital image capturing device is a master;

transmitting said first data item to said connected slave digital image capturing device if said first digital image capturing device is a master;

accepting a second data item from a connected master digital image capturing device if said first digital image capturing device is a slave; and

displaying said second data item on said first digital image capturing device if said first digital image capturing device is a slave.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first digital image capturing device and the second digital image capturing device share real time image views.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the first digital image capturing device and the second digital image capturing device share images.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the first digital image capturing device and the second digital image capturing device share image information.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein a master digital image capturing device operates as a pseudo host.