Image communication apparatus and method

• US 20040080653A1
• Filed: 09/25/2003
• Published: 04/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hiroshi, Watanabe, Mikio, Makishima, Sugio
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

When a plurality of image communication apparatuses, especially digital cameras, communicate images, each of the users of the receiving digital cameras can pull desired images from an image transmitting camera. In an image communicating method in which an image can be communicated by wireless in a server-client system, an image is displayed on a server camera, and an image is selected from among displayed images for transmission to a client camera. Pressing of the release button of the client camera instructs the client camera to transmit to the server camera a request to send an image to the server camera. The client camera transmits the request to send an image to the server camera. The server camera transmits the selected image to the client camera. Thus, the user of the client camera can obtain a desired image from the server camera.

Claims

1. An image communication apparatus capable of communicating with another image communication apparatus in a server-client system, comprising:

an image display device which displays a recorded image;

a selection device which selects an image to be transmitted to another image communication apparatus from among images displayed on the image display device; and

a transmission device which transmits to another image communication apparatus the image selected by the selection device when a request to send the image is received from one or more image communication apparatuses at a client side of another image communication apparatus.

2. The image communication apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image communication apparatus comprises a digital camera.

3. An image communication apparatus capable of communicating with another image communication apparatus in a server-client system, comprising:

a request transmission device capable of transmitting a request to send an image to an image communication apparatus at a server side when an image to be transmitted is selected from among images displayed on the image communication apparatus at the server side; and

an instruction device which instructs the request to send the image to be transmitted to the image communication apparatus at the server side.

4. The image communication apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the image communication apparatus comprises a digital camera.

5. The image communication apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the instruction device comprises a device which operates using a release button of the digital camera.

6. An image communicating method capable of communicating an image in a server-client system, comprising the steps of:

displaying an image at a server side;

selecting at the server side an image to be transmitted to a client side from among displayed images;

instructing at the client side a request to send the image to the server side;

transmitting from the client side to the server side the request to send the image from the server side to the client side; and

transmitting from the server side to the client side the selected image when the server side receives from the client side the request to send the image.