Digital camera, method of controlling digital camera, and file server

• US 20040109066A1
• Filed: 12/03/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Hiranuma, Yoshinao, Miura, Hiroki, Inoue, Yasuaki, Takano, Kyoichi
• Granted Patent: US 7,388,602 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• 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 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/007 Selecting or switching between a still picture apparatus or function and another apparatus or function H04N2201/0022 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

Digital cameras which improve operability in checking, storing, and editing shot images have not been satisfactory. A digital camera and a user terminal including a file server are connected over a network. When the digital camera is powered on, it automatically establishes a network connection with the file server in an activation process. When the digital camera shoots an image, this image is transmitted to the file server automatically upon completion of the encoding and compression of the image. When image reproduction is instructed from the digital camera, the image is downloaded from the file sever over the network and displayed on the digital camera.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup block;

a mechanism control block which controls the image pickup block mechanically;

an operation block which inputs a user operation; and

a processing block which applies processing to an image, the processing block including a detecting unit which detects an activation request for the digital camera, and a communication control unit which performs processing for establishing a network connection with a file server upon detection of the activation request.

4. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a memory card control unit which controls a memory card when an option slot is loaded with the memory card; and

a card identification unit which identifies a card loaded in the option slot, and wherein

when the option slot is loaded with a memory card, the memory card control unit performs image storing and read with the memory card as a recording medium, and

when the option slot is loaded with a communication card, the communication control unit performs image storing and read via the communication card with the file server as a recording medium.

7. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer processing unit which saves an image to the buffer memory when transmission of the image to the file server fails.

10. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer processing unit which reads an image already saved in the buffer memory, if any, when an image obtained by shooting is transmitted to the file server, and wherein

the communication control unit transmits the image read by the buffer processing unit and the image obtained by shooting to the file server in a predetermined order.

13. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a buffer memory, and wherein

the communication control unit performs processing for transmitting an image saved in the buffer memory, if any, to the file server when the network connection with the file server is established in accordance with the activation request.

2. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup block;

a mechanism control block which controls the image pickup block mechanically;

an operation block which inputs a user operation; and

a processing block which applies processing to an image, the processing block including a detecting unit which detects an image pickup request, and a communication control unit which performs processing for transmitting an image obtained by image pickup to a file server over a network upon obtainment of the image.

5. The digital camera according to claim 2, further comprising:

a memory card control unit which controls a memory card when an option slot is loaded with the memory card; and

a card identification unit which identifies a card loaded in the option slot, and wherein

when the option slot is loaded with a memory card, the memory card control unit performs image storing and read with the memory card as a recording medium, and

when the option slot is loaded with a communication card, the communication control unit performs image storing and read via the communication card with the file server as a recording medium.

8. The digital camera according to claim 2, further comprising:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer processing unit which saves an image to the buffer memory when transmission of the image to the file server fails.

11. The digital camera according to claim 2, further comprising:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer processing unit which reads an image already saved in the buffer memory, if any, when an image obtained by shooting is transmitted to the file server, and wherein

the communication control unit transmits the image read by the buffer processing unit and the image obtained by shooting to the file server in a predetermined order.

3. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup block;

a mechanism control block which controls the image pickup block mechanically;

an operation block which inputs a user operation; and

a processing block which applies processing to an image, the processing block including a detecting unit which detects an image reproduction request, a communication control unit which performs processing which receives an image to be reproduced from a file server over a network when the image reproduction request is detected, and a reproduction processing unit which reproduces the image received from the file server.

6. The digital camera according to claim 3, further comprising:

a memory card control unit which controls a memory card when an option slot is loaded with the memory card; and

a card identification unit which identifies a card loaded in the option slot, and wherein

when the option slot is loaded with a memory card, the memory card control unit performs image storing and read with the memory card as a recording medium, and

when the option slot is loaded with a communication card, the communication control unit performs image storing and read via the communication card with the file server as a recording medium.

9. The digital camera according to claim 3, further comprising:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer processing unit which saves an image to the buffer memory when transmission of the image to the file server fails.

12. The digital camera according to claim 3, further comprising:

a buffer memory; and

a buffer processing unit which reads an image already saved in the buffer memory, if any, when an image obtained by shooting is transmitted to the file server, and wherein

the communication control unit transmits the image read by the buffer processing unit and the image obtained by shooting to the file server in a predetermined order.

14. A digital camera comprising:

an image pickup block;

a mechanism control block which controls the image pickup block mechanically;

an operation block which inputs a user operation; and

a processing block which applies processing to an image, the processing block including

a buffer memory for an image to be saved to,

a communication control unit which transmits an image saved in the buffer memory to a file server upon activation of the digital camera when an option slot is loaded with a communication card, and

a memory card control unit which transfers and storing an image saved in the buffer memory into a memory card upon activation of the digital camera when the option slot is loaded with a memory card.

15. The digital camera according to claim 14, wherein at least either one of the communication control unit and the memory card control unit starts processing after an explicit user instruction for image storing is given.

16. A method of controlling a digital camera, comprising:

detecting an activation request for a digital camera; and

establishing a network connection between the digital camera and a file server upon detection of the activation request.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising transmitting an image, if any, saved in a buffer memory to the file server after the network connection between the digital camera and the file server is established.

18. A method of controlling a digital camera, comprising:

detecting an image pickup request for a digital camera; and

performing processing for transmitting an image obtained by image pickup to a file server over a network upon obtainment of the image.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising checking the digital camera for the presence or absence of a recording device for storing an image, and wherein

if the recording device is present, the image obtained by image pickup is stored into the recording device instead of being transmitted to the file server.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising saving the image obtained by image pickup to a buffer memory when the transmission of the image to the file server fails.

21. The method according to claim 18, further comprising transmitting an image, if any, saved in a buffer memory to the file server before the image obtained by image pickup.

22. The method according to claim 18, further comprising transmitting an image, if any, saved in a buffer memory to the file server after the image obtained by image pickup.

23. A method of controlling a digital camera, comprising:

detecting an image reproduction request for a digital camera; and

performing processing for receiving an image to be reproduced from a file server over a network when the image reproduction request is detected.

24. A method of controlling a digital camera, comprising:

checking a digital camera for the presence or absence of at least one among a buffer memory intended for temporarily image retention, a recording device intended for more permanent image retention, and a communication unit which makes a file server retain an image over a network;

designating a storing destination of an image obtained by image pickup depending on the check result; and

storing the image obtained by image pickup into the storing destination designated.

25. A method of controlling a digital camera, comprising:

an activation process for establishing a network connection between a digital camera and a file server upon detection of an activation request;

an image pickup process for performing processing for transmitting an image obtained by image pickup to the file server over a network upon obtainment of the image; and

an image reproduction process for performing processing for receiving an image to be reproduced from the file server upon detection of an image reproduction request.

26. A method of controlling a digital camera, comprising:

detecting a predetermined operation not directly intended for image storing; and

transferring an image saved in a buffer memory of a digital camera to a recording apparatus more permanent than the buffer memory when the predetermined operation is detected.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined operation is one of an activation operation and a shooting operation of the digital camera.

28. A file server comprising a communication unit and a control unit, the control unit including:

a file management unit which stores an image file when the communication unit receives the image file over a network; and

a reproduction processing unit which reproduces the image file for screen display upon reception of the image file.