Image pickup apparatus, image data display method for the same, program for implementing the method, and storage medium storing the program

• US 20040141084A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 07/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurakata, Keihiro
• Granted Patent: US 7,499,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/333.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• 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 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

There is provided an image pickup apparatus that is capable of easily displaying in a distinguishable manner image data when the image data is photographed by a plurality of image pickup apparatuses, transferred (copied or moved) between the image pickup apparatuses and displayed by one image pickup apparatus. An image data photographed by an image pickup device is recorded by a recording device and the image data recorded is displayed by a display device. The recorded image data is transmitted and received by a communication device that is connectable to a plurality of image pickup apparatuses. Unique apparatus information for identifying the image pickup apparatus to the photographed image data is allotted to the photographed image data. A CPU provides control to cause the display device to display the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device, using the unique apparatus information, in such a manner that the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device can be distinguished from one another.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup device;

a recording device that records image data photographed by said image pickup device;

a display device that displays the image data recorded by said recording device;

a communication device that is connectable to a plurality of image pickup apparatuses, for transmitting and receiving the recorded image data;

an allotting device that allots unique apparatus information for identifying the image pickup apparatus to the photographed image data; and

a control device that provides control to cause said display device to display the image data received by said communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device, using the unique apparatus information, in a manner such that the image data received by said communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device can be distinguished from one another.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device provides control to cause said display device to display the image data received by said communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device, with frames of respective different colors added thereto.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device provides control to cause said display device to display the image data received by said communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device, with icons different from each other added thereto.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device provides control to cause said display device to display only selected image data out of the image data received by said communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control device provides control to cause said display device to display only image data photographed by a same image pickup apparatus as selected image data out of the image data received by said communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by said recording device.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an image number allotting device that allots an image number for identifying image data to the photographed image data.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control device is operable when image data is received by said communication device after the image number has been allotted to the photographed image data by said image number allotting device, to provide control to cause said image number allotting device to allot an image number different from the image number allotted to the photographed image data to the received image data and then record the received image data in said recording device.

8. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control device is operable when a photographic operation is carried out to produce image data after the image number has been allotted to the image data received by said communication device by said image number allotting device, to provide control to cause said image number allotting device to allot an image number different from the image number allotted to the image data recorded by said recording device to the image data produced by the photographic operation and then record the photographed image data in said recording device.

9. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control device provides control such that a new image number allotted to the received image data by said image number allotting device is incorporated as part of a file name of the received image data and the received image data is recorded in said recording device.

10. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said control device is operable when a same image number has been allotted to the received image data and the recorded image data, to provide control to compare at least one of respective photographed times, data sizes, and image data contents of the received image data and the recorded image data.

11. A method of causing an image pickup apparatus to display image data, the image pickup apparatus including an image pickup device, a recording device that records image data photographed by the image pickup device, a display device that displays the image data recorded by the recording device, a communication device that is connectable to a plurality of image pickup apparatuses, for transmitting and receiving the recorded image data, the method comprising:

an allotting step of allotting unique apparatus information for identifying the image pickup apparatus to the photographed image data; and

a control step of providing control to cause the display device to display the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device, using the unique apparatus information, in a manner such that the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device can be distinguished from one another.

12. A method of displaying image data according to claim 11, wherein said control step comprises providing control to cause the display device to display the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device, with frames of respective different colors added thereto.

13. A method of displaying image data according to claim 11, wherein said control step comprises providing control to cause the display device to display the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device, with icons different from each other added thereto.

14. A method of displaying image data according to claim 11, wherein said control step comprises providing control to cause the display device to display only selected image data out of the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device.

15. A method of displaying image data according to claim 11, wherein said control step comprises providing control to cause the display device to display only image data photographed by a same image pickup apparatus as selected image data out of the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device.

16. A method of displaying image data according to claim 11, comprising an image number allotting step of allotting an image number for identifying image data to the photographed image data.

17. A method of displaying image data according to claim 16, wherein when image data is received by the communication device after the image number has been allotted to the photographed image data in said image number allotting step, in said control step, control is provided to cause said image number allotting step to allot an image number different from the image number allotted to the photographed image data to the received image data and then record the received image data in the recording device.

18. A method of displaying image data according to claim 16, wherein when a photographic operation is carried out to produce image data after the image number has been allotted to the image data received by the communication device in said image number allotting step, in said control step, control is provided to cause said image number allotting step to allot an image number different from the image number allotted to the image data recorded by the recording device to the image data produced by the photographic operation and then record the photographed image data in the recording device.

19. A method of displaying image data according to claim 16, wherein said control step comprises providing control such that a new image number allotted to the received image data in said image number allotting step is incorporated as part of a file name of the received image data and the received image data is recorded in the recording device.

20. A method of displaying image data according to claim 16, wherein when a same image number has been allotted to the received image data and the recorded image data, in said control step, control is provided to compare at least one of respective photographed times, data sizes, and image data contents of the received image data and the recorded image data.

21. A computer-readable control program for causing a computer to implement a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup device, a recording device that records image data photographed by the image pickup device, a display device that displays the image data recorded by the recording device, a communication device that is connectable to a plurality of image pickup apparatuses, for transmitting and receiving the recorded image data, the program comprising:

an allotting module for allotting unique apparatus information for identifying the image pickup apparatus to the photographed image data; and

a control module for providing control to cause the display device to display the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device, using the unique apparatus information, in a manner such that the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device can be distinguished from one another.

22. A storage medium storing a computer-readable control program for causing a computer to implement a method of controlling an image pickup apparatus including an image pickup device, a recording device that records image data photographed by the image pickup device, a display device that displays the image data recorded by the recording device, a communication device that is connectable to a plurality of image pickup apparatuses, for transmitting and receiving the recorded image data, the program comprising:

an allotting module for allotting unique apparatus information for identifying the image pickup apparatus to the photographed image data; and

a control module for providing control to cause the display device to display the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device, using the unique apparatus information, in a manner such that the image data received by the communication device from respective ones of the plurality of image pickup apparatuses and the image data recorded by the recording device can be distinguished from one another.