Digital camera and digital camera system

• US 20040150724A1
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Technologies Inc. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Nozaki, Hirotake, Ohta, Tadashi, Kobayashi, Toshiaki, Kazami, Kazuyuki, Kawahara, Takumi, Yokonuma, Norikazu
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/211.4
• 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 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32106 separate from the image data, e.g. in a different computer file
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/001 Sharing resources, e.g. processing power or memory, with a connected apparatus or enhancing the capability of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/634 Warning indications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/662 by using master/slave camera arrangements for affecting the control of camera image capture, e.g. placing the camera in a desirable condition to capture a desired image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/676 Bracketing for image capture at varying focusing conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2624 for obtaining an image which is composed of whole input images, e.g. splitscreen

Abstract

In a collaborating work, it is to provide a digital camera in which camera information about each camera is displayed on a monitor of a master camera and a memory status of each memory card in use is also displayed and further, when monitoring a video from a slave camera, a size of a display screen can be manually set and in a digital camera system at collaborating work, a first digital camera is provided with camera information about each digital camera, a total memory capacity, a total sum of shot-taken frame numbers, a total remaining memory capacity or a display device indicating a total sum of remaining frame numbers. Camera information is information that is required to be set when instructing a shooting work or a storage work or to specify a second digital camera.

Claims

1. A digital camera system comprising:

a first digital camera; and

a second digital camera,

wherein

the first digital camera and the second digital camera are capable of communicating with each other, and

the first digital camera further comprising;

a first input/output device that sends/receives a data to and from the second digital camera;

a first plurality of operating devices; and

a first detector that detects an operation of any of the first plurality of operating devices; and

the second digital camera further comprising;

a second input/output device that sends/receives a data to and from the first digital camera;

a second plurality of operating devices;

a second detector that detects an operation of any of the second plurality of operating devices;

a judgment device that judges which detection result was first detected, a detection result of the second detector or a detection result of the first detector input via the second input/output device; and

a first controller that controls the first digital camera based upon an operation of any of the second plurality of operating devices when the judgment device judges that the detection result of the second detector was detected prior to the detection result of the first detector.

2. The digital camera system set forth in claim 1, wherein

when the judgment device judges that the detection result of the first detector was first detected prior to the detection result of the second detector, the first controller is prohibited from controlling the first digital camera.

3. The digital camera system set forth in claim 1, wherein

the first digital camera further includes a second controller controlling the first digital camera based upon an operation any of the first plurality of operating devices and

the second controller is prohibited from controlling the first digital camera,while the first digital camera is being controlled by the first controller.

4. The digital camera system set forth in claim 1, wherein

the first digital camera further includes a second controller controlling the first digital camera based upon an operation of any of the first plurality of operating devices and the first controller is prohibited from controlling the first digital camera while the first digital camera is being controlled by the second controller.

5. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a setting device that sets a given item or given value to take a photograph; and

a setting instructor that instructs via the connector so as to set the identical given item or given value at the same time to the other digital camera based upon a setting result of the setting instructor.

6. The digital camera set forth in claim 5, wherein

the given item or the given value is at least one of an exposure condition, a light metering, White Balance (WB) condition, a shooting lens position, a zoom lens position, a shutter speed, an aperture value, chromaticness, a shooting sensitivity, edge enhancement value, a compression ratio, a number of recording pixels and a time setting.

7. The digital camera set forth in claim 5, wherein

the digital camera further includes a camera judgment device that judges a type of the other digital camera and the setting instructor sends out to the other digital camera a compensation value corresponding to the given item or the given value based upon a judgment result of the camera judgment device.

8. The digital camera set forth in claim 7, wherein

the given item is at least one of White Balance, a shutter speed, an aperture value, chromaticness, edge enhancement value and a shooting sensitivity.

9. A digital camera comprising:

an input/output device that sends/receives a signal to and from other apparatus;

a judgment device that judges a type of the other apparatus connected to the input/output device; and

a work mode changer that changes from a first work mode to a second work mode when the judgment device judges that the other apparatus is a digital camera.

10. The digital camera set forth in claim 9, wherein

the first work mode is a mode in which the digital camera works on a stand-alone basis and the second work mode is a mode in which the digital camera and the other digital camera collaborate to work.

11. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a plurality of operating devices;

a controller that controls the other digital camera in response to an operation of the plurality of operating devices via the communication line;

an instructor that instructs to halt a part of plural functions to cause a camera to work; and

an releaser that releases a control over the other digital camera by the controller in response to an instruction of the instructor.

12. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a plurality of operating devices;

a controller that controls the other digital camera in response to an operation of the plurality of operating devices via the communication line;

a timer that counts a lapsed time after completion of a control based upon an operation of the plurality of operating devices; and

an releaser that releases a control over the other digital camera by the controller in response to an instruction of the timer.

13. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a plurality of operating devices;

a controller that controls the other digital camera in response to an operation of the plurality of operating devices via the connector;

a timer that instructs to halt at least a part of functions; and

a storage device that stores so as to continue a control over the other digital camera by the controller in response to an instruction of the timer.

14. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a plurality of operating devices;

a controller that controls the other digital camera in response to an operation of the plurality of operating devices via the connector;

a disconnect detector that detects a disconnect to the other digital camera via the connector; and

a releaser that releases a control over the other digital camera corresponding to a detection result of the disconnect detector.

15. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a plurality of operating devices,

a controller that controls the other digital camera in response to an operation of the plurality of operating devices via the connector;

a disconnect detector that detects a disconnect to the other digital camera via the connector;

a re-connect detector that detects a re-connect to the other digital camera again via the connector after the disconnect detector detected the disconnect to the other digital camera; and

an instructor that instructs the controller to control the other digital camera after the re-connect detector detected the re-connect to the other camera again via the connector.

16. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

an input device that inputs camera information about the other digital camera via the connector; and

a display device that displays the camera information.

17. The digital camera set forth in claim 16, wherein

the camera information is information that the other digital camera requires so as to take and store a photograph of a subject.

18. The digital camera set forth in claim 17, wherein

the information required to take and store a photograph includes information about at least one of items like an exposure condition, a light metering, White Balance, an auto focus (AF) area setting, a single or continuous auto focus (AF) setting, exposure compensation, edge enhancement, gradation compensation, chromaticness setting, a shooting sensitivity, a ranging method, a bracket shot setting, a consecutive shot setting, a strobe setting, a compression ratio setting including decompression and a number of recording pixels of other digital camera.

19. The digital camera set forth in claim 16, wherein

the camera information is information in order for the digital camera to recognize a going status quo of the other digital camera.

20. The digital camera set forth in claim 19, wherein

the information to recognize the going status quo includes information about at least one of camera type information, battery type information, battery capacity information, battery remaining capacity information, a memory-for-storage availability information, memory type information, remaining non-shot-taken frame number information and memory-full information.

21. The digital camera set forth in claim 16, wherein

the digital camera further includes a calculator that calculates at least one of a total sum of a capacity, a total sum of photographed frame numbers, a total sum of a battery remaining memory capacity and a total sum of remaining non-shot-taken frame numbers of a storage medium that stores image data of the digital camera and the other digital camera based upon the camera information and causes a calculated one to be displayed on the display device.

22. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a display device that displays an image data; and

a controller that controls so as to let a plurality of image data including an image data stored into the other digital camera appear in given order on the display device when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector.

23. The digital camera set forth in claim 22, wherein

the digital camera further includes a display image changer that changes a display image on the display device and the controller displays the display image in the given order on the display device in response to an instruction of the display image changer.

24. The digital camera set forth in claim 23, wherein

the digital camera further includes a reproduction instructor that instructs to reproduce an image data and to display the image data on the display device and the controller changes the display image automatically in response to an instruction of the reproduction instructor and displays a display image.

25. The digital camera set forth in claim 22, wherein

the digital camera further includes a judgment device that judges a shot order of a photographed image data to be displayed on the display device and the controller controls so as to set an order to be displayed on the display device in response to the shot order judged by the judgment device.

26. The digital camera set forth in claim 22, wherein

the digital camera further includes a camera judgment device that judges a camera into which a reproduced image data to be displayed on the display device is stored, a specific image detector that detects that the reproduced image data displayed on the display device is a specific image among image data stored into the camera judged by the camera judgment device and a camera selector that selects a different camera having an image data unlike a camera reproducing so far when an image data displayed on the display device is the specific image data detected by the specific image detector.

27. The digital camera set forth in claim 26, wherein

the specific image data is any of a last image data of image data stored into a camera selected by the camera selector or a last image data of all selected image data stored into a camera selected by the camera selector.

28. The digital camera set forth in claim 26, wherein

the display device uses any of a single screen display method that displays an image data equivalent to a single frame reproduced from the digital camera or the other digital camera on the display device or a multi screen display method that displays at one time image data equivalent to plural frames reproduced from the digital camera or the other digital camera on a single screen of the display device.

29. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a display device that displays an image data when connecting other digital camera via the connector;

a display instructor that instructs to display an image data stored into the other digital camera on the display device; and

a transfer instructor that instructs the other digital camera to transfer an image data used for a display having a given number of pixels.

30. The digital camera set forth in claim 29, wherein

the digital camera further includes a data detector that detects an amount of a data in an image data stored into the other digital camera, a comparison device that compares a detection result of the data detector to a given value and the transfer instructor instructs the other digital camera to transfer an image data used for a display having a given number of pixels in response to a comparison result of the comparison device.

31. The digital camera set forth in claim 29, wherein

a data of a display image having the given number of pixels is a data equivalent to a number of pixels that corresponds to almost an entire screen of a display screen determined based upon a number of pixels of the display device or corresponds to each divided single screen in dividing the display screen into a given number of screens.

32. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot instructor that instructs to shoot a subject;

a first judgment device that judges whether shooting is possible in response to an instruction of the shot instructor;

a second judgment device that judges whether the other digital camera can shoot a subject in response to an instruction of the shot instructor when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector; and

a camera selecting device that selects a single shooting digital camera for shooting a subject from possible-to-shoot digital cameras judged by the first and the second judgment devices.

33. The digital camera set forth in claim 32, wherein

the digital camera further includes a first buffer memory that temporarily stores data of plural photographed images and, when the first buffer memory has a remaining memory capacity equivalent to an amount of a data of an image to be created in taking at least a single picture of a subject, the first judgment device judges that the digital camera can shoot.

34. The digital camera set forth in claim 32, wherein,

in the event that a buffer memory of the other digital camera has a remaining memory capacity equivalent to an amount of a data of an image to be created when the other digital camera takes at least a single picture of a subject via the connector, the second judgment device judges that the other digital camera can shoot.

35. The digital camera set forth in claim 32, wherein

the shot instructor further includes a consecutive shot instructor that instructs to repeat a consecutive shot taking of a subject at plural times in response to an instruction of the shot instructor.

36. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot start instructor that instructs to start shooting;

a first consecutive shot instructor that instructs to repeat a consecutive shot taking of a subject at plural times in response to an instruction of the shot start instructor;

a second consecutive shot instructor that instructs the other digital camera to repeat a consecutive shot taking of a subject at plural times via the connector in response to an instruction of the shot start instructor;

a consecutive shot selector that select any of the first consecutive shot instructor or the second consecutive shot instructor;

a counter that counts the number of consecutive shot frames;

a frame number comparison device that compares a given number of frames to a number of consecutive shot frames taken by any of the first consecutive shot instructor or the second consecutive shot instructor selected by the consecutive shot selector in response to an instruction of the shot start instructor; and

a consecutive shot controller that controls the consecutive shot selector so as to select a different consecutive shot instructor from the selected consecutive shot instructor when the frame number comparison device judges that the number of consecutive shot frames amounts to the given number of frames.

37. The digital camera set forth in claim 36, wherein

the digital camera further includes a storage device that stores a maximum number of possible-to-take consecutive shot frames and a maximum number of possible-to-take consecutive shot frames of the other digital camera respectively and the given number of frames is a maximum number of frames stored into the storage device of a shooting digital camera in response to any of the first consecutive shot instructor or the second consecutive shot instructor selected by the consecutive shot selector.

38. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot start instructor that instructs to start shooting;

a first consecutive shot instructor that instructs to repeat a consecutive shot taking of a subject at plural times in response to an instruction of the shot start instructor;

a second consecutive shot instructor that instructs the other digital camera to repeat a consecutive-shot taking of a subject at plural times via the connectors in response to an instruction of the shot start instructor;

a consecutive shot selector that selects any of the first consecutive shot instructor or the second consecutive shot instructor;

a first memory capacity detector that detects an amount of a remaining capacity in a memory into which a data of a photographed image is temporarily stored when the consecutive shot selector selects the first consecutive shot selector;

a second memory capacity detector that detects an amount of a remaining capacity in a memory into which a data of a photographed image of the other digital camera is temporarily stored via the connector when the consecutive shot selector selects the second consecutive shot selector;

a memory capacity comparison device that compares a given value to a result detected by any of the first memory capacity detector or the second memory capacity detector per each shot completion in a consecutive shot in response to any of the first consecutive shot instructor or the second consecutive shot instructor selected by the consecutive shot selector based upon an instruction of the shot instructor; and

a consecutive shot controller that controls the consecutive shot selector so as to select a different consecutive shot instructor from the selected consecutive shot instructor when the memory capacity comparison device judges that a result detected by any of the first memory capacity detector or the second memory capacity detector amounts to the given value.

39. The digital camera set forth in claim 38, wherein

the digital camera further includes an image data value storage device that stores a first value smaller than an image data equivalent to a single frame taken by the first consecutive shot instructor and a second value smaller than an image data equivalent to a single frame taken by the second consecutive shot instructor and the given value is any of the first value or the second value stored into the image data value storage device.

40. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a first consecutive shot instructor that instructs to repeat a consecutive shot taking of a subject at plural times;

a second consecutive shot instructor that instructs the other digital camera to take a shot via the connector after a given period of time elapses from each shooting time based upon the first consecutive shot instructor;

,

a shot interval storage device that stores a minimum consecutive shot interval of the other digital camera input via the connector; and

a calculator that calculates the given period of time based upon a minimum consecutive shot interval stored into the shot interval storage device and a minimum consecutive shot interval of the digital camera per se.

41. The digital camera set forth in claim 40, wherein

the calculator calculates so as to let two-times the given period of time be a shot interval of a consecutive shot taken by the first consecutive shot instructor.

42. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other camera via a communication line;

a first bracket shot controller that controls so as to execute a first bracket shot with several shots by shifting a first shooting condition in shooting a subject; and

a second bracket shot controller that controls the other digital camera via the connector so as to execute a second bracket shot with several shots by shifting a second shooting condition unlike the first shooting condition.

43. The digital camera set forth in claim 42, wherein

the digital camera further includes a shot taking instructor that instructs the digital camera and the other digital camera to take a shot.

44. The digital camera set forth in claim 42, wherein

the first shooting condition and the second shooting condition include at least one of shooting conditions like an exposure, White Balance, a focusing lens position, a zoom lens position, a gamma value, an exposure mode and a shooting sensitivity.

45. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a first bracket shot controller that controls so as to execute a first bracket shot with several shots by shifting a shooting condition by a given compensation value in shooting a subject; and

a second bracket shot controller that controls so as to let the other digital camera execute a second bracket shot with several shots with a compensation value unlike the given compensation value via the connector.

46. The digital camera set forth in claim 45, wherein

the digital camera further includes a shot taking instructor that instructs the digital camera and the other digital camera to take a shot.

47. The digital camera set forth in claim 45, wherein

the shooting condition includes at least one of shooting conditions like an exposure, White Balance, a focusing lens position, a zoom lens position, a gamma value, an exposure mode and a shooting sensitivity.

48. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a first shot executor that controls so as to decide a shooting condition and execute a shot; and

a second shot executor that controls the other digital camera so as to let the other digital camera execute a shot by shifting the shooting condition by a given compensation value via the connector.

49. The digital camera set forth in claim 48, wherein

the digital camera further includes a simultaneous shot taking instructor that instructs the digital camera and the other digital camera to take a shot at the same time.

50. The digital camera set forth in claim 48, wherein

the shooting condition includes at least one of shooting conditions like an exposure, White Balance, a focusing lens position, a zoom lens position, a gamma value, an exposure mode and a shooting sensitivity.

51. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot instructor that instructs to take a shot of a subject; and

a shooting camera setting device that sets a digital camera to take a shot of a subject in response to an instruction of the shot instructor.

52. The digital camera set forth in claim 51, wherein

the digital camera further includes a display device that displays an image data taken by a digital camera set by the shooting camera setting device.

53. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot instructor that instructs to take a shot of a subject; and

a storage camera setting device that set a digital camera to store an image data of a taken subject in response to an instruction of the shot instructor.

54. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot instructor that instructs to take a shot of a subject; and

an output device that outputs to the other digital camera via the connector an image data of a taken subject in response to a shot instruction of the shot instructor and a storage instruction signal to store the image data into the other digital camera.

55. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a shot instructor that instructs to take a shot of a subject; and

an output device that outputs to the other digital camera via the connector a shot instruction signal created by the shot instructor and an image data sending instruction signal to send an image data of a subject taken by the other digital camera in response to the shot instruction signal.

56. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line; and

a receiving device that receives via the connector an image data taken in response to a shot instruction instructing to take a shot of a subject and a storage instruction instructing to store the image data.

57. A digital camera comprising:

a memory storage device that stores an image data taken and created by shooting of a subject into a memory;

a prohibiting device that prohibits shooting of a subject from being taken when the memory is not provided or a remaining capacity of the memory runs short;

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line; and

a releasing device that releases a shooting prohibit setting taken by the prohibiting device when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector.

58. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera having a memory storage device that stores an image data taken and created by shooting of a subject and an prohibiting device that prohibits shooting of a subject from being taken when the memory is not provided or a remaining capacity of the memory runs short via a communication line; and

a releasing instruction device that instructs the other digital camera via the connector to release the shooting prohibit setting, taken by the prohibiting device.

59. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line; and

a third camera information creator that creates a third camera information integrating a first camera information about the digital camera and a second camera information about the other digital camera when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector.

60. The digital camera set forth in claim 59, wherein

the digital camera further includes a manager that manages so as to link the third camera information to an image data to be stored when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector.

61. The digital camera set forth in claim 60, wherein

the digital camera further includes a storing device that stores the third camera information and the image data linked by the manager and a storage controller that controls so as to put into a folder and store into the storing device the third camera information and image data linked by the manager.

62. The digital camera set forth in claim 59, wherein

the digital camera further includes an instruction device that instructs the other digital camera to manage by linking the third camera information to an image data stored into the other digital camera when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector and a transmitting device that transmits to the other digital camera an instruction signal of the instructing device and the third camera information.

63. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a receiving device that receives via the connector a third camera information integrating a first camera information about the digital camera and a second camera information about the other digital camera and an instruction signal instructing to manage by linking the third camera information to an image data;

a managing device that manages by linking an image data to the third camera information received by the receiving device based upon the instruction signal received by the receiving device;

an image storage device that stores the image data; and

a storing controller that controls so as to store the third camera information and the image data linked by the managing device into the image storage device.

64. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other camera via a communication line; and

a file name info creator that creates information to name a file of an image data after a first camera information about the digital camera and a second camera information about the other digital camera when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector.

65. The digital camera set forth in claim 64, wherein

the digital camera further includes a file name transmitting device that transmits to the other digital camera the file name information created by the file name info creator.

66. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line; and

a folder name info creator that creates information to name a folder storing an image data after a first camera information about the digital camera and a second camera information about the other digital camera when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector.

68. The digital camera set forth in claim 66, wherein

the first camera information or the second camera information includes at least one of a maker name, a product name, a product model, a serial number and a version number of a software program.

67. The digital camera set forth in claim 67, wherein

the digital camera further includes a folder name transmitting device that transmits to the other digital camera the folder name information created by the folder name info creator.

69. A digital camera comprising:

a first timer that instructs to start counting after a camera work is finished and halt at least a part of functions after a first given period of time elapses;

a collaborator that collaborates to work by connecting to other digital camera having a second timer instructing to start counting after a camera work of the other digital camera is finished and halt at least a part of functions after a second given period of time elapses;

an override instruction signal creator that instructs to override a work of the second timer while a camera is actually being working at a time of a the collaborating work and during the first given period of time; and

an outputting device that outputs to the other digital camera an instruction signal created by the override instruction signal creator.

70. The digital camera set forth in claim 69, wherein

the digital camera further includes a last camera detector that detects a camera last finishing a work from the digital camera and the other digital camera and an off-signal creator that instructs to halt at least a part of functions of both of the digital camera and the other digital camera after any of the first given period of time or the second given period of time set to the camera detected by the last camera detector elapses.

71. A digital camera comprising:

a first timer that instructs to start counting after a camera work is finished and halt at least a part of functions after a first given period of time elapses;

a collaborator that collaborates to work by connecting to other digital camera having a second timer instructing to start counting after a camera work of the other digital camera is finished and halt at least a part of functions after a second given period of time elapses;

a timer override instruction that overrides works of the first timer and the second timer in a collaborating work;

a time detecting device that detects a work completion time of a digital camera last finishing a collaborating work; and

a third timer that instructs to start counting based upon a detection result of the time detecting device and halt at least a part of functions after a third given period of time elapses.

72. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a fail detector that detects a failure of sending/receiving an image data to and from the other digital camera via the connector; and

a warning device that warns a failure of sending/receiving the image data in response to the fail detector.

73. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a fail detector that detects a failure of sending/receiving an image data to and from the other digital camera via the connector; and

a re-transmit instruction that instructs the other digital camera to send/receive again the image data based upon a detection result of the fail detector.

74. The digital camera set forth in claim 73, wherein

the digital camera further includes a counter to count a number of re-send/re-receive transmission based upon the re-transmit instruction and a re-setting device that resets the digital camera sending/receiving when a count result of the counter amounts to a given number.

75. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a data transmit detector that detects whether the other digital camera is being sending/receiving a data via the connector; and

a warning instructor that instructs to warn in response to a detection result of the data transmit detector.

76. A digital camera comprising:

a connector that connects to other digital camera via a communication line;

a data transfer storage device that stores plural data transfer methods to send/receive a data to and from the other digital camera when connecting to the other digital camera via the connector;

a transfer method setting device that sets a predetermined data transfer method to send/receive a data to and from the other digital camera out of the data transfer methods stored into the data transfer storage device; and

a judgment device that judges whether the predetermined data transfer method set by the transfer method setting device is capable of sending/receiving a data to and from the other digital camera.

77. The digital camera set forth in claim 76, wherein

the judgment device further includes a selecting device that, when judging that sending/receiving to do is impossible by use of the predetermined data transfer method, judges respectively whether each of the plural data transfer methods other than the predetermined data transfer method stored into the data transfer storage device is capable of sending/receiving a data to and from the other digital camera and selects a data transfer method capable of sending/receiving a data from the plural data transfer methods.

78. The digital camera set forth in claim 77, wherein

the selecting device selects a data transfer method of a highest data transfer rate.

79. The digital camera set forth in claim 77, wherein

the selecting device selects a data transfer method of a highest line quality.