Image pickup apparatus, control method therefor, image pickup system, information processing apparatus, program and storage medium

• US 20050177794A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Aizawa, Takashi, Kameyama, Takaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,418,662 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/748
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0049 providing a visual indication to the user, e.g. using a lamp H04N1/00408 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus in which when a decision button is depressed, a transfer confirmation screen is displayed without recording a selection record, and, when a shortcut button is depressed, a selection record is recorded and the transfer confirmation screen is not displayed. When one of image data recorded in a storage medium is selected by an operation of a user, a reproduction module executes reproduction for display of the image data, and upon a user transfer instruction and acceptace of the instruction by a queue, a communication module transfers image data to an external apparatus. When one of other image data recorded in the storage medium is selected by a user operation in the course of a transfer process of the image data by the communication module, the reproduction module executed a reproduction process on the selected other image data.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a display device for displaying a menu;

a menu decision button for deciding a menu displayed on the display device;

menu storage means which stores the decided menu;

execution confirmation means which confirmed whether or not to execute the decided menu;

a shortcut button for dispensing with the confirmation by the execution confirmation means; and

control means which causes, when the menu decision button is depressed, the execution confirmation means to execute the confirmation without causing the menu storage means to store the determined menu, and causes, when the shortcut button is depressed, the menu storage means to store the decided menu and the execution confirmation means not to execute the confirmation.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device transfers the image data from the image pickup apparatus to an external apparatus.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the display device is activated by an instruction from the external apparatus to display menu.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the shortcut button is lighted when it is active and is extinguished or made to blink when it is inactive.

5. An information processing apparatus connected to an image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising image acquisition means which acquires image data transferred from the image pickup apparatus.

6. An image pickup system comprising an image pickup apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4 and an information processing apparatus according to claim 5.

7. A control method for an image pickup apparatus including a display device for displaying a menu, a menu display button for displaying a menu on the display device, a menu decision button for deciding a menu displayed on the display device, and a shortcut button for shortcutting an execution confirmation step, the method comprising:

a menu storage step of storing the decided menu;

an execution confirmation step of confirming whether or not to execute the decided menu; and

a control step of causing, when the menu decision button is depressed, the execution confirmation step to execute the confirmation without causing the menu storage step to store the determined menu, and causing, when the shortcut button is depressed, the menu storage step to store the decided menu and the execution confirmation step not to execute the confirmation.

8. A program for causing a computer to execute a control method for an image pickup apparatus including a display device for displaying a menu, a menu display button for displaying a menu on the display device, a menu decision button for deciding a menu displayed on the display device, and a shortcut button for shortcutting an execution confirmation step, the program comprising:

a menu storage module for storing the decided menu;

an execution confirmation module for confirming whether or not to execute the decided menu; and

a control module for causing, when the menu decision button is depressed, the execution confirmation module to execute the confirmation without causing the menu storage module to store the determined menu, and causing, when the shortcut button is depressed, the menu storage module to store the decided menu and the execution confirmation module not to execute the confirmation.

9. A computer readable storage medium storing a program according to claim 8.

10. An image reproduction apparatus comprising:

communication means capable of a communication with an external apparatus;

recording means which records image data;

selection means which selects one of image data recorded in the recording means;

display means which displays an image and character information;

reproduction means which executes a reproduction process for displaying image data, selected by the selection means, on display means;

accepting means which accepts, in response to a user operation, a transfer instruction to transfer image data currently subjected to a reproduction process by the reproduction means, to an external apparatus; and

transfer means which transfers the image data, for which the transfer instruction is accepted by the accepting means, to the external apparatus through the communication means;

wherein the selection means is arranged to select one of other image data recorded by the recording means during the transfer process of the image data by the transfer means.

11. An image reproduction apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the accepting means is arranged not so as to accept a repeated transfer instruction for the image data currently subjected to a transfer process.

12. An image reproduction apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the selection means executes, in the course of a transfer process of the image data, a process of selecting one of other image data recorded in the recording means by plural times in response to an operation of a user;

and

wherein the reproduction means executes a reproduction process of displaying one of the other image data selected by the selection means on the display means, by plural times in response to the selecting process of the selection means.

13. An image reproduction apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

storage means which stores accepting state information indicating whether the accepting means is capable of accepting the transfer instruction; and

accepting state information renewing means which renews, at a timing when the transfer means starts a transfer, the accepting state information stored in the storage means to information indicating that the accepting is inhibited, and renews, at a timing when the transfer means terminates the transfer or when the reproduction means reproduces new image data, the accepting state information stored in the storage means to information indicating that the accepting is enabled;

wherein the accepting means executes a process of accepting the transfer instruction according to the accepting state information renewed by the accepting state information renewing means.

14. An image reproduction apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

accepting state display means which displays the accepting state information.

15. An image reproduction method utilizing an image reproduction apparatus including communication means capable of a communication with an external apparatus, recording means which records image data and display means, comprising:

a first selection step of selecting one of image data recorded in the recording means;

a reproduction step of executing a reproduction process for displaying the image data, selected by the selection step, on the display means;

an accepting step of accepting, in response to a user operation, a transfer instruction for a transfer of image data, currently subjected to a reproduction process in the reproduction step, to an external apparatus;

a transfer step of transferring the image data, for which the transfer instruction is accepted by the accepting step, to the external apparatus through the communication means; and

a second selection step of selecting one of other image data recorded by the recording means during the transfer process of the image data in the transfer step.

16. A computer readable storage medium storing a program for an image reproduction apparatus including communication means capable of a communication with an external apparatus, recording means which records image data and display means, the program comprising:

a first selection step of selecting one of image data recorded in the recording means;

a reproduction step of executing a reproduction process for displaying the image data, selected in the selection step, on the display means;

an accepting step of accepting, in response to a user operation, a transfer instruction for a transfer of image data, currently subjected to a reproduction process in the reproduction step, to an external apparatus;

a transfer step of transferring the image data, for which the transfer instruction is accepted by the accepting step, to the external apparatus through the communication means; and

a second selection step of selecting one of other image data recorded by the recording means during the transfer process of the image data in the transfer step.

17. A program for an image reproduction apparatus including communication means capable of a communication with an external apparatus, recording means which records image data and display means, the program comprising:

a first selection step of selecting one of image data recorded in the recording means;

a reproduction step of executing a reproduction process for displaying the image data, selected in the selection step, on the display means;

an accepting step of accepting, in response to a user operation, a transfer instruction for a transfer of image data, currently subjected to a reproduction process by the reproduction step, to an external apparatus;

a transfer step of transferring the image data, for which the transfer instruction is accepted in the accepting step, to the external apparatus through the communication means; and

a second selection step of selecting one of other image data recorded by the recording means during the transfer process of the image data in the transfer step.