Portable electronic apparatus, image processing method, photographing apparatus, and computer readable recording medium

• US 20050200727A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Shigeo Yoshida
• Original Assignee: Shigeo Yoshida
• Inventors: Yoshida, Shigeo
• Granted Patent: US 7,787,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

Even when a remaining amount of an image memory built in a digital camera is decreased, the photographing can be further continued while reserving a photographed image. An image which is obtained from an image input unit including image pickup means is accumulated into an image memory. When a remaining amount calculating unit detects that the remaining amount of the image memory is small, an image record discriminating unit compares it with an image size in a photograph mode at that time which is obtained from an image size table, thereby discriminating whether the continuation of the photographing can be performed or not. When the photographing is impossible, an image selecting unit selects an old image, an image in which the number of colors is small, or the like on the basis of management data regarding the photographed images in a memory managing table. The selected image is transmitted by a PHS communication by a data transmitting apparatus. After it was transmitted, the image is erased from the image memory.

Claims

1. An electronic apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for photographing an object and outputting an image signal;

memory control means for allowing said image signal to be stored into image memory means; and

communicating means for automatically transmitting the image signal stored in said image memory means when a predetermined condition is satisfied so as to enable a new image signal to be stored into said image memory means.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image selecting means for selecting an image signal from said image memory means on the basis of a predetermined selecting condition, and

wherein said communicating means transmits said selected image signal.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an old one of said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing photographing times of said image signals for the purpose of said condition.

4. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an image signal in which an accessing frequency is small from said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing accessing frequencies of said image signals.

5. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an image signal in which the number of colors is small from said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing the numbers of colors of said image signals.

6. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an image signal in which the number of colors is large from said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing the numbers of colors of said image signals.

7. An apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising marking means for adding a mark to the image signal which is outputted from said image pickup means, and

wherein said predetermined selecting condition relates to the presence or absence of said marking.

8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said communicating means is wireless communicating means.

9. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

storing a photographed image signal into image memory means; and

automatically transmitting the image signal stored in said image memory means so as to enable a new image signal to be stored into said image memory means.

10. A computer readable recording medium in which a program to execute a procedure by the computer has been recorded, wherein said procedure comprises the steps of:

storing a photographed image signal into image memory means; and

automatically transmitting the image signal stored in said image memory means so as to enable a new image signal to be stored into said image memory means.

11. A photographing apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for photographing an object and outputting an image signal;

memory control means for allowing said image signal to be stored into image memory means;

remaining amount detecting means for detecting a remaining amount of said image memory means;

discriminating means for discriminating whether the photographing by said image pickup means can be performed or not on the basis of said detected remaining amount;

image selecting means for selecting an image signal from said image memory means on the basis of a predetermined selecting condition when a result of said discrimination indicates that the photographing is impossible; and

communicating means for transmitting said selected image signal.

13. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an old one of said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing photographing times of said image signals.

14. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an image signal in which an accessing frequency is small from said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing accessing frequencies of said image signals.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an image signal in which the number of colors is small from said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing the numbers of colors of said image signals.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said predetermined selecting condition is a condition to select an image signal in which the number of colors is large from said stored image signals, and

further comprising managing means for managing the numbers of colors of said image signals.

17. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising marking means for adding a mark to the image signal which is outputted from said image pickup means, and

wherein said predetermined selecting condition relates to the presence or absence of said marking.

18. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising setting means for setting one of a plurality of photograph modes to obtain an image signal having a different image size from said image pickup means, and

wherein each of said remaining amount detecting means, discriminating means, and image selecting means executes each process when the setting of said photograph mode is changed.

19. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said image pickup means has instructing means for instructing the photographing, and each of said remaining amount detecting means, discriminating means, and image selecting means executes each process when said instructing means is operated.

20. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising erasing means for erasing said selected image signal from said image memory means after said communicating means finished said transmission.

21. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said communicating means transmits said selected image signal in a wireless manner.

22. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said communicating means communicates with a base station of a cellular phone.

23. An apparatus according to claim 21, further comprising microphone means, speaker means, and audio processing means for processing an audio signal from said microphone means and transmitting the processed audio signal to said communicating means and for processing the audio signal received by said communicating means and transmitting the processed audio signal to said speaker means.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising:

a first block equipped with a part of each of said means and said microphone means;

a second block equipped with another part of each of said means and said speaker means; and

coupling means for mutually rotatably coupling said first and second blocks.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said image pickup means is provided for one of said first and second blocks, and display means for displaying the image signal which is obtained from said image pickup means is provided for the other block.

12. A photographing apparatus comprising:

image pickup means for photographing an object and outputting an image signal;

memory control means for allowing said image signal to be stored into image memory means;

remaining amount detecting means for detecting a remaining amount of said image memory means;

discriminating means for discriminating whether the photographing by said image pickup means can be performed or not on the basis of said detected remaining amount;

image selecting means for selecting an image signal from said image memory means on the basis of a predetermined selecting condition when a result of said discrimination indicates that the photographing is impossible; and

image processing means for processing said selected image signal and supplying said processed image signal to said image memory means.

26. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising erasing means for erasing said selected image signal from said image memory means after said image processing means finished said process.

27. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image processing means further compresses said selected image signal.

28. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image processing means reduces resolution of said selected image signal.

29. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said image processing means reduces the number of colors of said selected image signal.

30. A computer readable recording medium in which a program to execute by the computer has been recorded, wherein said program comprises the steps of:

storing an image signal photographed by image pickup means into image memory means;

detecting a remaining amount of said image memory means;

discriminating whether the photographing by said image pickup means can be performed or not on the basis of said detected remaining amount;

selecting an image signal on the basis of a predetermined selecting condition from said image memory means when a result of said discrimination indicates that the photographing is impossible; and

transmitting said selected image signal.

31. A computer readable recording medium in which a program to execute by the computer has been recorded, wherein said program comprises the steps of:

storing an image signal photographed by image pickup means into image memory means;

detecting a remaining amount of said image memory means;

discriminating whether the photographing by said image pickup means can be performed or not on the basis of said detected remaining amount;

selecting an image signal on the basis of a predetermined selecting condition from said image memory means when a result of said discrimination indicates that the photographing is impossible; and

processing said selected image signal and supplying the processed image signal to said image memory means.

32. A computer readable recording medium in which data including a photograph mode of a photographing apparatus and a size of image which is photographed in said photograph mode has been recorded.