Image storage

• US 20060114339A1
• Filed: 01/12/2006
• Published: 06/01/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation, Nikon Technologies Inc. (Nikon Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohmura, Akira, Tanaka, Masahide
• Application Number:
  US11/330,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20060114339A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• 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 1/00283 with a television apparatus
• 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 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00901 Using different supplies or connection to an external supply H04N1/00893, H04N1/00896 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/433 Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• 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 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0087 Image storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• 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 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• 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 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 : the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

An image storage includes a built-in memory having large capacity for storing plural image data taken by a digital camera. A digital circuit retrieves desired one of the image data from the built-in memory. A connector electrically connects with the digital camera for data transmission. A detector detects the connection of the digital camera to the connector. A controller causes the image storage to receive the image data transmitted from the digital camera through the connector to store that data in the built-in memory in response to detection of the connection by the detector. The controller can transmit a signal to the digital camera to delete the image data that has been transmitted to and stored in the built-in memory. The signal is effective to forcibly delete the image data from the digital camera even if the image data is protected against deletion according to a digital camera setting.

Claims

1. An image storage from which a stored image is retrievable comprising:

a built-in memory of a large capacity for storing a plurality of image data taken by a digital camera;

a digital circuit for retrieving desired one of the plurality of image data from the built-in memory;

a connector for electric connection with the digital camera for data transmission therewith;

a detector capable of detecting the connection of the digital camera to the connector; and

a controller for causing the image storage to receive the image data transmitted from the digital camera through the connector to store the image data in the built-in memory in response to the detection of the connection by the detector, wherein the controller transmits a signal to the digital camera to delete the image data that has already been transmitted to the image storage and stored in the built-in memory, and the signal is effective to forcibly delete the image data from the digital camera even if the image data is protected against a deletion according to a digital camera setting.

2. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the detector includes a mechanical contact and a sensor for sensing the movement of the mechanical contact.

3. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the controller receives the image data that is retrievable by the digital circuit.

4. The image storage according to claim 1, further comprising a power source, wherein the controller automatically turns on the power source in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

5. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the controller causes the image storage to store the image data in accordance with a program that is started in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

6. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the controller automatically transmits a signal to the digital camera to turn on the digital camera in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

7. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the controller causes the image storage to receive the image data in accordance with a program that is started in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

8. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the controller executes a program to automatically delete an incomplete image data from the built-in memory, which may be caused by an interruption of the image data transmission from the digital camera.

9. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the image data is managed in accordance with a directory structure in the digital camera, and wherein the controller causes at least a part of the directory structure to be created in the built-in memory when storing the image data transmitted from the digital camera.

10. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the digital camera includes a rechargeable power source, and the controller automatically causes the rechargeable power source to be charged in response to a termination of the image data transmission from the digital camera to the image storage.

11. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the controller automatically transmits a signal to the digital camera to turn off the digital camera in response to a termination of the image data transmission from the digital camera to the image storage.

12. The image storage according to claim 1, wherein the digital camera includes a rechargeable power source, and the image storage includes a power source, wherein the controller automatically turns off the power source of the image storage in response to a completion of charging of the rechargeable power source of the digital camera.

13. The image storage according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface that receives user input on whether to forcibly delete the image data from the digital camera even if the image data is protected against the deletion.

14. The image storage according to claim 1, further comprising an adapter coupled between the digital camera and the image storage, wherein the connection and the image data transmission are carried out via the adapter.

15. The image storage according to claim 14, wherein the adapter includes a terminal for connecting to the digital camera when the digital camera is coupled with the adapter, and thereby the digital camera is capable of data communication with the adapter.

16. A camera system comprising:

a digital camera having an internal storage capable of storing image data of plural images, and the digital camera capable of protecting specified ones of the plural images from deletion while other images are not protected from deletion;

an external storage connectable with the digital camera;

a detector that detects a connection between the digital camera and the external storage; and

a controller that causes the digital camera to transmit the image data stored in the internal storage of the digital camera, from the internal storage to the external storage, after the detector detects the connection between the digital camera and the external storage, and the controller automatically causing the deletion from the internal storage of the digital camera only the image data that was transmitted and that is not protected from deletion.

17. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the detector includes a mechanical contact and a sensor for sensing the movement of the mechanical contact.

18. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the controller selectively receives the image data that is retrievable from the internal storage.

19. The camera system according to claim 16, further comprising a power source for the external storage, wherein the controller automatically turns on the power source in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

20. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the controller causes the external storage to store the image data in accordance with a program that is started in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

21. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the controller automatically transmits a signal to the digital camera to turn on the digital camera in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

22. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the controller causes the external storage to receive the image data in accordance with a program that is started in response to the detection of the connection by the detector.

23. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the controller executes a program to automatically delete an incomplete image data from the external storage, which is caused by an interruption of the image data transmission from the digital camera.

24. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the image data is managed in accordance with a directory structure in the digital camera internal storage, and wherein the controller causes at least a part of the directory structure to be created in the external storage when storing the image data transmitted from the digital camera.

25. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the digital camera includes a rechargeable power source, and the controller automatically causes the rechargeable power source to be charged in response to a termination of the image data transmission from the digital camera to the external storage.

26. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the controller automatically transmits a signal to the digital camera to turn off the digital camera in response to a termination of the image data transmission from the digital camera to the external storage.

27. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the digital camera includes a rechargeable power source, and the external storage includes a power source, wherein the controller automatically turns off the power source of the external storage after completion of charging of the rechargeable power source of the digital camera.

28. The camera system according to claim 16, further comprising a user interface that receives user input on whether to forcibly delete the image data from the digital camera internal storage even if the image data is protected against a deletion.

29. The camera system according to claim 16, further comprising an adapter coupled between the digital camera and the external storage, wherein the connection and the data transmission are carried out via the adapter.

30. The camera system according to claim 29, wherein the adapter includes a terminal for connecting to the digital camera when the digital camera is coupled with the adapter, and thereby the digital camera is capable of data communication with the adapter.

31. The camera system according to claim 16, wherein the internal storage of the digital camera is removable.