Communication terminal with imaging function and program for the communication terminal

• US 20060121850A1
• Filed: 08/06/2003
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kyocera Corporation
• Inventors: Hama, Mitsuji
• Granted Patent: US 7,432,954 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging

Abstract

A communications terminal having an image shooting function allows a user to transmit a shot image as an e-mail attachment more easily and conveniently than in a conventional manner. Before being placed into an image shooting mode, the communications terminal first receives an e-mail address specified by the user as a destination of an image to be shot. Then, at a push of a shutter button in the image shooting mode, the communications terminal shoots an image to generate image data, automatically attaches the image data to an e-mail message, and transmits the e-mail message to the e-mail address specified by the user before the image shooting.

Claims

1. A communications terminal having an image shooting function, wherein

the communications terminal shoots an image to generate image data in response to an image shooting instruction from a user, and automatically attaches the image data to an e-mail message directed to an e-mail address designated by the user prior to receiving the image shooting instruction.

2. The communications terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

an address designation receiving unit operable to receive designation of the e-mail address from the user prior to the image shooting;

a shooting instruction receiving unit operable to receive the image shooting instruction from the user;

a generating unit operable to generate the image data by shooting the image based on the received image shooting instruction; and

an attaching unit operable to, on generation of the image data by the generating unit, automatically attach the image data to the e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated according to the address designation received by the address designation receiving unit.

3. The communications terminal according to claim 2, wherein

the image data is moving image data,

the generating unit generates the moving image data by shooting a moving image for a predetermined duration based on the image shooting instruction received by the shooting instruction receiving unit, and

on generation of the moving image data, the attaching unit automatically attaches the moving image data to the e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated according to the address designation received by the address designation receiving unit.

4. The communications terminal according to claim 1, wherein the image data is moving image data, the communications terminal comprising:

an address designation receiving unit operable to receive designation of the e-mail address from the user prior to the image shooting;

a start instruction receiving unit operable to receive from the user a start instruction requesting to start the image shooting;

an end instruction receiving unit operable to receive from the user an end instruction requesting to end the image shooting;

a generating unit operable to generate the moving image data by shooting a moving image for a duration starting upon receipt of the start instruction and ending upon receipt of the end instruction; and

an attaching unit operable to, on generation of the moving image data by the generating unit, automatically attach the moving image data to the e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated according to the address designation received by the address designation receiving unit.

5. The communications terminal according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit operable to visually present the image data on generation of the image data by the generating unit; and

a save instruction receiving unit operable to receive from the user an instruction as to whether to save the presented image data, wherein

only when the save instruction receiving unit receives an affirmative instruction, the image data is saved and the attaching unit automatically attaches the image data to the e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated according to the address designation received by the address designation receiving unit.

6. The communications terminal according to claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit operable to, on generation of the image data by the generating unit, visually present the image data along with the e-mail address designated according to the address designation received from the user by the address designation receiving unit; and

a transmission instruction receiving unit operable to receive from the user an instruction as to whether to transmit the presented image data as an attachment to the e-mail message directed to the presented e-mail address, wherein

only when the transmission instruction receiving unit receives an affirmative instruction, the attaching unit automatically attaches the presented image data to the e-mail message directed to the presented e-mail address.

7. The communications terminal according to claim 6, further comprising

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the e-mail message on automatic attachment of the image data to the e-mail message by the attaching unit.

8. The communications terminal according to claim 1, comprising

first and second operating buttons each for receiving the image shooting instruction from the user, wherein

at a push of the first operating button, the image shooing is performed to generate the image data, and

at a push of the second operating button, the image shooting is performed to generate the image data, and the image data is automatically attached to the e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated by the user prior to the image shooting.

9. The communications terminal according to claim 1, comprising

an operating button for receiving the image shooting instruction from the user, wherein

at a push of the operating button for less than a predetermined time period, the image shooing is performed to generate the image data, and

at a push of the operating button for the predetermined time period or longer, the image shooing is performed to generate the image data, and the image data is automatically attached to the e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated by the user prior to receiving the image shooting instruction.

10. The communications terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

a plurality of operating buttons each for receiving the image shooting instruction from the user; and

a storing unit operable to store e-mail addresses each in association with one of the operating buttons, wherein

at a push of one of the operating buttons, the image shooting is performed to generate the image data, and the image data is automatically attached to an e-mail message directed to an e-mail address associated with the pushed operating button.

11. The communications terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

a clock unit operable to acquire a current date and time; and

a date and time inserting unit operable to insert the date and time acquired at a time of the image shooting into text of the e-mail message to which the image data is automatically attached.

12. The communications terminal according to claim 1, comprising:

a current location acquiring unit operable to acquire a current location of the communications terminal; and

a location inserting unit operable to insert the location of the communications terminal acquired at a time of the image shooting into text of the e-mail message to which the image data is automatically attached.

14. The communications terminal according to claim 2, further comprising

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the e-mail message on automatic attachment of the image data to the e-mail message by the attaching unit.

15. The communications terminal according to claim 3, further comprising

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the e-mail message on automatic attachment of the image data to the e-mail message by the attaching unit.

16. The communications terminal according to claim 4, further comprising

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the e-mail message on automatic attachment of the image data to the e-mail message by the attaching unit.

17. The communications terminal according to claim 5, further comprising

a transmitting unit operable to transmit the e-mail message on automatic attachment of the image data to the e-mail message by the attaching unit.

13. A program executable by a communications terminal having an image shooting function, the program comprising:

an address designation receiving step of receiving designation of an e-mail address from a user prior to image shooting;

a shooting instruction receiving step of receiving an image shooting instruction from the user;

a generating step of generating image data by shooting an image based on the received image shooting instruction; and

an attaching step of, on generation of the image data in the generating step, automatically attaching the image data to an e-mail message directed to the e-mail address designated according to the address designation received in the address designation receiving step.