Image capturing apparatus

• US 20060197842A1
• Filed: 12/05/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Konica Minolta Photo Imaging Incorporated (Konica Minolta Inc.)
• Inventors: Akaho, Kazuki, Maehama, Shinichi
• Application Number:
  US11/294,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20060197842A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• 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 2201/3201 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus which may for example be a digital camera is capable of reading respective pieces of information stored in IC tags. These pieces of information stored in the IC tags are each given additional information in advance that indicates the degree of priority of the stored information. Thus even when mutually incompatible shooting conditions are requested in the respective pieces of information stored in these IC tags, stored information given high priority can be selected based on the degree of priority indicated by the foregoing additional information. As a result, the image capturing apparatus is allowed to operate in a suitable manner even when mutually incompatible pieces of information are received from a plurality of IC tags.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

(a) a reader capable of reading respective pieces of stored information in a plurality of IC tags; and

(b) a selector for selecting stored information given high priority from said respective pieces of stored information based on additional information given to each of said respective pieces of stored information, said additional information indicating a degree of priority of said stored information.

2. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

(c) a setting part for setting shooting condition related to said image capturing apparatus based on said stored information selected by said selector.

3. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said degree of priority is as a numerical value.

4. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein a change of said degree of priority is allowed only for an IC tag held by a user of said image capturing apparatus, said IC tag held by said user being selected from said plurality of IC tags.

5. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said degree of priority has an upper limit, and

wherein a user of said image capturing apparatus is prevented from changing said degree of priority of an IC tag given said degree of priority close to said upper limit.

6. The image capturing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein said degree of priority is determined depending on an installation location of an IC tag.