Digital Camera

• US 20090307322A1
• Filed: 06/29/2007
• Published: 12/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Ohmura, Akira, Iwasawa, Aki
• Granted Patent: US 9,838,574 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00209 Transmitting or receiving image data, e.g. facsimile data, via a computer, e.g. using e-mail, a computer network, the internet, I-fax
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00212 Attaching image data to computer messages, e.g. to e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2183 the stored images being distributed among a plurality of different locations, e.g. among a plurality of users
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• 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

Abstract

A digital camera comprises an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject and acquires image data, a communication unit for sending and receiving electronic mail data including image data, a recording control unit that records the image data acquired by the image-capturing unit as photographed image data upon a recording medium, an email for sending creation unit that creates an email for sending, to which is attached an image based upon the photographed image data recorded upon the recording medium, and an email address setting unit that sets an email address as the destination of the email for sending. The email for sending creation unit creates a title or a text of the email for sending, based upon at least one of the photographed image data and the email address that has been set.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject and acquires image data;

a communication unit for sending and receiving electronic mail data including image data;

a recording control unit that records the image data acquired by the image-capturing unit as photographed image data upon a recording medium;

an email for sending creation unit that creates an email for sending, for causing the communication unit to send the electronic mail data, to which is attached an image to be sent based upon the photographed image data recorded upon the recording medium; and

an email address setting unit that sets an email address as the destination of the email for sending that has been created by the email for sending creation unit;

wherein

the email for sending creation unit creates a title or a text of the email for sending, based upon at least one of the photographed image data and the email address that has been set by the email address setting unit.

2. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the email for sending creation unit creates the title or the text of the email for sending, based upon photographic information included in the photographed image data or information about the photographic subject that is specified based upon the photographed image data.

3. A digital camera according to claim 2, further comprising an event information storage unit that stores event information that is set according to date and time;

and wherein

the email for sending creation unit creates the title or the text of the email for sending, based upon photographic information included in the photographed image data and the event information stored in the event information storage unit.

4. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information;

and wherein

the email for sending creation unit creates the title or the text of the email for sending, based upon at least one of the photographed image data, the email address, and the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit when the photographed image data was acquired by the image capturing unit.

5. A digital camera according to claim 4, further comprising a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information that specifies a position of photography, based upon the position information acquired by the position information storage unit;

and wherein

the email for sending creation unit creates the email for sending, to which are attached the image to be sent and the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit.

6. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising an editing unit that, according to user actuation, edits the title or the text of the email for sending created by the email for sending creation unit.

7. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising an aspect ratio changing unit that changes an image aspect ratio of the photographed image data, according to the email address set by the email address setting unit;

and wherein

the email for sending creation unit creates the email for sending to which is attached the image to be sent based upon the photographed image data of which the image aspect ratio has been changed by the aspect ratio changing unit.

8. A digital camera according to claim 7, wherein, if an email address of a portable telephone is set by the email address sending unit, the aspect ratio changing unit changes the image aspect ratio of the photographed image data so that the vertical dimension of the image becomes longer than its horizontal direction.

9. A digital camera, comprising:

an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject;

a communication unit for sending and receiving electronic mail data including image data;

an attaching unit that attaches the image data captured by the image-capturing unit to an electronic mail; and

a limitation unit that limits the number and/or the volume of items of the image data attached by the attaching unit, according to the address for sending.