ELECTRONIC CAMERA

• US 20100066839A1
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Published: 03/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shinohara, Takeshi, Azuma, Seiichi
• Granted Patent: US 8,319,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.100
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00153 for sharing images with a selected individual or correspondent
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4413 involving the use of passwords, ID codes or the like, e.g. PIN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/4426 involving separate means, e.g. a server, a magnetic card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• 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 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence

Abstract

An electronic camera having a function of accessing a specific server via Internet includes: a storage unit in which related information concerning the electronic camera is stored in advance; a generation unit that dynamically generates an identifier to be used to identify the electronic camera in conformance to a predefined specific rule based upon at least part of the related information stored in the storage unit; and a setting unit that sets the identifier generated by the generation unit within a request message to be transmitted to the Internet.

Claims

1. An electronic camera having a function of accessing a specific server via Internet, comprising:

a storage unit in which related information concerning the electronic camera is stored in advance;

a generation unit that generates an identifier to be used to identify the electronic camera in conformance to a predefined specific rule based upon at least part of the related information stored in the storage unit; and

a setting unit that sets the identifier generated by the generation unit within a request message to be transmitted to the Internet.

2. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein:

provided that the server offers a service set in correspondence to a user of each electronic camera, the identifier is identification information used by the server to identify the electronic camera of the user as a specific device.

3. An electronic camera according to claim 2, wherein:

provided that the server is an image management server where images are stored, the electronic camera includes a display unit that outputs a screen display in which an image to be transferred to the server is selected.

4. An electronic camera according to claim 2, further comprising:

a communication unit engaged in wireless communication with an access point in a wireless LAN, wherein;

the electronic camera is connected to the Internet via the access point in communication with the communication unit.

5. An electronic camera according to claim 2, wherein:

the related information includes manufacturer information indicating a manufacturer of the electronic camera, product information of the electronic camera and a serial number assigned to the electronic camera.

6. An electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein:

the identification information generated by the generation unit includes information obtained through a specific type of encryption processing executed on at least part of the manufacturer information, the product information and the serial number appended with a predetermined specific key.

7. An electronic camera according to claim 6, wherein:

the encryption processing is executed by using a specific hash function.

8. An electronic camera according to claim 2, wherein:

the identification information is written within the request message as a “

User Agent”

defined in HTTP.

9. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein:

the identifier used when accessing a service server offering a specific service after undergoing an authentication process at the server is constituted with a user ID and a password used in the authentication process at the server.

10. An electronic camera according to claim 9, wherein:

provided that the service server is an image management server where images are stored, the electronic camera includes a display unit that outputs a screen display in which an image to be transferred to the server is selected.

11. An electronic camera according to claim 9, further comprising:

a communication unit engaged in wireless communication with an access point in a wireless LAN, wherein;

the electronic camera is connected to the Internet via the access point in communication with the communication unit.

12. An electronic camera according to claim 9, wherein:

the related information includes manufacturer information indicating a manufacturer of the electronic camera, product information of the electronic camera and a serial number assigned to the electronic camera.

13. An electronic camera according to claim 12, wherein:

the generation unit generates the user ID based upon at least part of the manufacturer information, the product information and the serial number and generates the password constituted with information generated through a specific type of encryption processing executed on at least part of the manufacturer information, the product information and the serial number appended with a predetermined specific key.

14. An electronic camera according to claim 13, wherein:

the encryption processing is executed by using a specific hash function.

15. An electronic camera according to claim 9, wherein:

the user ID and the password are written in the request message in conformance to international roaming standard WISPr.