Camera having a data recording function

• US 5,296,884 A
• Filed: 06/25/1992
• Issued: 03/22/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Sakakibara, Kuniteru, Honda, Tsutomu, Ishibe, Hiroshi, Nakamura, Kenji, Morimoto, Yasuhiro, Naruto, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Gray, David M.
• Application Number:
  US07/905,503
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 354/105, 354/106, 356/110-113, 356/906, 356/909
• US Class Current: 396/311
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 2217/242 Details of the marking device
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/587 using geographical or spatial information, e.g. location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00323 with a measuring, monitoring or signaling apparatus, e.g. for transmitting measured information to a central location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0077 Types of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A camera is disclosed which has means for receiving an electric wave which is transmitted from an external device in a wireless manner (e.g., equipment for radio navigation systems, satellites and radio stations). When an image of an object is recorded at every shot on a recording medium loaded in said camera, a data corresponding to every shot is recorded in accordance with the electric wave received by said receiving means. Preferably said camera further has means for detecting a place where the photo-taking operation is carried out and in accordance with the detection of said detecting means, the data corresponding to every shot is recorded. Thus, records of the object image together with data relating to place can be obtained without any manual operation prior to every photo-taking operation.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

a camera housing capable of being hand-held by an operator, including within the housing;

first means for recording an image of an object on a recording medium at every recording event;

means for receiving an electric wave transmitted from an external device in a wireless manner including a antenna operatively mounted on the camera housing;

means for storing a plurality of predetermined data in advance;

means for selecting a portion of the data stored by said storing means in accordance with the electric wave received by said receiving means to output data relating to the names of physical places;

first monitor means on the camera housing to display the names of physical places to the operator;

second means for recording the data output by said selecting means with respect to every recording event; and

a filing device including;

means for designating specific data relating to a desired image that has been recorded; and

means for searching, among the data recorded by said second recording means, for data identical with the data designated by said designating means to detect the desired image, and

means for reproducing the image recorded on the recording medium wherein said reproducing means reproduces the image searched by said searching means, including a second monitor for displaying both the image and output data relating to the names of physical places.

2. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said storing means stores a plurality of data relating to the names of physical places, respectively, and said selecting means selects the data relating to a place where the recording event is carried out.

3. A camera system according to claim 1 wherein said designating means includes means for inputting reference data and said searching means includes means for comparing the inputted reference data with the data recorded by said second recording means, said searching means detects the image in response to said comparing means.

4. A camera according to claim 1 wherein said storing means includes a plurality of recording media to be interchangeably loaded in said camera, each of the plurality of recording media storing various data, respectively.

5. A camera system comprising:

a camera housing capable of being hand-held by an operator, including within the housing;

first means for recording an image of an object on a recording medium at every recording event;

means for storing in advance a plurality of predetermined data relating to the names of physical places, respectively;

means manually operable for selecting one of the physical places from the plurality of data stored by said storing means;

first monitor means on the camera housing to display the names of physical places to the operator from the stored data;

second means for recording the corresponding data selected by said selecting means with respect to every recording event;

a filing device including;

means for designating specific data relating to a desired image that has been recorded;

means for searching, among the data recorded by said second record means, for data identical with the data designated by said designating means to detect the desired image, and

means for reproducing the image recorded on the recording medium wherein said reproducing means reproduces the image searched by said searching means, including a second monitor for displaying both the image and corresponding names of physical places.

6. A camera according to claim 5 wherein said storing means includes a plurality of recording media to be interchangeably loaded in said camera, each of the plurality of recording media storing various data, respectively.

7. A camera system according to claim 5, wherein the means for storing includes a plurality of exchangeable memory devices that contain stored predetermined data related to a geographical area, and an individual memory device is capable of being inserted into the camera system for a particular location in which the operator wishes to record events.

8. A camera system according to claim 7, wherein the selecting means includes a plurality of switches corresponding, respectively, to categories of physical places.

9. A camera system comprising:

a camera housing capable of being hand-held by an operator, including within the housing;

first means for recording an image of an object on a recording medium at every recording event;

means for receiving an electrical wave transmitted from an external device in a wireless manner;

means for storing a plurality of predetermined data in advance;

means for selecting a portion of the data stored by said storing means in accordance with the electrical wave received by said receiving means to output data relating to the name of events;

second means for recording the data output by said selecting means with respect to every recording event; and

a filing device including;

means for designating specific data relating to a desired image that has been recorded; and

means for searching, among the data recorded by said second recording means, for data identical with the data designated by said designating means to detect the desired image.

10. A camera capable of being hand-held for recording images, comprising:

a camera housing including therein the following;

first means for recording an image of an object on a recording medium at every recording event;

means for receiving an electrical wave transmitted from an external device in a wireless manner;

means for interchangeably storing a plurality of predetermined data in advance, including a memory for storing categories of data related to a geographical area or physical place;

means for selecting one of the data stored by said memory in accordance with the electrical wave received by said receiving means;

display means on the camera housing for displaying to the operator a common name of one of the geographical areas or physical places prior to recording the image;

second means for recording the data selected by said selecting means with respect to every recording event;

means for designating data relating to a desired image; and

means for searching, among the data recorded by said second recording means, for data identical with the data designated by said designating means to detect the desired image.

11. A camera system comprising:

a transmitter provided separately from a camera, including means for transmitting an electrical wave carrying codes directly relating to a name of a physical place or event in a wireless manner; and

a camera housing capable of being hand-held by one operator, including within the housing;

first means for recording an image of an object on a recording medium at every recording event;

monitor means for disclosing an image to an operator;

means for receiving the electrical wave transmitted from said transmitter, including an antenna operatively mounted on the camera housing;

means for decoding the codes in accordance with the electrical wave received by said receiving means to output data representing the name for the physical place or event;

means for displaying alphabetical names of the physical place or event broadcast by the transmitter on the monitor, from the output data, for viewing by on the operator prior to recording the image; and

second means for recording both the event and the data output by the decoding means.