Camera system including a camera section and a reproduction section separately attachable to the camera section

• US 5,606,420 A
• Filed: 11/17/1995
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Minolta Camera Kabushiki Kaisha
• Inventors: Maeda, Yutaka, Kyoden, Yasuhiro, Shintani, Dai, Nanba, Katsuyuki, Tanaka, Yoshito, Naruto, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Peter S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FRAHM, ERIC S
• Application Number:
  US08/558,238
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 358/296, 358/400, 358/401, 358/444, 358/503, 358/527, 358/909.1, 354/3, 354/75, 354/76, 354/78, 355/18, 355/19, 355/21, 355/27
• US Class Current: 358/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00538 Modular devices, i.e. allowing combinations of separate components, removal or replacement of components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/107 with manual scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/1077 Arrangements for facilitating movement over the scanned medium, e.g. disposition of rollers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/12 using the sheet-feed movement or the medium-advance or the drum-rotation movement as the slow scanning component, e.g. arrangements for the main-scanningsheet-feed movement by translatory movement of a flat picture-bearing surface H04N1/1008; main-scanning using oscillating or rotating mirrors H04N1/113; using multi-element arrays H04N1/19
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/193 using electrically scanned linear arrays , e.g. linear CCD arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2154 the still video camera incorporating a hardcopy reproducing device, e.g. a printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/508 using the same reproducing head for two or more colour components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A camera system has a camera section, a reproduction section and a printer section, the printer section being separably attachable to either the camera section or the reproduction section to form an integral body. The camera system has photoelectric conversion elements and picks up an image of an object to produce image data. The reproduction section processes the image data so as to reproduce the picked-up image on a display screen, and the printer section prints the picked-up image on printing paper based on the image data. The reproduction section may include an output device which transmits the processed image data to a television set having a display screen, and it may also be integrally provided with a monitor having a display screen. The camera system further includes a recording portion electrically connected with the camera section and which records the image data. The recording portion has a first recorder which records the image data in an internal memory built in one or each of the camera section, the reproduction section and the printer section, and a second recorder which records the image data in an external memory removably mountable on one or each of the camera section, the reproduction section and the printer section.

Claims

1. A camera system comprising:

a camera section which includes photoelectric conversion elements and picks up an image of an object to produce image data;

a reproduction section which processes the image data so as to reproduce the picked-up image on a display screen; and

a printer section which prints the picked-up image on printing paper based on the image data, the printer section being separably attachable to either of the camera section and the reproduction section to form an integral body.

2. A camera system according to claim 1, further comprising a recording portion which is electrically connected with the camera section and records the image data.

3. A camera system according to claim 2, wherein the recording portion includes:

a first recorder which records the image data in an internal memory built in one or each of the camera section, the reproduction section, and the printer section; and

a second recorder which records the image data in an external memory removably mountable on one or each of the camera section, the reproduction section, and the printer section.

4. A camera system according to claim 2, wherein the reproduction section processes the image data recorded by the recording portion.

5. A camera system according to claim 2, wherein the printer section prints the picked-up image based on the image data recorded by the recording portion.

6. A camera system according to claim 2, wherein the recording portion is integrally provided in the camera section.

7. A camera system according to claim 1, wherein the reproduction section includes an output device which transmits the processed image data to a television set having a display screen.

8. A camera system according to claim 1, wherein the reproduction section is integrally provided with a monitor having a display screen.

9. A camera system according to claim 1, wherein the camera section includes a viewfinder.

10. A camera system comprising:

a camera section including;

an image pick-up portion which has photoelectric conversion elements and picks up an image of an object to produce image data; and

a recording portion which is electrically connected with the image pick-up portion and records the image data; and

a reproduction section including;

a first reproducer which processes image data recorded by the recording portion so as to reproduce the picked-up image in the form of a video image; and

a second reproducer which reproduces the picked-up image on printing paper based on the image data recorded by the recording portion;

the reproduction section being separably attachable to the camera section.

11. A camera system according to claim 10, wherein the first reproducer and the second reproducer are separably attachable to each other to form an integral body.

12. A camera system according to claim 10, wherein the first reproducer includes an output device which transmits the processed image data to a television set.

13. A camera system according to claim 10, wherein the first reproducer is integrally provided with a monitor.

14. A camera system according to claim 10, wherein the camera section further includes a reception portion which removably receives a storage device.

15. A camera system comprising:

a camera section which includes an image pick-up portion having photoelectric conversion elements and picks up an image of an object to produce image data; and

a reproduction section including;

a first reproducer which processes the image data so as to reproduce the picked-up image in the form of video image; and

a second reproducer which reproduces the picked-up image on printing paper based on the image data;

the reproduction section being separably attachable to the camera section.

16. A camera system according to claim 15, wherein the first reproducer and the second reproducer are separably attachable to each other to form an integral body.

17. A camera system according to claim 15, wherein the first reproducer includes an output device which transmits the processed image data to a television set.

18. A camera system according to claim 15, wherein the first reproducer is integrally provided with a monitor.

19. A camera system according to claim 15, wherein the camera section further includes a reception portion which removably receives a storage device.