Electronic camera system with programmable transmission capability

• US 5,666,159 A
• Filed: 04/24/1995
• Issued: 09/09/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SCA Ventures, LLC (Adam Saxon)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Schueckler, James R., Parulski, Kenneth A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan J.
• Application Number:
  US08/426,993
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/723, 348/722, 348/705, 348/724, 348/211, 348/212, 358/906, 358/335, 358/310, 386/38, 386/107, 386/117
• US Class Current: 348/211.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1626 with a single-body enclosure integrating a flat display, e.g. Personal Digital Assistants [PDAs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1632 External expansion units, e.g. docking stations
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• 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 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00305 with a cordless telephone apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32058 Abbreviated dialing, e.g. one-touch dialing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32064 Multi-address calling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33323 transmission mode only, e.g. speed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0048 Type of connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0056 : Using mechanical couplings, e.g. mating elements H04N2201/0049, H04N2201/0051, H04N2201/0058 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 : Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 : Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 : Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 : Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33364 : Type of modulation; Type of channel, e.g. digital or analog; Type of communication, e.g. half-duplex or full-duplex
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 : provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 : Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 : Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 : Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 : Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

An electronic camera system includes a programmable transmission capability for selectively transmitting electronic image data to a plurality of remote base units. In one embodiment, a camera module is detachably coupled to a portable computer including a display screen and a data entry device. The electronic image data generated by the camera module is supplied to the portable computer for display on the display screen. The data entry device is used by an operator to select which of the plurality of base units are to receive the digital image data. The digital image data is supplied by the portable computer to a radio-frequency transmitter module for transmission to the selected base units. The radio-frequency transmitter module is formed either integral with the portable computer or, like the camera module, is detachably coupled to the portable computer. In a further embodiment, a combined telephone/camera unit is provided that includes a camera module for generating electronic image data representative of a scene to be imaged, a memory unit for storing the electronic image data generated by the camera module, a display screen for displaying the electronic image data stored in the memory unit, a mechanism for selecting which of the plurality of base units is to receive the digital image data, and a cellular transceiver for transmitting the digital image data to the base units selected by the selection mechanism.

Claims

1. An electronic camera system for selectively transmitting digital image data to a plurality of base receiver units, said electronic camera system comprising:

imaging means for imaging a scene and generating digital image data representative of the imaged scene;

storage means for storing the digital image data;

display means for displaying the digital image data generated by the imaging means;

selection means for selecting at least one of the plurality of base receiver units to receive the digital image data;

radio-frequency receiver means for receiving a mode signal from the base receiver unit selected by the selection means indicating the type of transmission that can be received by the selected base receiver unit;

means responsive to the mode signal for converting the digital image data to standardized digital image data corresponding to the type of transmission that can be received by the selected base receiver unit; and

radio-frequency transmission means for transmitting the standardized digital image data to the base receiver unit selected by the selection means to receive the digital image data.

2. An electronic camera system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the radio-frequency transmission means includes a cellular transceiver.

3. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said imaging means is contained in a module that is separate from said display means and said selection means.

4. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radio-frequency receiver means and said radio-frequency transmission means are contained in a module that is separate from said display means and said selection means.

5. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 2 wherein said cellular transceiver connects to a standard telephone system connection.

6. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 5 wherein said telephone system connection connects to said plurality of base receiver units.

7. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 6 wherein said at least one of said plurality of base receiver units includes a facsimile machine.

10. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein said radio-frequency transmission means transmits standardized digital image data for a plurality of imaged scenes to said selected one of the plurality of base receiver units.

8. An electronic camera as claimed in 5 wherein said camera system further includes a memory unit that stores a plurality of phone numbers.

9. An electronic camera as claimed in claim 8 wherein said selection means selects one base receiver unit, and wherein said selection means selects one of said prestored phone numbers in said memory unit and automatically dials said one selected prestored phone number.