Digital electronic still camera which receives an input/output control program through a detachable communication interface card
First Claim
1. A digital electronic camera system, comprising:
- a digital electronic camera including;
a lens; and
an electronic image pick-up which receives images through the lens;
a detachably connected input/output interface including;
a connector which detachably connects to the camera;
a connector which connects to a processing device which is external to the electronic camera; and
a memory unit which stores a control program for controlling communication between the camera and the processing device and which stores an attribute corresponding to a type of communication protocol used for said communication between the camera and the processing device,wherein the camera further includes;
a memory;
means for transferring the control program from the memory unit of the interface to the memory of the camera; and
control means, connected to the memory of the camera, which controls an input and output of the camera using the control program transferred to the memory of the camera by said means for transferring.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A digital electronic camera which can accept various types of input/output cards or memory cards. When an I/O card is inserted into and connected with the camera, a processor within the camera determines the type of I/O card which has been connected by reading a memory location within the card. A control program which is contained in the I/O card is transferred to a memory within the camera in order for the camera to perform I/O functions which correspond to the type of the inserted card. Different types of I/O cards which may be used include a modem card, a LAN card, a SCSI card, or an ISDN interface. Image signals and audio signals are transmitted between the camera and an external processor, information describing the status of the camera is transmitted from the camera to the external processor, and commands to control the camera are transmitted to the camera from the external processor.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A digital electronic camera system, comprising:
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a digital electronic camera including; a lens; and an electronic image pick-up which receives images through the lens; a detachably connected input/output interface including; a connector which detachably connects to the camera; a connector which connects to a processing device which is external to the electronic camera; and a memory unit which stores a control program for controlling communication between the camera and the processing device and which stores an attribute corresponding to a type of communication protocol used for said communication between the camera and the processing device, wherein the camera further includes; a memory; means for transferring the control program from the memory unit of the interface to the memory of the camera; and control means, connected to the memory of the camera, which controls an input and output of the camera using the control program transferred to the memory of the camera by said means for transferring. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controlling a digital electronic camera, comprising:
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capturing an image by an electronic image pick-up of the camera; storing the captured image in an image memory; transferring the image in the image memory to a processing device external to the camera through a detachably connected interface of the camera using a communication controller which uses a control program and an attribute corresponding to a type of communication protocol used by the control program contained in the interface; and transferring the control program contained in the interface to a control program memory in the camera, wherein said step of transferring the image transfers the image using the communication controller which uses the control program in the control program memory of the camera. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An input/output interface which detachably connects to a digital electronic camera having a lens and an electronic image pick-up which receives images through the lens, the input/output interface comprising:
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a connector which detachably connects to the camera; a connector which connects to a processing device which is external to the electronic camera; and a memory unit which stores a control program for controlling communication between the camera and the processing device and which stores an attribute corresponding to a type of communication protocol used for said communication between the camera and the processing device, wherein the digital electronic camera includes a control means, connected to the connector which detachably connects to the camera, which controls an input and output of the camera using the control program in the memory unit of the detachably connected interface, wherein; the input/output interface includes means for transferring the control program from the memory unit of the interface to a memory of the camera and the control means controls the input and output of the camera using the control program in the memory of the camera which has been transferred from the memory unit of the input/output interface. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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Specification