Camera and photo data input system for camera

• US 6,337,951 B1
• Filed: 11/21/1997
• Issued: 01/08/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Hiroaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahoney, Christopher E.
• Application Number:
  US08/975,665
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 396/57, 396/319, 396/320, 396/312, 398/231-232
• US Class Current: 396/57
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 17/24 with means for separately producing marks on the film, e.g. title, time of exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00281 with a telecommunication apparatus, e.g. a switched network of teleprinters for the distribution of text-based information, a selective call terminal details of transmission H04N1/00095; establishing a communication with one of a facsimile machine or another apparatus sharing a single line H04N1/32704; interfacing cordless telephone terminals with an accessory to increase the functionality of user interface H04M1/72409
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00315 with a radio transmission apparatus with a cordless telephone H04N1/00305; systems or arrangements for the transmission of a picture signal specially adapted for transmission via radio H04N1/00103; H04N1/00307 takes precedence; radio transmission systems H04B7/00; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0098 User intervention not otherwise provided for, e.g. placing documents, responding to an alarm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3266 of text or character information, e.g. text accompanying an image H04N2201/3226 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data

Abstract

A data sender is installed in a designated place where the probability of photography is high. The data sender sends out photo data relating to the designated place. A receiver for receiving photo data from the data sender and a data storage device for storing the photo data are incorporated into a camera. In association with an image photographed by the camera at the designated place, the photo data is written in the data storage device. The photo data is used for printing or displaying literal information about a scene or subject of the photographed image.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

a receiver for receiving photo location data sent from a remote terrestrially-located data sender installed at a designated place, said data sender being physically unattached from the camera, wherein the designated place is proximal to where a user of the camera takes a photograph;

a data storage device operable to store the photo location data in association with an image photographed at the designated place wherein the photo location data includes at least audio information about the designated place and textual information about the designated place, and

a selector operable by a user for selecting whether each of the photo location data individually will be stored to said data storage device;

wherein the receiver is operable to receive a low power modulated signal having a signal strength on the order of tens of milliwatts or lower.

2. The camera of claim 1, wherein the receiver is operable in a mode to receive the photo location data continuously in periodic time intervals.

3. The camera of claim 1, wherein the receiver is operable to tune to a plurality of different frequencies depending on the frequency transmitted by the data sender.

4. A camera comprising:

a receiver for receiving a place ID data from a remote terrestrially-located data sender installed at a designated place, said data sender being physically unattached from the camera, wherein the designated place is proximal to where a user of the camera takes a photograph;

a memory previously storing various photo data describing subjects to be photographed prior to receiving said place ID data from said data sender, said subjects being in the designated place; and

a data read-write device for selecting the one of the previously stored photo data corresponding to receiving the place ID data from said data sender and recording the selected photo data on a data storage device related to a subject being photographed at the designated place,

wherein the receiver is operable to receive a low power modulated signal having a signal strength on the order of tens of milliwatts or lower.

5. A camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the photo data includes scene data containing at least one of literal and audio information about a subject to be photographed at the designated place.

6. A camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the data storage device is a magnetic recording layer formed on a filmstrip.

7. A camera according to claim 4, wherein the photo data includes audio information about a subject to be photographed at the designated place.

8. A camera as claimed in claim 4, wherein the recorded selected photo data is related to a particular subject within a scene being photographed.

9. A photo data input system comprising:

a terrestrially-located data sender installed at a designated place for sending output photo location data, wherein the designated place is proximal to where a user of a camera takes a photograph, the data sender being physically unattached from the camera;

a receiver for receiving the photo location data from the data sender; and

a memory operable to store the photo location data in association with an image photographed by the camera at the designated place, wherein the photo location data includes at least audio information about the designated place and textual information about the designated place, and

a selector operable by a user for selecting whether each of the photo location data individually will be stored to said memory;

wherein the sender has a power on an order of tens of milliwatts or lower, to send a low power modulated signal.

10. The camera of claim 9, wherein the receiver is operable in a mode to receive the photo location data continuously in periodic time intervals.

11. The camera of claim 9, wherein the receiver is operable to tune to a plurality of different frequencies depending on the frequency transmitted by the data sender.

12. A photo data input system comprising:

a terrestrially-located data sender installed at a designated place for sending out place ID data; and

a camera comprising;

a receiver operable to receive the place ID data from the data sender;

a memory previously storing photo data describing subjects to be photographed prior to receiving ID data from said data sender, said subjects being in the designated place; and

a data read-write device for selecting the one of the previously stored photo data corresponding to receiving the place ID data from said receiver and recording the selected photo data on a data storage device related to a subject being photographed by the camera at the designated place, wherein the receiver receives the place ID data when the designated place and the camera are proximal to each other, and wherein the terrestrially-located data sender is physically unattached from the camera, and

wherein the sender has a power on an order of tens of milliwatts or lower, to send a low power modulated signal.

13. A photo data input system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the memory and the data read-write device are incorporated into the camera.

14. A photo data input system as claimed in claim 12, wherein one of the memory and the data read-write device is incorporated into the camera, whereas the other of the memory and the data read-write device is connectable to the camera.

15. The data input system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the photo data includes scene data containing at least one of descriptive literal and descriptive audio information, said descriptive information describing a subject to be photographed at the designated place.

16. A photo data input system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the data storage device is a magnetic recording layer formed on a filmstrip.

17. A camera according to claim 12, wherein the photo data includes audio information about a subject to be photographed at the designated place.

18. A photo data input system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the recorded selected photo data is related to a particular subject within a scene being photographed.

19. A photo data input system comprising:

a terrestrially-located data sender installed at a designated place for sending out place ID data for providing a description of characteristics of the designated place where the terrestrially-located data sender is installed;

a camera provided with a receiver for receiving the place ID data from the data sender, said data sender being physically unattached from the camera, and a data recording device for recording the place ID data in a first memory related to a subject to be photographed by the camera at the designated place wherein the designated place is proximal to where a user of the camera takes a photograph;

a scene data writing unit comprising;

a second memory previously storing various photo data describing a plurality of the subjects to be photographed prior to the camera receiving ID data from said data sender, said subjects being in the designated place;

a data read-write device connected to the second memory and connectable to the first memory for reading the place ID data from the first memory to select one of said previously stored photo data from the second memory corresponding to receiving the place ID data, the data read-write device recording the selected photo data on a data storage device related to a subject being photographed at the designated place,

wherein the sender has a power on an order tens of milliwatts or lower, to send a low power modulated signal.

20. The data input system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the photo data includes scene data containing at least one of descriptive literal and descriptive audio information, said descriptive information describing a subject to be photographed at the designated place.

21. A camera as claimed in claim 19, wherein the data storage device is a magnetic recording layer formed on a filmstrip.

22. A camera according to claim 19, wherein the photo data includes audio information about a subject to be photographed at the designated place.

23. A photo data input system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the recorded selected photo data is related to a particular subject within a scene being photographed.