Electronic camera and method of operating an electronic camera

• US 6,522,354 B1
• Filed: 06/08/1998
• Issued: 02/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kazami, Kazuyuki, Nozaki, Hirotake, Yokonuma, Norikazu, Ezawa, Akira, Kawamura, Tomoaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/093,055
• Time in Patent Office: 1,716 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.05, 348/333.02, 348/333.11, 348/231, 348/552, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/231.9, 345/838, 345/835, 345/837, 345/752
• US Class Current: 348/231.2
• 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 1/00302 with a telephonic apparatus, e.g. telephone answering machine or videotex terminal H04N1/00307 takes precedence; telephonic communication H04M
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0035 User-machine interface; Control console input or output arrangements for computers G06F3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00384 Key input means, e.g. buttons or keypads electromechanical details of key input means in general H01H13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/62 Control of parameters via user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

An electronic camera displays recorded information, such as image frames, to permit the selection of items of information to be transferred to external equipment. Each time an item of information is transferred, an informative indication (e.g., an icon) is displayed in association with the transferred item to confirm the transfer and to permit an operator to select items of recorded information that may be erased. If an error occurs during transfer of a series of items, the operator can determine from the display the point at which the error occurred, avoiding the need for transferring items that have already been transferred.

Claims

1. An electronic camera comprising:

image pickup means for capturing an image of a subject and producing picture information;

information obtaining means for obtaining record information including at least one of said picture information, voice information which is provided through a microphone, and information which is provided through an external input terminal;

recording means for receiving record information from said information obtaining means, and recording record information on a recording medium;

transfer means for receiving record information from said recording medium or from said information obtaining means, and transferring record information to external equipment; and

display means for displaying Information relating to record information, wherein said display means provides informative indications of transferred record information when record information has been transferred by said transfer means, and each of said informative indications is displayed along with a corresponding display of record information only when transfer thereof is complete and each of said informative indications has a predetermined display form related to a transfer form or destination, thereby identifying record information that has been transferred and identifying the transfer form or destination.

2. An electronic camera as defined in claim 1, wherein said transfer means sequentially transfers a plurality of items of record information, and said display means displays an informative indication each time transfer of an item of record information has been completed.

3. An electronic camera as defined in claim 1, wherein said display means displays the transfer form of said transfer means so as at least to inform whether record information has been transferred through a communication line.

4. An electronic camera as defined in claim 1, wherein each informative indication is an icon identifying a transfer form or destination.

5. An electronic camera as defined in claim 4, wherein each display of record information is an image.

6. An electronic camera as defined in claim 1, further comprising erasing means for erasing at least part of recorded information.

7. An electronic camera as defined in claim 6, wherein said erasing means permits selection of recorded information to be erased based on said informative indications.

8. An electronic camera as defined in claim 6, wherein said erasing means automatically selects recorded information to be erased based on said informative indications.

9. An electronic camera as defined in claim 1, wherein at least one of said informative indications indicates the number of times corresponding record information has been transferred.

10. An electronic camera comprising:

an image pickup device that captures an image of a subject and produces picture information;

an information obtaining device connected to said image pickup device to obtain record information including at least one of said picture information, voice information which is provided through a microphone, and information which is provided through an external input terminal;

a recording device connected to said information obtaining device to receive record information from said information obtaining device and to record that information on a recording medium;

a transfer device connected to said recording device and to said obtaining device to transfer record information from said recording medium or from said information obtaining device to external equipment; and

a display device connected to said recording device to display information relating to record information, wherein said display device is connected to said transfer device to provide informative indications of transferred record information when record information has been transferred by said transfer device, and each of said informative indications is displayed along with a corresponding display of record information only when transfer thereof is complete and each of said informative indications has a predetermined display form related to a transfer form or destination, thereby identifying record information that has been transferred and identifying the transfer form or destination.

11. An electronic camera as defined in claim 10, wherein said transfer device sequentially transfers a plurality of items of record information, and said display device displays an informative indication each time transfer of an item of record information has been completed.

12. An electronic camera as defined in claim 10, wherein said display device displays the transfer form of said transfer device so as at least to inform whether record information has been transferred through a communication line.

13. An electronic camera as defined in claim 10, wherein each informative indication is an icon identifying a transfer form or destination.

14. An electronic camera as defined in claim 13, wherein each display of record information is an image.

15. An electronic camera as defined in claim 10, further comprising an erasing device for erasing at least part of recorded information.

16. An electronic camera as defined in claim 15, wherein said erasing device permits selection of recorded information to be erased based on said informative indications.

17. An electronic device as defined in claim 15, wherein said erasing device automatically selects recorded information to be erased based on said informative indications.

18. An electronic camera as defined in claim 10, wherein at least one of said informative indications indicates the number of times corresponding record information has been transferred.

19. A method of operating an electronic camera comprising:

capturing an image of a subject and producing picture information;

obtaining record information, including at least one of picture information and voice information;

recording obtained record information on a recording medium;

transferring record information to external equipment; and

displaying information relating to the record information, wherein said displaying provides informative indications of transferred record information when record information has been transferred, and each of said informative indications is displayed along with a corresponding display of record information only when transfer thereof is complete and each of said informative indications has a predetermined display form related to a transfer form or destination, thereby identifying record information that has been transferredand identifying the transfer form or destination.

20. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein a plurality of items of record information are transferred sequentially and an informative indication is displayed each time transfer of an item of record information has been completed.

21. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein the transfer form is displayed so as at least to inform whether record information has been transferred through a communication line.

22. A method as defined in claim 19, further comprising erasing at least part of recorded information.

23. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising selecting recorded information to be erased based on said informative indications.

24. A method as defined in claim 22, further comprising automatically selecting recorded information to be erased based on said informative indications.

25. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein at least one of said informative indications indicates the number of times corresponding record information has been transferred.

28. A method as defined in claim 19, wherein each display of record information is an image and each informative indication displayed along with a corresponding display of record information is an icon.

29. An apparatus as defined in claim 25, wherein at least one of said informative indications indicates the number of times corresponding record information has been transferred.

26. An apparatus for recording image information and transferring the recorded image information to external equipment, wherein, when an item of recorded information has been transferred, an informative indication of the transfer of that item of recorded image information is associated with an image of that item to identify items that have been transferred, wherein a display device displays an image of each item to be transferred and then displays an informative indication in association with the image of each transferred item only when transfer of that item is complete, and wherein each informative indication has a predetermined display form related to a transfer form or destination.

27. An apparatus as defined in claim 26, wherein the informative indication is an icon.