Digital camera-ready printer

• US 6,552,743 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 04/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Rissman, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wilson, Jacqueline
• Application Number:
  US09/057,431
• Time in Patent Office: 1,840 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/375, 348/376, 348/333.01, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/333.12, 348/207.2, 348/14.02, 348/14.04, 348/231.99, 348/231.7, 348/231.9, 358/909.1, 358/906, 358/1.1, 358/1.6, 347/2
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• 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 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/6094 depending on characteristics of the input medium, e.g. film type, newspaper
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors connection via a network H04N2201/0039
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• 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 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0089 Image display device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33378 Type or format of data, e.g. colour or B/W, halftone or binary, computer image file or facsimile data

Abstract

A system and method utilize a digital camera-ready printer which can print directly from a variety of conventional digital cameras on the market. The digital camera-ready printer includes a camera interface that can link with a digital camera in different modes to transfer frames of digital image data from the digital cameras to the digital camera-ready printer. Preferably, the camera interface includes a hot shoe receptor to establish a convenient hot shoe link between the digital camera and the digital camera-ready printer. The digital camera-ready printer includes a processor that can identify the coupled digital camera in order to instruct the digital camera to transmit the frames of digital image data. The processor can also convert the format of the digital image data to a predetermined image file format. The processor of the digital camera-ready printer along with a display device allows a user to edit and manipulate an electronic image represented by a single frame of digital image data prior to printing.

Claims

1. An electronic imaging and printing system comprising:

a printer housing;

an input port configured to receive frames of digital image data from a variety of digital cameras, said frames being representative of images, said input port being attached to said printer housing;

internal memory having an input connected to said input port to receive and store said frames of digital image data;

processor means located within said printer housing for selectively editing and manipulating a selected frame of digital image data to provide an edited frame of digital image data, said processor means being enabled to execute a plurality of image modifications including at least two of image cropping, image rotation, luminance manipulation, zoom factor adjustment, and color adjustment;

display means that is responsive to said processor means for visually displaying said edited frame of digital image data, said display means being connected to the exterior of said printer housing;

printer driver means that is responsive to said processor means for converting said edited frame of digital image data to print data; and

printing means having a supply of print-forming material and being compatible with said printer driver means for printing an image in response to receiving said print data, said printing means being supported by said printer housing.

2. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 further comprising means for selectively reconfiguring said processor means based upon a selection of a particular digital camera that is coupled to said frames of digital image data.

3. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 2 further comprising means for inputting computer software to configure said processing means for compatibility with said variety of digital cameras from which said input port is capable of receiving said frames of digital image data.

4. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 3 wherein said means for inputting said computer software is a floppy disk drive.

5. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 further comprising a user interface that is manipulable to allow the execution of said plurality of image modifications.

6. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 wherein said input port is a hot shoe receptor for receiving said frames of digital image data from any one of said variety of digital cameras having a hot shoe connector.

7. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 further comprising a connector cable having a first end connected to said input port and a second end configured for connection to any one of said variety of digital cameras.

8. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 wherein said input port is a cableless infrared or radio frequency port for receiving said frames of digital image data from any one of said variety of digital cameras with a cableless transmission capability.

9. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 wherein said input port is a memory card port.

10. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 1 wherein said display means includes a liquid crystal display.

11. An electronic imaging and printing system comprising:

a printer housing;

an input port attached to said printer housing and designed to receive frames of digital image data from a plurality of digital cameras, said frames being representative of images;

internal memory having an input connected to said input port to receive and store said frames of digital image data, said internal memory having stored programming for processing any of a plurality of different image file formats;

a digital signal processor coupled to said internal memory to process said frames of digital image data regardless of original image file format of said frames of digital image data,

a display that is responsive to said digital signal processor to display said frames of digital image data, said display being connected to the exterior of said printer housing;

a printer driver associated with said digital signal processor to convert said frames of digital image data to print data; and

a printing mechanism having a supply of print-forming material and being responsive to said print data to deposit said print-forming material onto a surface, said printing mechanism being supported by said printer housing.

12. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 11 wherein said input port is a hot shoe receptor that is configured to be physically connected to any one of said plurality of digital cameras having a hot shoe connector for receiving said frames of digital image data.

13. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 11 wherein said input port is a cableless infrared or radio frequency port that is compatible with receiving said frames of digital image data directly from any one of said plurality of digital cameras having a cableless transmitter.

14. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 11 further comprising a floppy disk drive attached to said printer housing to input computer software in order to configure said digital signal processor to be compatible with said plurality of digital cameras from which said input port is capable of receiving said frames of digital image data.

15. The electronic imaging and printing system of claim 11 wherein said printing mechanism includes an inkjet cartridge having a supply of ink.

16. A method of editing and printing an image that is captured by any digital camera from a variety of digital cameras utilizing a digital camera-ready printer comprising the steps of:

receiving a frame of digital image data representing said image from said any digital camera by said digital camera-ready printer;

converting said frame of digital image data to a particular image file format within said digital camera-ready printer;

displaying an electronic image representative of said frame of digital image data on a display device located on said digital camera-ready printer;

editing and manipulating said electronic image by inputting commands via a user interface located on said digital camera-ready printer; and

depositing print-forming material onto a surface utilizing said digital camera-ready printer to produce a printed image representative of said electronic image.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of internally identifying said any digital camera as a source of said frame of digital image data.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising a step of sending a signal to said any digital camera instructing said any digital camera to transmit said frame of image data prior to said step of receiving said frame of digital image data.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of physically attaching said any digital camera to said digital camera-ready printer to form a hot shoe connection prior to said step of receiving said frames of digital image data.

20. The method of claim 16 further comprising a step of attaching a memory card that had previously been detached from said any digital camera to said digital camera-ready printer prior to said step of receiving said frame of digital image data.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the step of receiving said frame of digital image data involves receiving said frame of digital image data in the form of an infrared or a radio frequency signal.