Image input apparatus such as digital cordless telephone having radio communication function for communicating with base station

• US 6,564,070 B1
• Filed: 09/22/1997
• Issued: 05/13/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sonobe, Hiraku, Nagamine, Kazuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAVER, CHARLES R
• Application Number:
  US08/934,802
• Time in Patent Office: 2,059 Days
• Field of Search: 455/566, 455/567, 455/419, 455/420, 455/456, 455/457, 455/466, 455/414, 455/418, 455/426, 455/90, 455/550, 455/556, 455/557, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495, 348/14
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72451 according to schedules, e.g. using calendar applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72457 according to geographic location
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/733 with a plurality of base stations connected to a plurality of lines for selection in cordless PBX H04W84/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera constructional features concerning the integration of cameras in portable phones H04M1/0264
• 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 1/00302 with a telephonic apparatus, e.g. telephone answering machine or videotex terminal H04N1/00307 takes precedence; telephonic communication H04M
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00305 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 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• 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 2201/0022 Selecting or switching between an image communication mode and a non-image communication mode H04N2201/002 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0063 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• 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 2201/325 : Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3254 : Orientation, e.g. landscape or portrait; Location or order of the image data, e.g. in memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3274 : Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 : The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 : Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

The identification information of a base station used to identify this station is stored in relation to position information. If received identification information is stored when an image is photographed, position information corresponding to the stored identification information is added to the image data.

Claims

1. An image input apparatus comprising:

image input means for inputting an image;

identification information receiving means for receiving a plurality of identification information transmitted from a plurality of respective base stations for controlling a radio communication apparatus and used to identify each of said plurality of respective base stations;

registering means for registering position information in relation to each of said plurality of identification information to identify each of said plurality of respective base stations; and

control means for selecting position information from registration of said registering means based on each of said plurality of identification information received by said identification information receiving means, and storage means for storing the position information selected by said control means in relation to image data inputted by said image input means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means adds the position information to the input image data from said image input means when said information receiving means receives each of said plurality of identification information.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising communication means for performing communication via each of said plurality of respective base stations.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said communicating means transmits the data stored by said control means to each of said plurality of respective base stations.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said communicating means has voice communicating means for performing voice communication.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said voice communicating means and said image input means operate independently of each other.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said voice communicating means is detachable.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein data transmission by said communicating means and voice communication by said voice communicating means can be freely switched.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means performs control to store the position information as attribute information of the image data.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control means stores the image data by a JFIF (JPEG File Interchange Format) image file format.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said control means performs control to store the position information in a property extension area of the JFIF image file format.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said identification information receiving means receives said plurality of identification information from a base station of a cordless digital telephone.

13. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said communicating means performs communication via a base station of a cordless digital telephone.

14. An image input apparatus comprising:

first communicating means for transmitting image data;

second communicating means for performing voice communication;

designating means for manually designating a start of a transmission of the image data by said first communication means or a voice communication by said second communicating means; and

switching means for stopping a transmission of the image data by said first communicating means in response to a request for a start of a voice communication by said designating means while the image data is being transmitted by said first communicating means, and starting a voice communication by said second communication means to said destination.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said switching means also switches the voice communication by said second communicating means to the transmission of the image data by said first communicating means, in accordance with the start of the transmission of the image data designated by said designating means while the voice communication is being performed by said second communicating means.

16. An image input apparatus comprising:

first communicating means for wirelessly transmitting image data;

second communicating means for performing wirelessly voice communication;

designating means for designating a start of a transmission of the image data by said first communicating means or a voice communication by said second communicating means; and

switching means for stopping a voice communication by said second communication means to a destination and starting a transmission of the image data by said first communicating means to said destination, when a start of a transmission of the image data is detected by said designating means while a voice communication is being perform by said second communicating means.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein said switching means also switches a transmission of the image data by said first communicating means to the voice communication by said second communicating means, in accordance with a start of a voice communication designated by said designating means while a transmission of the image data is being preformed by said first communicating means.

18. A method of controlling an image input apparatus, comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image;

an identification information receiving step of receiving a plurality of identification information transmitted from a plurality of respective base stations for controlling a radio communication apparatus and used to identify each of said plurality of respective base stations;

a registration step of registering position information in relation to each of plurality of identification information to identify each of said plurality of respective base stations in accordance with a registration operation by an operator; and

a control step of selecting position information from registration generated in the registering step based on each of said plurality of identification information received in the identification information receiving step, and a storing step of storing the position information selected in said control step in relation to image data inputted in said image input step.

19. A method of controlling an image input apparatus, comprising:

a first communication step of transmitting image data;

a second communication step of performing voice communication;

a designation step of manually designating a start of a transmission of the image data in the first communication step or a voice communication in the second communication step; and

a switching step of stopping a transmission of the image data in the first communicating step in response to a request for a start of a voice communication at said designating step while the image data is being transmitted in the first communication step, and starting a voice commuication at said second communication step to said destination.

20. A method of controlling an image input apparatus, comprising:

a first communication step of wirelessly transmitting the image data;

a second communication step of performing wirelessly voice communication;

a designation step of designating a start of a transmission of the image data in the first communication step or a voice communication in the second communication step; and

a switching step of stopping a voice communication in the second communication step to a designation and starting a transmission of the image data in the first communicating step to said designation, when a start of a transmission of the image data is detected at said designating step while a voice communication is being performed in the second communication step.

21. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method step for controlling an image input apparatus, said method steps comprising:

an image input step of inputting image data;

an identification information receiving step of receiving a plurality of identification information transmitted from a plurality of respective base stations for controlling a radio communication apparatus and used to identify each of said plurality of respective base stations;

a registration step of registering position information in relation to each of a plurality of identification information to identify each of said plurality of respective base stations in accordance with a registration operation by an operator;

a control step of selecting position information from registration generated in the registering step based on each of said plurality of identification information received in the identification information receiving step, and a storing step of storing the position information selected in said control step in relation to image data inputted in said image input step.

22. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method step for controlling an image input apparatus, said method steps comprising:

a first communication step of transmitting the input image data;

a second communication step of performing voice communication;

a designation step of manually designating a start of a transmission of the image data in the first communication step or a voice communication in the second communication step; and

a switching step of stopping a transmission of the image data in the first communicating step in response to a request for a start of voice communication at said designating step while the image data is being transmitted in the first communication step, and starting a voice communication at said second communication step to said designation.

23. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method step for controlling an image input apparatus, said method steps comprising:

a first communication step of wirelessly transmitting the input image;

a second communication step of performing wirelessly voice communication;

a designation step of designating a start of a transmission of the image data in the first communication step or a voice communication in the second communication step; and

a switching step of stopping a voice communication in the second communication step to a destination and starting a transmission of the image data in the first communicating step to said destination, when a start of a transmission of the image data is detected at said designating step while a voice communication is being performed in the second communication step.

24. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method step for controlling an image input apparatus, said method steps comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image;

an identification information receiving step of receiving identification information transmitted from a base station for controlling a radio communication apparatus and used to identify said base station;

a storage step of storing information pertinent to the identification information received in the identification information receiving step in relation to image data;

a read step of reading out the image data stored in the storage step and the information pertinent to the identification information; and

an output step of outputting the image data and the information pertinent to the identification information read out in the read step, wherein the output step outputs the image data in relation to the information pertinent to the identification information.

25. An image input apparatus comprising:

image input means for inputting an image;

identification information receiving means for receiving identification information transmitted from a base station for controlling a radio communication apparatus and used to identify said base station;

storage means for storing information pertinent to the identification information received by said identification information receiving means in relation to image data;

output means for reading out the image data stored by said storage means and the information pertinent to the identification information, and outputting the image data and the information pertinent to the identification information, wherein the output means outputs the image data in relation to the information pertinent to the identification information.

26. A method of controlling an image input apparatus comprising:

an image input step of inputting an image;

an identification information receiving step of receiving identification information transmitted from a base station for controlling a radio communication apparatus and used to identify said base station;

a storage step of storing information pertinent to the identification information received in the identification information receiving step in relation to image data;

an output step of reading out the image data stored in the storage step and the information pertinent to the identification information, and outputting the image data and the information pertinent to the identification information, wherein the image data are output in relation to the information pertinent to the identification information.