Digital image-sensing apparatus and control method therefor

• US 6,603,506 B2
• Filed: 01/30/1997
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Ayutthaya Limited (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Asada, Satoshi, Ogawa, Yasuyuki, Watanabe, Hitoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/791,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20020080250A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/552, 348/348, 348/222.1, 348/231.99, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/231.9, 358/906, 400/88, 355/39, 355/40
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33369 Storage of mode or retrieval of prestored mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33376 according to characteristics or state of one of the communicating parties, e.g. available memory capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0027 Adapting to communicate with plural different types of apparatus
• 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 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33328 Resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera

Abstract

A digital image sensing apparatus having a plurality of programs for connecting the apparatus to a plural types of external device. When sensed video image data is transferred to the external device, the characteristic of the external device is obtained so that the video image data can be converted into data in form receivable and interpretable by the external device. An application program is selected in accordance with the obtained characteristic, then the video image data is converted in accordance with the selected program, and the converted video image data is outputted to the external device.

Claims

1. A digital image-sensing apparatus comprising:

an image sensing unit for converting an optical image of an object into an electric image signal;

a conversion unit for converting the electric image signal into a digital image signal;

an interface unit for interfacing said digital image-sensing apparatus with an external printer; and

a printer control module for controlling printing a sensed image based on the digital image signal by said external printer,

wherein said printer control module includes

a CPU;

a memory;

a communication module for interpreting a communication protocol for communicating with said external printer via said interface unit and discriminating type of said external printer connected to said digital image-sensing apparatus, wherein said external printer and said digital image-sensing apparatus establish a communication link and said communication module determines the printer type;

a code generating module for generating codes that a printer of the type determined by said communication module can interpret;

a combined-multiple-image generating module for generating a combined-multiple-image signal from a plurality of image information stored in said digital image-sensing apparatus; and

a digital image-sensing apparatus control module for transferring the combined-multiple-image signal to said external printer, in correspondence with a file name,

and wherein said printer control module controls said external printer to print the combined-multiple-image.

2. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an image-sensing unit for sensing an object;

a communication bus for performing communication with a printer;

a storage device for storing printing layout information on a relative position of an image, form data indicating a form of decorative information and other data for controlling said printer, by type of said printer to change the printing layout; and

a control module for reading the printing layout information from said storage device in accordance with type information indicating the type of said printer, received via said communication bus, and transferring the printing layout information, the form data indicating the form of said decorative information and image information sensed by said image sensing unit to said printer via said communication bus.

3. A printer comprising:

a communication bus for performing communication with an image sensing apparatus;

a memory for storing type information indicating type of said printer;

a printing unit for printing an image based on image information received via said communication bus from said image sensing apparatus; and

a control module for reading the type information from said memory and transferring the type information to said image sensing apparatus via said communication bus, receiving printing layout information on a relative position of an image, form data indicating a form of decorative information and other data and the image information transferred in correspondence with transfer by said control module from said image sensing apparatus and forwarding the image information and the form data indicating the form of said decorative information to said printing unit, and controlling said printing means based on the printing layout information.