Image processing system, digital camera, and printing apparatus

• US 6,856,425 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ohtsuka, Kuniaki, Ozawa, Isamu
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sealey, Lance W.
• Application Number:
  US10/191,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20030016378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: D16/223, 358/1.6, 358/1.12, 455/463, 455/464, 455/569, 219/21.61, 219/21.69, 347/188, 347/193, 396/138, 396/317, 348/207.2, 348/333.03, 348/231.6, 348/552
• US Class Current: 358/1.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0034 Details of the connection, e.g. connector, interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence

Abstract

In order to print an image sensed by a digital camera using a printing apparatus for forming an image on a print medium, image data corresponding to the sensed image is converted into print data, and the converted data is transmitted to the printing apparatus, thereby providing an image processing system which can print an image sensed by the digital camera using the printing apparatus without the intervention of any computer, and a digital camera and printing apparatus suitable for the image processing system.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

an image pickup sensor adapted to form picked up electrical image data;

a communication circuit adapted to directly communicate with a remote printer without an external computer;

an acquisition unit adapted to acquire program codes from the remote printer for printing via said communication circuit;

a conversion circuit adapted to convert said picked up electrical image data into print image data using the program codes acquired by said acquisition unit;

a selecting circuit adapted to select one of a higher quality image print mode and a higher speed image print mode;

a generator adapted to generate a mode signal indicating the selected one of said higher quality image print mode and said higher speed image print mode; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit said mode signal and the converted print image data to said remote printer.

2. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter includes a wireless transmitter.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein said transmitter includes a wired transmitter.

4. A camera comprising:

an image pickup sensor adapted to form picked up electrical image data;

a communication circuit adapted to directly communicate with a remote printer without an external computer;

an acquisition unit adapted to acquire program codes from the remote printer for printing via said communication circuit;

a conversion circuit adapted to convert said picked up electrical image data into print image data using the program codes acquired by said acquisition unit;

a selecting circuit adapted to select one of a plurality of different half tone processings;

a generator adapted to generate a mode signal indicating the selected one of said plurality of different half tone processings; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit said mode signal and the converted print image data to said remote printer.

5. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said transmitter includes a wireless transmitter.

6. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said transmitter includes a wired transmitter.

7. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said processings include a dither processing.

8. A camera according to claim 4, wherein said processings include an error diffusion processing.

9. A camera comprising:

an image pickup sensor adapted to form picked up electrical image data;

a communication circuit adapted to directly communicate with a remote printer without an external computer;

a selecting circuit adapted to select one of a plurality of different color matching processes;

an acquisition unit adapted to acquire program codes from the remote printer for printing via said communication circuit;

a conversion circuit adapted to convert said picked up electrical image data into print image data using the program codes acquired by said acquisition unit;

a generator adapted to generate a mode signal indicating the selected one of said plurality of different color matching processes; and

a transmitter adapted to transmit said mode signal and the converted print image data to said remote printer.

10. A camera according to claim 9, wherein said transmitter includes a wireless transmitter.

11. A camera according to claim 9, wherein said transmitter includes a wired transmitter.