Imaging device

• US 6,856,815 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2002
• Issued: 02/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Kuba, Hirokazu
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tuan
• Application Number:
  US10/198,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 358 1- 6, 358/448, 358434-435, 358/438, 348/207, 348211-213, 348/373, 348/375, 348/552, 348231-232
• US Class Current: 455/557
• 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 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/145 Handheld terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0036 Detecting or checking connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0044 Connecting to a plurality of different apparatus; Using a plurality of different connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0046 Software interface details, e.g. interaction of operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• 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 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN

Abstract

When sending photographic image data obtained in an electronic camera 1 via a communication interface 42 to a radio telephone line of a PDC 3, a PHS 4, etc., an RISC-CPU 11 converts the image data to data having a configuration allowing communication and further converts by software processing the communication-allowing configuration data to data corresponding to the type of the radio telephone line.

Claims

1. An imaging device comprising:

detecting means for detecting a type of a radio telephone line connected to the imaging device;

first converting means for converting photographic or recorded image data of a scene to first communication data; and

second converting means for converting the first communication data to second communication data for communication via the radio telephone line based on the detected radio telephone type.

2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the second converting means includes memory means storing a plurality of error correction programs corresponding to respective different radio telephone line types, wherein the error correction programs being used to correct the digital values of communication data obtained in the first converting means.

3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the second converting means further include means for selecting, from the memory means, a specified error correction program corresponding to the detected type of radio telephone line.

4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the detecting means detects a telephone line connected to the imaging device to be a radio telephone line or a wired telephone line, and outputs, when the connected telephone line is detected to be a radio telephone line, the type of the connected radio telephone line.

5. The imaging device according to claim 4 further comprising:

a serial interface circuit functioning as part of the communication interface when the connected telephone line is detected to be a radio telephone line and functioning as a wired telephone line interface when the connected telephone is detected to be a wired telephone line; and

;

switching means for switching a destination of an input/output of the serial interface circuit based on the output of the detecting means.

6. The imaging device according to claim 1 wherein the second converting means, when the converted image data is transmitted, performs the transmission via the radio telephone line based on the detected radio telephone line and, when the image data is received, performs a conversion to the communication data recognizable by the imaging device based on the detected radio telephone line.

7. An imaging system comprising:

a connector adapted to connect with a radio telephone line;

detecting means for detecting a type of the radio telephone line connected to the connector;

first converting means for converting image data of a photographic or a recorded scene to communications data;

memory means for storing erroneous process correcting programs corresponding to a plurality of radio telephone lines, respectively;

selecting means for selecting, based on a detected radio telephone line type, a corresponding particular erroneous process correcting program from the memory means; and

second converting means for converting, when image data is transmitted, the communication data obtained by conversion in the first converting means to radio telephone line data corresponding to the detected radio telephone line type based on the detected telephone line type and the erroneous process correcting program selected by the selecting means.

8. The imaging device according to claim 7 wherein the connector, the detecting means, the memory means, the selecting means, and the first and second converting means are provided in a camera body.

9. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the second converting means converts, when image data is received, the radio telephone line data corresponding to the detected radio telephone line type to communication data recognizable by the imaging device based on the detected radio telephone line type and the erroneous process correcting program selected by the selecting means.

10. The imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising:

a wired telephone line connector, provided on the camera body separate from the connector adapted to connect with the radio telephone line; and

second detecting means for checking whether the radio telephone line connector is connected with a radio telephone line or the wired telephone line connector is connected with a wired telephone line.

11. The imaging device according to claim 10 further comprising:

a serial interface circuit having a first state in which it operates as part of a communication interface when the second detecting means detects the connection of the radio telephone line and having a second state in which it operates as a wired interface when the second detecting means detects the connection of the wired telephone line; and

switching means for switching a destination of an input/output of the serial interface circuit based on an output of the second detecting means.

12. An imaging system comprising:

a connector adapted to connect with a radio line;

detecting means for detecting a type of the radio line connected to the connector;

first converting means for converting image data of a photographic or a recorded scene to communications data;

memory means for storing erroneous process correcting programs corresponding to a plurality of radio lines, respectively;

selecting means for selecting, based on the detected radio line type, a corresponding particular erroneous process correcting program from the memory means; and

second converting means for converting, when image data is transmitted, the communications data obtained by conversion in the first converting means to radio line data corresponding to the detected radio line type based on the detected radio line type and the erroneous process correcting program selected by the selecting means.

13. The imaging device according to claim 12, wherein the connector, the detecting means, the memory means, the selecting means, and the first and second converting means are provided in a camera body.

14. The imaging device according to claim 12, wherein the second converting means converts, when image data is received, the radio telephone line data corresponding to the detected radio telephone line type to communication data recognizable by the imaging device based on the detected radio telephone line type and the erroneous process correcting program selected by the selecting means.

15. A method of transmitting image data via a radio line or a wired line, the method comprising steps of:

detecting a type of the line for transmitting the image data;

converting image data of a photographic or a scene to communications data;

selecting, based on a detected line type, a corresponding particular erroneous process correcting program from a memory means storing erroneous process correcting programs;

converting the communications data obtained by conversion in the first converting means to communications data corresponding to the detected line type based on the detected line type and the erroneous process correcting program selected; and

transmitting the communications data corresponding to the line type.

16. A method for receiving imaging data via a radio line or a wired line, the method comprising steps of:

detecting the type of the line for receiving the communication image data;

selecting, based on a detected line type, an erroneous process correcting program from a memory means storing erroneous process correcting programs; and

converting the communication image data to the communication data recognizable by the imaging device based on the detected line type and the selected erroneous process correcting program.

17. An imaging device comprising:

a connector;

detecting means for detecting whether the connector is connected to a radio line;

memory means for storing erroneous process correcting programs corresponding to the respective radio lines;

selecting means for selecting a particular erroneous process correcting program corresponding to a radio line type from the memory means;

converting means for converting, when it is detected that the connector is connected to the radio line, the image data of a photographic or a recorded scene to communications transmission data based on the detected communication line type and erroneous process correcting program corresponding to the communication line type; and

means for disabling operation of the erroneous process correcting program when it is detected that the connector is not connected to the radio line.

18. The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein the converting means converts the image data of a photographic or a recorded scene to communications image data and then to communications transmission data based on the communication line type and the erroneous process correcting program corresponding to the communication type.

19. The imaging device according to claim 17, wherein, when it is detected that the connector is connected to the radio line, the converting means detects the radio line type and performs the conversion to the communications transmission data based on the detected radio line type and the erroneous process correcting program selected by the selecting means.