Digital camera with image file transmission

• US 6,967,675 B1
• Filed: 10/26/2000
• Issued: 11/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Xacti Corporation (Office Support KK)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Ito, Kazuo, Nozaki, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Application Number:
  US09/695,981
• Time in Patent Office: 1,853 Days
• Field of Search: 348/211.1, 348/271.3, 348/211.8, 348/207.1, 348/207.11, 348/333.05, 348/333.02, 348/14.13, 348/231.1, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.9, 348/211.2, 348/211.3, 709/200, 709/201
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

A digital camera includes an interface connected with a memory card. To the memory card is recorded an image file including a compressed main-image data and compressed thumbnail image data of a subject taken. When the operator selects a transmit mode and performs predetermined key operation, the image file recorded on the memory card is transmitted to an Internet server via a communication circuit. After completing the transmission, the image files already transmitted are erased leaving the compressed thumbnail image data.

Claims

1. A digital camera for recording to a recording medium an image file including a main-image and a size-reduced image which correspond to a subject taken, comprising:

a first transmitter for transmitting to an external storage device the image file recorded in said recording medium;

an eraser for erasing from said recording medium the image file transmitted by said first transmitter except for the size-reduced image;

a displayer for displaying the size-reduced image(s) remaining in said recording medium when a display operation is carried out;

a receiver for receiving, when a desired image is selected from among the size-reduced image(s) displayed by said displayer, the image file including the desired size-reduced image from said external storage device; and

a recorder for recording to said recording medium the image file received by said receiver.

2. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said eraser includes a size-reduced image extractor for extracting the size-reduced image from the image file, a file eraser for erasing the image file after an extracting process of the size-reduced image extractor, and a size-reduced image recorder for recording to said recording medium the size-reduced image extracted by said size-reduced image extractor.

3. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising an image file selector for selecting a desired image file from said recording medium, wherein said first transmitter transmits the desired image file, and said eraser erases from said recording medium the desired image file except for the size-reduced image included in the desired image file.

4. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising an adder for adding to the image file print-job information which requests a printing operation, prior to transmitting the image file.

5. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a detector for detecting a relationship in magnitude between a vacant capacity of said external storage device and a size of the image file to be transmitted; and

a second transmitter for transmitting an extension request for the vacant capacity to said external storage device based on a result of detection by said detector, wherein said first transmitter transmits the image file after the vacant capacity has been extended in response to the extension request.

6. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

a prompter for prompting the vacant capacity to extend when the vacant capacity is lower than the size; and

an instructor for instructing an extension of the vacant capacity, wherein said second transmitter transmits the extension request in response to an instruction by said instructor.

7. A digital camera according to claim 6, wherein the capacity of said external storage device is on sale on a predetermined-size basis, and the instruction of said instructor is an instruction for purchasing a capacity of the predetermined size.