Photo service system and digital camera

• US 7,042,496 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Tsuneo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SELBY, GEVELL V
• Application Number:
  US09/753,576
• Publication Number:
  US 20010017652A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/157, 348/158, 348/159, 348/207.1, 348/207.2, 348/222.1, 348/231.2, 348/232.1, 386/117, 396/2
• US Class Current: 348/207.2
• CPC Class Codes: G03D 15/001 Counting; Classifying; Marking
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00137 Transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0018 of images captured using a loaned, rented or limited-use still digital camera, e.g. recyclable or disposable camera
• 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 2201/3214 of a date

Abstract

A photo service system according to the present invention is structured in an area such as a theme park. The photo service system comprises digital cameras that transmit image data of images captured by the digital cameras, base stations that receive the image data transmitted from the digital cameras, and an image processing part that prints the images according to the image data received by the base stations and sorts the prints of the images according to users of the digital cameras in a photo service center.

Claims

1. A photo service system structured in an area, said photo service system comprising:

a digital camera which transmits image data of images captured by the digital camera and identification information for identifying with the digital camera;

a base station which receives the image data and the identification information transmitted from the digital camera; and

a photo service center which prints the images according to the image data received by the base station and sorts the prints of the images according to the identification information received with the image data,

wherein the photo service center identifies the prints of the images based on a location corresponding to the base station that transmitted the image file.

2. The photo service system as defined in claim 1, wherein the digital camera transmits the image data and the identification information to the base station by wireless communication.

3. The photo service system as defined in claim 1, wherein the photo service center prints information comprising at least one of the shooting date, the shooting places and the names of users on frames of the prints of the images.

4. A digital camera exclusively used in the photo service system as defined in claim 1.

5. The digital camera as defined in claim 4, wherein the digital camera is rented to a user in the area.

6. The digital camera as defined in claim 4, comprising:

a shutter release button; and

a displaying device which automatically turns on to start displaying a moving image when the user half-presses the shutter release button.

7. The digital camera as defined in claim 6, wherein the displaying device automatically turns off when the user releases the shutter release button after half-pressing the shutter release button.

8. A digital camera used in the photo service system as defined in claim 1, comprising:

a setting device which sets identification information for identifying the digital camera.

9. The photo service system as defined in claim 1, wherein said base station comprises a plurality of base stations that selectively receive image data and identification information transmitted from the digital camera based on a location of said camera at a time of transmission of the image data of each image.

10. The photo service system as defined in claim 9, wherein the location of said camera at the time of transmission is automatically printed on the prints of the images.

11. The photo service system as defined in claim 1, wherein said photo service center automatically prints each image upon receipt of the image data of each captured image by the base station.

12. A photo service system comprising:

at least one digital camera which selectively transmits image data of images captured by the at least one digital camera, and identification information for identifying the at least one digital camera;

at least one base station which receives the image data and the identification information transmitted from the at least one digital camera; and

a photo service center which automatically prints the images according to the image data received by the at least one base station and sorts the prints of the images according to the identification information received with the image data,

wherein the photo service center identifies the prints of the images based on a location corresponding to the respective at least one base station that transmitted the image file.

13. A photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the photo service center identifies the prints of the images by printing a name or symbol that corresponds to the location on a frame of the prints of the images.

14. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera transmits the image data and the identification information to the base station by wireless communication.

15. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the photo service center prints information comprising at least one of a shooting date, a shooting place, and a name of a user on frames of the prints of the images.

16. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises:

a shutter release button; and

a displaying device which automatically turns on and displays a moving image when the shutter release button is pressed to a first position.

17. The photo service system as defined in claim 16, wherein the displaying device automatically turns off when the shutter release button is released after being pressed to the first position.

18. The photo service system as defined in claim 16, wherein the displaying device displays an image corresponding to the image data captured by the at least one digital camera when the shutter button is pressed to a second position.

19. The photo service system as defined in claim 16, wherein the photo service center comprises an image processing part for controlling communications between the at least one digital camera and the at least one base station.

20. The photo service system as defined in claim 19, wherein the image processing part collects image files received by the at least one base station.

21. The photo service system as defined in claim 20, wherein the image processing part prints the images according to the collected image files and sorts the prints based on the identification information received with the image file.

22. The photo service system as defined in claim 19,

wherein the image processing part:

gathers images received by the at least one base station and captured by one of the at least one digital camera at a plurality of times and locations;

prints the images; and

sorts the printed images on the basis of the identification information.

23. The photo service system as defined in claim 19,

wherein the image processing part:

collects image files including images captured by one of the at least one digital camera at a plurality of times and locations;

prints the images according to the collected image files; and

sorts the printed images on the basis of the identification information.

24. The photo service system as defined in claim 16,

wherein the at least one digital camera further comprises:

a power button for turning on the digital camera; and

a controlling part for canceling the transmission of the image data and turning off the digital camera if the image transmission button or the cancel/power button are not pressed within a predetermined period of time from a pressing of the shutter release button.

25. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, further comprising a setting device for setting identification information for identifying the at least one digital camera.

26. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the image data is erased when the at least one digital camera captures a new image.

27. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises a memory having a predetermined capacity capable of storing image data for a single image only.

28. The photo service system as defined in claim 27, wherein the image data stored in the memory of the at least one digital camera is erased when the at least one digital camera captures a new image.

29. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises an image transmission button for selectively transmitting the image data of the images.

30. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises a cancel/power button for canceling the transmission of the image data and turning off the power.

31. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises a power button for turning on the digital camera.

32. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises an electronic flash set button.

33. The photo service system as defined in claim 12, wherein the at least one digital camera comprises a memory including a predetermined memory capacity capable of storing image data;

and

wherein said at least one digital camera stores image data for no more than a single image at a time.

34. A photo service system comprising:

at least one digital camera which selectively transmits image data of images captured by the at least one digital camera, and identification information for identifying the at least one digital camera;

at least one base station which receives the image data and the identification information transmitted from the at least one digital camera; and

a photo service center which automatically prints the images according to the image data received by the at least one base station and sorts the prints of the images according to the identification information received with the image data,

wherein the at least one base station selectively receives the image data and the identification information based on a proximity of the at least one digital camera to the at least one base station.

35. A photo service method comprising:

capturing and viewing images with a digital camera;

selectively transmitting image data of the captured images and identification information for identifying the digital camera;

receiving the transmitted image data and identification information at an at least one base station;

printing the image according to the image data received by the at least one base station;

sorting prints of the images according to the identification information received with the image data; and

identifying each of the prints of the images based on a location corresponding to each of the at least one base station that transmitted the image file.

36. The photo service method as defined in claim 35, wherein the image data and the identification information are transmitted to the at least one base station by wireless communication.

37. The photo service method as defined in claim 35, further comprising setting identification information for identifying the at least one digital camera.

38. The photo service method as defined in claim 35, further comprising erasing the image data from the at least one digital camera when the image data is transmitted to the at least one base station.

39. The photo service method as defined in claim 35, wherein said selectively transmitting comprises selecting an image transmission function for transmitting the image data to the at least one base station, thereby ordering prints of the captured images.

40. The photo service method as defined in claim 35, further comprising calculating a monetary charge based on a number of prints printed.

41. The photo service method as defined in claim 35, wherein said printing comprises automatically printing the image upon receipt of the image data by the at least one base station.

42. A photo service system structured in an area, said photo service system comprising:

a digital camera which transmits image data of each image captured by the digital camera and identification information for identifying with the digital camera;

a plurality of base stations that selectively receive image data and identification information transmitted from the digital camera based on a location of said camera at a time of transmission of each image;

a photo service center that automatically prints each image upon receipt of the image data of each captured image by the base station and sorts the prints of the images according to the identification information received with the image data, and

identifying each of the prints of the images based on a location corresponding to at least one base station of the plurality of base stations that transmitted the image file,

wherein the photo service center identifies the prints of the images based on a location corresponding to the respective at least one base station of the plurality of base stations that transmitted the image file.