Digital camera capable of directly accessing images recorded on another digital camera

• US 7,154,535 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Issued: 12/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Aikoh, Hideki, Nakamura, Tohru, Yamasaki, Fumitomo
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava, Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J.
• Application Number:
  US10/194,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011683A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 3482071-2072, 348/211.99, 348/211.2, 348/211.12, 348/231.99, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/231.9
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 35/08 by simultaneous recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00416 Multi-level menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00421 using drop-down menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00424 using a list of graphical elements, e.g. icons or icon bar
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00427 using a menu list H04N1/00421, H04N1/00424, H04N1/00429 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00435 arranged in a predetermined sequence, e.g. using next and previous buttons
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32101 Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus H04N2201/0074; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0015 Control of image communication with the connected apparatus, e.g. signalling capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0053 Optical, e.g. using an infrared link
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• 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

Abstract

A digital camera includes: an image capturing section; an image data generation section; a display section; a recording/reproducing section; a data communication section; and a control section. The image data generation section generates image data, which represents the image of the object that is captured by the image capturing section, and index data associated with the image data. The display section displays the image data and the index data. The recording/reproducing section records the image data and the index data in a memory section and reproduces the image data and the index data recorded in the memory section. The data communication section sends the image data and the index data, which are recorded in the memory section, to an external device, and receives image data and index data from the external device. The control section controls the image data generation section, the recording/reproducing section, and the data communication section.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

an image capturing section for capturing an image of an object;

an image data generation section for generating image data which represents the captured image of the object and index data associated with the image data;

a display section for displaying the image data and the index data;

a recording/reproducing section for recording the image data and the index data in a memory section and reproducing the image data and the index data recorded in the memory section;

a data communication section for sending the image data and the index data, which are recorded in the memory section, to an external device, and receiving image data and index data from the external device; and

a control section for controlling the image data generation section, the recording/reproducing section, and the data communication section,

wherein the control section controls establishment of a communication between the digital camera and the external device, and controls the data communication section to receive the index data from the external device,

the control section controls the recording/reproducing section to record the received index data in the memory section, and controls the image data generation section to display at least one index which is represented by the received index data on the display section, and

the control section controls the data communication section to receive, from the external device, image data associated with an index selected by a user from among the at least one index displayed on the display section, and controls the recording/reproducing section to record the received image data in the memory section,

wherein the control section controls the data communication section so as to receive from the external device only information corresponding to a difference between the index data recorded in the memory section and the index data modified in the external device.

2. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the index is a thumbnail image.

3. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the control section controls the data communication section to send to the external device an instruction for deleting image data associated with the selected index.

4. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the data communication section uses a communication cable or a wireless communication system.

5. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the display section further includes contact-type input means.

6. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the memory section includes a rewritable optical recording medium or a rewritable semiconductor memory.

7. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the image data generation section generates image data and index data such that each of the image data and index data has a display prohibition flag which prevents reception of the image data or index data by the external device.

8. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein:

the control section determines whether or not the index data from the external device has a display prohibition flag; and

if the index data has the display prohibition flag, the control section controls the data communication section so as not to receive the index data having the display prohibition flag and image data associated with the index data.

9. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein:

the digital camera has a unique identification number;

the control section compares the unique identification number of the digital camera with an identification number unique to the external device; and

if the control section determines as a result of the comparison that the external device is an authenticatable device, a communication between the digital camera and the external device is established.

10. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein:

the control section controls the recording/reproducing section to record image data and index data generated by the image data generation section in the memory section in units of a folder;

the folder has a hierarchical directory structure.

11. A digital camera according to claim 10, wherein:

the control section controls the recording/reproducing section to reproduce the image data and the index data recorded in a certain layer of the hierarchical directory structure in the memory section; and

the control section controls the image data generation section to display the reproduced image data and index data on the display section.

12. A digital camera, comprising:

an image capturing section for capturing an image of an object;

an image data generation section for generating image data which represents the captured image of the object and index data associated with the image data;

a display section for displaying the image data and the index data;

a recording/reproducing section for recording the image data and the index data in a memory section and reproducing the image data and the index data recorded in the memory section;

a data communication section for sending the image data and the index data, which are recorded in the memory section, to an external device, and receiving image data and index data from the external device; and

a control section for controlling the image data generation section, the recording/reproducing section, and the data communication section,

wherein the control section controls establishment of a communication between the digital camera and the external device, and controls the data communication section to receive the index data from the external device,

the control section controls the recording/reproducing section to record the received index data in the memory section, and controls the image data generation section to display at least one index which is represented by the received index data on the display section, and

the control section controls the data communication section to receive, from the external device, image data associated with an index selected by a user from among the at least one index displayed on the display section, and controls the recording/reproducing section to record the received image data in the memory section,

wherein;

the digital camera has a unique identification number;

the control section compares the unique identification number of the digital camera with an identification number unique to the external device; and

if the control section determines as a result of the comparison that the external device is an authenticatable device, a communication between the digital camera and the external device is established.

13. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the index is a thumbnail image.

14. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the control section controls the data communication section to send to the external device an instruction for deleting image data associated with the selected index.

15. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the data communication section uses a communication cable or a wireless communication system.

16. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the display section further includes contact-type input means.

17. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the memory section includes a rewritable optical recording medium or a rewritable semiconductor memory.

18. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the image data generation section generates image data and index data such that each of the image data and index data has a display prohibition flag which prevents reception of the image data or index data by the external device.

19. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein:

the control section determines whether or not the index data from the external device has a display prohibition flag; and

if the index data has the display prohibition flag, the control section controls the data communication section so as not to receive the index data having the display prohibition flag and image data associated with the index data.

20. A digital camera according to claim 12, wherein:

the control section controls the recording/reproducing section to record image data and index data generated by the image data generation section in the memory section in units of a folder;

the folder has a hierarchical directory structure.

21. A digital camera according to claim 20, wherein:

the control section controls the recording/reproducing section to reproduce the image data and the index data recorded in a certain layer of the hierarchical directory structure in the memory section; and

the control section controls the image data generation section to display the reproduced image data and index data on the display section.