Apparatus having means for printing video signals of video camera attached thereto

• US 7,456,979 B2
• Filed: 03/05/1996
• Issued: 11/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iima, Shin, Nakamura, Tomomi, Nakatsu, Yutaka, Ohyoshi, Kayoko
• Primary Examiner(s): Coles; Edward L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Singh; Satwant K
• Application Number:
  US08/610,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20030011705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 4,648 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333, 348373-376, 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/231, 348/14.01, 348/207.2, 348/231.99, 348/231.7, 358/906, 358/909.1, 358/296, 358/1.1, 386/46, 386/96, 386/120, 386/108, 345/581, 400/83
• US Class Current: 358/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/46 Colour picture communication systems

Abstract

A video printer (1) comprises a video printer housing portion (2), and a video camera station (3) disposed on a rear upper portion of the video printer housing portion (2) and having a signal input and output connection terminal (4). A video camera (6) with a liquid-crystal display monitor (7) is electrically connected to the connection terminal (4), and attached to the video printer (1) at its video camera station (3) so that, when the video printer (1) is in use, a user can operate the video camera (6) and the video printer (1) by operating operation systems (8), (9) disposed on the video printer (1) while visually confirming a picture displayed on a picture screen of the liquid-crystal display monitor (7).

Claims

1. A printer comprising:

a guide rail mechanically attached to a printer housing portion, said guide rail guiding a display device onto said printer housing portion;

an operation system incorporated within said printer housing portion, said operation system controlling said display device to select an image for exhibition on said display device;

a printer mechanism incorporated within said printer housing portion, said operation system commanding said printer mechanism to a physical reproduction of said image;

a button on said printer housing portion, depression of said button releasing said display device from said guide rail,

wherein said display device is mechanically attached to said guide rail when said image is selected for exhibition on said display device, said image being previously captured by said display device,

wherein said display device is adapted to operate separate and apart from said printer housing portion when unattached from said guide rail,

wherein the manner in which said printer mechanism is operated is visually confirmed on said display device.

2. A printer according to claim 1, wherein a signal input/output terminal is mechanically attached to said printer housing portion, said image being transferable from said display device through said signal input/output terminal.

3. A printer according to claim 2, wherein said button electrically and mechanically detaches said display device is from said signal input/output terminal.

4. A printer according to claim 2, wherein guiding said display device onto said printer housing portion connects said signal input/output terminal to an electrode terminal of said display device.

5. A printer according to claim 4, wherein a control signal to select said image for exhibition on said display device is transferable through said signal input/output terminal to said electrode terminal.

6. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said display device is incorporated within a camera, said image being captured by said camera.

7. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said display device includes a liquid crystal display.

8. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said printer mechanism prints said displayed image on a printing paper as said physical reproduction of said displayed image.

9. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said operation system includes a first memory button, said first memory button providing a control to store said image displayed on said display device within a recordable medium of said printer.

10. A printer according to claim 9, wherein said operation system includes a second memory button, said second memory button providing a control to access said image that has been stored within said recordable medium of said printer.

11. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said operation system includes an input picture button, said input picture button providing a control to input data indicative of said image into a recordable medium of said printer.

12. A printer according to claim 1, wherein power is provided between said printer and said display device.

13. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said image is selected from a plurality of pictures, said plurality of pictures being recorded by said display device as continuous motion images.

14. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said image is a still image.

15. A printer according to claim 1, wherein said image is from a continuous motion image stream.