Image pickup apparatus, image data display method for the same, program for implementing the method, and storage medium storing the program

• US 7,499,084 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurakata, Keihiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Nhan T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US10/729,512
• Publication Number:
  US 20040141084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.01, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/153, 348/159, 348/211.11, 348/211.99, 348/211.8, 348/14.08, 348/143
• US Class Current: 348/231.2
• 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 1/0044 for image preview or review, e.g. to help the user position a sheet
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00461 marking or otherwise tagging one or more displayed image, e.g. for selective reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3205 of identification information, e.g. name or ID code H04N2201/3209 takes precedence
• 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 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus comprising an image pickup device, a recording device, a display device, a communication device connectable to a plurality of image pickup apparatuses, an allotting device for allotting unique apparatus information to image data and a control device for controlling the display device to display image data received by the communication device and image data recorded by the recording device in different display configuration, with the unique apparatus information and specific information specifying the image data so that the image data received by the communication device and image data recorded by the recording device can be distinguished from one another.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

an image pickup unit;

a recording unit that records on the recording medium image data photographed by said image pickup unit;

a display unit that displays the image data recorded on the recording medium;

an assigning unit that assigns to the image data, unique apparatus information for identifying said image pickup apparatus and image identifying information for managing in said image pickup apparatus the image data recorded on the recording medium;

a communication unit that is connectable to another image pickup apparatus, for transmitting the image data recorded on the recording medium to said another image pickup apparatus and receiving image data from said another image pickup apparatus;

a modifying unit that modifies image identifying information added on the image data received from said another image pickup apparatus by said communication unit and generates modified image identifying information for managing the received image data in said image pickup apparatus; and

a control unit that manages the image data recorded on the recording medium by said recording unit and the image data received from said another image pickup apparatus by said communication unit according to the unique apparatus information, the image identifying information and the modified image identifying information,

wherein said control unit controls said display unit to display the image data recorded by said recording unit and the image data received by said communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus in different display configuration, respectively, in such a manner that the image data received by said communication unit from the image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by said recording unit can be distinguished from one another.

2. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control provides control to cause said display unit to display the image data received by said communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by said recording unit, with frames of respective different colors added thereto.

3. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said control unit provides control to cause said display unit to display the image data received by said communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by said recording unit, with icons different from each other added thereto.

4. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said assigning unit assigns an image number for identifying image data to each of the photographed image data.

5. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit is operable when image data is received by said communication unit after the image number has been assigned to the photographed image data by said assigning unit, to provide control to cause said assigning unit to assign an image number different from the image number assigned to the photographed image data to the received image data and then record the received image data on the recording medium.

6. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit is operable when a photographic operation is carried out to produce image data after the image number has been assigned to the image data received by said communication device by said assigning unit, to provide control to cause said assigning unit to assign an image number different from the image number assigned to the image data recorded by said recording unit to the image data produced by the photographic operation and then record the photographed image data in said recording unit.

7. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit provides control such that a new image number assigned to the received image data by said assigning unit is incorporated as part of a file name of the received image data and the received image data is recorded in said recording unit.

8. An image pickup apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said control unit is operable when a same image number has been assigned to the received image data and the recorded image data, to provide control to compare at least one of respective photographed times, data sizes, and image data contents of the received image data and the recorded image data.

9. A method of causing an image pickup apparatus to display image data, the image pickup apparatus including an image pickup unit, a recording unit that records on the recording medium image data photographed by said image pickup unit, a display unit that displays the image data recorded on the recording medium, a communication unit that is connectable to another image pickup apparatus, for transmitting the image data recorded on the recording medium to said another image pickup apparatus and receiving the image data from said another image pickup apparatus the method comprising:

an assigning step of assigning to the image data, unique apparatus information for identifying said image pickup apparatus and image identifying information for managing in said image pickup apparatus the image data recorded on the recording medium;

a modifying step of modifying an image identifying information added on the image data received from said another image pickup apparatus by said communication unit and generating modified image identifying information for managing the received image data in said image pickup apparatus; and

a control step of managing the image data recorded on the recording medium by said recording unit and the image data received from said another image pickup apparatus by the communication unit according to the unique apparatus information, the image identifying information and the modified image identifying information,

wherein said control step controls said display unit to display the image data recorded by said recording unit and the image data received by said communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus in different display configuration, respectively, in such a manner that the image data received by the communication unit from the image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by the recording unit can be distinguished from one another.

10. A method of displaying image data according to claim 9, wherein said control step provides control to cause the display unit to display the image data received by the communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by the recording unit, with frames of respective different colors added thereto.

11. A method of displaying image data according to claim 9, wherein said control step provides control to cause the display unit to display the image data received by the communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by the recording unit, with icons different from each other added thereto.

12. A method of displaying image data according to claim 9, wherein said assigning steps assigns an image number for identifying image data to each of photographed image data.

13. A method of displaying image data according to claim 12, wherein when image data is received by said communication unit after the image number has been assigned to the photographed image data in said assigning step, said control step provides control to cause said modifying step to assign an image number different from the image number assigned to the photographed image data to the received image data and then record the received image data on the recording medium.

14. A method of displaying image data according to claim 12, wherein when a photographic operation is carried out to produce image data after the image number has been assigned to the image data received by said communication unit in said assigning step, said control step causes said modifying step to assign an image number different from the image number assigned to the image data recorded by said recording unit to the image data produced by the photographic operation and then record the photographed image data in the recording unit.

15. A method of displaying image data according to claim 12, wherein said control step provides control such that a new image number assigned to the received image data in said modifying step is incorporated as part of a file name of the received image data and the received image data is recorded in said recording unit.

17. A method of displaying image data according to claim 12, wherein said control step is operable when a same image number has been assigned to the received image data and the recorded image data, to provide control to compare at least one of respective photographed times, data sizes, and image data contents of the received image data and the recorded image data.

16. A computer-readable control program stored on a computer-readable storage medium for causing a computer to implement a method of causing an image pickup apparatus to display image data, the image pickup apparatus including an image pickup unit, a recording unit that records on the recording medium image data photographed by said image pickup unit, a display unit that displays the image data recorded on the recording medium, a communication unit that is connectable to another image pickup apparatus, for transmitting the image data recorded on the recording medium to said another image pickup apparatus and receiving image data from said another image pickup apparatus, the method comprising:

an assigning module for assigning to the image data, unique apparatus information for identifying said image pickup apparatus and image identifying information for managing in said image pickup apparatus the image data recorded on the recording medium,

a modifying module for modifying image identifying information added on the image data received from said another image pickup apparatus by said communication unit and generates modified image identifying information for managing the received image data in said image pickup apparatus; and

a control module for managing the image data recorded on the recording medium by said recording unit and the image data received from said another image pickup apparatus by said communication unit according to the unique apparatus information, the image identifying information and the modified image identifying information,

wherein said control module controls said display unit to display the image data recorded by said recording unit and the image data received by said communication unit from said another image pickup apparatus in different display configuration, respectively, in such a manner that the image data received by said communication unit from the image pickup apparatus and the image data recorded by the recording unit can be distinguished from one another.