Digital camera and cradle on which the digital camera is mounted

• US 7,538,792 B2
• Filed: 06/24/2003
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Kimihide
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh; Justin P
• Application Number:
  US10/601,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20040004671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,163 Days
• Field of Search: 348/373, 348/375, 348/374, 348/333.06, 348/207.11, 348/207.1, 348/372, 348/376, 396/428, 396/419, 396/300, 455/556.2, 455/556.1, 455/557, 455/561, 358/906
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00204 with a digital computer or a digital computer system, e.g. an internet server programmed control between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N1/32561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00241 using an image reading device as a local input to a computer input via network, e.g. network scanners H04N1/00225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32496 Changing the task performed, e.g. reading and transmitting, receiving and reproducing, copying facsimile mode changing H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/66 Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

A digital camera is mounted on a camera mounting unit of a cradle, and supported as swayable. When the digital camera is tilted forward, a front switch is turned on, and a command to change into a storage mode is issued from a switch determination circuit to the digital camera. When the digital camera is tilted backward, a back switch is turned on, and a command to change into a PC camera mode is issued from the switch determination circuit to the digital camera.

Claims

1. A digital camera system in which a digital camera is connected to communicate with external equipment when the camera is removably mounted on a cradle, wherein the cradle comprises:

a tilt angle changing device which changes a tilt angle of the digital camera mounted on the cradle;

a determination device which determines a change in the tilt angle of the digital camera by the tilt angle changing device; and

a command device which outputs a function change signal to the digital camera according to a determination result of the determination device,

wherein the digital camera changes functions for the external equipment according to the function change signal received from the command device, and

said system further comprising a charge control device which, when the digital camera is removably mounted on the cradle with the digital camera being powered down, automatically sets a charge mode where a battery in the digital camera is charged by power supplied through the cradle.

2. The digital camera system as defined in claim 1, wherein the functions comprise a camera function and a non-camera function.

3. The digital camera system as defined in claim 2, wherein the camera function comprises a PC camera function and the non-camera function comprises a storage function.