Digital camera with detachable memory for storing image data

• US 7,733,387 B1
• Filed: 09/15/2000
• Issued: 06/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Misawa, Atsushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEN, CHIA WEI A
• Application Number:
  US09/663,354
• Time in Patent Office: 3,553 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/222, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/375, 348/376, 348/373, 348/374, 348/552, 348/222.1, 348/231.99, 348/231.1, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/231.7, 348/231.9, 396/310, 396/321, 386/117, 386/118
• US Class Current: 348/231.7
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00525 Providing a more compact apparatus, e.g. sheet discharge tray in cover
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A digital camera stores image data, which represent object images captured via a taking lens and a charge coupled device, in a built-in memory, which is provided in a camera body and which is able to store image data of plural object images. When the built-in memory is filled with the image data, a memory card is inserted into a card slot so that the memory card connects to a card connector, and then the image data stored in the built-in memory are automatically transferred to the memory card. In this case, more than ⅓ of the memory card in the insertional direction is exposed, and hence the camera can be small-sized without being restricted by standards of the memory card.

Claims

1. A digital camera for capturing images, comprising:

a built-in, non-volatile memory for storing a plurality of images in the form of image data, said built-in, non-volatile memory being provided in a camera body;

a detachable memory card for storing image data, said detachable memory card having a larger storage capacity than said built-in, non-volatile memory;

an insertion slot for receiving said detachable memory card;

detecting means for detecting insertion of said detachable memory card into said insertion slot; and

memory control means for, when said detecting means detects said insertion of the detachable memory card, directly and automatically transferring the image data from said built-in, non-volatile memory to said detachable memory card;

wherein said detachable memory card is for attachment when the digital camera is not being used to capture images and is detached when the digital camera is being used to capture images and when said detachable memory card is inserted into said card slot and connects to said connector more than ⅓

of said detachable memory card is exposed in an insertional direction of said detachable memory card.

2. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein said built-in, non-volatile memory is initialized to allow for new image capturing upon said memory control means automatically transferring said image data.

3. The digital camera as defined in claim 1, wherein said camera body, in an insertional direction of said detachable memory card, is shorter than said detachable memory card in the insertional direction of said detachable memory card.

4. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein the digital camera is usable to capture images when the detachable memory card is detached from and inserted into the insertion slot.

5. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein when said detachable memory card is inserted in said insertion slot, more than ⅓

of said detachable memory card externally extends from said digital camera.

6. The digital camera of claim 1, wherein upon detection of insertion of the detachable memory card, the data is automatically transferred from the built-in, non-volatile memory to the detachable memory card without any interaction by a user.

7. A digital camera for capturing images, comprising:

a built-in, non-volatile memory for storing a plurality of images in the form of image data, said built-in, non-volatile memory being provided in a camera body;

a detachable memory card for storing image data, said detachable memory card having a larger storage capacity than said built-in, non-volatile memory, wherein the digital camera is useable to capture the plurality of images when the detachable memory card is detached from the camera;

an insertion slot for receiving said detachable memory card;

a detector for detecting insertion of said detachable memory card into said insertion slot; and

a memory controller for, when said detector detects said insertion of said detachable memory card, directly and automatically transferring the image data from said built-in, non-volatile memory to said detachable memory card;

wherein said detachable memory card is for attachment when the digital camera is not being used to capture images and is detached when the digital camera is being used to capture images and when said detachable memory card is inserted into said insertion slot, more than ⅓

of said detachable memory card is exposed in an insertional direction of said detachable memory card.

8. A digital camera for capturing images, comprising:

a built-in, non-volatile memory for storing a plurality of processed images in the form of image data, said built-in, non-volatile memory being provided in a camera body;

a detachable memory card for storing image data, said detachable memory card having a larger storage capacity than said built-in, non-volatile memory, wherein the digital camera is useable to capture the plurality of images when the detachable memory card is detached from the camera;

an insertion slot for receiving said detachable memory card;

a detector for detecting insertion of said detachable memory card into said insertion slot; and

a memory controller for, when said detector detects said insertion, directly and automatically transferring the image data from said built-in, non-volatile memory to said detachable memory card;

wherein said detachable memory card is for attachment when the digital camera is not being used to capture images and is detached when the digital camera is being used to capture images and when said detachable memory card is inserted into said insertion slot, more than ⅓

of said detachable memory card is exposed in an insertional direction of said detachable memory card.