Digital camera and printing system

• US 7,949,223 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2002
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: 138 East LCD Advancements Limited (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Shiohara, Ryuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/298,085
• Publication Number:
  US 20030122934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,109 Days
• Field of Search: 386/117, 386/46, 386/107, 386/38, 386/1, 386/52, 386/123, 386/224, 386/230, 386/210
• US Class Current: 386/224
• CPC Class Codes: G06T 9/007 Transform coding, e.g. discrete cosine transform
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00132 in a digital photofinishing system, i.e. a system where digital photographic images undergo typical photofinishing processing, e.g. printing ordering
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00172 directly from a still digital camera or from a storage medium mounted in a still digital camera H04N1/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• 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 1/00278 with a printing apparatus, e.g. a laser beam printer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00957 Compiling jobs, e.g. for batch processing H04N1/3208 takes precedence; program code compilation G06F8/41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00962 Input arrangements for operating instructions or parameters, e.g. updating internal software program loading in general G06F9/445; network-specific protocols involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0082 Image hardcopy reproducer H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0093 Facsimile machine H04N2201/0094 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3216 of a job size, e.g. a number of images, pages or copies, size of file, length of message
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3222 of processing required or performed, e.g. forwarding, urgent or confidential handling
• 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 2201/3242 of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33378 : Type or format of data, e.g. colour or B/W, halftone or binary, computer image file or facsimile data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 : for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• 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: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 : the additional signal being at least another television signal

Abstract

With a digital camera 100, a photographed image 31 is displayed on a liquid crystal display and the user selects a desired image and specifies print specifications of the number of print sheets, a print paper size, a print color mode, etc., then print image data is prepared. The prepared print image data is transmitted from the digital camera 100 to a color printer of an output unit. An image is printed at the color printer in accordance with the print image data.

Claims

1. A digital camera, comprising:

an image conversion device that converts a plurality of images into signals;

a recording medium that stores image data corresponding to the signals;

a display that displays at least one displayed image based on at least some of the stored image data; and

an input device,

wherein the at least one displayed image is selected to determine output image data when a user inputs a first command via the input device,

wherein the input of the first command causes the display to automatically display an output specification screen after the first command is input, and

wherein the user can select at least one predetermined output specification from the output specification screen via the input device.

2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein an external system processes the output image data based on the at least one predetermined output specification.

3. The digital camera according to claim 2, wherein the digital camera directly outputs the output image data to the external system.

4. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the first command is a selection command for selecting the at least one displayed image displayed on the display as at least one selected image.

5. The digital camera according to claim 4, wherein the at least one displayed image comprises at least one thumbnail image.

6. The digital camera according to claim 5, wherein the at least one thumbnail image is displayed on the display based on thumbnail image data stored in the recording medium to be associated with the stored image data.

7. The digital camera according to claim 5, wherein two or more of the at least one thumbnail image are sequentially displayed on the display before the user inputs the first command.

8. The digital camera according to claim 5, wherein two or more of the at least one thumbnail image are simultaneously displayed on the display before the user inputs the first command.

9. The digital camera of claim 4, wherein the user changes the at least one predetermined output specification by inputting a second command via the input device.

10. The digital camera of claim 9, wherein the input device comprises a scroll button, and wherein the user inputs the second command by depressing the scroll button.

11. The digital camera according to claim 9, wherein the at least one predetermined output specification includes at least one of a number of print sheets and a print paper size.

12. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein, when the output specification screen is initially displayed, at least one initial output specification value for the at least one predetermined output specification is displayed on the output specification screen.

13. The digital camera according to claim 12, wherein the at least one initial output specification value includes an initial value for at least one of the number of print sheets and the paper size.

14. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the input device comprises at least one scroll button.

15. The digital camera according to claim 14, wherein the at least one scroll button allows a user to change the at least one displayed image displayed on the display.

16. The digital camera according to claim 14, wherein the at least one scroll button allows a user to change at least one output specification contained in the output specification screen to select the at least one predetermined output specification.

17. The digital camera according to claim 15, wherein the at least one scroll button allows the user to change at least one output specification contained in the output specification screen to select the at least one predetermined output specification.

18. The digital camera according to claim 15, wherein the input device further comprises at least one function button, wherein the at least one function button allows the user to select a displayed image displayed on the display.

19. The digital camera according to claim 16, wherein the input device further comprises at least one function button, wherein the at least one function button allows the user to select at least one output specification contained in the output specification screen as the at least one predetermined output specification.

20. The digital camera according to claim 17, wherein the input device further comprises at least one function button,

wherein the at least one function button allows the user to select at least one output specification contained in the output specification screen as the at least one predetermined output specification, and

wherein the at least one function button allows the user to select a displayed image displayed on the display.

21. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the input device includes a function button, wherein the user inputs the first command by depressing the function button under a first predetermined condition.

22. The digital camera according to claim 21, wherein the first predetermined condition includes a condition in which a desired image is currently displayed on the display as the at least one displayed image.

23. The digital camera according to claim 22, wherein the input device includes a scroll button, wherein the user can change the at least one displayed image displayed on the display by inputting a second command via the scroll button before the first command is input.

24. The digital camera according to claim 23, wherein, when the output specification screen is initially displayed, at least one initial output specification value for the at least one predetermined output specification is displayed on the output specification screen, wherein the at least one initial output specification value displayed on the output specification screen is changed only when the user inputs a third command via the scroll button.

25. The digital camera according to claim 22, wherein the user sets at least one output specification value, which is currently displayed on the output specification screen, as the at least one predetermined output specification by inputting a command via the function button.

26. The digital camera according to claim 24, wherein the user sets at least one output specification value, which is currently displayed on the output specification screen, as the at least one predetermined output specification by inputting a command via the function button.

27. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined output specification includes at least one of a number of sheets and a paper size.

28. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the at least one predetermined specification includes data indicative of an external device to which the user desires to the output image data from the digital camera and that is selected by a user from available external devices including at least two of a printer, a facsimile, a PC and a communication terminal.

29. The digital camera according to claim 28, wherein the communication terminal includes a wireless telephone.

30. The digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising conversion software contained in the digital camera, wherein the conversion software formats the output image data to be output from the digital camera to an external system.

31. The digital camera according to claim 30, wherein the conversion software is supplied to the digital camera from an external source and is installed in a memory contained within the digital camera.

32. The digital camera according to claim 30, wherein the conversion software comprises a printer driver, and wherein the printer driver comprises at least one of a rasterizer module, a half tone module, and a color correction module.

33. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein conversion software formats the output image data based on the at least one predetermined output specification.

34. The digital camera according to claim 33, wherein the conversion software comprises a printer driver, and wherein the printer driver comprises at least one of a rasterizer module, a half tone module, and a color correction module.

35. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the digital camera comprises a wireless transmitter that transmits the output image data to an external system by wireless transmission.

36. The digital camera according to claim 35, wherein the external system is a wireless telephone.

37. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the stored image data includes higher resolution image data.

38. The digital camera according to claim 37, wherein the stored image data further includes lower resolution image data associated with the higher resolution image data.

39. The digital camera according to claim 38, wherein the lower resolution image data includes thumbnail image data.

40. The digital camera according to claim 37, wherein the at least one displayed image is displayed on the display based on the higher resolution image data.

41. The digital camera according to claim 39, wherein the at least one displayed image is displayed based on the thumbnail image data.

42. The digital camera according to claim 41, wherein the at least one displayed image is displayed based on the thumbnail image data by enlargement.

43. The digital camera according to claim 37, wherein the output image data includes the higher resolution image data.

44. The digital camera according to claim 37, wherein the output image data includes data obtained based on the higher resolution image data.

45. The digital camera according to claim 39, wherein the output image data includes the thumbnail image data.

46. The digital camera according to any one of claims 43 to 45, wherein the output image data further includes data indicative of the at least one predetermined output specification selected by the user.

54. The digital camera according to claim 4, wherein at least two or more of the at least one displayed image are sequentially displayed on the display before the user inputs the first command.

55. The digital camera according to claim 4, wherein at least two or more of the at least one displayed image are simultaneously displayed on the display before the user inputs the first command.

56. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the output image data is directly transmitted to a printer when the specifying of the output specification, by a switch operation of the digital camera, is complete.

57. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein the output image data and the specified number of copies are directly transmitted to a printer when the specifying of the print specification, by a button operation of the digital camera, is complete.

47. A digital camera, comprising:

an image conversion device that converts a plurality of images into signals;

a recording medium that stores image data corresponding to the signals;

a display that displays at least one displayed image based on at least some of the stored image data; and

an input device having first and second buttons,

wherein two or more of the at least one displayed image are sequentially displayed on the display when the first button is continuously depressed;

wherein an output specification screen for a currently displayed one of the at least one displayed image is displayed on the display when the second button is depressed.

48. The digital camera according to claim 47, wherein the currently displayed one of the at least one displayed image is selected to determine output image data when the second button is depressed.

49. The digital camera according to claim 47, wherein a user can select at least one predetermined output specification from the output specification screen.

50. The digital camera according to claim 49, wherein the at least one predetermined output specification includes a number of copies.

51. The digital camera according to claim 49, wherein the first button is used to change a displayed value of an output specification in the output specification screen, and the second button is used to set a currently displayed value of the output specification in the output specification screen as the at least one predetermined output specification.

58. The digital camera according to claim 47, wherein output image data is directly transmitted to a printer in response to completion of the output specification screen by a switch operation of the digital camera.

59. The apparatus according to claim 47, wherein output image data and a specified number of copies are directly transmitted to a printer in response to completion of the output specification screen by a button operation of the digital camera.

52. A method of outputting image data from a digital camera including a display and an input device, the method comprising:

converting a plurality of images into signals;

storing image data corresponding to the signals;

displaying at least one displayed image on the display based on at least some of the stored image data;

selecting the at least one displayed image to determine output image data when a first command is input via the input device;

automatically displaying an output specification screen in response the first command; and

selecting at least one predetermined output specification from the output specification screen via the input device.

60. The method according to claim 52, wherein the output image data is directly transmitted to a printer when the selecting of the at least one predetermined output specification, by a switch operation of the digital camera, is complete.

61. The method according to claim 52, wherein the output image data and a specified number of copies are directly transmitted to a printer when the selecting of the at least one predetermined output specification, by a button operation of the digital camera, is complete.

53. A method of outputting image data from a digital camera including a display and an input device having first and second buttons, the method comprising:

converting a plurality of images into signals;

storing image data corresponding to the signals;

displaying at least one displayed image on the display based on at least some of the stored image data;

sequentially displaying two or more of the at least one displayed image on the display when the first button is continuously depressed; and

displaying an output specification screen for a currently displayed one of the at least one displayed image on the display when the second button is depressed.

62. The method according to claim 53, wherein output image data is directly transmitted to a printer in response to the completion of the output specification screen by a switch operation of the digital camera.

63. The method according to claim 53, wherein output image data and a specified number of copies are directly transmitted to a printer in response to the completion of the output specification screen by a button operation of the digital camera.