Camera with data transmission control unit

• US 8,902,317 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Motoki, Yasuyuki, Nakamura, Toshiyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): DAGNEW, MEKONNEN D
• Application Number:
  US13/064,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20110193973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/231.7, 348/231.2, 348/231.1
• US Class Current: 348/207.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0014 via e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00148 Storage information retrieval G06F16/00
• 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 1/00244 with a server, e.g. an internet server fax-servers or the like for store and forward H04N1/324
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00413 using menus, i.e. presenting the user with a plurality of selectable options H04N1/00464 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00453 arranged in a two dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00458 Sequential viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. browsing or scrolling
• 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 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0055 By radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0058 Docking-station, cradle or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera

Abstract

A camera includes: an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a subject to acquire image data; an image storing unit that stores a plurality of image data acquired by the image-capturing unit in a storage medium; an image specifying unit that specifies image data designated by a user from among the plurality of image data stored in the storage medium; and a transmission controlling unit that when transmitting the plurality of image data to an external device using a wireless communication device, identifies specified image data specified by the image specifying unit and non-specified image data that are not specified by the image specifying unit from each other and transmits the specified image data to the external device in priority to the non-specified image data.

Claims

1. A camera comprising:

an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a subject to acquire image data;

an image storing unit that stores data for a plurality of images acquired by the image-capturing unit in a storage medium;

an image specifying unit that specifies data for one or more images from the plurality of images; and

a transmission controlling unit connected to a first external device through a wireless communication device, configured to transmit the data for the specified images specified by the image specifying unit to the first external device through the wireless communication device and to transmit information about a destination of a notification to the first external device the notification indicating that the data for the specified images has been uploaded to the first external device through the wireless communication device,

wherein the destination of the notification is a second external device other than the first external device, and

wherein the image specifying unit specifies the destination related to the data for the specified images.

2. A camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

an information storing unit that stores information for identifying the data for the specified images to the storage medium.

3. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the transmission controlling unit starts transmission of the data for the non-specified images when transmission of the data for the specified images is suspended according to instruction by the user.

4. A camera according to claim 3, wherein when the transmission of the data for the specified images is suspended and the transmission of the data for the non-specified images is started, the transmission controlling unit resumes the transmission of the data for the specified images after the transmission of the data for the non-specified images is completed.

5. A system comprising:

a camera according to claim 1; and

a server as the first external device, wherein

the server includes;

a receiving unit that receives all of the data for all of the specified images and at least a portion of the data for the non-specified images;

a storage unit on which all of the data for the specified images and at least the portion of the data for the non-specified images received by the receiving unit are stored; and

a transmitting unit that transmits a notification to the destination based upon the information about the destination of the notification, the notification indicating that the data for the specified images has been stored on the storage unit.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the receiving unit further receives from the camera the information about the destination of the notification.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the notification is transmitted to the destination by using e-mail.

8. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the notification is transmitted to the destination by using e-mail.

9. A camera according to claim 1, wherein the transmission controlling unit is configured to transmit the data for the specified images specified by the image specifying unit to the first external device in priority to the data for the non-specified images that are not specified by the image specifying unit.

10. A camera according to claim 9, wherein the transmission controlling unit changes transmission priority between the data for the specified images and the data for the non-specified images such that the data for the non-specified images are transmitted in priority to the data for the specified images according to instruction by the user.

11. A camera comprising:

an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a subject to acquire image data;

an image storing unit that stores data for a plurality of images acquired by the image-capturing unit in a storage medium;

an image specifying unit that specifies data for one or more images from the plurality of images and specifies information about a destination of a notification, the notification indicating that the data for the specified images has been uploaded to an external device through a wireless communication device; and

a transmission controlling unit connected to the external device through the wireless communication device, configured so that when transmitting the data for the plurality of images to the external device, the transmission controlling unit is configured to identify the data for the specified images and data for the non-specified images, to which the information about the destination of the notification is not related, that are not specified by the image specifying unit, and to transmit the data for the specified images to the external device through the wireless communication device in priority to the data for the non-specified images,

wherein the transmission controlling unit starts transmission of the data for the non-specified images when transmission of the data for the specified images is suspended according to instruction by the user

wherein the destination is other than the external device, and

wherein when the transmission of the data for the specified images is suspended and the transmission of the data for the non-specified images is started, the transmission controlling unit resumes the transmission of the data for the specified images after the transmission of the data for the non-specified images is completed.