Process for use in electronic camera

• US 6,323,899 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2000
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: St Clair Intellectual Property Consultants Incorporated
• Original Assignee: St Clair Intellectual Property Consultants Incorporated
• Inventors: Roberts, Marc K., Chikosky, Matthew A., Speasl, Jerry A.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/541,285
• Time in Patent Office: 603 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 348/207, 348/220, 348/221, 348/222, 348/230, 348/232, 348/233, 348/239, 348/231, 348/552, 358/909, 358/906.1
• US Class Current: 348/220.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00236 using an image reading or reproducing device, e.g. a facsimile reader or printer, as a local input to or local output from a computer image input to or image output from a computer via a network H04N1/00209
• 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 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• 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 7/01 Conversion of standards , e.g. involving analogue television standards or digital television standards processed at pixel level
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

A process for use in an electronic camera generates a digital image signal corresponding to an image incident on an image pick-up unit of the camera, formats the digital image signal in one of a plurality of computer image file formats and stores the formatted image file in a storage device of the camera.

Claims

1. For use in an electronic camera having an image pick-up unit and a storage device, a process for taking and storing digital pictures, the process comprising:

generating a digital image signal corresponding to an image incident on the image pick-up unit;

formatting the digital image signal in one of a plurality of computer image file formats; and

storing the formatted image file in the storage device.

2. A process as in claim 1, wherein the storage device is removable.

3. For use in an electronic camera having an image pick-up unit and a storage device, a process for taking and storing digital pictures, the process comprising:

selecting one of a plurality of computer image file formats in the camera;

generating a digital image signal corresponding to an image incident on the image pick-up unit;

formatting the digital image signal in the selected computer image file format; and

storing the formatted computer image file in the storage device.

4. A process as in claim 3, wherein the storage device is removable.