Image display apparatus and camera and image communication system

• US 6,670,933 B1
• Filed: 11/25/1998
• Issued: 12/30/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamazaki, Akihisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Mengistu, Amare
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kovalick, Vincent E.
• Application Number:
  US09/199,427
• Time in Patent Office: 1,861 Days
• Field of Search: 340/825.31, 340/825.34, 340/825.29, 345/1, 380/23, 380/24, 709/204, 709/209, 709/227
• US Class Current: 345/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/1454 involving copying of the display data of a local workstation or window to a remote workstation or window so that an actual copy of the data is displayed simultaneously on two or more displays, e.g. teledisplay
• 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 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32117 in a separate transmission or protocol signal prior to or subsequent to the image data transmission, e.g. in digital identification signal [DIS], in non standard setup [NSS] or in non standard field [NSF] for mode signalling H04N1/333
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4182 for identification purposes, e.g. storing user identification data, preferences, personal settings or data restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code in combination with an additional device, e.g. dongle or smart card G06F21/123
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/441 Acquiring end-user identification , e.g. using personal code sent by the remote control or by inserting a card
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0074 Arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus H04N2201/0013; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3235 Checking or certification of the authentication information, e.g. by comparison with data stored independently
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/50 Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/662 by using master/slave camera arrangements for affecting the control of camera image capture, e.g. placing the camera in a desirable condition to capture a desired image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

The camera reads identification information of the user, which is contained in an identification card, through a card reading part. The camera connects automatically to a server designated in accordance with the read identification information through a communication interface. Then, the camera transmits and stores the data of recorded images to the designated server. The camera retrieves the image data stored in the server, and reproduces and displays the image on an image display at the back of the camera. A plurality of cameras in which the same user'"'"'s identification information is set can be controlled altogether in the image-recording and reproduction by one camera. One camera in which the identification information of a plurality of user'"'"'s is set can distribute the recorded image data to the servers of the users simultaneously.

Claims

1. An image display apparatus comprising:

an information reader for reading identification information from an external storage medium;

a communicating device for communicating with a server through a network, the server being designated in accordance with the read identification information;

an image display for displaying an image represented by image data distributed from the server; and

a cooperative mode designating device for designating the image display apparatus in either of a master mode and a slave mode with respect to at least one additional image display apparatus reading the same identification information that the image display apparatus reads and in accordance with the information read by said information reader, said designation being provided to the at least one additional image display apparatus through said communicating device;

wherein the image display apparatus supervises the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the master mode;

wherein the image display apparatus is supervised by one of the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the slave mode, the one of the at least one additional image display apparatus being designated in the master mode by the cooperative mode designating device thereof.

2. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a communicational condition evaluating device for determining whether condition of the communication of the communicating device with the server is satisfactory; and

a communication postponing device for, if the communicational condition evaluating device determines that the condition is unsatisfactory, postponing the communication of the communicating device with the server until the communicational condition evaluating device determines that the condition becomes satisfactory.

3. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a communication mode designating device for designating the image display apparatus in either of an on-line mode and an off-line mode with respect to the at least one additional image display apparatus,

wherein the image display apparatus supervises the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the on-line mode and the master mode;

wherein the image display apparatus is supervised by one of the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the on-line mode and the slave mode, the one of the at least one additional image display apparatus being designated in the master mode by the cooperative mode designating device thereof;

wherein the image display apparatus operates independently of the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the off-line mode.

4. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the external storage medium comprises one of a magnetic card, and IC card, and a microchip.

5. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the read identification information designates a user having a contract to use the designated server.

6. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the read identification information designates at least one of a user and a bank account, which will be charged for at least one of using the network and displaying the image data.

7. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the image display apparatus and the at least one additional image display apparatus displays the same image represented by the image data distributed from the designated server.

8. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein the displayed image is manipulated by the image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the master mode;

wherein the image display apparatus is manipulated by one of the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the slave mode, the one of the at least one additional image display apparatus being designated in the master mode by the cooperative mode designating device thereof.

9. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein the displayed image is manipulated by at least one of being switched, being enlarged, and being reduced.

10. The image display apparatus of claim 1, wherein said external storage medium is provided by a user and said identification information describes said user.

11. The image display apparatus of claim 10, wherein a server is designated by said communicating device based on an owner'"'"'s identification when said users identification information is not provided.

12. An image display apparatus comprising:

an information reader for reading identification information from an external storage medium;

a nonvolatile storage device for storing identification information of an owner of the image display apparatus;

a user'"'"'s identification information setting device for setting the owner'"'"'s identification information as user'"'"'s identification information if the information reader reads no identification information, and setting the identification information read by the information reader as the user'"'"'s identification information if the information reader reads the identification information;

a communicating device for communicating with a server through a network, the server being designated in accordance with the user'"'"'s identification information; and

an image display for displaying an image represented by image data distributed from the server.

13. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising a user'"'"'s identification information erasing device for erasing the user'"'"'s identification information when the image display apparatus is turned off.

14. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising a user'"'"'s identification information updating device for, when the information reader reads a new identification information, erasing the set user'"'"'s identification information and setting the new identification information as the user'"'"'s identification information.

15. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising a user'"'"'s identification information confirmation device for, if the set user'"'"'s identification information is other than the owner'"'"'s identification information, requiring resetting of the user'"'"'s identification information when a first preset time has elapsed after the setting of the set user'"'"'s identification information, and erasing the set user'"'"'s identification information when a second preset time has elapsed without the resetting after the requirement.

16. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising:

a communicational condition evaluating device for determining whether a condition of the communication of the communicating device with the server is satisfactory; and

a communication postponing device for, if the communicational condition evaluating device determines that the condition is unsatisfactory, postponing the communication of the communicating device with the server until the communicational condition evaluating device determines that the condition becomes satisfactory.

17. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, further comprising a user'"'"'s identification information erasing device for erasing the user'"'"'s identification information in response to a command entered by a user of the image display apparatus.

18. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the external storage medium comprises one of a magnetic card, and IC card, and a microchip.

19. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the user'"'"'s identification information designates a user having a contract to use the server.

20. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 12, wherein the user'"'"'s identification information designates at least one of a user and a user'"'"'s bank account, which will be charged for at least one of using the network and displaying the image data.

21. An image display apparatus comprising:

a communicating device for communicating with a server through a network, the server being designated from among a plurality of servers in accordance with a user'"'"'s identification information;

an image display for displaying an image represented by image data distributed from the server; and

a cooperative mode designating device for designating the image display apparatus in either of a master mode and a slave mode with respect to at least one additional image display apparatus reading the same identification information that the image display apparatus reads and in accordance with the user'"'"'s identification information, said designation being provided to the at least one additional image display apparatus through said communicating device;

wherein the image display apparatus supervises the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the master mode;

wherein the image display apparatus is supervised by one of the at least one additional image display apparatus when the image display apparatus is in the slave mode, the one of the at least one additional image display apparatus being designated in the master mode by the cooperative mode designating device thereof.

22. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the read identification information designates a user having a contract to use the designated server.

23. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 21, wherein the read identification information designates at least one of a user and a bank account, which will be charged for at least one of using the network and displaying the image data.

24. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 21, further comprising a nonvolatile storage device for storing identification information of an owner of the image display apparatus.

25. The image display apparatus as defined in claim 24, further comprising a user'"'"'s identification information setting device for setting the owner'"'"'s identification as user'"'"'s identification information if the information reader reads no identification information, and setting the identification information read by the information reader as the user'"'"'s identification information if the information reader reads the identification information.

26. The image display apparatus of claim 21, wherein a server is designated by said communicating device based on an owner'"'"'s identification when said users identification information is not provided.