Image capturing and recording system utilizing wireless communication and image transmission-reception method thereof

• US 6,701,058 B1
• Filed: 12/28/1999
• Issued: 03/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsubaki, Hisayoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCCIO, VINCENT F
• Application Number:
  US09/473,127
• Time in Patent Office: 1,526 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.591, 386/46, 386/95, 348/143, 348/152, 348/153, 348/207.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.4, 348/211.6, 348/211.99
• US Class Current: 386/226
• 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 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00891 Switching on or off, e.g. for saving power when not in use H04N1/00896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0013 Arrangements for the control of the connected apparatus by the still picture apparatus arrangements for the control of a still picture apparatus by the connected apparatus H04N2201/0074; control of image communication with the connected apparatus H04N2201/0015
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media
• 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

Abstract

If the residual capacity of a recording medium in an image capturing apparatus becomes five or less, the image capturing apparatus wirelessly transmits a command signal to an image recording apparatus to turn on a power supply of the image recording apparatus. Then, in response to a standby signal from the image recording apparatus, the image capturing apparatus wirelessly transmits the image data recorded in the recording device to the image recording apparatus.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus, comprising:

an imaging part;

a first recording part that records a predetermined amount of data of images captured by the imaging part; and

a communication part that wirelessly communicates with an image recording apparatus comprising at least one of a printer and a second recording part having a capacity larger than the first recording part, and that transmits a first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on a power supply to at least one of the printer and the second recording part when a residual capacity of the first recording part becomes less than a predetermined threshold and then transmits at least one of the images recorded in the first recording part to the image recording apparatus,

wherein the communication part transmits a second command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn off the power supply of the image recording apparatus when transmission of the at least one of the images recorded in the first recording part to the image recording apparatus is completed.

2. The image capturing apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an erasing device that automatically erases, from the first recording part, the at least one of the images having been transmitted to the image recording apparatus.

3. The image capturing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the communication part wirelessly communicates with the image recording apparatus comprising the second recording part;

the image capturing apparatus further comprises a retrieved image selecting device that selects at least one image having been recorded in the second recording part to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus; and

the communication part transmits the first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on the power supply to the second recording part when the retrieved image selecting device selects the at least one image to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus, and then transmits a third command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit the at least one image selected by the retrieved image selecting device from the image recording apparatus to the image capturing apparatus.

4. The image capturing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the communication part wirelessly communicates with the image recording apparatus comprising the second recording part;

the image capturing apparatus further comprises an erased image selecting device that selects at least one image having been recorded in the second recording part to be erased from the second recording part; and

the communication part transmits the first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on the power supply to the second recording part when the erased image selecting device selects the at least one image to be erased from the second recording part, and then transmits a fourth command signal to the image recording apparatus to erase the at least one image selected by the erased image selecting device from the second recording part.

5. The image capturing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the communication part wirelessly communicates with the image recording apparatus comprising the second recording part;

the image capturing apparatus further comprises a retrieved image selecting device that receives image selection information from the image recording apparatus, and that selects, with reference to the image selection information, at least one image having been recorded in the second recording part to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus; and

when a retrieved image selection procedure at the retrieved image selecting device is started, the communication part transmits the first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on the power supply to the second recording part and then transmits a fifth command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit the image selection information to the image capturing apparatus, and then, when the retrieved image selecting device selects the at least one image to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus, the communication part transmits a third command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit the at least one image selected by the retrieved image selecting device from the image recording apparatus to the image capturing apparatus.

6. The image capturing apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein:

the communication part wirelessly communicates with the image recording apparatus comprising the second recording part;

the image capturing apparatus further comprises an erased image selecting device that receives image selection information from the image recording apparatus, and that selects, with reference to the image selection information, at least one image having been recorded in the second recording part to be erased from the second recording part; and

when an erased image selection procedure at the erased image selecting device is started, the communication part transmits the first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on the power supply to the second recording part and then transmits a fifth command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit the image selection information to the image capturing apparatus, and then, when the erased image selecting device selects the at least one image to be erased from the second recording part, the communication part transmits a fourth command signal to the image recording apparatus to erase the at least one image selected by the erased image selecting device from the second recording part.

7. An image recording apparatus, comprising:

a communication part that wirelessly communicates with an image capturing apparatus and receives at least one image from the image capturing apparatus;

at least one of a printer and a recording part that records the at least one image received from the image capturing apparatus; and

a power supply part that makes the communication part on standby for receiving, from the image capturing apparatus, a first command signal to turn on a power supply to the at least one of the printer and the recording part, and that turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus and then turns off the power supply and makes the communication part on the standby upon at least one of receipt of a second command signal to turn off the power supply from the image capturing apparatus and passage of a predetermined period after completion of reception of the at least one image from the image capturing apparatus.

8. An image capturing and recording system comprising an image capturing apparatus and an image recording apparatus, wherein:

the image capturing apparatus comprises;

an imaging part;

a first recording part that records a predetermined amount of data of images captured by the imaging part; and

a first communication part that wirelessly communicates with the image recording apparatus and that transmits a first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on a power supply to at least one of a printer and a second recording part of the image recording apparatus when a residual capacity of the first recording part becomes less than a predetermined threshold and then transmits at least one of the images recorded in the first recording part to the image recording apparatus; and

the image recording apparatus comprises;

a second communication part that wirelessly communicates with the image capturing apparatus and receives the at least one of the images transmitted from the image capturing apparatus;

the at least one of the printer and the second recording part having a capacity larger than the first recording part, the at least one of the printer and the second recording part recording the at least one of the images received from the image capturing apparatus; and

a power supply part that makes the communication part on standby for receiving the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus, and that turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus and then turns off the power supply and makes the communication part on the standby for receiving the first command signal upon at least one of receipt of a second command signal to turn off the power supply from the image capturing apparatus and passage of a predetermined period after completion of reception of the at least one of the images from the image capturing apparatus.

9. An image transmission-reception method for transmitting and receiving an image between an image capturing apparatus and an image recording apparatus, wherein:

the image capturing apparatus transmits a first command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn on a power supply of the image recording apparatus when an amount of data of images recorded in a first recording part of the image capturing apparatus reaches a predetermined amount, and then transmits at least one of the images recorded in the first recording part to the image recording apparatus; and

the image recording apparatus turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus to get activated from being on standby for receiving the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus, and then receives the at least one of the images transmitted from the image capturing apparatus and records the at least one of the images received from the image capturing apparatus on at least one of printing paper and a second recording part having a capacity larger than the first recording part, wherein;

the image capturing apparatus transmits a second command signal to the image recording apparatus to turn off the power supply of the image recording apparatus when transmission of the at least one of the images recorded in the first recording part to the image recording apparatus is completed; and

the image recording apparatus turns off the power supply and becomes on the standby upon receipt of the second command signal to turn off the power supply from the image capturing apparatus.

10. The image transmission-reception method as defined in claim 9, wherein the image capturing apparatus automatically erases, from the first recording part, the at least one of the images having been transmitted to the image recording apparatus.

11. The image transmission-reception method as defined in claim 9, wherein the image recording apparatus turns off the power supply and becomes on the standby upon passage of a predetermined period after completion of reception of the at least one of the images from the image capturing apparatus.

12. The image transmission-reception method as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the image recording apparatus records the at least one of the images received from the image capturing apparatus;

when at least one image having been recorded in the image recording apparatus to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus is selected, the image capturing apparatus transmits the first command signal to turn on the power supply of the image recording apparatus and then transmits a third command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit the at least one image selected by the image capturing apparatus from the image recording apparatus to the image capturing apparatus; and

the image recording apparatus turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus to get activated from being on the standby, and transmits, in response to the third command signal, the at least one image recorded in the image recording apparatus corresponding to the third command signal to the image capturing apparatus.

13. The image transmission-reception method as defined claim 9, wherein:

the image recording apparatus records the at least one of the images received from the image capturing apparatus;

when at least one image having been recorded in the image recording apparatus to be erased from the image recording apparatus is selected, the image capturing apparatus transmits the first command signal to turn on the power supply of the image recording apparatus and then transmits a fourth command signal to the image recording apparatus to erase the at least one image selected by the image capturing apparatus from the image recording apparatus; and

the image recording apparatus turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus to get activated from being on the standby, and erases, in response to the fourth command signal, the at least one image recorded in the image recording apparatus corresponding to the fourth command signal.

14. The image transmission-reception method as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the image recording apparatus records the at least one of the images received from the image capturing apparatus;

when a retrieved image selection procedure to select at least one image having been recorded in the image recording apparatus to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus is started, the image capturing apparatus transmits the first command signal to turn on the power supply of the image recording apparatus and then transmits a fifth command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit image selection information to be used in the retrieved image selection procedure to the image capturing apparatus;

the image recording apparatus turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus to get activated from being on the standby, and transmits the image selection information to the image capturing apparatus in response to the fifth command signal;

when the at least one image to be transmitted to the image capturing apparatus is selected at the image capturing apparatus, the image capturing apparatus transmits a third command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit the at least one image selected by the image capturing apparatus from the image recording apparatus to the image capturing apparatus; and

the image recording apparatus transmits, in response to the third command signal, the at least one image recorded in the image recording apparatus corresponding to the third command signal to the image capturing apparatus.

15. The image transmission-reception method as defined in claim 9, wherein:

the image recording apparatus records the at least one of the images received from the image capturing apparatus;

when an erased image selection procedure to select at least one image having been recorded in the image recording apparatus to be erased from the image recording apparatus is started, the image capturing apparatus transmits the first command signal to turn on the power supply of the image recording apparatus and then transmits a fifth command signal to the image recording apparatus to transmit image selection information to be used in the erased image selection procedure to the image capturing apparatus;

the image recording apparatus turns on the power supply in response to the first command signal from the image capturing apparatus to get activated from being on the standby, and transmits the image selection information to the image capturing apparatus in response to the fifth command signal;

when the at least one image to be erased from the image recording apparatus is selected at the image capturing apparatus, the image capturing apparatus transmits a fourth command signal to the image recording apparatus to erase the at least one image selected by the image capturing apparatus from the image recording apparatus; and

the image recording apparatus erases, in response to the fourth command signal, the at least one image recorded in the image recording apparatus corresponding to the fourth command signal.