Hybrid film-electronic camera having a dynamic number of stored electronic images protected from overwriting and method

• US 6,864,917 B2
• Filed: 09/04/2001
• Issued: 03/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Malloy Desormeaux, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Application Number:
  US09/945,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20030043275A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,281 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.1, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.9, 348/64, 348/344, 396/429, 386/38, 386/117, 386/118, 358/906, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 348/231.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00 Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof

Abstract

In a hybrid camera and method, the number of stored electronic images protected from overwriting is not fixed, but instead changes depending upon the film unit used in the camera. In the method, a first film unit is loaded in the camera. The first film unit has a first quantity of available film frames. An equal quantity of corresponding electronic images is less than the capacity of memory in the camera. The first quantity is determined by the camera and a tag number is set to an integer value equal to or less than the difference between the image capacity, in units of space for individual ones of the electronic images, and the first quantity. A plurality of electronic images are captured in the camera and stored in the memory. Individual tags are selectively assigned to one or more of the electronic images. The first film unit is removed and a second film unit is loaded in the camera. The second film unit has a second quantity of available film frames that is less than the image capacity. The second quantity is determined. The tag number is then reset to an integer value that is equal to or less than the difference between the image capacity and the second quantity. A warning is displayed when the tag number is less than the number of tagged images.

Claims

1. A method for managing electronic images in a hybrid electronic-film camera, said camera having memory for storing electronic images, said memory having an image capacity equal to a known number of electronic images of a nominal size, said method comprising:

loading a first film unit in the camera, said first film unit having a first quantity of available film frames, said first quantity being less than said image capacity;

determining said first quantity;

setting a tag number that is an integer value equal to or less than the difference between said image capacity and said first quantity;

capturing a plurality of electronic images in said camera;

storing said electronic images in said memory;

selectively assigning individual tags to one or more of said electronic images to provide tagged images;

removing said first film unit;

loading a second film unit in said camera, said second film unit having a second quantity of available film frames, said second quantity being less than said image capacity;

determining said second quantity;

resetting said tag number to an integer value that is equal to or less than the difference between said image capacity and said second quantity; and

displaying a warning when said tag number is less than the number of said tagged images.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining said number of said tagged images prior to said storing of each of said electronic images.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said capturing is further characterized as capturing a first plurality of electronic images prior to said removing and said storing is further characterized as storing said first plurality of electronic images prior to said removing.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

capturing a second plurality of electronic images in said camera, following said loading of said second film unit;

storing said second plurality of electronic images in said memory; and

replacing one or more of said tagged images during said storing.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said resetting reduces said tag number.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said assigning defines both said tagged images having said tags and one or more untagged images lacking said tags and said method further comprises replacing said untagged images in said memory prior to said replacing of said tagged images.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said steps of replacing said untagged and tagged images are each independently on a first in-first out basis.

8. The method of claim 4 further comprising capturing a first plurality of latent images in said first film unit during said capturing of said first plurality of electronic images and capturing a second plurality of latent images in said second film unit during said capturing of said second plurality of electronic images, said latent images corresponding to respective said electronic images.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said displaying of said warning is prior to said replacing of said tagged images.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising capturing a plurality of latent images on said first film unit, said latent images corresponding to respective said electronic images.

11. A method for managing electronic images in a hybrid electronic-film camera, said method comprising:

loading a first film unit in the camera, said first film unit having a first quantity of available film frames;

determining said first quantity;

setting a tag number to an integer that is less than a preset maximum number;

capturing a plurality of electronic images in said camera;

storing said electronic images in said memory;

selectively assigning individual tags to one or more of said electronic images to provide tagged images;

removing said first film unit;

loading a second film unit in said camera, said second film unit having a second quantity of available film frames;

determining said second quantity;

resetting said tag number to an integer that is less than said maximum number; and

displaying a warning when said tag number is less than the number of said tagged images.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said maximum number is less than said first and second quantities.

13. A method for managing electronic images in a hybrid electronic-film camera, said method comprising:

loading a first film unit in the camera, said first film unit having a first quantity of available film frames;

determining said first quantity of available film frames;

setting a number of tags, said sum of said number of tags plus said first quantity defining an electronic image capacity;

capturing a first plurality of electronic images in said camera;

storing said first plurality of electronic images in memory in said camera;

selectively assigning individual said tags to one or more of said first plurality of electronic images to define one or more tagged images having said tags and one or more untagged images lacking said tags;

totaling said tagged images to provide a total number of said tagged images;

removing said first film unit;

loading a second film unit in said camera, said second film unit having a second quantity of available film frames;

determining said second quantity of available film frames;

resetting said number of said tags such that said sum of said number of tags plus said second quantity equals said electronic image capacity; and

displaying a warning when said number of said tags is less than said total number of said tagged images.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the steps of:

capturing a second plurality of electronic images in said camera, following said loading of said second film unit;

replacing said untagged images in said memory with some of said second plurality of electronic images; and

following said replacing of said untagged images, replacing said tagged images with others of said second plurality of electronic images.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said steps of replacing said untagged and tagged images are each independently on a first in-first out basis.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising capturing a first plurality of latent images in said first film unit during said capturing of said first plurality of electronic images and capturing a second plurality of latent images in said second film unit during said capturing of said second plurality of electronic images, said latent images corresponding to respective said electronic images.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said second quantity of available film frames being greater than said first quantity of available film frames.

18. A method for managing electronic images in a hybrid electronic-film camera having memory with a known number of electronic image spaces, said method comprising:

loading a first film unit in the camera;

detecting a number of available film frames in said first film unit;

setting a number of tags to the difference between said number of electronic image spaces and said number of available film frames of said first film unit;

capturing a first plurality of electronic images in said camera;

storing said first plurality of electronic images in said memory;

selectively assigning each of said tags to individual ones of said first plurality of electronic images to define tagged images having said tags and untagged images lacking said tags;

unloading said first film unit;

loading a second film unit following said unloading;

detecting the number of available film frames in said second film unit;

resetting said number of tags to the difference between said number of electronic image spaces and said number of available film frames of said second film unit;

capturing a second plurality of electronic images in said camera;

replacing said untagged images in said memory, on a first in-first out basis, with an initial portion of said second plurality of electronic images;

following said replacing of said untagged images, replacing said tagged images in said memory, on a first in-first out basis, with a final portion of said second plurality of electronic images; and

displaying a warning prior to said replacing of said tagged images.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising capturing corresponding latent images in respective said film units during said capturing steps.

20. A hybrid electronic-film camera for use with photographic film units, said film units each having an indicator of available film frames, said camera comprising:

a body having a film holder sequentially loadable with said film units;

a film capture unit adjoining said film holder, said film capture unit being capable of selectively capturing a plurality of latent images in said film units;

a reader disposed in operative relation to said film holder to read said indicators of said film units in said film holder;

an electronic capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic capture unit being capable of selectively capturing a series of electronic images;

memory disposed in said body in operative relation to said electronic capture unit, said memory storing said electronic images;

a tag selector disposed on said body, said tag selector selectively assigning a tag to one or more of said electronic images in said memory, said assigning defining said electronic images in said memory as tagged images having one of said tags and untagged images lacking one of said tags; and

a controller operatively connected to said memory, said reader, and said tag selector, said controller, during said capturing, blocking replacement of said tagged images and allowing replacement of said untagged images, said controller setting a number of said tags responsive to each said reading of said indicator, said controller calculating a running total of said tagged images, said controller generating a warning when said running total is greater than said number of said tags.

21. The camera of claim 20 further comprising a display mounted on said body, said display showing said warning.