Digital Camera Patent AbstractAn image data processing system includes a digital camera having
a camera section for converting a light from a substance to be recorded
into image data, and a first memory section for storing said image
data therein, first processing device, for storing the image data,
provided outside said digital camera and having a second memory
section for storing said image data therein; second processing device
for processing said image data in accordance with instructions from
said first processing device; communication apparatus having communication
sections which transmit and receive data, said communication sections
being provided for said digital camera, said first processing device
and said second processing device, and communication circuits for
connecting said communication sections to each other; and device
for giving instructions on processing to be executed by said first
processing device from said digital camera.
Digital Camera Patent ClaimsWhat is claimed is:
1. An image data processing system comprising: a digital camera
having a camera section for converting a light from a substance
to be recorded into image data, and a first memory section for storing
said image data therein; first processing means, for processing
the image data, provided outside said digital camera and having
a second memory section for storing said image data therein; second
processing means for processing said image data in accordance with
instructions from said first processing means; communication apparatus
having communication sections which transmit and receive data, said
communication sections being provided for said digital camera, said
first processing means and said second processing means, and communication
circuits for connecting said communication sections to each other;
and instruction means for giving instructions on processing to be
executed by said first processing means from said digital camera,
wherein the digital camera comprises a selection means selecting
between the first memory section and the second memory section for
selectively storing the image data, wherein, when the second memory
section is selected as a storage for the image data by the selection
means, the image data is transmitted to the second memory section
without being stored into the first memory section, and wherein
said communication section for said digital camera transmits and
receives image data based on said instructions from said instructions
means.
2. The image data processing system according to claim 1, wherein,
said second processing means includes a print section for printing
the image.
3. The image data processing system according to claim 2, wherein
said second processing means includes a third memory section for
storing the image data.
4. The image data processing system according to claim 3, wherein
the system includes a plurality of said second processing means,
and said digital camera includes selecting means for selecting said
second processing means.
5. The image data processing system of claim 1, wherein the digital
camera comprises the instruction means.
6. The image data processing system of claim 1, wherein the first
processing means communicates directly with the digital camera.
7. The image data processing system of claim 1, wherein the digital
camera comprises a display capable of displaying the image data
stored in the second memory section.
8. A digital camera comprising: a camera section for converting
a light from a substance to be recorded into image data; a first
memory section for storing said image data therein; instruction
means for instructing a processing means on processing to be executed
disposed outside the digital camera, and the processing means having
a second memory section for storing said image data therein; and
a connecting section for connecting with a communication circuit
capable of transmitting the instructions from said instruction means
and said image data, and a selection means selecting between the
first memory section and the second memory section for selectively
storing the image data, wherein, when the second memory section
is selected as a storage for the image data by the selection means,
the image data is transmitted to the second memory section without
being stored into the first memory section, and wherein the connecting
section is capable of receiving image data based on said instructions
from said instructions means.
9. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein the instruction means
communicates directly with the processing means.
10. The digital camera of claim 8 comprises, a display capable
of displaying the image data stored in the second memory section.
11. An image data processing system comprising: a digital camera
that has a first memory that stores image data and has a communications
circuit; a first processing circuit that processes said image data,
is provided outside said digital camera, and has a second memory
that stores said image data; and a second processing circuit that
processes said image data in accordance with instructions from said
first processing circuit, wherein said digital camera comprises
a switch to select between said first memory and said second memory
to selectively store said image data, wherein, when the second memory
is selected as a storage for the image data by the switch, the image
data is transmitted to the second memory without being stored into
the first memory, and wherein said communications circuit receives
said image data from said first processing circuit.
12. The image data processing system according to claim 11, wherein
said second processing circuit includes a print circuit that prints
said image data.
13. The image data processing system according to claim 12, wherein
said second processing device includes a third memory that stores
said image data.
14. The image data processing system according to claim 13, wherein
the system includes a plurality of said second processing circuits,
and said digital camera includes a selecting circuit that selects
one of said second processing circuits.
15. The image data processing system of claim 11, wherein said
first processing circuit communicates directly with said digital
camera.
16. The image data processing system of claim 11, wherein said
digital camera comprises a display circuit that displays image data
stored in said second memory.
17. A digital camera comprising: a camera circuit; a first memory
that stores image data; a communications circuit that communicates
with a processing circuit that is disposed outside said digital
camera, said processing circuit having a second memory that stores
said image data; and a switch to select between said first memory
and said second memory to selectively store said image data, wherein,
when the second memory is selected as a storage for the image data
by the switch, the image data is transmitted to the second memory
without being stored into the first memory, and wherein the communications
circuit receives said image data from said processing circuit.
18. The digital camera of claim 17, wherein said communications
circuit communicates directly with said processing circuit.
19. The digital camera of claim 17, comprising: a display circuit
that displays image data stored in said second memory. Digital Camera Patent DescriptionBACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a system for processing image
data recorded by a digital camera.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, a digital camera is known, in which a light is
converted into an electric signal by an optical sensor of a CCD,
the electrical signal is converted into digital data, and the digital
data is stored in memory medium such as a flash memory. In this
specification, a digital camera includes a digital still camera
capable of recording a still picture, and a digital video camera
capable of recording a moving picture, as long as there is no particular
indication. In the digital camera, it is possible for an individual
not only to preserve the image data by use of a personal computer
or the like and process variously the image data easily but also
to print a photograph without developing a film by outputting the
image data to a printer. Therefore, a cost conventionally necessary
to buy a film is not required, which can reduce a running cost.
Further, by improvement of print quality of the printer, it is also
possible to print a photograph of such a high quality that it cannot
substantially be distinguished from a silver-halide photograph.
However, capacity of the memory medium of the digital camera is
limited and there is a limit to the number of photographs capable
of being taken. Therefore, the digital camera has been inconvenient
for longtime use, for example, use in travel. Though a digital camera
capable of using attachable and detachable memory medium such as
a memory card has been known, the memory card of the digital camera
is more expensive than a film of a silver-halide camera. Therefore,
in case that the large number of the memory cards are used, a purchase
cost increases.
Further, in order to perform image processing such as color correction,
printing and the like, instruments such as a personal computer,
a printer and the like are required. Therefore, it has been difficult
to perform the image processing at the destination in travel.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
The invention has been made in order to solve the above problems,
and its object is to provide an image data processing system in
which image data is stored in processing means provide outside a
digital camera and various processing can be executed.
According to the first aspect of the invention, an image data processing
system comprises a digital camera having a camera section for converting
a light from a substance to be recorded into an image data, and
a first memory section for storing the image data therein; a first
processing means which is provided outside the digital camera and
has a second memory section for storing the image data therein;
a second processing means for processing the image data in accordance
with instructions from the first processing means; communication
means having communication sections which transmit and receive data
and are provided for the digital camera, the first processing means
and the second processing means, and communication circuits for
connecting the communication sections to each other; and instruction
means for giving instructions on processing to be executed by the
first processing means from the digital camera. Hereby, the image
data recorded by the digital camera is stored in the first processing
means and then variously processed by the second processing means.
According to the second aspect of the invention, in the image data
processing system, the second processing means includes a print
section for printing the image. Therefore, the image data recorded
by the digital camera can be printed by an apparatus provided in
a distant location.
According to the third aspect of the invention, in the image data
processing system, the second processing means includes a third
memory section for storing the image data. Therefore, data of the
image recorded by the digital camera can be stored through the first
processing means in the memory section of the second processing
means.
According to the fourth aspect of the invention, in the image data
processing system, a plurality of the second processing means are
provided and the digital camera includes means for selecting the
second processing means for executing the processing. Therefore,
processing can be selected from plural kinds of image processing
to be executed without changing a connecting destination of the
digital camera
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, a digital camera
comprises instruction means for instructing processing means disposed
outside the digital camera on processing to be executed. Namely,
the digital camera can give instructions on the processing to be
executed to the processing means. Accordingly, the processing means
executes the complicated processing, whereby the processing by the
digital camera can be reduced and a load on the digital camera can
be reduced.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, in processing means,
upon reception of the instructions from the digital camera, the
image data can be output to external processing means disposed outside
in accordance with the instructions from the digital camera. The
processing to be executed by the digital camera is performed by
the processing means, and the processing content is output to the
external processing means. Accordingly, a load on the digital camera
can be reduced and the processing can be quickly performed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a typical view showing schematically an image data processing
system according to a first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the image data processing system
according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a digital still camera used in the
image data processing system according to the first embodiment of
the invention.
FIG. 4 is a rear elevation showing the digital still camera used
in the image data processing system according to the first embodiment
of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a typical view showing schematically an image data processing
system according to a second embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
A plurality of embodiments of invention will be described below
in detail with reference to drawings.
First Embodiment
FIG. 1 is a typical view showing an image data processing system
1 according to a first embodiment of the invention. The image data
processing system 1 comprises a digital still camera 3 which records
a substance to be recorded and converts it into image data; a server
computer 4 serving as a first processing means having a large capacity
of a memory section for storing the image data obtained by the digital
still camera 3 therein; and a printer 5 serving as a second processing
means for performing image processing by instructions from the server
computer 4.
As shown in FIG. 2, the digital still camera 3 comprises a camera
section composed of a controller 30, a condensing lens 31, a CCD
(Charge Coupled Device) 32 and an A/D converter 33; a LCD (Liquid
Crystal Display) 38 serving as a display section for displaying
images; a RAM (Random Access Memory) 34 serving as a first memory
section for temporarily storing the image data therein; a flash
memory 36 for storing the image data therein; a VRAM 37 in which
data for the image to be displayed on the LCD is stored; a communication
section 35 for connecting with a communication passage 2 for connecting
the digital still camera 3 and the server computer 4 to each other.
The communication section may be provided outside and connected
to an interface of the digital still camera 3.
FIGS. 3 and 4 are a plan view and a rear elevation which show the
digital still camera 3. In the digital still camera 3, a picture
is taken by pressing a shutter button 301 down. The controller 30
can distinguish "half press down" in which the shutter
button 301 is pressed down to the middle of a movable range of the
button from "complete press down" in which the shutter
button 301 is pressed down to the limit or to the vicinity of the
limit of the movable range thereof. A user selects any one from
four modes of "View", "On", "Off",
and "Play" by a mode switching dial 302 for switching
modes of the LCD 38. In the "View" mode, the LCD 38 is
used as a viewfinder and a picture is taken. In the "On"
mode, display on the LCD 38 is not performed in order to save the
consumption electric power of the digital camera 3, and a picture
is taken through an optical finder 301. In the "Play"
mode, images are displayed according to the image data that have
already been photographed and recorded. When the mode switching
dial 302 is in an "Off" position, a power source of the
digital still camera 3 is switched off.
On the rear portion of the digital still camera 3, there are provided
an ESC button 303 serving as an instruction means for inputting
various operations of the digital still camera 3, a first arrow
button 304, a second arrow button 305 and a select button 306.
As shown in FIG. 2, the server computer 4 comprises a CPU 40 serving
as a controller capable of executing various control operations;
a hard disc 41 serving as a second memory section; and a communication
section 42 for connecting with the communication passage 2 for connecting
the digital still camera 3 and the printer 5 to each other.
The hard disk 41 stores therein a large amount of the image data
transmitted from the digital still camera 3 to the server computer
4, and has a large capacity and a high-speed access function in
order to communicate data between the server computer 4 and the
digital still camera 3 at a high speed. In this embodiment, a part
of the memory region of the hard disc 41 of the server computer
4 is provided as a user region of the digital still camera 3, and
the data can be transmitted and received between the server computer
4 and the digital still camera 3 by a procedure of an FTP (File
Transfer Protocol).
The printer 5 is connected to the server computer 4 through the
communication passage 2. In accordance with instructions given from
the user by operating the digital still camera 3, the printer can
print images according to the image data stored in the hard disc
41. The printer 5 comprises a communication section 51 for connecting
with the communication passage 2 that connects the printer 5 and
the server computer 4 to each other; a cache memory 52 for temporarily
storing the image data received from the server computer 4; a printing
section 53 provided with a print head or a print unit for performing
a print operation; a local disk 54 serving as a third memory section
which keeps the image data of which printing has been completed;
and a CPU 50 for controlling the function of the printer 5. An ink
jet printer, a thermal transfer printer, a laser printer and the
like can be used as the printer 5.
An Internet which transmits and receives data, for example, on
an optical fiber cable, an Ethernet, a telephone circuit, and a
wireless communication circuit, by use of protocol such as TCP/IP
(Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol) can be used as
the communication passage 2. The communication means is composed
of the communication section 35 provided for the digital still camera
3, the communication section 42 provided for the server computer
4, the communication section 51 provided for the printer 51, and
the communication passage 2 for connecting the communication sections
to each other.
Next, an operation of the digital still camera 3 in the embodiment
will be described.
When the mode switching dial 302 is in the "View" position,
the lights condensed on the CCD 32 by the condensing lens 31 every
one-several seconds to one-several tenth seconds are converted into
electric signals, then, converted into digital image data, and transferred
to the VRAM 37, so that the recorded subject is displayed on the
LCD 38 as a moving picture.
When the substance is recorded, the controller 30 controls an iris
of the condensing lens 31 and the shutter speed, that is, a storage
time of the CCD 32 is controlled in accordance with the data output
from the CCD 32, whereby exposure is changed. As the shutter of
the digital camera 3, a shutter for physically intercepting light,
an electronic shutter of the CCD 32, or both of them can be used.
When the user half presses down the shutter button 301 of the digital
still camera 3, the suitable exposure and focus are set on the image
recognized by the CCD 32, so that the exposure and focus are fixed
while the shutter button 301 is pressed down half.
When the user completely presses down the shutter button 301, a
picture starts to be taken and an image data is made up. Once all
electric charges stored in the CCD 32 are discharged, thereafter
the lights condensed by the condensing lens 31 are input to the
CCD 32. In the CCD 32, the lights are converted into the electric
charges corresponding to the quantity of the lights. The electric
signal output from the CCD 32 is converted into a digital signal
by the A/D converter 33. The digital data output from the A/D converter
33 specifies address of the RAM 34 not through the controller 30
but directly by DMA (Direct Memory Access) because of speed-up,
and the digital signal is transferred there.
Since one picture element in the data transferred from the CCD
32 has only information corresponding to one color, color interpolation
is performed in accordance with color information of the surrounding
picture elements in the data recorded in the RAM 34. For example,
image data having color information on each picture element of 1280.times.960
pixels are made up.
Next, in order to increase the number of recording sheets in recording
medium, the data is compressed by irreversible compression system
that meets standard requirements of JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts
Group), so that a compression data of a small capacity is produced.
The JPEG is a compression method of a color image, which is generally
used and can adjust the kept image quality by changing the compression
rate. The JPEG compression is performed by the controller 30 in
a manner of software and also can use a private circuit because
of speed-up. The compression data subjected to the JPEG compression
is recorded in the flash memory 36. Further, the compression data
is recorded not in the flash memory 36 but in the hard disc 41 of
the server computer 4 through the communication passage 2 instead.
The user can select which of the flash memory 36 and the hard disc
41 the compressed image data is recorded in. Further, the image
data that has been recorded in the flash memory 36 once can be further
recorded in the hard disc 41.
There is a case in which it takes several seconds to tens seconds
till recording of the image date is completed since it is started.
Picture images according to the image data continue to be displayed
on the LCD 38 for its time.
When the mode switching dial 302 is in "On" position,
the electric current does not flow through the LCD 38, and the LCD
38 is always in a state of non-display. Usually, the electric current
does not flow through the CCD 32, and the operation of the CCD 32
is started when the user presses down the shutter button 301 half.
The other operations are similar to those in the "View"
mode. The user determines the recording range by use of the optical
finder 308.
When the mode switching dial 302 is set to "Play" position,
the images according to the image data in the flash memory 36 or
the hard disc 41 are displayed on the LCD 38. When the first arrow
button 304 is pressed down, the previous image is displayed. When
the second arrow button 305 is pressed down the next image is displayed.
Even in case that the image data is recorded in the hard disc 41,
the small capacity of data of a thumbnail image in which the number
of the picture elements is small are stored in the flash memory
36, whereby the thumbnail image can be displayed at a high speed.
When the select button 306 is pressed down, a menu display mode
appears, so that various kinds of setting such as date, image quality
and the like can be performed. An item to be set is selected by
the first arrow button 304 and the second arrow button 305, and
repressing of the select button 306 enables the setting to be changed.
Here, the condition of the numeral value can be changed by the first
arrow button 304 and the second arrow button 305. Further, by pressing
down the ESC button 303, the camera can return to the previous screen.
By selecting a "Print" menu in the menu display mode,
the image can be printed. A process for printing the image according
to the image data recorded in the hard disc 41 will be described
below.
The user searches an image he wants to print while he watches the
image displayed on the LCD 38 of the digital still camera 3. Even
in case that a large amount of image data are recorded in the hard
disc 41, by using the thumbnail for search, the user can quickly
search and select the image of desire. When the user watches the
thumbnail, selects the image of desire, and gives an instruction
of print, the sever computer 4 receives the instruction from the
digital still camera 3, searches image data of the image selected
by the user from the hard disc 41, and transmits the image data
from the hard disc 41 to the printer 5.
The printer 5 receives the image data and once stores it in the
cache memory 52 provided for the printer 5. The image data stored
in the cache memory 52 is formed into print data by the CPU 50 provided
for the printer 5 every time printing is executed, and the print
section 53 executes printing in accordance with the print data.
Since the image data is stored in the cache memory 52 as described
above, in case that the image corresponding to the same image data
is continuously printed on a plurality of sheets, printing can be
quickly executed. This is due to the following reason. For example,
even in case that the image data stored in the hard disc 41 of the
server computer 4 is formed into data of about 100 k bites by being
compressed by the JPEG system, when the compressed data is converted
into print data for printing in the printer 5, the print data becomes
large data of several M bites to several tens M bites, which depends
on a size of the image to be printed. Therefore, by once transmitting
the image data from the hard disc 41 to the cache memory 52 of the
printer 5 for the purpose of memory and converting the image data
into the print data in the printer every time printing is performed,
quick printing can be made more possible than by making up the print
data by the server computer 4 and transmitting the print data to
the printer 5 thereby to perform the printing operation.
When the printing is completed, the image data stored in the cache
memory 52 is kept in a local disc 54 provided for the printer 5.
Accordingly, in case that an image that is the same as the image
printed once is printed, that is, in case that an additional print
is made, since the image data is kept in the local disc 54, it does
not need to be retransmitted from the hard disc 41 of the server
computer 4.
In case of a personal user, he can employ a server computer 4 of
business concerned, install the printer 5 in his house, and instruct
the server computer 4 to control the printer 5 through the communication
passage 25 at the location distant from his house by use of the
digital still camera, so that the image data stored in the hard
disc 41 can be printed.
Further, the printer 5 can be installed at a photo shop, a mini
laboratory, a convenient store or the like so that many users can
use the printer.
Second Embodiment
FIG. 5 is a typical view showing an image data processing system
according to a second embodiment of the invention. In this embodiment,
a plurality of second processing means 6, 7 and 8 are provided.
In the first embodiment, the printer which prints the image is employed
as the second processing means. However, it is also possible to
employ other image processing devices such as a memory device for
storing the image data therein and to receive printing of the image
and other services by transmitting the data to the business concerned.
A connecting destination of a server computer 4 serving as a first
processing means to the second processing means 6, 7, 8 and execution
contents are previously set and stored in a memory device of the
server computer 4. And, the user operates a digital still camera
3 and selects the processing to be executed by the server computer
4. Therefore, a connecting destination of a communication section
of the digital still camera 3 is only the server computer 4 and
does not need to be changed, so that setting and operation are simplified.
Further, a procedure of the processing executed by the second processing
means is stored not in the digital still camera 3 but in the server
computer 4. Therefore, a load on a controller 30 of the digital
still camera 3 is reduced.
As described above, in the plural embodiments of the invention,
a mode in which the hard disc is utilized as a memory section of
the server computer has been described. However, the memory section
is not limited to the hard disc as long as it is a high-speed memory
section which has a large capacity and can read and write data at
any time, such as a magnetic disc, an optical disc and the like.
Further, the image data processing system in which the still picture
recorded by the digital still camera is transmitted and received
has been described, however not only the still picture but also
the moving picture may be transmitted and received.
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