Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery – Pulse or data error handling – Digital data error correction
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-19
2004-11-09
Dildine, R. Stephen (Department: 2133)
Error detection/correction and fault detection/recovery
Pulse or data error handling
Digital data error correction
C700S021000, C700S079000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816993
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an electronic device, such as a video camera or the like, which is preferably utilized in a system controlling the electronic device from a personal computer through a network, and a computer-readable storage medium used in the electronic device.
Conventionally, peripherals of a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) such as hard disk or a printer or the like are connected to the PC for data communication through a general-purpose interface, such as the Small Computer System Interface (SCSI), typical of digital interfaces (hereinafter referred to as a digital I/F).
A digital camera and digital video camera are also peripherals for inputting data to a PC. Recently, more users use digital cameras and digital video cameras as the technology advances in the field of inputting to a PC, still image data or moving image data sensed by a digital camera or video camera along with audio data, then storing the data in hard disk of the PC or editing the data by the PC and outputting the data to be printed in color by a printer.
When image data is outputted from the PC to a printer or hard disk, data communication via SCSI is performed. In order to transmit a large amount of data such as image data, a digital I/F of general versatility, having a high data transfer rate is necessary.
FIG. 8
is a block diagram showing a conventional system in which a digital camera and a printer are connected to a PC.
Referring to
FIG. 8
, reference numeral
31
denotes a digital camera;
32
, a personal computer (PC); and
33
, a printer.
In the digital camera
31
, reference numeral
34
denotes memory serving as a recording unit of the digital camera;
35
, an image data decoder;
36
, an image processor;
37
, a D/A converter;
38
, an electric view finder (EVF) serving as a display unit; and
39
, a digital I/O unit of the digital camera.
In the PC
32
, reference numeral
40
denotes a digital I/O unit for connecting the PC
32
to the digital camera
31
;
41
, an operation unit such as a keyboard, mouse or the like;
42
, an image data decoder;
43
, a display;
44
, hard disk;
45
, memory such as RAM or the like;
46
, an MPU serving as a computation processor;
47
, a PCI bus;
48
, a SCSI interface (board) of the digital I/F.
In the printer
33
, reference numeral
149
denotes a printer SCSI interface for connecting the printer
33
to the PC
32
through a SCSI cable;
150
, memory;
151
, a printer head;
152
, a printer controller; and
153
, a driver.
Next, description will be provided on the steps of inputting an image sensed by the digital camera
31
to the PC
32
, and outputting the image data from the PC
32
to the printer
33
.
When image data stored in the memory
34
of the digital camera
31
is read out, the read image data is, on one hand, decoded by the decoder
35
, then subjected to image processing by the image processor
36
for displaying, and then processed by the D/A converter
37
to be displayed by the EVF
38
. On the other hand, the read image data is outputted by the digital I/O unit
39
to the digital I/O unit
40
of the PC
32
through a cable.
In the PC
32
, image data is inputted to the digital I/O unit
40
through the PCI bus
47
which serves as a two-way communication bus. When the image data is to be stored, the image data is stored in the hard disk
44
, but when an image is to be displayed, the image data is decoded by the decoder
42
, stored as display image data in the memory
45
, and converted to analog signals in the display
43
to be displayed.
In the PC
32
, an operation command such as an image edit command or the like is inputted by the operation unit
41
. Processing for the entire PC
32
is executed by the MPU
46
. For printing out an image, image data is transmitted from the SCSI interface board
48
of the PC
32
to the printer
33
through the SCSI cable. In the printer
33
, the transmitted image data is received by the SCSI interface
149
, and stored as print image data in the memory
150
. Then, the printer controller
152
controls the printer head
151
and driver
153
according to the print image data read out of the memory
150
and an image is printed.
The foregoing are conventional steps of inputting image data to a PC and printing an image. As is apparent from the above description, conventionally, respective devices are connected to a PC serving as a host computer, and image data sensed by a digital camera is printed via the PC.
However, the aforementioned SCSI includes a type with a low data transfer rate, or one having a thick cable for parallel communication, or one with a limited type and method of connecting peripherals. Besides these, various other inconvenient aspects have been pointed out, e.g., the SCSI requires as many I/F connectors as the number of connected devices. Furthermore, many general home-use PCs or digital devices have connectors on the back of the PC for connecting the SCSI or other cables. Moreover, the large shape of the connector makes plugging in/out of the cable cumbersome.
Even in a case of connecting a mobile or portable device which normally is not used as a desk-top type device, e.g., digital camera or video camera or the like, the device must be connected to a connector usually on the back of the PC, which is quite cumbersome. Until recently, digital data communication has typically been represented by two-way communication between a PC and its peripherals. Therefore, aforementioned communication method did not cause any inconvenience. However, as the number of types of devices handling digital data increases and I/F improves, communication is performed not only between a PC and peripherals but also through a network which connects many digital devices, e.g., a digital video camera or digital recording medium driver apparatus or the like. This advancement has facilitated communication, and has enabled some devices to transmit an extremely large amount of data. However, using aforementioned communication method in such data transmission congests the network, and may influence other communication between devices in the network.
In view of this, means has been proposed to solve these problems related to the conventional digital I/F, and realize data communication not only between a PC and its peripherals but also among any digital devices through a general-purpose digital I/F uniformly incorporated in each device (e.g., High-Performance Serial Bus in compliance with IEEE 1394-1995). In such configuration, data communication is possible among devices such as a PC, printer, other peripherals, digital camera, digital video tape recorder (VTR) integrating a camera, or the like, through a network.
Main features of the IEEE 1394-compliant serial bus include: a relatively thin cable because of adoption of high-speed serial communication as will be described later; high flexibility; an extremely small connector compared to the SCSI cable; and high-speed transfer capability of transferring a large amount of data such as image data together with device control data.
In other words, performing communication using the IEEE 1394-compliant I/F provides an advantage in that, even in a case of connecting a mobile, portable, non-desktop-type device such as a digital camera or video camera or the like to a PC through a network, the aforementioned cumbersome operation is considerably reduced, and image data can be smoothly transferred to the PC.
As described above, the IEEE 1394-compliant I/F provides various convenient aspects for eliminating cumbersome operation of the conventional data communication system. Particularly, because of the advantage of high-speed transfer capability of transferring a large amount of data, e.g., image data, together with device control data, a new system can be constructed for enabling a PC to control an image sensing apparatus such as a video camera through a network.
In a system having such a construction, it has become an object to achieve stable operation of an electronic device such as a video cam
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Dildine R. Stephen
Morgan & Finnegan , LLP
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