Television – Camera – system and detail – Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
Reexamination Certificate
1997-07-31
2004-11-23
Moe, Aung (Department: 2612)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
C348S231200, C348S207100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06822678
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a digital camera, a digital camera control apparatus, a digital camera system, a digital camera control method, and a medium which can be controlled by a communication.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, there has been proposed a digital camera system such that an image photographed by a digital camera is displayed or the like on a personal computer (hereinafter, simply referred to as a PC) or, contrarily, data managed on the PC is recorded to the digital camera.
FIG. 4
is a constructional diagram showing an outline of a digital camera system. In
FIG. 4
, reference numeral
1003
denotes a PC and
1007
indicates a digital camera. The digital camera
1007
has a PCMCIA card slot
1008
and can record images in a PCMCIA card (not shown).
Reference numeral
1006
denotes a cable to connect the PC
1003
and the digital camera
1007
. A serial or parallel cable is used as a cable
1006
. The PC
1003
performs a communication through the cable
1006
and can read the images recorded in the PCMCIA card of the digital camera
1007
or can write data into the PCMCIA card.
FIG. 5
is a block diagram showing a constructional example of the conventional digital camera
1007
. In
FIG. 5
, reference numeral
1107
denotes hardware of the digital camera
1007
and
1100
indicates software. Only main portions of the digital camera
1007
are shown in FIG.
5
.
In
FIG. 5
, reference numeral
1106
denotes an image pickup device comprising a CCD or the like which is necessary for image pickup. Reference numeral
1105
denotes a recording medium such as a PCMCIA card or the like to store the photographed image data or the like. Reference numeral
1104
denotes a file system having a function for enabling another software to perform an input/output process of the file without being aware of the hardware.
Reference numeral
1103
denotes a photographing information management unit having a function to manage various information which are necessary to perform a photographing. As information to be managed, there are the number of images which can be photographed and stored in the recording medium
1105
, the number that is used as a name of image to be photographed at the next time, and the like.
Reference numeral
1101
denotes a photographing execution unit which functions such that the image pickup device
1106
is driven and photographing is performed, where the photographed images are recorded with names using serial numbers through the photographing information management unit
1103
, and if the number of images which can be photographed and stored in the recording medium
1105
is insufficient, a decision is made so as not to perform the photographing operation or the like.
Reference numeral
1108
denotes a communication port. When communicating with the PC
1003
as shown in
FIG. 4
, the serial or parallel cable
1006
is connected to the communication port
1108
. Reference numeral
1102
denotes a communication control unit which functions such that a signal transmitted from the communication port
1108
is processed, and in accordance with a request from the PC
1003
, the photographed image is read through the file system
1104
and is transmitted, or unnecessary images are deleted, or data sent from the PC
1003
is written.
In the conventional digital camera system constructed as mentioned above, the PC
1003
can directly access the file system
1104
of the digital camera
1007
by communication via the cable
1006
. For example, the images photographed by the digital camera
1007
can be deleted or a file other than the images can be written.
Therefore, in the case where a user intends to perform a photographing operation using the digital camera
1007
after an operation such as deleting photographed images or writing a file other than the images which has been executed by the PC
1003
, there is a possibility that a contradiction may occur with the information which the photographing information management unit
1103
contains.
For example, it is assumed that when the images to which the names from No.
1
to No.
5
were allocated have been photographed and stored in the recording medium
1105
, the photographing information management unit
1103
prepares No.
6
as a number that is used as a name of an image to be photographed at the next time.
In this instance, a case where the PC
1003
directly accesses the file system
1104
and deletes the image of No.
5
and, thereafter, performs a photographing operation is now considered. In this case, although it is inherently sufficient to photograph the image by the name of No.
5
, since the photographing information management unit
1103
does not have means for detecting that the image of No.
5
was deleted, there is a problem such that the number that is used as a name of the image to be subsequently photographed cannot be changed and an image having the name of No.
6
is photographed.
Or, in the case where the digital camera
1007
intends to perform a photographing operation after the PC
1003
has written a file other than images into the recording medium
1105
, in spite of a fact that a vacant capacity of the recording medium
1105
has been reduced, the photographing information management unit
1103
cannot detect it. There is, consequently, a fear that although the remaining unused capacity of the recording medium
1105
is actually insufficient, the photographing execution unit
1101
may execute a photographing operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In consideration of the above drawbacks, it is an object of the invention to enable storage means to be preferably managed.
Another object of the invention is to enable storage means of a digital camera to be preferably managed.
Still another object of the invention is to make it possible to manage storage means of a digital camera which is connected to a host computer.
A further object of the invention is to make it possible to normally perform photographing and recording operations using a digital camera even after a file system in the digital camera has been changed using an external apparatus such as a computer or the like.
To accomplish the above objects, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is provided a digital camera comprising: recording means which can be rewritten from the outside; and information holding means for holding information regarding the recording means, wherein the information holding means updates the information regarding the recording means while reflecting the contents in the recording means.
In a system comprising a host computer and a digital camera, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a digital camera and host computer which make it possible to preferably manage storage means and to also provide a control method for controlling these apparatuses and a medium in which such a control method has been stored.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5438359 (1995-08-01), Aoki
patent: 5867214 (1999-02-01), Anderson et al.
patent: 6031964 (2000-02-01), Anderson
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Moe Aung
Nguyen Luong T.
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