Television – Camera – system and detail – Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
Reexamination Certificate
1998-08-18
2001-05-08
Kostak, Victor R. (Department: 2611)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Combined image signal generator and general image signal...
C348S236000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06229566
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a so-called electronic photography system which can electronically record images on such a memory device as a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk without using any films.
Silver halide film is usually used for photograph. The exposures are developed and printed on a photographic paper for its appreciation. There exists a technique for displaying images printed on a photographic paper on a TV display. For example, disclosed in JP-A-3-261935 is a system in which picture images printed on a photographic paper are displayed on a monitor device together with information associated with the picture images, such as shooting days and shutter speeds.
Meanwhile, an electronic still image capturing unit has been put in practical use in these years. This image capturing unit is designed to electronically record picture images on a memory device such as a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk without using any films. In a reproduction mode of the image capturing unit, the recorded picture images can be reproduced on an external TV display or can be transferred to a computer to be used for desk-top publishing (DTP).
Photographs for use by a single individual have been rapidly increased lately. Typically, pictures taken by an individual amount to several tens a year. Thus, several hundreds of pictures are produced in a family. In particular, a newly-wedded couple, a family having a newly born baby or a person who goes abroad, has many chances of taking pictures and thus the number of pictures taken per year amounts nearly to 500.
It is highly troublesome to re-arrange and keep these pictures, which results in may cases in that such pictures are merely inserted into a pocket-type album or kept in different places. For this reason, even when it is desired to find some pictures, such finding is difficult. In addition, when pictures are kept in different places, such pictures tend to be lost undesirably.
For the purpose of re-arranging and keeping pictures, in general, there is used such an album of a type that pictures are bonded on layout sheets. In this case, it is also possible to divide the pictures according to the theme or subject matter or to add some comments to them. However, rearranging and keeping pictures requires a lot of labors, including classifying and rearranging the pictures and arranging the pictures on layout sheets in a beautiful and balanced layout. Further, such comments as associated dates and places are added to the pictures. When an user after taking pictures immediately conducts the above works, the works might not impose so burdensome feeling on the user. However, once such pictures are left alone and accumulated as not rearranged, it becomes troublesome to rearrange them. And such pictures contain many pictures which are not taken well, that is, out of focus or have improper exposure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an image recording/reproducing system which can eliminate the above problems in the prior art and can easily rearrange and keep photographic images and also can display the images for appreciation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to solve the above problems, in accordance with the present invention, there is provided an image recording/reproducing system which comprises an image capturing unit, an image storage/display unit and means for applying attribute data to data of a picture image at the time of shooting the picture image is provided in the image capturing unit. Further, means for displaying the picture image on the basis of the attribute data in a picture display mode is provided in the image storage/display unit. The image capturing unit is based on such a system that a device such as a charge coupled device (CCD) is employed in place of silver halide film to capture the image data in the image capturing unit in the form of electronic data. Since the attribute data is made also in the form of electronic data, the image and attribute data can be systematically handled. The image storage/display unit includes a data storage for storing the image data therein and an image display for electronically displaying the image data in the form of an album thereon.
In accordance with first one of preferable aspects of the present invention, means for applying a date and a time of capturing the image data to the picture image data as the attribute data is provided in the image capturing unit. Further, the image storage/display unit classifies and displays the image data on the basis of this attribute data.
In accordance with second one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, an attitude detector for detecting an attitude of an image pickup is provided in the image capturing unit, and means for applying as attribute data to the image data the attitude of the image pickup at the time of capturing the image data is also provided in the image capturing unit. Further, the image storage/display unit changes an orientation of the image data to be displayed on the basis of the attitude attribute data.
In accordance with third one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, a shooting place input part is provided in the image capturing unit, and means for applying the picture shooting place to the picture image data as attribute data is also provided in the image capturing unit. Further, the image storage/display unit classifies and displays the image data on the basis of the shooting place attribute data.
In accordance with fourth one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, a image input part for inputting an image of the operator of the system is provided in the image capturing unit, and means for appending the image of the operator to the picture image data as an operator attribute data is also provided in the image capturing unit. Further, the image storage/display unit classifies and displays the image data on the basis of the attribute data.
In accordance with fifth one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, means for shooting sub picture images at times in the vicinity of the moment that a main picture image is shot and applying the sub picture image data to the main picture image data as attribute data of the main image data. Further, in the image storage/display unit, a desired image is selectively displayed among the main or sub picture image data.
In accordance with sixth one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, there is provided in the image capturing means for shooting sub images with shifted focuses at times in the vicinity of the moment of shooting a main picture image and applying the sub image data to the main picture image data as its attribute data. Further, in the image storage/display unit, a desired image is selectively displayed among the main or sub picture image data.
In accordance with seventh one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, there is provided in the image capturing means for shooting sub images with shifted apertures at times in the vicinity of the moment of shooting a main picture image and applying the sub image data to the main picture image data as its attribute data. Further, in the image storage/display unit, a desired image is selectively displayed among the main or sub picture image data.
In accordance with eighth one of the preferable aspects of the present invention, there is provided in the image capturing means for recording voice data of a shooting place at times in the vicinity of the moment of shooting a picture image and applying the voice data to the picture image data as its attribute data. Further, when it is desired to display the picture image data, the image storage/display unit reproduces the voice data of its attribute data.
At the time of shooting the picture image, the attribute data on the picture image is applied to the picture image data. These picture and attribute data are temporarily stored in the storage within the image capturing unit and then transferred to the image storage/display unit. In the image storage/display unit, the received
Matsumoto Kiyoshi
Senda Kazuto
Yagawa Yuichi
Antonelli Terry Stout & Kraus LLP
Hitachi , Ltd.
Kostak Victor R.
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