Patent ID: 7769867
Filing Date: 2010-08-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A memory card mountable onto an external apparatus, the memory card comprising: wire communication means freely mountable onto an external apparatus and freely dismountable from the external apparatus; a memory for storing external apparatus data received from the external apparatus through the wire communication means; wireless communication means for carrying out communication operations with an external wireless apparatus through a wireless transmission line; memory/communication control means for controlling operations to access said memory by said external apparatus by way of said wire communication means and by said external wireless apparatus by way of said wireless communication means and for controlling wireless communication operations carried out by said wireless communication means, wherein said memory/communication control means is adapted to allow said wireless communication means and wire communication means to request an operation to read out data from said memory, and allow said wire communication means but not said wireless communication means to request an operation to write data into said memory; address storage means for storing an address in said memory indicating a location most recently accessed through said wire communication means, wherein said address in said address storage means being acquirable by said external wireless apparatus to enable said external wireless apparatus to identify from said address a file most recently accessed through said wireless communication means, and to issue a request for that file to said memory/communication control means via said wireless communication means; wherein said memory/communication control means is adapted to control operations to access said memory in accordance with a state of connection of said wireless communication means; wherein said external apparatus is an image pick-up apparatus for taking an image; said memory card is connected to said image pick-up apparatus through said wire communication means; said image taken by said image pick-up apparatus is stored in said memory by way of said wire communication means in accordance with control executed by said memory/communication control means; and when a request for a desired image stored in said memory is received from an external wireless apparatus through said wireless communication means, in response to said request, data of the image is read out from said memory and transferred to said external wireless apparatus making said request by way of said wireless communication means.