Abstract:
As the present invention is adapted to receive an image to be printed or to be saved from a portable device having the image by wireless communication, an image needs not to be passed via a memory card or by connector connection or the like. As the present invention is also adapted to automatically identify the other party&#39;s device to wirelessly communicate with and establish a channel, and further adapted to supply power to the other party&#39;s device without contact, it is advantageous that a battery of the portable device is not exhausted or the portable device is not disconnected even if the device communicates wirelessly for a long time.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0002]     The present invention relates to a print system and a print terminal, and an image saving system and an image saving unit, more specifically to a technique for receiving an image from a portable device having the image by wireless communication and printing or saving the received image.  
         [0003]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0004]     When a person wants to print an image taken by a digital camera, a camera cellular phone or the like by a print terminal placed at a store or the like, the person conventionally would take a memory card out from the digital camera or the camera cellular phone, insert the memory card into a corresponding card slot of a memory card reader/writer of the print terminal and have the print terminal read an image in the memory card.  
         [0005]     A wide variety of memory cards can be used for a digital camera or the like, such as a smart media, an xD picture card, a compact flash, an SD card, a memory stick, an ATA PC card, a floppy disk and the like. The print terminal has a memory card reader/writer with card slots corresponding to respective types of memory card.  
         [0006]     Thus, when a new standard appears for a memory card, the print terminal with no card slot for the new standard cannot use the memory card complying with the new standard. In addition, a user may be confused about which card slot the user should insert his memory card, or may insert his memory card into a wrong card slot. Further, a user cannot use a print terminal to print an image if the image is stored in a device, which stores images in a built-in memory, such as a cellular phone or the like.  
         [0007]     Therefore, a print terminal with a function of wirelessly receiving an image from a digital camera or the like for solving the above-mentioned problems is considered.  
         [0008]     If plural terminals that can communicate with a print terminal with a wireless communication function are in a communication area of the print terminal, however, the print terminal may communicate with terminals other than the terminal which is going to order a print. If the print terminal starts communication after identifying the terminal to be communicated, both the print terminal and the terminal need to perform operation for inputting connecting information for identifying the each other, which is troublesome.  
         [0009]     In view of the problems, each of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32175, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32176, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32261 discloses a communication system in a ubiquitous network consisting of an information processing unit (personal computer) and a plurality of communication terminals (cellular phones), wherein each of the cellular phone has a built-in non-contact IC card for easily identifying the other party; and wherein the personal computer reads identifying information of the cellular phone registered on the non-contact IC card without contact; and wherein the system establishes a channel between the personal computer and the cellular phone based on the identifying information.  
         [0010]     FIG. 9 of Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-307032 discloses a portable terminal for reading electronic information written in a non-contact IC card or a non-contact IC tag via a RFID reader/writer section without contact. The portable terminal includes a battery charger for charging a charging battery in the terminal by electromagnetic induction, and a wireless communication unit for sending information in memory to an external appliance by wireless communication via an electronic wave. The invention according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-307032 is characterized in that an antenna coil in the RFID reader/writer section, a coil of the battery charger (secondary coil) and an antenna of the wireless communication unit are shared.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0011]     Although each of Patent Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32175, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32176, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32261 discloses a technique for reading information registered on a non-contact IC card provided in a cellular phone (such as a Bluetooth device name or a Bluetooth address) at a personal computer side and establishing a channel between the personal computer and the cellular phone, each document does not mention communicated contents or printing of an image after the channel is established. With the communication systems particularly according to Patent Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32175, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32176, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32261, a battery of a cellular phone may be exhausted during communication and the communication may be disconnected.  
         [0012]     Although a portable terminal according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-307032 has three functions as an RFID reader/writer section, a battery charger for charging a charging battery by electromagnetic induction, and a wireless communication unit, the functions operate independently and have no association with each other. In other words, the RFID reader/writer section is for reading/writing necessary information as an ID card or an electronic money from a non-contact IC card or a non-contact IC tag and not for reading connecting information of the other party of wireless communication as described in Patent Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32175, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32176, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-32261. The battery charger of the portable terminal is for charging an internal charging battery by a dielectric electromotive force supplied from an external power supplying unit for charging and not for charging the other party.  
         [0013]     The present invention is adapted in view of the circumstances and intends to provide a print system and a print terminal and an image saving system and an image saving unit for receiving an image to be printed or an image to be saved from a portable device having the image by wireless communication and especially for automatically identifying the other party&#39;s device to be wirelessly communicated and establishing a channel with the device, while preventing a battery of the portable device from being exhausted even if it communicates for a long time.  
         [0014]     In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a print system including portable device and a print terminal, wherein the portable device comprises a memory device for storing an image, a first wireless communication device for sending an image stored in the memory device to the print terminal by wireless communication, a first charging device having a secondary coil and for charging a charging battery in the portable device by a dielectric electromotive force generated at the secondary coil, and a connecting information communicating device for communicating connecting information for sending the image stored in the memory device to the print terminal by establishing wireless connection with the portable device and the print terminal, and wherein the print terminal comprises a charging table on which the portable device is placed, a second charging device having a primary coil and for generating a dielectric electromotive force to the secondary coil of the portable device placed on the charging table from the primary coil, a connecting information reading device for reading connecting information of the portable device from the connecting information communicating device of the portable device placed on the charging table, a second wireless communication device for establishing a wireless connection with the first wireless communication device of the portable device placed on the charging table based on connecting information read by the connecting information reading device and receiving an image stored in the memory device of the portable device by wireless communication, and a print device for printing the image received by the second wireless communication device.  
         [0015]     In other words, the print terminal can automatically establish a channel between the first and the second wireless communication devices based on connecting information by reading the connecting information of the portable device from the connecting information communicating device provided in a portable device placed on the charging table. As the print terminal is adapted to supply electricity necessary for wireless communication at least with the portable device (in other words, adapted to charge a charging battery by generating a dielectric electromotive force to the secondary coil of the portable device), the charging battery of the cellular phone is not exhausted even if it is used for wireless communication for a long time, and the wireless communication is not disconnected during the communication.  
         [0016]     A second aspect of the present invention provides the print system according to the first aspect, further comprising a charge control device for determining whether the portable device can be charged without contact or not based on connecting information read by the connecting information reading device, and if the portable device is determined as chargeable, causing the second charging device to operate. In this manner, the present invention can prevent an unregistered device, metal or the like other than objective device from performing charging operation by electromagnetic induction to guarantee charging safety.  
         [0017]     A third aspect of the present invention provides the print system according to the first or the second aspect, wherein the connecting information communicating device is a non-contact IC tag for sending the connecting information, and wherein the connecting information reading device is a non-contact IC tag reading device for reading the connecting information from the non-contact IC tag provided in the portable device placed on the charging table without contact.  
         [0018]     A fourth aspect of the present invention provides the print system according to the first or the second aspect, wherein the connecting information communicating device is a barcode provided on the surface of the portable device and recording the connecting information, and wherein the connecting information reading device is a barcode reading device for reading the barcode provided on the surface of the portable device placed on the charging table.  
         [0019]     A fifth aspect of the present invention provides the print system according to any of the first aspect to the fourth aspect, wherein the print terminal further comprises a control device for controlling the second charging device and the second wireless communication device to alternate operation of charging a charging battery of the portable device and operation of receiving an image from the portable device. In other words, when wireless communication between the first wireless communication device and the second wireless communication device is communication via electronic wave, wireless interference may occur due to electromagnetic wave for generating an induced electromotive force from the primary coil of the second charging device of the print terminal to the secondary coil of the portable device, though, the present invention prevents the wireless interference caused by charging operation by alternating the charging operation and the communicating operation.  
         [0020]     A sixth aspect of the present invention provides a print terminal for forming a print system according to any of the first aspect to the fifth aspect.  
         [0021]     A seventh aspect of the present invention provides an image saving system including any portable device and an image saving unit, wherein the portable device comprises a memory device for storing an image, a first wireless communication device for sending the image stored in the memory device to the image saving unit by wireless communication, a first charging device having a secondary coil and for charging a charging battery in the portable device by a dielectric electromotive force generated at the secondary coil, and a connecting information communicating device for communicating connecting information for sending the image stored in the memory device to the print terminal by establishing wireless connection with the portable device and the image saving unit, and wherein the image saving unit comprises a charging table on which the portable device is placed, a second charging device having a primary coil and for generating a dielectric electromotive force to the secondary coil of the portable device placed on the charging table from the primary coil, a connecting information reading device for reading connecting information of the portable device from the connecting information communicating device of the portable device placed on the charging table, a second wireless communication device for establishing a wireless connection with the first wireless communication device of the portable device placed on the charging table based on connecting information read by the connecting information reading device and receiving an image stored in the memory device of the portable device by wireless communication, and an image saving unit for saving an image received by the second wireless communication device.  
         [0022]     In other words, the invention according to the first aspect is a print system for printing an image received from a portable terminal, while the invention according to the seventh aspect is an image saving system for saving an image received from a portable terminal in an image saving unit, whose functions of automatically connecting wirelessly or charging by electromagnetic induction are the same as those of the invention according to the second aspect.  
         [0023]     An eighth aspect of the present invention provides the image saving system according to the seventh aspect, further comprising a charge control device for determining whether the portable device is chargeable without contact or not based on connecting information read by the connecting information reading device, and if the portable device is determined as chargeable, causing the second charging device to operate.  
         [0024]     A ninth aspect of the present invention provides the image saving system according to the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, wherein the connecting information communicating device is a non-contact IC tag for sending the connecting information, and wherein the connecting information reading device is a non-contact IC tag reading device for reading the connecting information without contact from the non-contact IC tag provided on the portable device placed on the charging table.  
         [0025]     A tenth aspect of the present invention provides the image saving system according to the seventh aspect or the eighth aspect, wherein the connecting information communicating device is a barcode provided on the surface of the portable device and recording the connecting information, and wherein the connecting information reading device is a barcode reading device for reading the barcode provided on the surface of the portable device placed on the charging table.  
         [0026]     An eleventh aspect of the present invention provides the image saving system according to any of the seventh aspect to the tenth aspect, wherein the image saving unit further comprises a control device for controlling the second charging device and the second wireless communication device to alternate operation of charging a charging battery of the portable device and operation of receiving an image from the portable device.  
         [0027]     A twelfth aspect of the present invention provides an image saving unit for forming an image saving system according to any of the seventh aspect to the eleventh aspect.  
         [0028]     As the present invention is adapted to receive an image to be printed or to be saved from a portable device having the image by wireless communication, an image needs not to be passed via a memory card or by connector connection or the like. As the present invention is also adapted to automatically identify the other party&#39;s device to wirelessly communicate with and establish a channel, and further adapted to supply power to the other party&#39;s device without contact, it is advantageous that a battery of the portable device is not exhausted or the portable device is not disconnected even if the device communicates wirelessly for a long time. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0029]      FIG. 1  is an outside view showing an embodiment of a print terminal according to the present invention;  
         [0030]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a print system according to the present invention;  
         [0031]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart for showing a flow of process by the print terminal;  
         [0032]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart for showing an example of other process of some steps in the flowchart shown in  FIG. 3 ; and  
         [0033]      FIG. 5  is an outside view showing an embodiment of an image saving system according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0034]     Preferable embodiments of the print system and the print terminal and the image saving system and the image saving unit according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.  
         [0035]      FIG. 1  is an outside view showing an embodiment of a print terminal according to the present invention.  
         [0036]     The print terminal  100  is placed at a store for receiving an image from any user&#39;s portable device (for example, a portable device having an image such as a digital camera, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistance (PDA), a mobile personal computer, a photo-player and a handy terminal) by wireless communication and printing the received image. The print terminal  100  has a charging table  110 , on which a portable device is placed, a monitor  120  with a touch panel, a print slot  130 , a coin machine (not shown) and the like.  
         [0000]     &lt;Print System&gt; 
         [0037]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a print system according to the present invention. The print system includes a print terminal  100  and any portable device  200 .  
         [0000]     [Print Terminal] 
         [0038]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the print terminal  100  mainly includes an image obtaining section  180  including the monitor  120  with a touch panel, a central processing unit (CPU)  150  for controlling over the print terminal, a battery charger  160 , an IC tag reader  170 , a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) wireless communication unit  172 , flash memory  174 , RAM (Random Access Memory)  176 ; and a printer  190  as shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0039]     The battery charger  160  includes a rectification smoothing circuit  162 , a resonant circuit  164  and a primary coil  166 . To the rectification smoothing circuit  162 , AC power is supplied from an alternator. The rectification smoothing circuit  162  rectifies and smoothes AC power to be inputted and outputs direct-current electricity in a predetermined voltage to the resonant circuit  164 . The resonant circuit  164  excites the primary coil  166  by using direct-current electricity to input as a power source in frequency of 10 KHz to 100 KHz and generates an electromagnetic wave for electromagnetic inductive charging from the primary coil  166 . The primary coil  166  is laid in the charging table  110  shown in  FIG. 1 . Therefore, the battery charger  160  on the print terminal side can charge the portable device  200  placed on the charging table  110  by electromagnetic induction. The battery charger  160  is controlled by the CPU  150 . The controlling of the battery charger  160  will be detailed later.  
         [0040]     An antenna coil (not shown) of the IC tag reader  170  is laid on the charging table  110  and the IC tag reader  170  supplies power to a non-contact IC tag provided for the portable device  200  via the antenna coil, and reads information on the portable device  200  from the IC tag  230  and outputs the read information to the CPU  150 .  
         [0041]     The UWB wireless communication unit  172  is for receiving an image from the portable device  200  by wirelessly communicating with a UWB wireless communication unit  240  on the portable device side. The UWB wireless communication unit  172  sends/receives data by diffusing the data across a wide frequency band for performing large capacity of data communication in the close range communication.  
         [0042]     The flash memory  174  stores programs for operating the CPU  150 , information on the other party, and the like. The RAM  176  provides a working area for the CPU  150  to execute process or storage area for temporally storing a received image.  
         [0043]     The monitor with a touch panel  120  displays an image read from the portable device  200 , buttons for a user to operate the touch panel (operation section) and information on a print order. The touch panel of the monitor  120  with a touch panel can be used to select an image to print, set the number of print (one for default) and indicate printing.  
         [0044]     The printer  190  is connected with the image obtaining section  180  with the above configuration via the SCSI connection or the USB connection. The printer  190  receives a print image from the image obtaining section  180  and prints the print image on a sheet of photographic paper. The photograph print made by the printer  190  is discharged into the print slot  130 .  
         [0000]     [Portable Device] 
         [0045]     Now, the portable device  200  will be described.  
         [0046]     The portable device  200  is a portable device having an image from a digital camera, a cellular phone or the like as mentioned above. The portable device  200  mainly includes a CPU  210  for controlling over the portable device, a battery charger  220 , a non-contact IC tag  230 , a UWB wireless communication unit  240  and flash memory  250 .  FIG. 2  only shows a main part of the portable device  200  which is applied to the print system according to the present invention.  
         [0047]     The portable device  200  uses a charging battery  226  as a power source. The battery charger  220  has a secondary coil  222  and an output rectifying circuit  224  and charges a charging battery  226  by electromagnetic induction. In other words, a dielectric electromotive force is generated by electromagnetic wave generated from the primary coil  166  of the battery charger  160  on the print terminal side at the secondary coil  222 . The dielectric electromotive force is rectified by the output rectifying circuit  224  and outputted to the charging battery  226 . The charging battery  226  is charged by charging current applied from the output rectifying circuit  224 . The CPU  210  monitors charging status of the charging battery  226 . When the charging battery  226  is charged, the CPU  210  controls to stop the charging or the like.  
         [0048]     The IC tag  230  stores unique connecting information for establishing connection for wirelessly communicating with the print terminal  100 , such as a device name, a manufacturer, a serial number and the like of the portable device  200  in advance. The connecting information stored in the IC tag  230  is read by the IC tag reader  170  on the print terminal side.  
         [0049]     The flash memory  250  is a memory card detachable to the portable device  200  or built-in memory of the device. The flash memory  250  records an image. When wireless connection between the UWB wireless communication unit  172  on the print terminal side and the UWB wireless communication unit  240  on the portable device side is established, the image recorded in the flash memory  250  is sent via the UWB wireless communication unit  240  in response to a request of the print terminal side for sending an image.  
         [0000]     [Operation] 
         [0050]     Now, operation of the print system according to the present invention will be described.  
         [0051]      FIG. 3  is a flowchart for showing a flow of process by the print terminal  100 .  
         [0052]     When the portable device  200  is placed on the charging table  110 , the print terminal  100  reads connecting information such as a device name, serial number and the like from the IC tag  230  provided for the portable device  200  by the IC tag reader  170  without contact. The IC tag reader  170  outputs the read connecting information to the CPU  150  (step S 10 ). A tag reader, which communicates for a communication distance only for communicating with (read from) the portable device placed on the charging table  110  and not with the other portable device, is applied for the IC tag reader  170 .  
         [0053]     When the connecting information is inputted from the IC tag reader  170 , the CPU  150  determines whether the portable device can be charged without contact or not based on the connecting information, and if the portable device is the previously registered object device, the CPU  150  instructs the battery charger  160  to start charging (step S 12 ). If the portable device is what not registered as an object, such as a non-registered device or metal material, the CPU  150  does not instruct the battery charger  160  to charge due to risk of malfunction, breakdown, heating or the like.  
         [0054]     The battery charger  160 , to which an instruction to start charging is inputted, generates an electromagnetic wave from the primary coil  166 . This electromagnetic wave causes the secondary coil  222  of the battery charger  220  in the portable device  200  to generate a dielectric electromotive force, which charges the charging battery  226 .  
         [0055]     The CPU  150  instructs the battery charger  160  to start charging and also operates the UWB wireless communication unit  172  to wirelessly connect with a particular portable device  200  (step S 14 ). In other words, the UWB wireless communication unit  172  of the print terminal  100  searches for the other party. A communication distance of the UWB wireless communication unit is about 10 m. The UWB wireless communication unit requests connecting information such as a device name, a serial number and the like from the devices within the communication range, receives connecting information and outputs the connecting information to the CPU  150 . The CPU  150  compares the connecting information inputted from the IC tag reader  170  with the connecting information inputted from the UWB wireless communication unit  172 . The CPU  150  identifies the portable device  200  that sent the matched information as the other party and establishes a channel between them.  
         [0056]     When a UWB wireless communication is established between the print terminal  100  and the portable device  200 , the CPU  150  requests to send an image, receives an image saved in the flash memory  250  in the portable device  200  by the UWB wireless communication and temporally stores the received image in the RAM  176  in the print terminal  100  (step S 16 ).  
         [0057]     When all the images in the portable device  200  have been received, the CPU  150  disconnects the UWB wireless connection, and also instructs the battery charger  160  to finish the charging and finishes charging of the portable device  200  (steps S 18 , S 20 ). While images are received in this manner, the portable device  200  is charged from the print terminal  100  without contact. Thus, disconnection due to exhaustion of the charging battery  226  of the portable device  200  does not occur even if the communication is performed for a long time.  
         [0058]     When the images have been received, the CPU  150  displays a list of images temporally stored in the RAM  176  on the monitor  120  with a touch panel (step S 22 ). The user operates the touch panel to select an image to print, the number of print, print size, and the like by viewing the monitor  200  (step S 24 ). When the print “OK” button is touched and a printing instruction is inputted (step S 26 ), the CPU  150  generates an image for printing from an image selected for printing and outputs the image to the printer  190 . The printer  190  prints the image on a sheet of photographic paper based on an image for printing to be inputted and discharges the printed photograph print into the print slot  130  (step S 28 ). When an instruction for printing is inputted, a coin machine (not shown) performs billing for the print. Then, operation proceeds to print operation.  
         [0059]     Although the IC tag reader  170  of the print terminal  100  reads connecting information from the non-contact IC tag  230  provided for the portable device  200  in the embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this and may be adapted to provide a barcode reader for the print terminal  100  and read connecting information from a barcode (one-dimensional barcode or two-dimensional barcode) attached to a package of a portable device.  
         [0060]     That is to say, the present invention may provide a barcode reading window  112  on the charging table  110  so that a user can place a portable device on the charging table  110  to have a barcode on the portable device face to the barcode reading window  112  as shown in  FIG. 1 . The present invention may also provide a barcode reader inside the barcode reading window  112  to read a barcode (connecting information) of a portable device placed on the charging table  110 .  
         [0061]     As charging of the portable device  200  by the electromagnetic induction is performed at the same time as the UWB wireless communication performed for receiving an image from the portable device  200  in the embodiment, wireless interference due to an electromagnetic wave may occur during the charging operation.  
         [0062]      FIG. 4  is a flowchart for showing an example of other process between step S 10  and step S 22  in the flowchart shown in  FIG. 3 . The flowchart shown in  FIG. 4  shows a flow of process for avoiding the above-mentioned wireless interference.  
         [0063]     That is to say, when the portable device  200  of the other party is identified, the CPU  150  operates the battery charger  160  for a predetermined time period to charge the charging battery  226  of the portable device  200  by electromagnetic induction for the predetermined time period. After charging for the predetermined time period, the CPU  150  stops charging by the battery charger  160  to prevent the primary coil  166  of the battery charger  160  from generating an electromagnetic wave (step S 30 ).  
         [0064]     Then, the CPU  150  operates the UWB wireless communication unit  172  to wirelessly connect with the portable device  200  (step S 32 ), requests to send an image for a frame, and receives an image for a frame of images stored in the flash memory  250  in the portable device  200  by the UWB wireless communication (step S 34 ). After receiving the image for a frame, the CPU  150  disconnects the UWB wireless connection (step S 36 ).  
         [0065]     Then, the CPU  150  determines whether all the frames have been received or not (step S 38 ). If all the frames have not been received yet, operation returns to step S 30  and charging operation of the charging battery  226  and receiving operation of an image for a frame are repeated. If all the frames have been received, operation proceeds to step S 22  shown in  FIG. 3 . The CPU  150  obtains the number of all the images and the image file names for all the images and the like recorded in the portable device  200  at the first communication to determine whether or not all the frames have been received later.  
         [0066]     The CPU  150  alternates the charging operation of the charging battery  226  of the portable device  200  and the receiving operation of images from the portable device  200  to prevent wireless interference.  
         [0067]     Charging time at step S 30  is decided so that the charging battery  226  of the portable device  200  is charged with power more than that consumed in sending an image for a frame. Although wireless connection and disconnection of the wireless connection are repeated in the embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , the wireless connection may be kept through with avoiding wireless communication during periodical charging periods.  
         [0068]     When the charging operation and the operation of receiving an image are alternated, not only one frame is processed but also the charging operation and the receiving operation may be alternated for data of a predetermined number of packets. In such a case, charging time is decided so that the charging battery  226  of the portable device  200  can be charged with power more than that consumed in sending data of a predetermined number of packets.  
         [0069]     In order to save traffic, the present invention may be adapted to receive only reduced images (thumbnail images) for all the frames at first, and when a print image is selected based on the thumbnail images, request to send the main image of the selected print image and receive only the image used for printing.  
         [0070]     Although the print terminal  100  for business use is described in the embodiment, the embodiment can be applied to a print terminal for home use. Especially, the print terminal for home use may be function as a battery charger for charging a portable device to full without contact after printing or without printing operation. The present invention can detect the completion of charging and the charging capacity of the charging battery  226  by monitoring the UWB wireless communication device or monitoring the charging current. The present invention can control battery charger of the print terminal based on the monitored result.  
         [0071]     The wireless communication devices of the print terminal and the portable device are not limited to UWB wireless communication units, and may be a wireless communication unit of the Bluetooth standard, an infra-red wireless communication unit of the IrDA standard or the other wireless LAN communication devices. As an infra-red wireless communication unit does not cause wireless interference, charging operation by electromagnetic induction and wireless communication can be performed at the same time.  
         [0000]     &lt;Image Saving System&gt; 
         [0072]      FIG. 5  is an outside view showing an embodiment of an image saving system according to the present invention.  
         [0073]     The image saving system includes an image saving unit  300  and a portable device  400 .  
         [0074]     The image saving unit  300  includes an image obtaining section  310  and an image saving section  320 . The image obtaining section  310  has a charging table  312 , on the top of which the portable device  400  is mounted, and an operation section  314  such as a numeric pad and directional keys. The image obtaining section  310  has similar configuration as that of the image obtaining section  180  of the print terminal  100  shown in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0075]     The image saving section  320  includes a large capacity of hard disk unit and is connected with the image obtaining section  310  via the SCSI connection or the USB connection. The image saving section  320  saves the image (still image or moving image) obtained by the image obtaining section  310 .  
         [0076]     The image saving unit  300  includes an image outputting terminal for outputting an image saved in the image saving section  320  to an external monitor  500  and a print outputting terminal for outputting the image to a home printer (not shown).  
         [0077]     The portable device  400  has the same configuration as that of the portable device  200  shown in  FIG. 2 . The portable device  400  shown in  FIG. 5  is shown in the case of a digital camera.  
         [0000]     [Operation] 
         [0078]     Now, operation of the image saving system according to the present invention will be described.  
         [0079]     When the portable device  400  is placed on the charging table  312  of the image obtaining section  310 , an IC tag reader reads connecting information such as a device name and a serial number from the IC tag provided for the portable device  400  without contact.  
         [0080]     When the portable device  400  is the previously registered object device based on the read connecting information, the image obtaining section  310  generates an electromagnetic wave from the charging table  312  to charge the charging battery in the portable device  400  by electromagnetic induction.  
         [0081]     The image obtaining section  310  establishes a UWB wireless channel with the portable device  400  based on the read connecting information, and receives an image saved in the portable device  400  by the UWB wireless communication. During the wireless communication, the image saving unit  300  charges the portable device  400  continuously or periodically to prevent wireless interference due to an electromagnetic wave for charging.  
         [0082]     The image received by the image obtaining section  310  from the portable device  400  in this manner is transferred and saved in the image saving section  320 .  
         [0083]     The image saving unit  300  enables a user to output an image saved in the image saving section  320  to the external monitor  500  via an image outputting terminal for viewing by operating the operation section  314  or enables a user to output the image to a home printer via a print outputting terminal for executing the printing. A user can also delete an unnecessary image from the image saving unit  300 .  
         [0084]     After the image saving unit  300  captured all the images from the portable device  400 , the image saving unit  300  keeps charging by electromagnetic induction until the charging battery in the portable device  400  is charged to full.  
         [0085]     The image saving unit  300  is preferably to have a function of managing header information such as a file name or date and time of taking the picture of an image saved in the image saving section  320  so as not to save the same image redundantly. In this manner, even if an image in the portable device  400  has not been deleted, the portable device  400  can be prevented from saving the same image each time it is charged.