Abstract:
An electronic card is provided that is configured for removable insertion by a user in a digital image storage card slot of a digital camera. The electronic card includes a wireless telecommunications transmitter operative to transmit images taken using the camera for remote storage or display.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The present invention relates to telecommunications, in particular to wireless telecommunications.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     It is known that digital cameras have largely superseded film cameras because they permit nearly immediate display and control of the picture taken. Digital cameras of known type include a relatively small amount of internal memory which is supplemented by a plug-in memory card of known type. Examples of known types of memory cards are Memory Sticks marketed by Sony Corporation, and CompactFlash cards. The plug-in memory card fits a corresponding slot in the camera. When the memory card becomes full, in order to be able to take more pictures the user of such known systems has only a limited number of choices. She has to replace the memory card, download the memory via a cable such as a USB cable to her personal computer, or delete some pictures.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     The present invention avoids the disadvantageous situation of the prior art.  
         [0004]     An embodiment of the present invention is an electronic card configured for removable insertion by a user in a digital image storage card slot of a digital camera. The electronic card includes a wireless telecommunications transmitter operative to transmit images taken using the camera for remote storage or display.  
         [0005]     Another embodiment of the present invention is a digital camera including a slot for removable insertion by the user of a digital image storage card, and an electronic card configured for removable insertion in said slot. The electronic card includes a wireless telecommunications transmitter operative to transmit images taken using the camera for remote storage or display.  
         [0006]     Embodiments of the present invention provide solutions to practical problems. Particularly with the trend to higher resolution pictures being taken, large numbers of conventional memory cards would otherwise be required. The problem is avoided of a user filling all the memory cards that she has whilst out and about, for example on a journey, so forcing her, if she wants to take any more pictures, to either delete pictures that she might otherwise wish to keep, or try to buy a further memory card. Also the pictures that are taken are more secure. For example if memory cards are lost, damaged or stolen, the transmitted pictures are not lost. This could be particularly valuable to users in dangerous areas. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0007]     Illustrative embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which:  
         [0008]      FIG. 1  is a diagram illustrating features of the outward appearance of a digital camera and a digital image storage card according to one embodiment of the present invention,  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  is a diagram illustrating the structure of the camera and card as shown in  FIG. 1 ,  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  is a diagram illustrating features of the outward appearance of a digital camera and a digital image storage card according to another embodiment of the present invention, and  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  is a diagram illustrating the structure of the camera and card as shown in  FIG. 3 . 
     
    
       [0012]     It should be noted that the drawings are not to scale but are schematic representations.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0013]     As shown in  FIG. 1 , a digital camera  2  with a plug-in electronic card  8  is provided. The camera  2  has a housing  4  and a lens  6 . The camera  2  is provided with the plug-in electronic card  8  which is shaped and arranged so as to be removably insertable by the user in a corresponding slot  10  in the housing  4  of the camera  2 . The slot had been designed for a plug-in memory card of known type. The electronic card  8  includes a wireless transceiver  12 . The wireless transceiver  12  is a radio interface which operates in accordance with a Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standard known as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). This standard is based on code division multiple access (CDMA). In alternative embodiments, the transceiver operates according to CDMA2000 or some other wireless telecommunications standard or methodology.  
         [0014]     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the camera  2  includes an image capture stage  7  connected to the slot  10  via a controller  14 . The controller  14  is operative to receive picture data from the image capture stage  7  and to pass image data data via the slot  10  to the electronic card  8 . The card  8  includes an input interface  16  for picture data, and a local memory  20 , the interface  16  being connected to the local memory  20 . A card controller  18  acts to control storage in the local memory  20  of the picture data and control transmission of the picture data via the transceiver  12  by wireless transmission over a telecommunications network  16  to a remote station  22 . In use, the transceiver  12  establishes a call connection with the remote station  22  via the network  16  so as to enable the picture data to be down-loaded thereto. Once picture data has been sent, that data is cleared from the local memory  12 .  
         [0015]     Electrical power is supplied to the electronic card  8  from a battery (not shown) in the camera  2  via electrical contacts (not shown) in the slot  10  and on the electronic card  8 . In some other embodiments, the electronic card instead includes its own electrical power supply, such as a battery.  
         [0016]     In this embodiment, the card controller  18  controls the wireless transceiver to automatically set up a call connection to the remote station after each picture is taken so as to send the picture data to the remote station  22 .  
         [0017]     In an alternative but otherwise similar embodiment, data of several pictures are stored in the local memory on the electronic card and sent upon a threshold in respect of amount of memory occupied being reached. For example, data is sent when, for example, the local memory is 90% full. This means the local memory does not becomes full that further pictures cannot be captured. In another alternative, picture data is sent to the remote station periodically, for example once a day.  
         [0018]     As shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , in yet another alternative embodiment that is otherwise similar to the first embodiment described above, the electronic card  8 ′ includes a control button  24  which the user presses whenever she wants picture data to be sent to the remote station, activating the control button causes a signal to be sent to the card controller  18 ′ to which the card controller  18 ′ responds by instructing the local memory  20 ′ and wireless transceiver  12 ′ to send picture data.  
         [0019]     In yet another alternative (not shown) the control button is located instead on the housing of the camera. The remote station can be any of a wide range of processors or display devices, for example a personal computer connected to the network by internet; the personal computer storing the picture data. Another option is that the remote station is a web server which provides storage of the user&#39;s pictures, the pictures being accessed by a user station such as a personal computer functioning as a web browser. Yet another option is that the remote station is a computer station located in a photo-printing shop, the computer station acting to record the picture data as hard copy, in other words pictures on paper, or other recordings, such as compact disc read-only memories (CD-ROMs).  
       GENERAL  
       [0020]     The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.