Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US6449495?dq=7,053,767
Timestamp: 2016-05-04 16:46:55
Document Index: 591798292

Matched Legal Cases: ['ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25', 'ART 25']

Patent US6449495 - Imaging device - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inPatentsWhen sending photographic image data obtained in an electronic camera 1 via a communication interface 42 to a radio telephone line of a PDC 3, a PHS 4, etc., an RISC-CPU 11 converts the image data to data having a configuration allowing communication and further converts by software processing the communication-allowing...http://www.google.com/patents/US6449495?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US6449495 - Imaging deviceAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS6449495 B1Publication typeGrantApplication numberUS 09/457,993Publication dateSep 10, 2002Filing dateDec 9, 1999Priority dateDec 10, 1998Fee statusPaidAlso published asUS6856815, US7369875, US20020183093, US20050018052, US20080064441Publication number09457993, 457993, US 6449495 B1, US 6449495B1, US-B1-6449495, US6449495 B1, US6449495B1InventorsHirokazu KubaOriginal AssigneeOlympus Optical Co., Ltd.Export CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (3), Referenced by (18), Classifications (28), Legal Events (4) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetImaging device
US 6449495 B1Abstract
a connector adapted to be connected to a radio telephone line; a detecting means for automatically detecting a type of a radio telephone line connected to the connector; a first converting means for converting image data of a picked up or recorded scene to communication data; a storage means, in which error correcting programs are stored, wherein each of the error correcting programs is associated with a type of a radio telephone line; a selecting means for selecting, based on a detected type of a radio telephone line, one of the error correcting programs associated with the type of radio telephone line detected; a second converting means for converting, at a time of image data transmission, the communication data obtained by conversion in the first converting means to radio telephone line data corresponding to the detected type of radio telephone line based on the detected type of radio telephone line and the selected one of the error correcting programs, and converting, at a time of image data reception, received radio telephone line data corresponding to the type of radio telephone line detected, to communication data recognizable by the imaging system based on the detected radio telephone line type and the selected one of the error correcting programs; and a camera body, wherein the camera body is provided with the connector, the detecting means, the storing means, the selecting means, the first converting means and second converting means. 2. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the second converting means includes a memory means with a plurality of stored error correction programs corresponding to respective different radio telephone lines, the error correction programs contributing to the correction of the digital values of communication data obtained in the first converting means.
3. The imaging device according to claim 2, wherein the second converting means further includes a means for selecting a specified error correction program corresponding to the discriminated type of radio telephone line from the memory means.
4. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the discriminating means discriminates a telephone line connected to the device to be a radio telephone line or a wired telephone line, and outputs, when the connected telephone line is discriminated to be a radio telephone line, the type of the connected radio telephone line.
5. The imaging device according to claim 4, which further comprises:
a serial interface functioning as part of the communication interface when a connected telephone line is discriminated to be a radio telephone line and functioning as a wired telephone line interface when the connected telephone is discriminated to be a wired telephone line; and a switching means for switching the serial interface according to the output of the discriminating means. 6. The imaging system of claim 1 further comprising:
a wired telephone line connector provided separately from the connector; a second detecting means for checking whether either of the connector and the wired telephone line connector has a connected line; an interface circuit adapted to function as part of a communication interface when the second detecting means detects a line connected with the connector, and adapted to function as a wired interface when the second detecting means detects a line connected with the wired telephone line connector; and a switch for controlling the function of the interface circuit based on whether the second detecting means detects a line connected with the wired telephone line connector. 7. An imaging device comprising:
an electronic imaging means for converting a scene image to an image signal; an image processing means for converting the image signal obtained in the electronic imaging means to image data; a communication processing means for converting the image data obtained in the image processing means to image communication data having a configuration allowing communication; means for automatically detecting a type of a radio telephone line connected with the imaging device; a memory means storing data conversion programs, each of the data conversion programs adapted to convert, at a time of data transmission, the image communication data to data conforming to a type of radio telephone line or to convert, at a time of data reception, data conforming to a type of the telephone line to image communication data; and means for selecting one of the data conversion programs stored in the memory means based on the type of radio telephone line connected with the imaging device detected by the means for detecting. 8. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein:
the memory means stores a plurality of different data conversion programs corresponding to respective different types of telephone lines, and the imaging device includes: a connecting means for connecting the device to a telephone line; a discriminating means for discriminating the type of a telephone line connected thereto via the connecting means; and a selecting means for selecting a particular data conversion program among the plurality of data conversion programs stored in the memory means in correspondence to the discrimination result in the discriminating means. 9. The imaging device according to claim 7, wherein the data conversion programs are error correction programs.
10. The imaging device according to claim 7, which further comprises:
a line connecting means for connecting a telephone line. 11. The imaging system of claim 7 further comprising:
a second converting means for converting the image communication data for transmission based on the one of the data conversion programs selected by the means for selecting. 12. The imaging system of claim 7 further comprising:
a second converting means for converting received radio telephone data to image communication data based on the one of the data conversion programs selected by the means for selecting. 13. The imaging system of claim 7 further comprising:
a second converting means for converting the image communication data for transmission based on the one of the data conversion programs selected by the means for selecting, and for converting received radio telephone data to image communication data based on the one of the data conversion programs selected by the means for selecting. 14. The imaging system of claim 13 further comprising camera body, the camera body being provided with the communication processing means, the memory means, the means for detecting, the means for selecting, and the second converting means.
15. The imaging system of claim 14 further comprising a connector adapted to be connected with a radio telephone line, wherein the connector is provided in the camera body.
The electronic camera 101 includes a RISC-CPU 111 having the role of controlling the entire system, and a connector interface 112 for connection to the PC card 102.
Concerning the electronic camera, a recently proposed one includes a communication interface having high speed synchronous serial RX and TX interface, low speed asynchronous serial RX and TX interface and a function of processing transmission and reception control signals.
As shown, the electronic camera 201 includes a communication interface 212 having high speed synchronous serial RX and TX interfaces, low speed asynchronous serial RX and TX interface and a function of processing transmission and reception signals. The electronic camera 201 also includes a RISC-CPU 211 for controlling the communication interface 212.
The PC card 202 is connected by a PC card header 213 to the electronic camera 201, and includes a connector 224 to which the PDC 203 is connected. The PC card 202 further includes an interface 222 connected to the communication interface 212 of the electronic camera 201 via PC card header 213, a data processor IC 223 (i.e., digital error correction circuit constructed as hardware) for the PDC and CISC-CPU 221 for controlling the interface 222 and the IC 223.
The electronic camera user thus has to prepare an adaptor corresponding to the type of telephone line (i.e., either wired or radio, or portable telephone set or PHS) that is utilized. Likewise, each communication carrier (i.e., PDC, PHS, etc.) requires an exclusive adapter (i.e, PC card). The PC card, although recently being on a reducing size trend, extremely spoils the portability of a portable camera when mounted on the body thereof. In addition, it is necessary to prepare an expensive exclusive PC card for each type of communication carrier, which is extremely uneconomical.
The discriminating means discriminates a telephone line connected to the device to be a radio telephone line or a wired telephone line, and outputs, when the connected telephone line is discriminated. to be a radio telephone line, the type of the connected radio telephone line.
The electronic camera 1 as shown in FIG. 1 has a communication function of transmitting and receiving the data to and from a personal computer or a wired telephone line or a radio telephone line (i.e., so-called portable telephone set (PDC) 3 or PHS 4). Specifically, the electronic camera 1 has serial connectors 43 and 44. The serial connector 43 can be connected to radio telephone lines of the PDC 3, the PHS 4, etc. for transmitting and receiving digital data via these radio telephone lines. The serial connector 44 can be connected to a personal computer, wired telephone line modem (see FIG. 2), etc. for transmitting and receiving digital data to and from the personal computer and so forth. The connection of the serial connector 43 to the PDC 3 or the PHS 4 and the connection of the serial connector 44 to the personal computer, etc. are made by using respective predetermined cables as will be described later in detail.
The electronic camera 1 further comprises a sensor 20 for light intensity measurement and distance measurement, a controller (i.e., AF/AE circuit) 21, a liquid crystal monitor 24 for displaying photographic or recorded image, a monitor interface 22, an operation key set 23 a for causing predetermined operations of the electronic camera 1, an LCD 23 b for displaying various items, a CISC-CPU 12 for controlling the operation key set 23 a, the LCD 23 b and other circuits requiring processing at relatively low rates, a D/A converter 27 for outputting a video signal to an external display, a video signal output terminal 33, a memory card removably mounted for storing photographic data obtained with the electronic camera 1, a memory card interface 28, a battery 30 as a power supply for the electronic camera 1, an external power supply terminal 34 for using an external power supply and a DC/DC converter 31. These components are well known in the art and the same as those provided in ordinary electronic cameras, and they are not described in detail. communication processing, which converts the image data obtained as a result of conversion in the image processing means to the data having a configuration allowing communication, according to predetermined data stored in the ROM 13. In the ROM 13 are also stored programs concerning various controls of the camera. In the ROM 13 are further stored digital error correction programs corresponding to different types of radio telephone lines (such as those of the PDC 3, the PHS 4, etc.).
The electronic camera 1 still further comprises an UART (i.e., serial interface) 25 for transmitting and receiving the image data or like digital data to and from an external unit, such as a personal computer or a wired telephone line, a communication interface 42 for transmitting the digital data to radio telephone lines of the PDC 3, the PHS 4, etc., an UART switch 41 for switching the UART 25, a �12-V converter 26 for communication with a personal computer, etc., a serial connector 43, which is a 16-pin connector to be connected to a radio telephone like, and a serial connector 44, which is a 9-pin connector to be connected to a personal computer, etc.
The communication interface 42 is provided for transmitting and receiving data to and from a radio telephone line of the PDC 3, the PHS 4, etc. under control of the RISC-CPU 11, and it has high speed synchronous serial RX and TX interfaces and a function of processing transmission and reception control signals. The communication interface 42 also has functions of detecting the type of carrier (i.e., the PDC (PCD) 3 or the PHS 4) connected to the serial connector 43 and sending out the detection result of the carrier type (i.e., PCD or PHS) to the RISC-CPU 11.
In the embodiment of the electronic camera 1, the processing of signals of low speed asynchronous serial RX and TX interfaces is undertaken not by the communication interface 42 but by the UART 25. More specifically, when a carrier (i.e., a radio telephone set) is connected to the serial connector 43, it is detected by the serial connector 43 and the communication interface 42, and the UART switch 41 is switched to connect the UART 25 to the communication interface 42 under control of the RISC-CPU 11, which receives the detection result. The UART 25 thus provides the function of low speed asynchronous signal processing, while the communication interface 42 provides the function of high speed synchronous signal processing. In other words, the communication interface 42 and the UART 25 share the function of the data communication interface. This arrangement permits reducing the size and cost of the communication interface 42.
As described above, when a carrier (i.e., the PDC 3 or the PHS 4) is connected to the serial connector 43, the UART 25 functions as part of the communication interface. Without any carrier connected to the serial connector 43, however, the UART 25 serves as an ordinary UART for a personal computer or a wired telephone line. Specifically, when a personal computer 5 or a modem 6 (for wired telephone line) is connected to the serial connector 44 without any carrier connected to the serial connector 43, the UART switch 42 is switched to connect the UART 25 to the serial connector 44 under control of the RISC-CPU 11.
While in this embodiment the processing of the signals of the low speed asynchronous serial RX and TX interfaces are left to the UART 25, this is by no means limitative, and it is possible to left the communication interface 42 be in charge of this processing as well. is necessary for transmitting the image data. In this embodiment of the electronic camera 1, such a process program is also stored in the ROM 13, thus providing a software processing function.
As shown in FIG. 3, when the user selects an image data transmission mode by operating the operation key set 23 a in the “on” state of the power supply of the electronic camera 1 (step Si), the RISC-CPU 11 controls circuitry pertinent to various settings concerning the transmission mode as shown in FIG. 5. The user can set an “independent transmission” mode, an “auto transmission” mode, an “auto reception” mode, etc. for image data transmission with the operation key set 23 a, the LCD 23 b, etc (step S31). The user can also register the name of destination, telephone number, type of telephone line, etc. (step S32).
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