Patent ID: RE41524

Claim:
An electronic camera for capturing images representing a variety of subjects and for providing captured images to an external computer in response to a single computer initiated request, wherein the electronic camera is interconnected to the external computer via a cable interface , said camera comprising: an image sensor for capturing the images; a converter stage for converting the images into digital image data; a memory for storing a plurality of categories two or more tag names providing classification of the images by subject ; control means for selecting one of the stored tag names for each of the images; a processor having the capability of for assigning the plurality of categories selected tag names to each of the images captured by the image sensor, wherein each category providing subject tag name provides classification of one two or more captured images; a user control for selecting one or more categories for the images before the images are captured by the image sensor; and means for generating an output image signal comprising an image file including both the digital image data corresponding to the captured images and separate category data including the one or more categories selected by the user control, wherein the category data is separately accessible for each image apart from the image data a separate tag name file for each selected tag name; a removable memory for storing each of the image files into the tag name file corresponding to the selected tag name, wherein the removable memory stores two or more tag name files with each tag name file storing two or more image files; and means responsive to the single computer initiated request for identifying a particular tag name for transferring all of the image files stored in the corresponding tag name file to the external computer via the cable interface .