EP0963655A1 - A method and system for expanding the media types supported in a digital camera - Google Patents
A method and system for expanding the media types supported in a digital cameraInfo
- Publication number
- EP0963655A1 EP0963655A1 EP97943611A EP97943611A EP0963655A1 EP 0963655 A1 EP0963655 A1 EP 0963655A1 EP 97943611 A EP97943611 A EP 97943611A EP 97943611 A EP97943611 A EP 97943611A EP 0963655 A1 EP0963655 A1 EP 0963655A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- media
- media type
- image
- digital camera
- media types
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/32—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device
- H04N1/32101—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
- H04N1/32128—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
- H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
- H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
- H04N23/63—Control of cameras or camera modules by using electronic viewfinders
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N5/00—Details of television systems
- H04N5/76—Television signal recording
- H04N5/765—Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
- H04N5/77—Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus between a recording apparatus and a television camera
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/21—Intermediate information storage
- H04N1/2104—Intermediate information storage for one or a few pictures
- H04N1/2112—Intermediate information storage for one or a few pictures using still video cameras
- H04N1/2125—Display of information relating to the still picture recording
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N1/00—Scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, e.g. facsimile transmission; Details thereof
- H04N1/21—Intermediate information storage
- H04N1/2104—Intermediate information storage for one or a few pictures
- H04N1/2158—Intermediate information storage for one or a few pictures using a detachable storage unit
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N2101/00—Still video cameras
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
- H04N2201/32—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device
- H04N2201/3201—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
- H04N2201/3225—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title of data relating to an image, a page or a document
- H04N2201/325—Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
- H04N2201/00—Indexing scheme relating to scanning, transmission or reproduction of documents or the like, and to details thereof
- H04N2201/32—Circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device, e.g. between a still-image camera and its memory or between a still-image camera and a printer device
- H04N2201/3201—Display, printing, storage or transmission of additional information, e.g. ID code, date and time or title
- H04N2201/3274—Storage or retrieval of prestored additional information
- H04N2201/3277—The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
Definitions
- Modern digital cameras typically include an imaging device which is controlled by a computer system.
- the computer system accesses raw image data captured by the imaging device and then processes and compresses the data before storing the compressed data into an internal memory. Efficient operation of the computer is therefore an important consideration for camera designers and manufacturers.
- the memory architecture of a particular computer system determines data storage techniques and can thus significantly effect the operational efficiency of the entire digital camera system.
- the user interface in conventional digital cameras typically includes a view finder in which small versions of the captured images may be displayed to allow a user to review several images at once. By selecting one of the images, the user may then display the full-sized version of the images in the view finder.
- FIG. 12 is a block diagram depicting one method for capturing data for text-based media types on the digital camera.
- Imaging device 114 preferably comprises a lens 220 having an iris, a filter 222, an image sensor 224, a timing generator 226, an analog signal processor (ASP) 228, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 230, an interface 232, and one or more motors 234.
- ASP analog signal processor
- A/D analog-to-digital
- the present invention defines an application program interface (API) between the media type manager 444 and both the built-in media types 446 and the plug-in media type modules 448.
- API application program interface
- the media type manager 444 accesses the media types originally supported by the camera contained in the built-in media types module 446.
- the API also allows the media type manager 44 to access new media types that are added to the camera via the plug-in media type modules 448.
- ROM 350 includes configuration information for the digital camera 110, such as which built-in media types 446 are supported by the camera 110.
- the startup/configuration module 440 searches for the system folder in both the DRAM 346 and the removable memory 354. If a system folder exists in both the DRAM 346 and the removable memory 354, then in a preferred embodiment, the contents of both system files are used. Alternatively, the system file from the removable memory 354 can be used to overwrite the system file in the DRAM 346. After the built-in media types module 446 are retrieved from the ROM 350 and the plug-in media type modules 448 (if any) are retrieved from the system folder, the plug-in media type modules 448 are linked with the built-in media types module. All of the media types present in the camera are then reported to the media type manager 444 so that the media type manager 444 is made aware what set of media types are supported by the digital camera 110.
- the media type manager 444 calls the cell manager 442 to retrieve the necessary information. After the information regarding the image cell 420 is returned, the media type manager 444 displays both the image area 422 of the particular cell 420 and the necessary media icons in the icon area 424 of the cell 420. To do this, the media type manager 444 must first determine whether each of the media types associated with the image are built-in or plug-in types. If the media type is built-in, then the media type manager 444 makes an API call to the built-in media type module 446 to access the appropriate icon. If the media type is plug-in, then the media type manager 444 makes an API call to the plug-in media type module 448.
- each object captured by the camera is stored in a media type file in memory, and objects comprising more than one media type are stored in either a file or a folder.
- each cell references a file or folder that includes more than just image data.
- An example media type file is a file used for storing a still image, as described below.
- FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a format of a still image file in accordance with the present invention.
- the file format 460 includes a header 462, image data 464, a thumb nail image 466, and an image tag field 468.
- the header 462 identifies the particular image file.
- the image data 464 is the actual data comprising the captured image in compressed form.
- the thumb nail image 466 is a smaller version of the captured image. Including the thumb nail image 466 enables the digital camera to directly display the image in the image area 422 of a cell 420 without processing and decompressing the image data 462.
- the image tag field 468 includes information, preferably in the form of tags, regarding the image represented by the image data 464.
- Media type tags for instance, indicate all the media types associated with the image, such as whether the image is a single image or a panorama image, for example.
- the media type tags are used to select the type of icon that is displayed in the icon/information area 424 of a cell 420 along side the thumb nail image 466.
- the formats for files and folders corresponding to other media type files are similar to the file format for still images.
- the content of the image data 464 may differ.
- the image data 464 for a panorama may contain data for several images, rather than data for just one image, and the image data 464 for other types of media may not contain image data at all, only text.
- the cell manager 442 keeps track of the stored image files 460 by generating and maintaining a list of cells, where each cell corresponds to each image.
- new image cells 420 may be scrolled across the view finder 402.
- the pointers in the corresponding cell in the cell list 500 are used to copy the image's thumb nail 466 and image tags 468 from the file system into DRAM 346.
- the cell manager 442 displays the thumb nail 468, and makes a call to the media type manager 444 to display the media icons associated with the image.
- FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating the organization of a plug-in media type module 448 API in accordance with the present invention.
- the API 520 in each of the plug-in media type modules 448 includes a capture section 522, a view section 524, and an edit/play section 526.
- the capture section 522 includes capture process code and view finder control code for controlling how the specific media type is captured and stored by the camera.
- the view section 524 includes cell display code for controlling how the image cell representing that media type is reviewed.
- the edit/play section 526 of the API 520 includes full screen display code for the playing and editing of the specific media type in the view finder 402.
- the menu code sections 522A, 524A, and 526A contain the menu items that are displayed in the view finder 402 during the corresponding mode (capture, edit/play, view) of the media type.
- a software developer could develop plug-in media types 448 for the to-do list and a phone list application using the API 520.
- the new media types could then be loaded into the camera via the removable memory 354 or downloaded from a host computer connected to the camera.
- FIGS. 11A and 11B are a block diagrams showing example plug-in media types being displayed in the view finder of the digital camera.
- FIG. 11 A depicts a to- do list plug-in media type that has been added to enable to a user to record voice notes in the camera. Each voice note is shown with a time and date that the note was recorded, and the length of the note. Rather than an image-based media type, the to-do list is a sound-based media type.
- FIG. 12 is a block diagram depicting one method for capturing data for text-based media types on the digital camera.
- the capture section 522 of the API 520 may display an alphabetical menu selection box in the view finder 420. The user may then repeatedly navigate to desired letters and press an "Accept" button to enter the letters.
- Another example of a capture method for capturing data for a text-based media type is to couple a scanner to the camera and then scan-in the data.
- a scanner may couple to the camera and then scan-in the data.
- To capture data for a phone list for example, a user may scan a client's business card. The information from the scan would then be captured by the capture section 522 of the API 520 and preferably converted to text via an OCR module, and then stored in the file system 506 of the digital camera.
- FIG. 4 shows, for example, image cells 420 corresponding to the to-do list and the phone list of FIGS. 11A and 11B.
Abstract
Description
Claims
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US72302096A | 1996-09-30 | 1996-09-30 | |
US723020 | 1996-09-30 | ||
PCT/US1997/017346 WO1998017052A1 (en) | 1996-09-30 | 1997-09-26 | A method and system for expanding the media types supported in a digital camera |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
EP0963655A1 true EP0963655A1 (en) | 1999-12-15 |
EP0963655A4 EP0963655A4 (en) | 2001-03-21 |
Family
ID=24904472
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
EP97943611A Withdrawn EP0963655A4 (en) | 1996-09-30 | 1997-09-26 | A method and system for expanding the media types supported in a digital camera |
Country Status (4)
Country | Link |
---|---|
EP (1) | EP0963655A4 (en) |
JP (1) | JP2001526847A (en) |
AU (1) | AU4504797A (en) |
WO (1) | WO1998017052A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (5)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US7010144B1 (en) | 1994-10-21 | 2006-03-07 | Digimarc Corporation | Associating data with images in imaging systems |
EP2352120B1 (en) | 2000-01-13 | 2016-03-30 | Digimarc Corporation | Network-based access to auxiliary data based on steganographic information |
RU2352977C2 (en) * | 2003-04-25 | 2009-04-20 | Квэлкомм Инкорпорейтед | System for control of chamber resource in portable device |
US7808548B1 (en) | 2004-04-15 | 2010-10-05 | O2Micro International Limited | Power management for digital devices |
TWI258649B (en) * | 2004-04-15 | 2006-07-21 | O2Micro Int Ltd | Power management apparatus, method and system for digital apparatus |
Family Cites Families (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4325080A (en) * | 1979-04-24 | 1982-04-13 | Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. | Apparatus for displaying video track number in viewfinder of video camera |
JPH0722356B2 (en) * | 1988-06-11 | 1995-03-08 | 富士写真フイルム株式会社 | Camera integrated VTR and video camera |
US5477264A (en) * | 1994-03-29 | 1995-12-19 | Eastman Kodak Company | Electronic imaging system using a removable software-enhanced storage device |
FI115739B (en) * | 1994-05-19 | 2005-06-30 | Nokia Corp | Device for personal communication, data collection and processing and circuit boards |
-
1997
- 1997-09-26 JP JP51837298A patent/JP2001526847A/en active Pending
- 1997-09-26 EP EP97943611A patent/EP0963655A4/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1997-09-26 AU AU45047/97A patent/AU4504797A/en not_active Abandoned
- 1997-09-26 WO PCT/US1997/017346 patent/WO1998017052A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
Non-Patent Citations (2)
Title |
---|
No further relevant documents disclosed * |
See also references of WO9817052A1 * |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO1998017052A1 (en) | 1998-04-23 |
JP2001526847A (en) | 2001-12-18 |
AU4504797A (en) | 1998-05-11 |
EP0963655A4 (en) | 2001-03-21 |
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Legal Events
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PUAI | Public reference made under article 153(3) epc to a published international application that has entered the european phase |
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RIC1 | Information provided on ipc code assigned before grant |
Free format text: 7H 04N 1/00 A, 7H 04N 5/262 B, 7H 04N 5/76 B, 7H 04N 5/222 B, 7H 04N 5/225 B, 7H 04N 7/00 B, 7H 04N 1/21 B |
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STAA | Information on the status of an ep patent application or granted ep patent |
Free format text: STATUS: THE APPLICATION IS DEEMED TO BE WITHDRAWN |
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18D | Application deemed to be withdrawn |
Effective date: 20060905 |