JP2001045178A - Image transmission method, image transmission system, electronic camera and image transmitter - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To realize transmission of image data by a simple operation without the need for a complicated operation or setting. SOLUTION: A digital camera is provided with a voice entry means 18 that enters a telephone number to the digital camera in voice, and voice input telephone number information is stored in a memory card 26 as a separate file (telephone number file) from an image file. In order to transmit the image file, the memory card 26 on which the image file and the telephone number file are stored is loaded to an image transmitter. The image transmitter reads the telephone number file from the memory card 26 and automatically transmits the image file to a transmission destination denoted by the telephone number. Thus, the operation of image transmission having been complicated in a conventional image transmission system can be simplified in this way.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image transmitting method and an image transmitting system, and more particularly to an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting image data photographed by a digital camera or the like using a telephone line, and an image transmitting apparatus for transmitting image data. The present invention relates to an image transmission technique applied to an electronic camera or the like to acquire.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, to transmit image data captured by a digital camera, image data is transmitted using a telephone line such as a mobile phone using a notebook personal computer or a mobile personal computer, and transmitted to a receiving personal computer. The image is received via a modem or communication adapter. Techniques related to such image transmission / reception are disclosed in, for example,
No. 582.

[0003]

However, in the prior art, complicated settings and operations were required before image data was transmitted. Since the keyboard of a laptop computer or mobile computer is small, image data taken with a digital camera at a construction site or in a car repair shop can be transmitted using a keypad or cursor operation while the worker is wearing gloves. It is difficult to do. Also,
When image data is transmitted by a personal computer, the operation is generally complicated and the usability is not good.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an image transmission method, an image transmission system, and an image transmission method capable of transmitting image data without performing complicated operations and settings.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an electronic camera and an image transmission device used in the method and the system.

[0005]

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image transmitting method comprising the steps of: inputting a telephone number by voice; and transmitting the information of the telephone number input by voice to an image file on a recording medium. Is recorded as another file, and when transmitting the image file, the information of the telephone number recorded on the recording medium is read, and the image file is automatically transmitted to the transmission destination indicated by the telephone number. It is characterized by:

According to the present invention, telephone number information of a communication partner (destination) is input by voice, and the information is recorded on a recording medium. When transmitting an image file, a file in which a telephone number is recorded is read from a recording medium, a destination is automatically set, and the image file is automatically transferred to the destination. As a result, it is possible to simplify the operation of image transmission that was conventionally complicated.

An image transmission system according to the present invention comprises: an image recording means for recording an image file including image data on a recording medium; a voice input means for inputting a telephone number by voice; and a voice input from the voice input means. Telephone number recording means for recording the information of the telephone number as a separate file from the image file on the recording medium, line connection means for connecting to a telephone line, and the telephone number recorded on the recording medium. It is characterized by comprising information reading means for reading information, and file transmitting means for automatically transmitting an image file to a transmission destination indicated by the telephone number information obtained by the information reading means.

In order to provide one aspect of a sub-combination applicable to the image transmission system of the present invention, an electronic camera according to the present invention has an image pickup means and processes a signal obtained through the image pickup means. In an electronic camera that records obtained image data on a recording medium, voice input means for inputting a telephone number by voice, and information on the telephone number input by voice from the voice input means is stored in the recording medium separately from an image file. Telephone number recording means for recording as a file.

In this specification, the term "electronic camera" refers to an electronic still camera, a digital camera, a digital camera capable of recording both moving images and still images, regardless of whether it is a moving image or a still image, or an image signal. Regardless of whether the recording format is a digital format or an analog format, it is used as a concept including a camera capable of converting an optical image into an electronic image using an image sensor and an imaging device similar thereto. A compound camera in which a photographing and recording unit for recording an optical image on a photographic film and a unit for acquiring an electronic image using an image sensor are also included in the concept of the “electronic camera”.

[0010] In the present specification, "telephone number" means not only a numeral string for specifying a communication destination, but also a symbol string composed of numerals, characters, symbols, or a combination thereof, and a registered telephone number. Abbreviation numbers, symbol strings, etc.

In order to provide another aspect of the sub-combination applicable to the above-described image transmission system of the present invention,
An image transmitting apparatus according to the present invention has line connection means for connecting to a telephone line, and is capable of transmitting an image file recorded on a recording medium using a telephone line. The apparatus includes: an information reading unit that reads out telephone number information recorded as a file separate from the image file on the recording medium by voice input; and an image reading destination indicated by the telephone number information obtained by the information reading unit. File transmitting means for automatically transmitting a file.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of an image transmitting method, an image transmitting system, an electronic camera and an image transmitting apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the digital camera 10 mainly includes a lens 12,
Imaging means 14, information processing means 16, voice input means 18,
Recording means 20, display means 22, and various operation switches 2
It comprises input means 24 including 4A.

The image pickup means 14 includes a CCD as an image pickup device, and is connected to the CCD 12 via the lens 12 and an aperture device (not shown).
Is a block for converting an optical image of a subject formed on the light receiving surface of the image into an electronic image signal. The CCD mounted on the digital camera 10 of the present embodiment has a so-called electronic shutter function of controlling the charge accumulation time (shutter speed) of each light receiving sensor according to the timing of a shutter gate pulse.

The lens 12 may be a zoom lens or a single focus lens. The lens 12 is driven by a lens driving device having a motor (not shown) (zoom motor or focus motor).

The information processing means 16 is a central processing unit (C
PU) and a block including an image signal processing circuit, and is a processing unit that integrally controls each circuit of the digital camera 10. The CPU controls an operation corresponding to an input signal from the input unit 24, and controls a zooming operation and an automatic focus adjustment (AF) operation of the lens 12, an automatic exposure adjustment (AE) control, and the like. The image signal processing circuit fetches the image signal output from the image pickup means 14 in accordance with the instruction of the CPU, and performs predetermined processing such as color separation, gain adjustment, and A / D conversion based on the received image signal. , A luminance signal (Y signal) and a color difference signal (C signal), a gamma correction process, a compression process, and other signal processes.

The image signal obtained from the image pickup means 14 is subjected to predetermined processing in an image signal processing circuit, and is converted into electronic image data representing a photographed subject image. The image data thus obtained is recorded by the recording means 20 on the memory card 26 or other recording medium. The memory card 26 includes, for example, an SSFDC (Solid-State Floppy D) which is a card-type IC memory called smart media.
isk Card) is used. The recording medium is a memory card 26
However, various forms such as a PC card, a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, and a memory stick are possible. The recording means 20 comprises a read / write device corresponding to the type of recording medium used.

The voice input means 18 has a microphone. The user voice-inputs a telephone number indicating the destination of the image file through the microphone. The audio information input through the microphone is converted into a digital signal by an A / D converter (not shown) and recorded on the memory card as a file (telephone number file) different from the image file.

The display means 22 comprises, for example, a liquid crystal display. Instead of the liquid crystal display, a plasma display or another flat display can be used. The display unit 22 displays an image acquired via the imaging unit 14 in real time as a moving image or, not in real time, as an almost continuous image (intermittent image). Therefore, the photographer can determine the composition of the subject while looking at the screen of the display unit 22. In addition to the reproduced image read from the memory card, the display means 22 displays menus and selection items necessary for various mode settings and selection operations of the digital camera 10,
Display of the remaining storage capacity of the memory card 26, the number of shootable images,
Information related to the camera function, such as the frame number of the reproduced image and the remaining battery level, is also displayed.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing the file structure of the memory card 26. Route (ROOT) as shown at the same time
An image directory and a telephone number directory are provided below the directory. Each image file (1, 2, 3,... N) is stored under the image directory, and telephone number files (1, 2, 3,... N) corresponding to the destinations of the image files are stored under the telephone number directory. Is done. In the image file and the telephone number file, the registration number N = 1,
2, 3,... N, and each file can be identified by the registration number. Note that the image file may be a still image file or a moving image file.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the image transmitter according to the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 4 is a sectional view, and FIG. 5 is a peripheral connection system diagram of the image transmitter. As shown in these figures, the image transmitter 30 has a liquid crystal display unit 32, a [mode / setting] key 34,
It has a [Phone] key 36, an [Image] key 38, a [POWER / ESC] key 40, a [Cursor] key 42, and an [Enter] key 44. Note that the intervals between the keys are arranged with a margin so that the user can operate even when the user is wearing gloves. The size of the image transmitter 30 is, for example, 110 m in vertical dimension.
m, a width of about 80 mm, and a thickness of about 35 mm, preferably a convenient size for carrying.

As shown in FIG. 4, the image transmitter 30 uses four AA batteries 48 as a power source. The AA battery 48 is configured to be loaded from below the image transmitter 30 in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5, the image transmitter 30 can also be supplied with power from the outside by connecting an AC adapter 50.

The memory card 26 is inserted into a card slot 30A provided on the side of the image transmitter 30. When the memory card 26 storing the image file and the telephone number file is inserted into the image transmitter 30,
The data of the telephone number file is automatically registered in the image transmitter 30.

The image transmitter 30 has a PC card slot 46 to which a communication modem card for connecting to a mobile phone or the like is connected. An analog modem card 52 and an ISDN (Integrated
A communication card such as a Service Digital Network (card) 53 and a digital modem card 54 are mounted. Depending on the type of communication card installed in the PC card slot 46, it can be connected to a communication line network such as an analog wired telephone, ISDN, or digital portable telephone.

The main specifications of the keys (34 to 44) used for image transmission will be described. The [mode / setting] key 34 is used to set a communication protocol, an apparatus ID, an auto power off setting, and a transfer rate. This key is used to set the modem card. [Phone] key 36 is a key used when registering, selecting, or deleting the telephone number of the transmission destination.

[Image] key 38 is a key for transmitting a plurality of image data stored in the memory card, and the types thereof are "batch transfer", "thumbnail transfer",
This key is used when one of the transfer methods of “batch transfer of write protected image” and “image transfer by individual selection” is selected and the image is transmitted. [POWER / ESC] key 40 turns on / off the power of this device (image transmitter 30)
This key is used to control or interrupt image transmission.

[Cursor] key 42 can designate four directions of up, down, left and right. [Cursor] key ↑ ↓ key is used to switch items in each section,
This key is used to switch characters when entering alphanumeric characters. The keys ← → are used to determine the selected alphanumeric character or to delete the selected character. [Enter] key 44
Is a key used when deciding the selection of each section or when confirming the telephone number and each setting.

The procedure of the image transmission operation by the image transmitter 30 of the present embodiment will be described. First, the [telephone] key 36 is depressed, and the [cursor] key 42 of "押 し ↓" is depressed to register the registration number of the telephone number file. Select an item for selection. Press the [Enter] key 44 to determine the selection. Then, the registration number is switched with the “↑ ↓” key, and the telephone number of the transmission destination is selected. Press the [Enter] key 44 to determine the selection.

Next, an [image] key 38 is pressed, and if the telephone number of the transmission destination is correct, an [enter] key 44 is pressed. After that, the user operates the “↑ ↓” key to select an image transfer method (for example, batch transfer) (to confirm the selection, press the [Enter] key 44).

With this operation, the image data recorded on the memory card is transferred to the destination.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the flow of image data transmission. The memory card 26 is mounted on the image transmitter 30, and the memory card 26 is
Image data in the image transmitter 30 is selected.
Thereby, the telephone number file in the memory card 26 is read. Communication settings relating to the destination are automatically performed based on the information of the telephone number read from the memory card 26. The transmission of the image file is performed by using an ISDN code of 62, an analog cable, a digital mobile phone, or the like.
The data is sent to the transmission destination (communication partner) via the NTT wired network 64. The receiving side (communication partner) of the image data is 66
Image data is received by a modem or communication adapter
The data is taken into a personal computer or server indicated by reference numeral 68.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of image transfer processing by the image transmitter 30. FIG. 2 shows an example of batch transfer of image files by a registered telephone number.

First, the CPU (corresponding to a file transmitting means) controlling the image transmitter 30 determines whether or not the [phone] key 36 has been pressed (step S100). If the [Phone] key 36 is not pressed, the process of step S110 is repeated. When the press of the [telephone] key 36 is detected, it is next determined whether or not "registered telephone number" has been selected (step S102). The process of step S102 is repeated until the selection of “registered telephone number” is confirmed. When the user selects “registered telephone number”, the CPU then determines whether or not a registered telephone number has been selected (step S104).

Until the user selects the telephone number of the transmission destination, the processing of step S104 is repeated. When it is confirmed that the user has selected any one of the registered telephone numbers (1 to n), the telephone number corresponding to the selection is set as a communication partner (transmission destination) (step S106). .

Next, it is checked whether or not the [image] key 38 for transmitting the image file has been pressed (step S108). [Image] The process of step S108 is repeated while the press of the key 38 is not detected. Upon confirming that the [image] key 38 is pressed, the process proceeds to step S110. In step S110, it is determined whether “batch transfer” has been selected as the image transfer method.

Step S until the selection of batch transfer is confirmed
After repeating the process of step 110 and confirming the selection of the batch transfer, the process of batch transferring the image files in the memory card to the destination (batch transfer) is started (step S11).
2). Then, communication with the other party of the telephone number set in step S106 is started (step S114).

During communication, the presence or absence of a communication error is monitored (step S116). If the occurrence of a communication error is detected, a message warning of the occurrence of a communication error is displayed on the liquid crystal display unit 32 (step S118), and the transfer process ends. On the other hand, if no communication error occurs, the communication is normally terminated (step S120), and the transfer process is terminated. It should be noted that, even when the communication is normally performed, it is preferable to display a message indicating the fact on the liquid crystal display unit 32.

As described above, the digital camera 10 is provided with the means (18) for inputting the telephone number by voice, and the telephone number data is recorded on the memory card as a telephone number file different from the image file. You can easily enter the destination phone number. Further, according to the image transmitter 30 according to the present embodiment, the telephone number file stored in the memory card is read and the image file is transmitted to the destination, so that the image data can be transmitted by a simple key operation. Can be realized.

In the above embodiment, an example of "batch transfer" has been described, but the same applies to a case where an image file is individually specified. By storing each image file in association with the destination phone number, the image file is automatically transferred to the desired destination simply by selecting at least one of the image file to be sent or the destination phone number It is possible to

In the above embodiment, the telephone number file is recorded on the recording medium (memory card 26) on which the image file is recorded. However, the recording medium for recording the image file and the recording medium for recording the telephone number file The medium may be separated and separated. In this case, the recording medium is replaced and used, or a plurality of recording medium reading devices are provided on the image transmitter side.

[0041]

As described above, according to the present invention, the telephone number of the transmission destination is inputted by voice, and the information of the telephone number inputted by voice is recorded as a file other than the image file on the recording medium. When sending an image file,
Since the information of the telephone number recorded on the recording medium is read and the image file is automatically transmitted to the destination indicated by the telephone number, the image transmission operation can be simplified.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing a file structure of a memory card.

FIG. 3 is a front view of the image transmitter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a peripheral connection system diagram of the image transmitter according to the embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a flow of image data transmission.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of an image transfer process performed by the image transmitter according to the present embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Digital camera (electronic camera), 14 ... Imaging means, 18 ... Speech input means, 20 ... Recording means (image recording means, telephone number recording means), 26 ... Memory card (recording medium), 30 ... Image transmitter ( Image transmitting apparatus), 30A: card slot (transmission destination recognition means), 52: analog modem card (line connection means), 53: ISDN card (line connection means), 54: digital modem card (line connection means), 64 ... Wired network (telephone line)

Continued on the front page F term (reference) 5C022 AA11 AA13 AB02 AB22 AB66 AC03 AC12 AC42 AC54 AC69 AC72 AC74 5C075 BA04 BA06 BA08 CA14 CD07 FF90 5K036 BB01 FF06 5K101 NN06 NN07 NN22

Claims (4)

[Claims] A telephone number is input by voice, and information of the telephone number input by voice is recorded as a file different from an image file on a recording medium, and the image file is transmitted when the image file is transmitted. An image transmission method comprising: reading out information on a telephone number recorded in a telephone number; and automatically transmitting an image file to a destination indicated by the telephone number. 2. An image recording means for recording an image file containing image data on a recording medium, a voice input means for inputting a telephone number by voice, and the information on the telephone number input by voice from the voice input means. Telephone number recording means for recording on the recording medium as a file different from the image file, line connection means for connecting to a telephone line, and information reading means for reading information on the telephone number recorded on the recording medium. An image transmission system, comprising: a file transmission unit that automatically transmits an image file to a transmission destination indicated by the telephone number information obtained by the information reading unit. 3. An electronic camera having an image pickup means for recording image data obtained by processing a signal obtained through the image pickup means on a recording medium, comprising: a voice input means for inputting a telephone number by voice; An electronic camera, comprising: telephone number recording means for recording the information of the telephone number input by voice from the voice input means on the recording medium as a file different from an image file. 4. An image transmitting apparatus having line connection means for connecting to a telephone line and capable of transmitting an image file recorded on a recording medium using the telephone line. Information reading means for reading telephone number information recorded as a file separate from the image file on the recording medium by input; automatically transmitting the image file to a destination indicated by the telephone number information obtained by the information reading means An image transmitting apparatus, comprising: