JP2004336196A - Imaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily and properly transmit image data to other electronic apparatus without the need for troublesome operations. <P>SOLUTION: An imaging apparatus having a plurality of operating modes under which an object is imaged and image data are produced, includes: a wireless communication circuit section (203) for making wireless communication with an external device; an operation section (204) for instructing transmission of the image data; transmission destination setting means (204, 205, 210) for setting a transmission destination respectively corresponding to a plurality of the operating modes; and a transmission control means (207) for transmitting the image data to the transmission destination corresponding to the operating mode when instructed and stored in the transmission destination setting means via the wireless communication circuit section when the operation section instructs the transmission of the image data as its control. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for transmitting image data obtained by capturing an image of a subject with an imaging device to an external device from the imaging device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, digital cameras that convert a signal of a captured image into digital image data and record the digital image data on a recording medium have become widespread. Such a digital camera prints a captured image with a color printer, saves image data in a personal computer, further processes and edits the saved image data as appropriate, and posts it on a homepage. Widely used for various purposes.
[0003]
Generally, in a digital camera, a memory card using a nonvolatile semiconductor memory element such as a flash memory is used as a recording medium for recording digital image data. To print an image captured by a digital camera with a printer or save it on a personal computer for processing and editing, remove the memory card from the memory card slot of the digital camera and insert the removed memory card into the PC card slot of the personal computer. Work such as mounting via an adapter is required.
[0004]
To reduce the complexity of such work, digital cameras are provided with a wireless communication function such as Bluetooth, so that image data can be sent directly from the digital camera to the printer via wireless communication to instruct printing, or a personal computer can be wirelessly connected. A digital camera capable of transmitting image data by communication and storing the image data in a hard disk device of a personal computer has been proposed.
[0005]
Some digital cameras capable of wirelessly transmitting such image data register the identification code and address of the wireless device of the transmission destination in advance in order to identify the transmission destination device of the image data, or record the image on a memory card. There is a type that associates a transmission destination with each of the obtained image data and records its identification code and address on a memory card.
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when image data is transmitted to another device by a digital camera, the transmission destination generally changes depending on an operation mode such as a shooting mode or a reproduction mode. For example, when the digital camera is in the shooting mode, the image data shot to increase the free space of the memory card is transmitted to the personal computer and stored in the hard disk drive. Is generally transmitted to a printer for printing. Therefore, in the above-described conventional digital camera, the identification code and address of the communication partner device must be re-registered each time the destination of the image data is changed by changing the operation mode, which requires a complicated operation. There was a problem of becoming.
[0007]
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and has as its object to easily transmit image data to another electronic device appropriately in accordance with an operation mode without performing a troublesome operation.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, an image capturing apparatus according to the present invention has a wireless communication unit that captures a subject, generates image data, has a plurality of operation modes, and performs wireless communication with an external device. Instruction means for instructing transmission of image data, transmission destination setting means for setting and storing a destination corresponding to each of the plurality of operation modes, and a case where transmission of image data is instructed by the instruction means Transmission control means for controlling transmission of image data via the wireless communication means to a destination corresponding to the operation mode at the time of the instruction stored in the destination setting means. And
[0009]
In addition, the control method of the present invention for an imaging device that captures a subject to generate image data, has a plurality of operation modes, and can wirelessly communicate with an external device, corresponds to each of the plurality of operation modes. A destination setting step for setting and storing a destination, an instruction step for instructing transmission of image data, and an instruction stored in the destination setting step in response to an instruction for transmitting image data in the instruction step. Transmitting an image data by wireless communication to a transmission destination corresponding to the operation mode at the time of the transmission.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the dimensions, materials, shapes, relative arrangements, and the like of the components exemplified in the present embodiment should be appropriately changed depending on the configuration of the apparatus to which the present invention is applied and various conditions. Is not limited to those examples.
[0011]
<First embodiment>
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing the rear side of the digital camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
[0012]
The digital camera 100 shown in FIG. 1 is provided with a shooting button 101 for instructing shooting, a power switch 102 for switching the power from on to off and from off to on, and a mode selection dial 103 for setting an operation mode of the digital camera 100 on the upper surface thereof. ing. The digital camera 100 according to the first embodiment has a shooting mode in which image data generated by shooting a subject image is recorded in a memory card, and the image data recorded in the memory card is reproduced on a color liquid crystal display device. It has a playback mode for displaying. When the power of the digital camera 100 is turned on, the mode selection dial 103 is rotated to set a predetermined position, or when the power is off, the mode selection dial 103 is rotated to set a predetermined operation mode. By turning on the power of the digital camera 100 by pressing the power switch 102 in accordance with the position, the digital camera 100 operates in each operation mode. An antenna 104 for performing wireless communication is provided on an upper surface of the digital camera 100.
[0013]
On the rear surface of the digital camera 100, a color liquid crystal display device 105 that displays a subject image to be photographed in a photographing mode and reproduces and displays an image recorded on a memory card in a reproduction mode, and sets various operation conditions of the digital camera 100. A menu button 106 for calling a menu item, an enter button 107 for designating an item selected from the menu items, an instruction to change an operation state, a selection of a menu item, and a selection of an image to be displayed on the color liquid crystal display device 105 in the reproduction mode. "Left" button 108 and "Right" button 109 to be executed. Instructs zoom-in / zoom-out in shooting mode, instructs enlarged display or list display in playback mode, and selects menu items when menu screen is displayed. "+ (Plus)" button 110 and "-(minor ) "Provided with a button 111. Although not shown, there are other operation buttons for instructing the operation state of the digital camera 100. Further, a transmission button 112 for instructing transmission of image data to a personal computer device, a printer, or the like by wireless communication is provided on a rear surface of the digital camera 100.
[0014]
Further, on the rear surface of the digital camera 100, an LED lamp 113 for displaying an operation state of the digital camera 100 and a warning display, and an optical finder 116 for checking a subject image are provided.
[0015]
A memory card cover 114 is provided on one side of the digital camera 100. The memory card cover 114 is opened by pushing down a memory card cover open lever 115 provided on the rear surface of the digital camera 100, whereby a memory card as a recording medium becomes detachable.
[0016]
On the other side of the digital camera 100, an interface connector (not shown) for connecting a cable or the like for communicating with another electronic device is provided. Further, an optical lens (not shown) is provided on the front surface of the digital camera 100, and a battery loading port (not shown) for loading a battery is provided on the lower surface of the digital camera 100.
[0017]
Next, the configuration of the digital camera 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
[0018]
2, the digital camera 100 includes an imaging unit 201, a memory card connection circuit unit 202, a wireless communication circuit unit 203, an operation unit 204, a display unit 205, a ROM 206, a CPU 207, and a RAM 208. Connected to each other. In addition, the digital camera 100 includes an EEPROM 210 and a power supply circuit section 212 for supplying power to each block.
[0019]
The imaging unit 201 includes a lens provided on the front surface of the digital camera 100 that receives reflected light from a subject, a photoelectric conversion element (for example, a CCD) that converts a light image formed by the lens into an electric signal, and this photoelectric conversion element. And an analog-to-digital converter for converting an analog electric signal output from a digital electric signal into a digital electric signal. The imaging unit 201 outputs digital image data of the subject image to the bus line 209 as a digital electric signal.
[0020]
The memory card connection circuit unit 202 includes a memory card connection connector for mounting a memory card and a memory card control circuit. The memory card control circuit transmits a memory card mounted on the memory card connection connector based on an instruction from the CPU 207. Control of writing and reading of image data.
[0021]
The wireless communication circuit unit 203 is schematically configured by an antenna 104, a high-frequency circuit, an encoding / decoding circuit, and the like, and has a function of transmitting and receiving data to and from an electronic device or an information processing device having an equivalent wireless communication function. . The radio communication system of the first embodiment uses, as a carrier, a radio wave that hops 79 frequencies provided at 1 MHz intervals in the frequency range of 2.402 to 2.480 GHz up to 1600 times per second. A wireless communication system called Bluetooth, which transmits information by modulating a carrier with an information signal, is used. The devices having the wireless communication function of the communication method according to the first embodiment each have a unique identification code. When data is transmitted, the identification code of the transmission destination device and the identification of the transmission source device are transmitted. By transmitting the code together with the data, the communication partner device is specified. The device that has received the data recognizes the communication partner device based on the identification code of the source device that has received the data. The identification code of the wireless communication system according to the first embodiment is 6 bytes (48 bits).
[0022]
The operation unit 204 includes buttons and dials for operating the digital camera 100 such as a shooting button 101 for instructing shooting, a mode selection dial 103 for selecting an operation mode of the digital camera 100, and a menu button 106 for instructing display of a menu screen. It is composed of linked switches and the like, and has a function of outputting the states of these switches as electric signals. Further, the operation unit 204 has a function of outputting a change in the state of a switch due to operation of a button or a dial as a change in an electric signal.
[0023]
The display unit 205 includes the color liquid crystal display device 105, the LED lamp 113, and the like. The color liquid crystal display device 105 has a function of displaying an image to be photographed formed on the photoelectric conversion element through the optical lens in the photographing mode and a function of reproducing and displaying the image data stored in the memory card in the reproducing mode. Having. Further, it has a function of displaying a menu screen by operating the menu button 106 and the like, and a function of displaying the fact as character information while the wireless communication circuit unit 203 is transmitting image data. The LED lamp 113 displays the operation state of the digital camera 100 and displays a warning to the user. In the first embodiment, the LED lamp 113 blinks while the wireless communication circuit unit 203 is transmitting image data. By doing so, a function of notifying that data is being transmitted is realized.
[0024]
The ROM 206 is a non-volatile memory that stores control procedures of the CPU 207 in advance. The ROM 206 has a function of outputting stored contents to the bus line 209 in response to a read command from the CPU 207.
[0025]
The CPU 207 executes a control procedure stored in the ROM 206 to control the imaging unit 201, control the memory card connection circuit unit 202, manage storage information of the memory card attached to the memory card connection connector, and perform a wireless communication circuit. The control unit 203 controls the state of a switch output from the operation unit 204, controls the display unit 205, and the like.
[0026]
Further, the CPU 207 has a function of performing control of wirelessly transmitting image data to a device having an identification code registered in advance as a transmission destination corresponding to the current operation mode when the transmission button 112 is pressed.
[0027]
The RAM 208 provides functions such as temporary buffering of digital image data output from the imaging unit 201, temporary storage of data written to and read from the memory card, and a work memory of the CPU 207. Further, in the RAM 208, when the transmission button 112 is pressed and the image data is wirelessly transmitted to another device, an area for storing an identification code of a device as a transmission destination is secured, and information regarding an image to be transmitted is further stored. The storage area is reserved.
[0028]
The EEPROM 210 is a rewritable non-volatile memory element that stores values of various operation parameters that define detailed operations of the digital camera 100. The EEPROM 210 is connected to the CPU 207 via the serial communication interface 211, outputs stored data to the CPU 207, and stores data output from the CPU 207.
[0029]
Some of the operation parameters whose values are stored in the EEPROM 210 can be rewritten by the CPU 207 via the serial communication interface 211 by changing the operation state from the menu screen. The destination identification code of the image data corresponding to each operation mode is also one of the operation parameters that can be changed from the menu screen.
[0030]
The power supply circuit unit 212 is schematically configured by a battery, a DC / DC converter, and the like, and has a function of supplying power to each component of the digital camera 100 via a power supply line 213.
[0031]
Next, a method of registering an identification code of a transmission destination device that transmits image data in the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0032]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of a screen display for registering a destination identification code in the digital camera 100 according to the first embodiment. The screen for changing the operation parameters of the digital camera 100 can be called by operating the menu button 106 or the like, and the screen for registering the identification code can be called by the same operation and displayed on the color liquid crystal display device 105 of the display unit 205. it can. When the registration screen of the identification code of the transmission destination is displayed, the user looks at this screen, and the “left” button 108, the “right” button 109, the “+” button 110, the “−” button 111, and the enter button By operating 107, the identification code of the destination device in each operation mode is registered. In the first embodiment, a 6-byte identification code is entered and registered in a 12-digit hexadecimal number.
[0033]
As shown in FIG. 3, the registration screen of the identification code includes an operation mode selection column 301 for selecting an operation mode and an identification code input column 302 for inputting a 6-byte identification code. When the registration screen is displayed by operating the menu button 106 or the like, the operation mode selection field 301 is focused as an initial state, for example, as shown in FIG. In this state, the user operates the “+” button 110 and the “−” button 111 to select which operation mode the identification code is registered. FIG. 3 shows a case where the “photographing mode” is selected as an example.
[0034]
When the selection of the operation mode is completed, by pressing the "right" button 109, the focus moves to the identification code input field 302 as shown in FIG. 3B, and the cursor is displayed at the leftmost digit. In this state, the “+” button 110 and the “−” button 111 are operated to input the first digit or alphabet. When the input is completed, pressing the "right" button 109 moves the cursor to the next digit to the right, so that input is continued. If a wrong input is made, pressing the "left" button 108 moves the cursor to the next digit to the left, so that a correct value can be input. FIG. 3C shows a state in which all digits have been input. A case where “AB.CD.EF.12.34.56” is input as the identification code is shown. When the enter button 107 is pressed in this state, the input identification code can be registered, and the input identification code is stored in the EEPROM 210 as a transmission destination in the photographing mode. By performing the same operation, the identification code in the reproduction mode can be registered.
[0035]
When the registration screen is called when the identification code has already been registered, the already registered identification code is displayed in the identification code input field 302 as shown in FIG. When a new identification code is registered, it can be corrected for each digit by the above-described operation, and when the transmission button 112 is pressed, the identification code input field 302 is cleared as shown in the display state of FIG. Therefore, a new identification code can be input by the same operation.
[0036]
Further, when the determination button 107 is pressed in a state where the identification code input field 302 is cleared as shown in FIG. 3A or 3B, the identification code recorded in the EEPROM 210 is erased, and the operation mode is changed. Can be set not to wirelessly transmit image data.
[0037]
Note that the buttons used for the registration operation are not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that the buttons can be changed as appropriate.
[0038]
Next, a method of previously specifying an image to be transmitted when the transmission button 112 is pressed in the digital camera 100 will be described with reference to FIG.
[0039]
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of a screen display for designating a transmission image in the digital camera according to the first embodiment. Similarly to the identification code registration screen described above, the transmission image designation screen can be called up by operating the menu button 106 or the like and displayed on the color liquid crystal display device 105. The user can specify the transmission image in each operation mode by operating each button while watching this screen display.
[0040]
As shown in FIG. 4, the transmission image specification screen has an operation mode selection field 401 for selecting an operation mode, a reference data specification field 402 for setting reference image data, and the number of image data to be transmitted (the number of images to be transmitted). ), A transmission image is specified by specifying a set of reference image data and the number of images to be transmitted.
[0041]
In the shooting mode, any of the most recently recorded image data and the most recently recorded image data among the image data recorded on the memory card as a reference image can be selected. When the most recently recorded image data is selected as the reference image data as shown in FIG. 4A, the digital camera 100 selects the newest recorded time from the image data recorded on the memory card. , The image data for the designated number of images (“3 images” in FIG. 4A) is transmitted in order. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the image data that has been recorded most recently as the reference image data is selected, the digital camera 100 sorts the image data in the memory card in ascending order of recording time. Send the specified number of images. In any case, after transmitting the image data, it is possible to specify from the menu screen whether or not to delete the image data from the memory card (not shown).
[0042]
When the reproduction mode is designated as shown in FIG. 4C, the most recently recorded image data and the most recently recorded image data are used as reference image data, as in the case of the shooting mode. In addition to selection, an image reproduced and displayed on the color liquid crystal display device 105 can be used as reference image data. When the image being reproduced and displayed is selected as the reference image, the digital camera 100 transmits the specified number of image data from the image being reproduced and displayed to the color liquid crystal display device 105 in ascending order of recording time. Also, in the case of the reproduction mode, it is possible to specify from the menu screen whether or not to delete the image data from the memory card after transmitting the image data (not shown).
[0043]
Transmission image information for each operation mode input from the menu screen, that is, information on the reference image and the number of images to be transmitted, is written from the CPU 207 to the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211.
[0044]
Next, an image transmission process of the digital camera 100 according to the first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to a flowchart of FIG. The process illustrated in FIG. 5 is an interrupt process started by operating the transmission button 112 of the digital camera 100.
[0045]
When the transmission button 112 of the digital camera 100 is pressed, the operation unit 204 issues an interrupt signal to the CPU 207. Upon receiving the interrupt signal, the CPU 207 executes a control procedure for starting the interrupt processing incorporated therein, starts the interrupt processing, and executes the image transmission processing shown in FIG. .
[0046]
First, in step S501, the interruption is prohibited so that the CPU 207 will not accept the interruption again by operating the transmission button 112 during the image transmission processing. In the following step S502, the contents of the memory card connected to the memory card connection circuit unit 202 are read, and it is determined whether image data is recorded on the memory card. Here, the number N of image data (files) recorded on the memory card is checked. If N = 0, no image is recorded, and the process proceeds to step S514. If N ≧ 1, the image is recorded. The process proceeds to step S503.
[0047]
In step S503, a signal output from the operation unit 204 is read, and it is determined whether the mode selection dial 103 is set to the shooting mode. If the setting is the photographing mode, in step S504, the CPU 207 reads out the photographing mode transmission destination identification code stored in the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211 and stores the readout identification code in an area of the RAM 208 where the identification code is stored. I do. In the subsequent step S505, transmission image designation information in the photographing mode, that is, information on a reference image and the number (K) of image data to be transmitted at one time is read out from the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211, and the transmission image designation information in the RAM 208 is read. The read information is written in the information storage area, and the process proceeds to step S509.
[0048]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S503 that the operation mode is not the shooting mode, the process proceeds to step S506, in which the CPU 207 reads a signal output from the operation unit 204 and determines whether the mode selection dial 103 is set to the reproduction mode. I do. If the operation mode is set to the reproduction mode, the process proceeds to step S507, where the destination identification code of the reproduction mode is read out from the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211 and stored in the identification code storage area of the RAM 208. Next, in step S 508, the CPU 207 reads out transmission image designation information (a set of a reference image and the number of images to be transmitted (K)) in the reproduction mode from the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211 and reads the contents of the RAM 208. It is stored in a predetermined area, and the process proceeds to step S509.
[0049]
In step S509, a parameter i representing the number of image data (files) wirelessly transmitted during a series of image transmission processing is initialized to zero. Next, in step S510, it is determined whether image data to be transmitted remains. The number of image data transmitted wirelessly during the series of image transmission operations has not reached the number K of image data (files) to be transmitted read from the EEPROM 210 and stored in the RAM 208 in step S505 or step S508, and the memory card If there is untransmitted image data in the image data recorded in step S511, that is, if the condition “i <N and i <K” is satisfied, it is determined that image data to be transmitted remains, and step S511 is performed. Proceed to.
[0050]
Next, in step S511, an image to be transmitted next is specified based on the transmission image designation information read in step S505 or step S508 and the value of the number i of image data already transmitted wirelessly, and the image of the image is stored in the memory card. The data is read and stored in the RAM 208. In the subsequent step S512, the image data stored in the RAM 208 in step S511 is wirelessly transmitted via the wireless communication circuit unit 203 together with the destination identification code stored in the RAM 208 in step S504 or S507. At this time, the fact that the image data is being transmitted is notified by blinking the LED lamp 113 and / or displaying character information on the color liquid crystal display device 105. Further, the value of the parameter i representing the number of transmitted image data is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S510 again to repeat the image data transmission process.
[0051]
In step S510, when the number of transmission image data during the series of image transmission processing has reached the specified number, or when all image data recorded on the memory card have been transmitted, that is, when the condition “i ≧ N or i ≧ If “K” is satisfied, it is determined that no untransmitted image remains, and the process proceeds to step S513. In step S513, the prohibition of the interrupt set in step S501 is released so that the CPU 207 can receive the interrupt signal again, and the image transmission processing ends.
[0052]
If it is determined in step S502 that no image data is recorded on the memory card (N = 0), the flow advances to step S514 to notify the color liquid crystal display device 105 that no image data is recorded on the memory card. At the same time, the warning is displayed by blinking the LED lamp 113, and the process proceeds to step S513. In step S513, the prohibition of the interrupt set in step S501 is released so that the CPU 207 can accept the interrupt signal again, and the image transmission processing ends.
[0053]
Further, when it is determined in step S506 that the operation mode is not the reproduction mode, the process proceeds to step S513, in which the inhibition of the interrupt set in step S501 is released so that the CPU 207 can accept the interrupt signal again, and the main image transmission is performed. The process ends.
[0054]
As described above, by performing the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 5, when the transmission button 112 is operated, a pre-registered image is transmitted to the transmission destination corresponding to each of the operation modes of the shooting mode and the reproduction mode registered in advance. Data can be transmitted.
[0055]
For example, when a personal computer having a large-capacity hard disk device is registered and registered as a transmission destination in the shooting mode, and a color printer is registered as a transmission destination in the reproduction mode, the transmission button 112 is pressed with the shooting mode selected. Then, the image data is transmitted to the personal computer and the image data can be stored on the hard disk. On the other hand, when the transmission button 112 is pressed while the reproduction mode is selected, the image data is transmitted to the color printer, and the liquid crystal at hand is A printing operation can be performed while checking an image on the screen.
[0056]
As described above, according to the first embodiment, it is possible to easily transmit image data to another electronic device easily without performing a troublesome operation, and to improve convenience. be able to.
[0057]
<Second embodiment>
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0058]
Note that the appearance and configuration of the digital camera according to the second embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the above-described first embodiment, and a description thereof will not be repeated.
[0059]
In the first embodiment described above, one destination identification code is registered in advance for each operation mode of the photographing mode and the reproduction mode, and when the transmission button is pressed, the registered destination is registered according to the operation mode. Although the case of performing control for transmitting image data has been described, in the second embodiment, a plurality of destination identification codes can be registered for each operation mode, and when the transmission button is pressed, the plurality of identification codes are registered. A digital camera that selects one of the codes, determines a transmission destination, and transmits image data will be described.
[0060]
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a screen display for registering a destination identification code in the digital camera 100 according to the second embodiment. This screen is called up by operating the menu button 106 and the like as in the first embodiment described above, and the identification code is registered by operating the "left" button 108, the "right" button 109, the enter button 107 and the like. The registration screen of the identification code has an operation mode selection column 601 and an identification code input column 602 as well as FIG. 3 of the first embodiment described above, and specifies the number of the registration in the operation mode. There is a number selection column 603 to perform. Note that the buttons used for the registration operation are not limited to the above, and it goes without saying that the buttons can be changed as appropriate.
[0061]
FIG. 6A shows a screen for registering the first destination identification code in the shooting mode. Here, an example is shown in which the identification code “AA.AA.AA.11.11.11” is registered. Similarly, FIGS. 6B and 6C are examples of screens for registering the second transmission destination and the third transmission destination, respectively, and “AA.AA.AA.22. 22.22 "and" AA.AA.AA.33.33.33 "as the third identification code.
[0062]
Note that the method of specifying an image to be transmitted in each shooting mode is the same as that described in the first embodiment with reference to FIG. 4, and a description thereof will be omitted.
[0063]
Next, an image transmission process of the digital camera 100 according to the second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The process illustrated in FIG. 7 is an interrupt process started by operating the transmission button 112 of the digital camera 100. In FIG. 7, the same processes as those shown in FIG. 5 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0064]
The processing shown in FIG. 7 includes processing (steps S701 and S703) for determining whether or not a plurality of destination identification codes are registered between the processing of steps S504 and S505 and steps S507 and S508, When the destination identification code is registered (YES in step S701 or S703), there is a process of selecting a transmission destination (steps S702 and S704), which is different from the process shown in FIG.
[0065]
More specifically, in step S701, it is determined whether there is a plurality of destination identification codes read out in step S504, that is, whether or not a plurality of destination identification codes in the shooting mode are registered, and the plurality of destination identification codes are registered. If yes, go to step S702; otherwise, go to step S505.
[0066]
In step S702, one identification code is selected from a plurality of registered destination identification codes by a user operation.
[0067]
Here, a method of selecting one destination identification code will be described with reference to FIG.
[0068]
FIG. 8 shows a state in which the identification codes read from the EEPROM 210 in step S504 and stored in the RAM 208 are displayed in a list on the color liquid crystal display device 105. FIG. 8 shows an example in which three identification codes are registered as transmission destinations. The user operates the "+" button 110, the "-" button 111, and the enter button 107 while viewing this screen display to set one identification code. When the “+” button 110 is pressed, the identification code one line below the selected identification code is selected, and when the “−” button 111 is pressed, the identification code on the one line is displayed. Is selected. When the enter button 107 is pressed, the identification code selected and displayed is set as a destination identification code for transmitting image data.
[0069]
For example, in the display state of FIG. 8, “AA.AA.AA.11.11.11” at the top of the three identification codes is selected, and when the determination button 107 is pressed in this state, the corresponding An identification code is set as the destination. In the state of FIG. 8, when the “+” button 110 is pressed twice and the enter button 107 is pressed, the third “AA.AA.AA.33.33.33” is set as the destination identification code. Is done. The image data is transmitted to the device having the destination identification code set by this operation.
[0070]
On the other hand, in step S703, it is determined whether or not a plurality of identification codes are registered as the destination identification codes of the reproduction mode read out in step S507. If there are a plurality of identification codes, the process proceeds to step S704. If not, the process proceeds to step S508. In step S704, one identification code is selected by a user operation in the same manner as in step S702 described above.
[0071]
In step S511, the image data stored in the RAM 208 in step S511 is wirelessly transmitted via the wireless communication circuit unit 203 together with the identification code selected in step S702 or S704 as described above.
[0072]
As described above, by performing the processing of the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, when the transmission button 112 is operated, the transmission button 112 is selected from the transmission destinations corresponding to the respective operation modes of the shooting mode and the reproduction mode registered in advance. Image data can be transmitted to the device.
[0073]
For example, when a color printer and a projector (or a personal computer connected to the projector) are registered in advance as transmission destinations in the playback mode, printing is performed while checking images on the color liquid crystal display device 115 of the digital camera in the playback mode. The user can press the send button 112 to select a color printer, and select a projector when viewing by a large number of people.
[0074]
As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to easily transmit image data to another electronic device easily without performing a troublesome operation, and to improve convenience. be able to.
[0075]
In the above-described second embodiment, a case has been described in which one device is selected from a plurality of destination devices registered in advance in association with each operation mode and image data is transmitted. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the digital camera of the present invention may be configured such that a plurality of devices are selected from registered destination devices and control for transmitting image data to those devices is performed. Further, the digital camera of the present invention can be configured to transmit image data to all of a plurality of devices registered in association with each operation mode.
[0076]
<Third embodiment>
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.
[0077]
Note that the appearance and configuration of the digital camera according to the third embodiment are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the above-described first embodiment, and a description thereof will not be repeated.
[0078]
The method of registering the identification code of the transmission destination and the method of specifying the image to be transmitted for each shooting mode according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 in the first embodiment. The description is omitted because it is the same as that described above.
[0079]
In the above-described first and second embodiments, the case where the transmission button 112 is pressed to generate an interrupt to the CPU 207 and the transmission control is performed by the interrupt processing has been described. The present invention relates to a digital camera that controls transmission of image data by detecting pressing of a transmission button 112 during normal operation in a shooting mode and a reproduction mode during normal operation.
[0080]
Hereinafter, the operation of the digital camera 100 according to the third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation procedure in a shooting mode of the digital camera 100 according to the third embodiment.
[0081]
When the digital camera 100 is set to the photographing mode by operating the power switch 102 and the mode selection dial 103, the CPU 207 executes the photographing mode control procedure stored in the ROM 206 in advance. Execute
[0082]
In step S901, a processing routine related to photographing is executed. In this routine, the CPU 207 monitors a signal output from the operation unit 204 to determine whether or not the shooting button 101 has been pressed, and upon detecting the pressing of the shooting button 101, converts the digital image data output from the imaging unit 201 into digital image data. A photographing process is performed such that the image data is stored in the RAM 208, converted into a specific format, and recorded as image data (file) on the attached memory card.
[0083]
Next, in step S902, a signal output from the operation unit 204 is monitored to determine whether the transmission button 112 has been pressed. If the transmission button 112 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S903. In step S903, the contents of the memory card connected to the memory card connection circuit unit 202 are read, and it is determined whether image data is recorded on the memory card. Here, the number N of image data (files) recorded on the memory card is checked. If N = 0, no image is recorded, and the process proceeds to step S911. If N ≧ 1, the image is recorded. The process proceeds to step S904.
[0084]
In step S904, the CPU 207 reads out the transmission mode identification code stored in the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211, and stores the read identification code in an area of the RAM 208 where the identification code is stored. In the following step S905, transmission image designation information in the photographing mode, that is, information on a reference image and the number (K) of image data to be transmitted at a time is read from the EEPROM 210 and stored in the RAM 208. Next, in step S906, the value of the parameter i representing the number of wirelessly transmitted image data is initialized to 0, and the process proceeds to step S907.
[0085]
In step S907, it is determined whether image data to be transmitted remains. When the number of image data transmitted wirelessly has not reached the number of image data to be transmitted read in step S905 and there is image data not transmitted in the memory card, that is, the condition “i <N and i <K Is satisfied, it is determined that image data to be transmitted remains, and the process advances to step S908.
[0086]
In step S908, an image to be transmitted next is specified from the transmission image designation information read in step S905 and the value of the number i of image data already transmitted, and the image data of the image is read from the memory card and stored in the RAM 208. I do. In the next step S909, the image data stored in the RAM 208 is wirelessly transmitted via the wireless communication circuit unit 203 together with the destination identification code read in step S904. At this time, the fact that the image data is being transmitted is notified by blinking the LED lamp 113 and / or displaying character information on the color liquid crystal display device 105. Further, the value of the parameter i representing the number of transmitted image data is incremented by 1, and the process returns to step S907 again to repeat the image data transmission process.
[0087]
In step S907, when the number of transmission image data has reached the specified number or when all the image data recorded on the memory card have been transmitted, that is, when the condition “i ≧ N or i ≧ K” is satisfied, The process proceeds to step S910. In step S910, a signal output from the operation unit 204 is monitored to determine whether the mode selection dial 103 is set to the shooting mode. If the mode selection dial 103 is still set to the shooting mode, the process returns to step S901 again. Then, the above-described processing operation is continued, and if an operation mode other than the photographing mode is set, the present processing operation in the photographing mode ends.
[0088]
If it is determined in step S903 that no image data is recorded on the inserted memory card (N = 0), the flow advances to step S911 to display a color liquid crystal display indicating that no image data is recorded on the memory card. A warning is displayed on the device 105 while the LED lamp 113 blinks. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S910 to perform the above-described operation.
[0089]
If it is determined in step S902 that the send button 112 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S910, and the above-described operation is performed.
[0090]
Next, the operation of the digital camera 100 in the playback mode according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.
[0091]
When the digital camera 100 is set to the playback mode by operating the power switch 102 and the mode selection dial 103 of the digital camera 100, the CPU 207 executes a playback mode control procedure stored in the ROM 206 in advance. The processing procedure shown in 10 is executed.
[0092]
In step S1001, the contents of the memory card connected to the memory card connection circuit unit 202 are read, and it is determined whether image data has been recorded on the memory card. Here, the number N of image data (files) recorded on the memory card is checked. If N = 0, no image is recorded, and the process proceeds to step S1011. If N ≧ 1, the image is recorded. The process proceeds to step S1002.
[0093]
In step S1002, a processing routine related to reproduction is executed. In this routine, the CPU 207 reads out image data from the memory card to the RAM 208 and displays it on the color liquid crystal display device 105. In addition, a button output is detected by monitoring a signal output from the operation unit 204, a display image is changed in accordance with an operation of the “left” button 108 or the “right” button 109, and the “+” button 110 In response to the operation of the "" button 111, image reproduction processing such as switching between enlarged display and list display is performed.
[0094]
Next, in step S1003, a signal output from the operation unit 204 is monitored to determine whether the transmission button 112 has been pressed. If the transmission button 112 has been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1004. In step S1004, the CPU 207 reads out the destination identification code of the reproduction mode stored in the EEPROM 210 via the serial communication interface 211, and stores the read identification code in an area of the RAM 208 where the identification code is stored. In the subsequent step S1005, transmission image designation information in the reproduction mode, that is, information on a reference image and the number (K) of image data to be transmitted at a time is read from the EEPROM 210 and stored in the RAM 208. Next, in step S1006, the value of a parameter i representing the number of wirelessly transmitted image data is initialized to 0, and the process proceeds to step S1007.
[0095]
In step S1007, it is determined whether image data to be transmitted remains as in step S907 of FIG. If untransmitted image data remains, that is, if “i <N and i <K” are satisfied, the process advances to step S1008.
[0096]
In step S1008, an image to be transmitted next is specified from the transmission image designation information read in step S1005 and the value of the number i of image data already transmitted, and the image data of the image is read from the memory card and stored in the RAM 208. I do. In step S1009, the image data stored in the RAM 208 is wirelessly transmitted via the wireless communication circuit unit 203 together with the destination identification code read in step S1004. At this time, the fact that the image data is being transmitted is notified by blinking the LED lamp 113 and / or displaying character information on the color liquid crystal display device 105. Further, the value of the parameter i representing the number of transmitted image data is increased by 1, and the process returns to step S1007 again.
[0097]
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S1007 that there is no untransmitted image data, that is, when “i ≧ N or i ≧ K” is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S1010. In step S1010, a signal output from the operation unit 204 is monitored to determine whether the mode selection dial 103 is set to the reproduction mode. If the mode selection dial 103 is still set to the reproduction mode, the process returns to step S1001 again. Then, the processing operation described above is continued, and if an operation mode other than the reproduction mode is set, this processing operation in the reproduction mode is ended.
[0098]
If it is determined in step S1001 that no image data is recorded on the inserted memory card, the process advances to step S1011 to display on the color liquid crystal display device 105 that no image data is recorded on the memory card. At the same time, the LED lamp 113 blinks to display a warning. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S1010 to perform the above-described operation.
[0099]
If it is determined in step S1003 that the send button 112 has not been pressed, the process proceeds to step S1010, and the above-described operation is performed.
[0100]
As described above, by performing the processing of the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the digital camera is operating in the shooting mode and pressing the send button, the image is transmitted to the destination associated with the shooting mode. Data can be transmitted, and if the transmission button is pressed while the digital camera is operating in the playback mode, image data can be transmitted to a destination associated with the playback mode.
[0101]
As described above, according to the third embodiment, it is possible to easily transmit image data to another electronic device easily without performing a troublesome operation, and to improve convenience. be able to.
[0102]
Note that, in the third embodiment described above, the case where one transmission destination identification code is registered in advance for each of the operation modes of the photographing mode and the reproduction mode as in the first embodiment has been described. The present invention is not limited to this, and the digital camera of the present invention is configured such that a plurality of destination identification codes are registered for each operation mode and selected at the time of transmission as in the second embodiment described above. You may.
[0103]
[Other embodiments]
An object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium (or a recording medium) in which program codes of software for realizing the functions of the above-described embodiments are recorded to a system or an apparatus, and to provide a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or the apparatus. Can also be achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in the storage medium. In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the function of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention. When the computer executes the readout program code, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also an operating system (OS) running on the computer based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that a part or all of the actual processing is performed and the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized by the processing. Here, examples of the storage medium for storing the program code include a flexible disk, a hard disk, a ROM, a RAM, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a DVD, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, and an MO. Can be considered.
[0104]
Further, after the program code read from the storage medium is written into a memory provided in a function expansion card inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function of the program is performed based on the instruction of the program code. It goes without saying that the CPU included in the expansion card or the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments.
[0105]
When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the storage medium stores program codes corresponding to the flowcharts shown in FIG. 5, FIG. 7, or FIGS. 9 and 10 described above.
[0106]
【The invention's effect】
As described above in detail, according to the present invention, it is possible to easily transmit image data to another electronic device easily without performing a troublesome operation, and to improve convenience. Can be.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an external perspective view showing a rear side of a digital camera according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of a screen display for registering a destination identification code of the digital camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a screen display state for designating a transmission image of the digital camera according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an image transmission process according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state of a screen display for registering a destination identification code of the digital camera according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an image transmission process according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a screen display state for selecting one identification code from a plurality of identification codes according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating an operation in a shooting mode of the digital camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing an operation in a playback mode of the digital camera according to the third embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
100 digital camera
101 Shooting button
102 Power switch
103 Mode selection dial
104 antenna
105 color liquid crystal display
106 Menu button
107 OK button
108 "Left" button
109 Right button
110 "+" button
111 "-" button
112 Submit button
113 LED lamp
114 Memory card cover
115 Memory card cover open lever
201 Imaging unit
202 Memory card connection circuit
203 wireless communication circuit
204 operation unit
205 Display
206 ROM
207 CPU
208 RAM
209 bus line
210 EEPROM
211 Serial communication interface
212 Power supply circuit
213 Power line

Claims (12)

An image capturing apparatus having a plurality of operation modes for capturing an object and generating image data,
Wireless communication means for performing wireless communication with an external device,
Instruction means for instructing transmission of image data;
A destination setting unit that sets a destination corresponding to each of the plurality of operation modes and stores the destination,
When the transmission of the image data is instructed by the instruction means, the image data is transmitted to the transmission destination stored in the transmission destination setting means and corresponding to the operation mode at the time of the instruction via the wireless communication means. An image pickup apparatus comprising: a transmission control unit that performs control to perform the control. The apparatus further includes a transmission image setting unit that sets information of image data to be transmitted corresponding to each of the plurality of operation modes and stores the information.
When the transmission of the image data is instructed by the instruction unit, the transmission control unit is configured to transmit the image data based on the information of the image data corresponding to the operation mode at the time of the instruction stored in the transmission image setting unit. The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein the image data is transmitted. The destination setting means can set a plurality of destinations for each operation mode, the imaging device,
When the transmission of the image data is instructed by the instruction means, the selection means for selecting one or more transmission destinations from the transmission destinations stored in the transmission destination setting means and corresponding to the operation mode at the time of the instruction is provided. Have more,
The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transmission control unit transmits the image data to a transmission destination selected by the selection unit. The wireless communication unit performs communication by a communication method that specifies a communication target by an identification code uniquely assigned to each device having a wireless communication function, and the transmission destination setting unit sets an identification code as a transmission destination The imaging device according to claim 1, wherein: Further comprising display means capable of displaying an image,
The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the plurality of operation modes include an imaging mode for imaging an object and a reproduction mode for reproducing and displaying image data obtained by imaging on the display unit. An imaging device according to any one of the preceding claims. A method for controlling an imaging device capable of wirelessly communicating with an external device, having an image of a subject to generate image data and having a plurality of operation modes,
A destination setting step for setting a destination corresponding to each of the plurality of operation modes, and storing the destination,
An instruction step of instructing transmission of image data;
A transmitting step of transmitting image data by wireless communication to a destination corresponding to the operation mode at the time of the instruction stored in the destination setting step in response to the image data transmission instruction in the instruction step. A control method characterized in that: Further comprising a transmission image setting step of setting information of image data to be transmitted corresponding to each of the plurality of operation modes, and storing the information;
In the transmitting step, in response to the image data transmission instruction in the instruction step, image data is transmitted based on image data information stored in the transmission image setting step and corresponding to an operation mode when instructed. The control method according to claim 6, wherein: In the destination setting step, a plurality of destinations can be set for each operation mode, the control method,
A selecting step of selecting one or more transmission destinations from the transmission destinations stored in the transmission destination setting step and corresponding to the specified operation mode in response to the image data transmission instruction in the instruction step. And
The control method according to claim 6, wherein in the transmitting step, the image data is transmitted to the destination selected in the selecting step. In the transmitting step, communication is performed by a communication method that specifies a communication target by an identification code uniquely assigned to each device having a wireless communication function, and in the destination setting step, an identification code is set as a transmission destination. The control method according to any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein The imaging device further includes a display unit capable of displaying an image,
10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the plurality of operation modes include an imaging mode in which an image of a subject is imaged, and a reproduction mode in which image data obtained by imaging on the display unit is reproduced and displayed. The control method described. A program executable by an information processing apparatus, comprising a program code for realizing the control method according to claim 6. A storage medium readable by an information processing device, storing the program according to claim 11.

Images