JP2004343328A - Camera with communication function - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera with a communication function with which a user can concentrate on photographing without being aware of insufficient storage capacity of a storage means of a camera or image data communication. <P>SOLUTION: When image data are stored in a server memory 102a independently provided on the outside of the camera from a camera memory 101a, first, a communication time required for image data communication is measured, and if the measured communication time is long, the image data in a region equivalent to a principal part in the image data are extracted and transmitted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a camera with a communication function, and more particularly to a camera with a communication function having a function of storing a large amount of captured image data.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, digital cameras that have become widespread store an image captured by a digital imaging unit as a digital image in a storage unit such as a semiconductor memory. In such a digital camera, the number of pixels of the imaging means has been increased and a high-resolution image can be captured. However, such a high-resolution image generally has a large data amount. Here, the storage means of the digital camera includes a camera built-in type and a storage means detachable from the camera. However, if a large-capacity storage means is built in the camera, the portability of the camera may be impaired. On the other hand, if the storage capacity of the storage means built into the camera is limited and the rest is supplemented by a removable storage means, the portability of the camera is not impaired, but frequent replacement of the storage means is necessary. Become.
[0003]
In view of the above, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-163873 proposes storing image data in an external storage unit provided in an external server via a communication unit. This patent document 1 solves the shortage of storage capacity of the storage means by issuing a warning to the user and prompting the transfer of the image data to the server when the image data in the storage means of the camera exceeds a predetermined capacity. It is a proposal to do so.
[0004]
However, at the time of data communication, communication is not always performed at a constant speed. That is, the communication state such as the communication speed can change depending on the place where the communication is performed, the time when the communication is performed, and the like.
[0005]
As described above, Patent Document 2 proposes that data transfer can be reliably performed even when the communication state is unstable. The proposal in Patent Document 2 divides a screen into a plurality of regions and transmits important regions with priority.
[0006]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2001-128113 A
[0007]
[Patent Document 2]
JP-A-11-146224
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, Patent Document 2 is troublesome because it is necessary for a user to specify an area to be transmitted before transmitting image data.
[0009]
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a camera with a communication function that allows a user to concentrate on photographing without being aware of a shortage of storage capacity of a storage unit of the camera or image data communication. The purpose is to:
[0010]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, a camera with a communication function according to a first aspect of the present invention includes an imaging unit that captures an image of a subject and obtains image data, and a storage that stores the image data obtained by the imaging unit. Means, transmitting means for transmitting the image data stored in the storage means to a storage unit outside the camera, and communication time detecting means for detecting a communication time prior to transmitting the image data by the transmitting means. When the communication time detected by the communication time detecting means is longer than a predetermined time, the transmitting means extracts image data corresponding to a main part region from the image data, and extracts the extracted image data. Is sent with priority.
[0011]
Further, in the camera with a communication function according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the image data corresponding to the main portion area is image data of a region determined to be a short distance or high contrast. Is at least one of the image data of the area determined to be.
[0012]
According to the first and second aspects, the camera itself automatically determines the main part area and transmits the image data in accordance with the detected communication time, so that the user has insufficient storage capacity of the storage means of the camera. Also, it is possible to concentrate on photographing without being conscious of image data communication.
[0013]
Further, a camera with a communication function according to a third aspect of the present invention includes: an imaging unit that captures an image of a subject to obtain image data; a storage unit that stores the image data obtained by the imaging unit; Transmitting means for transmitting the stored image data to a storage unit external to the camera; and a radio wave state detecting means for detecting a radio wave state around the camera prior to transmitting the image data by the transmitting means. The transmission unit changes the compression ratio of the image data according to the radio wave state detected by the radio wave state detection unit and transmits the image data.
[0014]
Further, in the camera with a communication function according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, the transmitting means detects image data of a low priority area from the image data, and detects the detected priority. And transmits the image data in a region with a low compression ratio with a high compression ratio.
[0015]
According to the third and fourth aspects, the compression ratio of an image at the time of transmission is changed in accordance with the detected radio wave condition. You can concentrate on shooting without being conscious.
[0016]
Further, a camera with a communication function according to a fifth aspect of the present invention includes: an imaging unit that captures an image of a subject to obtain image data; a storage unit that stores the image data obtained by the imaging unit; Transmitting means for transmitting the stored image data to a storage unit external to the camera; and dividing the image data into image data corresponding to a plurality of areas in a screen, and transmitting the image data of the plurality of divided areas. Priority determining means for determining the priority of the image data of the area determined to have a higher priority by the priority determining means, the image data in the storage means even after transmission by the transmitting means The image data of the area whose priority is determined to be low by the priority determining means is deleted from the storing means after being transmitted by the transmitting means.
[0017]
According to the fifth aspect, even if the transmission of the image data of the priority order fails, the image data remains in the camera, so that the transmission can be performed again.
[0018]
Further, in the camera with a communication function according to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the transmitting means transmits the image data of the area having a higher priority at the time of the transmission a plurality of times.
[0019]
According to the sixth aspect, since the image data having the higher priority is transmitted a plurality of times, the probability of successful transmission is high.
[0020]
Further, in the camera with the communication function according to the seventh aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the transmitting means may be configured to convert the image data of the area determined to have a high priority at the time of transmission with the priority having the high priority. The image data is transmitted before the image data of the area determined to be low.
[0021]
According to the seventh aspect, since the image data having the higher priority is transmitted first, the probability of successful transmission is high.
[0022]
Also, in the camera with a communication function according to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the transmitting means transmits the image data of the area having a high priority at the time of the transmission without compressing the image data.
[0023]
According to the eighth aspect, image data having a high priority is transmitted without compression, so that there is no image deterioration.
[0024]
Further, in the camera with a communication function according to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the transmitting means transmits the image data of the area having a high priority at the time of transmission, and then transmits the image data of this area. Compress and send again.
[0025]
According to the ninth aspect, since the image data having the higher priority is transmitted a plurality of times, the probability of successful transmission is high. In the second transmission, since the image data is compressed and transmitted, the communication time can be shortened.
[0026]
Further, in the camera with a communication function according to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the fifth aspect, the transmitting means transmits only image data of a main part region in the image data.
[0027]
According to the ninth aspect, only the image data of the main area is transmitted, so that the communication time can be shortened.
[0028]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0029]
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a conceptual configuration of a camera with a communication function and a communication system including the camera with a communication function according to the first embodiment of the present invention. That is, the communication system includes a camera with a communication function (hereinafter, referred to as a camera) 101, an external storage unit control server (hereinafter, referred to as a server) 102, and a communication unit (not shown) that mediates data communication therebetween. It is configured. In FIG. 1, data communication between the camera 101 and the server 102 is performed by wireless communication. That is, the image data transmitted from the camera 101 is first received by the base station 103. Then, the image data is transmitted from the base station 103 to the server 102 via the network (Internet) 105. In the exchange 104 provided between the base station 103 and the Internet 105, line switching is performed.
[0030]
The communication system of FIG. 1 is used, for example, in a form as shown in FIG. In this figure, a camera 101 can also transmit and receive data to and from a personal computer (hereinafter, referred to as a PC) 106. Thus, for example, the captured image data can be transferred to the PC 106 and can be confirmed on the monitor of the PC 106. Here, the communication between the camera 101 and the PC 106 may be a wireless method such as Bluetooth or a wired method such as USB. As shown in FIG. 1, the PC 106 can also be connected to the Internet 105 via a communication line 106c such as a telephone line. Here, reference numeral 106b in FIG. 2 indicates a power adapter of the PC 106.
[0031]
Next, the camera 101 of FIG. 1 will be described. The camera 101 is assumed to be a so-called digital camera. Although FIG. 1 illustrates the camera memory 101 a outside the camera 101, the camera memory 101 a may be built in the camera 101. Here, a small and lightweight camera memory 101a is used in order to maintain the portability of the camera. Therefore, the storage capacity of the camera memory 101a is not so large.
[0032]
Therefore, in the first embodiment, in order to save the storage capacity of the camera memory 101a, the image data stored in the camera memory 101a is stored in a storage unit outside the camera. The storage unit outside the camera is a storage unit (server memory) 102a provided in the server 102 in the first embodiment. Further, image data can be transmitted from the camera 101 to the PC 106. The storage capacity of these three types of storage units is the smallest in the camera memory 101a and the largest in the server memory 102a. However, it takes longer to transfer image data from the camera memory 101a to the server memory 102a than to transfer image data from the camera 101a to the PC memory 106a.
[0033]
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of FIG. 1 in detail. That is, a number of routers (R in FIG. ₁ ~ R ₇ ) Are provided, and these routers are connected via a communication line such as an ADSL line or an ISDN line. These routers relay data based on the destination address of data transmitted from the camera 101, the PC 106, or the like.
[0034]
In addition, connection devices 107a and 107b such as modems are provided between the base station 103 and the exchange 104 and between the PC 106 and the exchange 104.
[0035]
Here, the server computer R inside the provider 105a is transmitted from the camera 101 and the PC 106. ₀ When data is transmitted to the target server 102 via ₁ ~ R ₂ ~ R ₄ ~ R ₆ ~ R ₇ Transmission on the communication path 105b ₁ ~ R ₃ ~ R ₆ ~ R ₇ For example, when transmission is performed through the communication path 105c, a plurality of communication paths can be considered depending on the congestion state of the line. Generally, if communication is performed by selecting a communication path with a small number of pops (the number of intervening routers during communication), communication can be performed in the shortest time, but the line of the communication path is congested. In some cases, it may be better to select another communication path. Also, since various lines are used as communication lines between routers, the communication time is not constant depending on the communication path.
[0036]
When data is transmitted from the camera 101 using wireless communication, a wireless line also uses a specific frequency band divided. At this time, since the number of channels is limited, a communication connection cannot always be established immediately.
[0037]
FIG. 4 shows a conceptual diagram of data stored in the camera memory 101a. As shown by reference numeral 101b in FIG. 4, data of various sizes is stored in the camera memory 101a. For example, in the case of image data, this size differs depending on the data compression ratio, the light / dark distribution, the color distribution, the contrast distribution, and the like of the captured image. Here, in the case of transmitting large-capacity image data as indicated by reference numeral 101c and the case of transmitting small-capacity image data as indicated by reference numeral 101d, the free space after transmission is large It goes without saying that it gets bigger. In addition, if the free space becomes large, a large amount of image data or high-definition image data can be stored. However, the communication time is shorter when transmitting small-volume image data.
[0038]
Therefore, in the first embodiment, the time required for image data communication (communication time) is measured before image transmission, and if the measured communication time is short and the communication state is stable, the normal time is measured. Image data transmission is performed. In other cases, the image data is divided into a plurality of data, the divided image data is prioritized, and the image data in an area having a higher priority is transmitted with priority. As a result, even if the line is disconnected during communication, at least image data in a high priority area can be transmitted. Here, the image data of the region of higher priority is image data corresponding to the main part in the screen. The area of the main part is, for example, an area such as a short-distance area or a high-contrast area in which the probability that the main subject exists is high.
[0039]
FIGS. 5 and 6 show flowcharts of control at the time of image transmission performed by a control unit (not shown) inside the camera.
[0040]
First, the control unit determines whether the storage destination of the image data is the PC memory 106a based on a user operation, whether a cable is connected, or the like (step S1). If it is determined in step S1 that the storage destination of the image data is the PC memory 106a, the control unit determines which of the image data stored in the camera memory 101a is permitted to be transmitted by the user. Is transmitted to the PC 106 (step S2). In this case, the image data is not divided.
[0041]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1 that the storage destination of the image data is not the PC memory 106a, the control unit transmits a search signal to the server 102 to measure the communication time (step S3), and simultaneously, The internal counter (not shown) starts counting (step S4).
[0042]
Next, the control unit determines whether a response signal has been received from the server 102 (Step S5). If it is determined in step S5 that the response signal has not been received, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed based on the count of the timer (step S6). If it is determined in step S6 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the communication line is considerably congested, and it is expected that it will take a considerable time to transmit image data. Therefore, in such a case, the control of this flowchart ends without transmitting the image data. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S6 that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S5 and waits for a response signal.
[0043]
If it is determined in step S5 that the response signal has been received, the control unit determines whether the counter value T at that time has been received. _A Is temporarily stored in a not-shown RAM or the like inside the camera as a communication time (step S7). Thereafter, the value of the counter is reset to zero (step S8). Then, the control unit transmits the search signal to the server 102 again (Step S9), and starts counting by the counter again (Step S10). Next, the control unit determines whether a response signal has been received from the server 102 (Step S11). When it is determined in step S11 that no response signal has been received, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S12). If it is determined in step S12 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the control of this flowchart ends without transmitting the image data. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S11 and waits for a response signal.
[0044]
If it is determined in step S11 that the response signal has been received, the control unit determines whether the counter value T at that time has been received. _B Is temporarily stored in a RAM or the like as a communication time (step S13). Next, the control unit compares the two communication times stored in the RAM, selects the longer one, and uses the longer communication time as the time determination value T. _C (Step S14). The reason for using the longer communication time as the determination value is to increase the probability of successful communication. Time judgment value T _C Is determined, this time determination value T _C Is a predetermined time T _C0 It is determined whether or not it is longer than (step S15).
[0045]
In the determination in step S15, the time determination value T _C Is a predetermined time T _C0 If it is determined that the time is shorter than _A And T _B T _A And T _B It is determined whether or not the difference is large (step S16). In the determination in step S16, T _A And T _B Is not large, that is, when it is determined that there is almost no change between the two measurements of the communication time and the communication state is stable, the control unit does not divide the large-capacity image data. It transmits (step S17).
[0046]
After starting the transmission of the image, the control unit determines whether the transmission of the image data has been completed (Step S18). If it is determined in step S18 that the transmission has not been completed, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S19). If it is determined in step S19 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the flow shifts to step S27 to interrupt the transmission of the image data.
[0047]
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S18 that the transmission of the image data has been completed, the control unit deletes the image data whose transmission has been completed from the camera memory 101a (step S20). In this case, it is preferable to store in the camera memory 101a that the destination of the image data is the server 102. Further, before erasing the image data in step S20, the user may be notified by a confirmation dialog display or the like.
[0048]
In the determination in step S15, the time determination value T _C Is a predetermined time T _C0 If it is determined that the length is longer than _A And T _B If it is determined that the difference is large, as shown in FIG. 7, the image data is divided into image data corresponding to a plurality of regions (step S21), and the transmission of the image data corresponding to each region is performed. Determine priorities. Here, the image data of the high priority area is, for example, image data of a short-distance area where a main subject is likely to be present, or image data of a high contrast area. After determining the priority, the control unit transmits the image data of the region with the higher priority first (step S22).
[0049]
After transmitting the image data in the high priority area, the low priority area is transmitted (step S23). After that, the image data of the high priority area is transmitted again (step S24). This is for surely transmitting image data in a high priority area.
[0050]
Here, with reference to FIGS. 8A to 8C, transmission of the image data after the priority order is determined will be further described. Here, the area of the main part in the screen is assumed to be an area where the person 20 exists.
[0051]
Various image data transmission methods are conceivable. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A, when transmission is sequentially performed from the upper left of the screen, if the line is disconnected during transmission, It is conceivable that the image data of the area where 20 exists cannot be transmitted. Therefore, in the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8B, first, the area 31 where the person exists is transmitted, and then the other areas 32 and 33 are transmitted. This makes it possible to reliably transmit the image data in the area of the main part in a good communication state, and to reduce damage even if the line is disconnected halfway. Of course, the number of divisions may be increased as shown in FIG.
[0052]
Here, the description returns to the flowchart again. After step S24, the control unit determines whether the transmission of the image data has been completed (step S25). If it is determined in step S25 that the transmission has not been completed, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S26). If it is determined in step S26 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the transmission of the image data is interrupted (step S27).
[0053]
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S26 that the transmission of the image data has been completed, the control unit deletes the image data of the low priority area in the image data of which transmission has been completed from the camera memory 101a ( Step S28). As described above, if the image data in the high-priority area is not erased, the image data in the high-priority area can be protected even if the line is disconnected due to an unexpected failure during image data transmission.
[0054]
As described above, according to the first embodiment, when image data is not transmitted to a personal PC via wired communication, the image data to be transmitted is divided into image data corresponding to a plurality of areas, and Since the transmission is performed with the priority determined for the area, optimal image data transmission can always be performed, and in particular, the image data of the main area can be reliably stored in the storage unit outside the camera. Thus, it is possible to always provide a space in the storage unit of the camera, and it is possible to provide a camera that does not always miss a photo opportunity.
[0055]
[Second embodiment]
A second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 9A illustrates a scene in which the user 21 is photographing the subject 20 at a travel destination or the like as an example of using the camera with a communication function according to the second embodiment. In FIG. 9A, the user 21 determines a composition while looking at the display unit 8 of the camera 101, and waits for a photo opportunity. The camera 101 shown in FIG. 9A is assumed to be a camera having a call function, and has a microphone 12 below the camera and a speaker 14 above the camera. Note that the camera 101 does not need to have a call function.
[0056]
That is, the voice of the user 21 is converted into an electric signal through the microphone 12 at the time of a telephone call as shown in FIG. On the other hand, when receiving a radio wave, the radio wave received via the antenna 11 is converted into an audio signal and can be heard as audio via the speaker 14.
[0057]
Further, the photographing lens 2 of the camera 101 is arranged on the back side of the display unit 8 as shown in FIG. 9C, for example.
[0058]
It is important for the camera 101 having such a calling function and a camera function to be compact and lightweight. For this reason, the camera 101 does not use a large-sized battery and does not use a large-sized and large-capacity storage unit for storing captured image data. Instead, in the second embodiment, the data of the captured image is not always stored in a storage unit (not shown) in the camera, but is stored in an external storage unit, that is, the server memory of FIG. The image data is transferred to the server memory 102a and the PC memory 106a, and the image data is stored in the server memory 102a and the PC memory 106a.
[0059]
What is important when transferring the image data to the external storage unit in this way is whether or not the image data is correctly transferred. In particular, when wireless communication as shown in FIG. 9A is assumed, the user 21 can move, and the image transfer is not always performed in a good communication state. If it takes a long time to transfer the image data, the call may be hindered and the telephone may not be connected in an important situation. Generally, when transferring a moving image, a bit rate of 64 kilobits / second or more is required, but the current mobile communication has a bit rate of less than half of that. In recent years, megapixels have also been adopted in still image shooting. For example, in a camera having 1 million pixels, when an image having 8-bit gradation data is transmitted at a bit rate of mobile communication, even if the data is transmitted at a bit rate of mobile communication, for example, Even if it is compressed, it takes time in minutes. If no other communication can be performed during this time, the camera 101 cannot serve as a telephone. During this time, it is also difficult to always maintain good communication. If the communication is poor during the call, the conversation is only interrupted, but if the communication is poor during the transfer of the image data, the data may be damaged.
[0060]
Therefore, in the second embodiment, when transferring image data, the data is divided to reduce the communication time required for one communication, and the divided image data is transmitted with a priority.
[0061]
FIG. 10 is a configuration diagram of a camera with a communication function according to the second embodiment of the present invention and a communication system including the camera with the communication function. Note that the same reference numerals are used for the configurations also illustrated in FIG. That is, this communication system includes the camera 101, the base station 103, the PC 106, and the indoor stationary terminal 108, which are the direct communication destinations of the camera 101, the connection device 107a, the exchange 104, the control device 109, and the inside of the provider. (Hereinafter, referred to as a provider) 105a, the Internet 105, and a server 102.
[0062]
First, the configuration and operation of the camera 101 will be described. That is, the camera 101 includes a control unit 1, a photographing lens 2, a lens driving unit 3, a distance measuring unit 4, an image sensor 5, an analog / digital (A / D) conversion unit 6, a digital signal processing Unit 7, camera memory 101a, display unit 8, data division unit 9, modulation / demodulation unit 10, communication unit 11, audio input unit (microphone) 12, digital / analog (D / A) conversion It comprises a unit 13, an audio output unit (speaker) 14, and an operation unit 15.
[0063]
The control unit 1 is composed of, for example, a microcomputer or the like, and controls each operation of the camera 101. An operation unit 15 is connected to the control unit 1, and the control unit 1 determines the ON / OFF state of each switch of the operation unit 15 according to a user operation, and performs control corresponding to the determined operation of the switch. I do. The control unit 1 communicates with the base station 103 and the indoor stationary terminal 108 via the communication unit 11 to determine a communication state.
[0064]
The taking lens 2 is composed of at least one lens. The control unit 1 controls the driving of the lens driving unit 3 to control the focusing of the photographing lens 2. The lens driving unit 3 includes a lens driving mechanism (not shown), a lens position detecting circuit, and the like. At the time of such focusing control of the photographing lens 2, the distance to the subject 20 is detected by the distance measuring unit 4. The distance measuring unit 4 will be described with reference to FIGS. 11 (a) to 11 (c).
[0065]
FIG. 11A is a diagram illustrating a detailed configuration of the distance measuring unit 4. That is, the distance measuring unit 4 includes a pair of light receiving lenses 41a and 41b, a pair of sensor arrays 42a and 42b, and an A / D converter (not shown) that receives outputs from the sensor arrays 42a and 42b.
[0066]
The light receiving lenses 41a and 41b guide the image of the subject 20 to the sensor arrays 42a and 42b, respectively. At this time, assuming that the distance between the principal points of the light receiving lenses 41a and 41b is B and the distance between the light receiving lenses 41a and 41b and the sensor arrays 42a and 42b is f, the image of the subject 20 located at a distance L is Based on the parallax of the light receiving lenses 41a and 41b, an image is formed with a relative position difference of x based on the optical axis of each light receiving lens. The relationship at this time is
x = B · f / L
It can be expressed as a principle formula of triangulation. Further, if an image formed at a position shifted by θ from the optical axis of the light receiving lens 41a is used, the distance of a subject existing at a position shifted from the optical axis of the light receiving lens 41a can also be obtained.
[0067]
Also, as shown in FIG. 11B, by arranging the sensor arrays side by side in the vertical direction in the drawing, the distance measuring unit 4 can provide a plurality of distance measuring areas (distance measuring areas 43 to 45) in the vertical direction in the drawing. If the distance measuring areas 43 to 45 are used, a plurality of areas in the screen can be measured as shown in FIG. Further, this area can be directly associated with the area in FIG.
[0068]
The control unit 1 controls the driving of the lens driving unit 3 based on the subject distance detected by the distance measuring unit 4 in this manner. As a result, an image of the subject 20 in focus is formed on the image sensor 5.
[0069]
The image pickup device 5 includes an image pickup device such as a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor and an image pickup circuit (not shown) that drives the image pickup device. The image pickup device 5 converts an image of the formed subject 20 into an electric signal (image signal). I do. After that, the image signal is subjected to analog processing such as noise removal in the image pickup circuit, and then output to the A / D converter 6 in the next stage. The A / D converter 6 converts the image signal input from the image sensor 5 into a digital signal and outputs the digital signal to the digital signal processor 7. The digital signal processing unit 7 is controlled by the control unit 1 to perform image processing such as gamma conversion processing, color balance adjustment, and edge enhancement processing on the input digital image signal to adjust the image output, and to perform predetermined image processing. After digital processing such as digital compression processing using an encoding format is performed, the data is recorded in a camera memory 101a including a built-in semiconductor memory or a detachable semiconductor memory.
[0070]
In addition, the control unit 1 displays the image signal processed by the digital signal processing unit 7 on a display unit 8 including, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD).
[0071]
In the second embodiment, the camera memory 101a has a small size and a small capacity because of the portability required for the camera. Therefore, the camera 101 transfers the image data stored in the camera memory 101a to the server memory 102a, and stores the image data in the server memory 102a. At this time, if all the image data is transferred by one communication, the above-described problem occurs. In the second embodiment, first, the image data stored in the camera memory 101a is first divided by the data dividing unit. At 9, the packet is divided into packets, and the packets are modulated at the modulation / demodulation unit 10 and transmitted as radio waves via the communication unit 11. Conversely, when radio waves are received via the communication unit 11, the modulation / demodulation unit 10 extracts the packet, and then the digital signal processing unit 7 restores the image data.
[0072]
Here, the packet is data obtained by dividing original data into a plurality of pieces and adding header information indicating destination information and source information. When such a packet is communicated, the packet is transmitted to the same location according to the destination information written in the header portion. On the receiving side, the data of the transmitted packets are combined, and the original image data is restored. At the end of the packet to be transmitted, information indicating how and how the original divided data was divided is sent, so that if the packets are arranged in any order, the original data can be restored. Can be determined.
[0073]
When the camera 101 is used as a telephone, the sound input by the user is converted into an electric signal by the sound input unit (microphone) 12 and then converted into a digital signal by the A / D conversion unit 6. The audio signal thus converted into a digital signal is compressed in a predetermined encoding format in the digital signal processing unit 7, and then divided into packets in the data division unit 9 as described above. This packet is modulated by the modulation / demodulation unit 10 and then transmitted from the communication unit 11 as a radio wave. Conversely, when a radio wave is received via the communication unit 11, the modulation / demodulation unit 10 extracts the packet and then restores the audio data in the digital signal processing unit 7. Thereafter, the audio data is converted into an analog audio signal by the D / A converter 13 and reproduced as audio via the audio output unit (speaker) 14.
[0074]
Next, the operation of the system after the image data is transmitted from the communication unit 11 will be described.
[0075]
The data transmitted from the communication unit 11 in FIG. 10 is received by the base station 103, the PC 106, or the indoor stationary telephone (indoor stationary terminal) 108 generally called a master unit. The indoor stationary terminal 108 is connected to the exchange 104 via a dedicated line, and this exchange 104 is controlled by the control device 109 to switch the line.
[0076]
On the other hand, the base station 103 is connected to the connection device 107a via a line such as ISDN, for example, and further connected to the exchange 104 via the connection device 107a.
[0077]
The control device 109 controls the exchange 104. The control device 109 periodically communicates with the camera 101 via the base station 103 in order to know the position of the user, and registers and updates the position information of the camera 101. By controlling the exchange 104 based on the registered position information, the control device 109 can grasp the position of the camera 101 even if the user moves, and can correctly control the line switching.
[0078]
The exchange 104 can be connected to the Internet 105 via a provider 105a. From the Internet 105, the server 102 can be accessed.
[0079]
The main computer of the server 102 restores the original image data by extracting and combining the data portions from all the transmitted packets, and restores the restored image data according to the source information written in the header portion of the packet. It is stored in the server memory 102a.
[0080]
The data transferred from the camera 101 via the exchange 104 is stored in advance in a storage unit outside the camera managed by a provider or a server desired by the user according to the destination information written in the header. .
[0081]
Further, another service can be received from the server 102. For example, the album creating unit 102b can request to create an electronic album based on the transmitted image data. In the photo printing unit 102c, the transmitted image is printed out as a photo, and the user 21 can request that the photo be delivered. In addition, the mail attachment distribution unit 102d can transmit an electronic mail with an image file attached to a personal computer or the like owned by the sender, for example.
[0082]
Next, control of the control unit 1 in the camera with a communication function according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. It is assumed that the camera has a photographing mode for photographing an image and a telephone mode for talking. First, control in the shooting mode will be described with reference to FIG.
[0083]
In this shooting mode, the control unit 1 measures the subject distance using the distance measuring unit 4 (step S51). Next, the control unit 1 controls the lens driving unit 3 based on the measurement result of the subject distance to focus the photographing lens 2 (step S52). Thereafter, exposure control is performed (step S53).
[0084]
Next, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the capacity of the captured image data is larger than a predetermined capacity (step S54), and when it is determined that the capacity is larger than the predetermined capacity, the capacity of the image data is larger. Is added (step S55). The control in steps S54 and S55 is for detecting large-capacity image data that is difficult to transmit in a short time before transmitting the image data. Of course, this detection may be performed at a timing immediately before transmitting the image data.
[0085]
Then, after the photographed image data is stored in the camera memory 101a (step S56), the control of the photographing mode is ended. On the other hand, if it is determined that the capacity of the captured image data is smaller than the predetermined capacity, the captured image is stored in the camera memory 101a without adding information indicating that the capacity is large to the image data. The control of the photographing mode ends.
[0086]
Next, control in the telephone mode will be described with reference to FIGS. In the telephone mode, the control unit 1 determines whether a call is currently being made or a call start operation has been performed (step S61). This determination is made periodically during the subsequent processing.
[0087]
If it is determined in step S61 that no call is currently being made, the control unit 1 communicates with the base station 103, the PC 106, and the indoor stationary terminal 108 to detect the current communication state (step S61). S62). This is an operation of transmitting a signal from the camera 101 to the base station 103, the PC 106, and the indoor stationary terminal 108, and receiving a response signal. Thus, even when the camera 101 receives data from the outside, the line is connected via the base station closest to the camera 101, and the data can be received.
[0088]
When the indoor stationary terminal 108 receives a signal from the camera 101, the indoor terminal 108 transmits a signal notifying that the signal has been received to the camera 101. The camera 101 determines from the content of the received signal whether or not the indoor stationary terminal 108 is nearby (step S63). In the determination of step S63, when it is determined that the indoor stationary terminal 108 is present nearby, the control unit 1 splits the image data stored in the camera memory 101a into indoor packets without dividing the image data into packets. The data is transmitted to the type terminal 108 (step S64), and after the transmission is completed, the process proceeds to step S82. That is, the indoor stationary terminal 108 generally has a short communicable distance. Therefore, when the indoor stationary terminal 108 can communicate with the indoor stationary terminal 108, the user 21 is located near the indoor stationary terminal 108 as shown in FIG. It is considered that communication will not be interrupted on the way. In such a situation where stable communication can be performed, image data is transmitted by continuous communication without being divided into packets. The image data transmitted to the indoor stationary terminal 108 in this manner is stored in the server memory 102a in the server 102 via the Internet 105. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S63 that the indoor stationary terminal 108 is not nearby, basically, continuous data transmission is not performed.
[0089]
If it is determined in step S61 that the call is in progress or that a call is started, the control unit 1 transmits a search signal to the server 102 (step S65), and simultaneously starts counting of an internal counter (step S66). Next, the control unit 1 determines whether a response signal has been received from the server 102 (Step S67). If it is determined in step S67 that no response signal has been received, the process returns to step S61.
[0090]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S67 that the response signal has been received, the value T of the counter at that time is temporarily stored as a time determination value in a RAM or the like built in the control unit 1 (step S68). Next, the time determination value T is set to a predetermined time T ₀ It is determined whether or not it is shorter than (step S69).
[0091]
In the determination of step S69, the time determination value T is equal to the predetermined ₀ When it is determined that the data length is shorter than the predetermined length, the control unit 1 selects data having a larger capacity than the predetermined data amount among the image data stored in the camera memory 101a (step S70). On the other hand, in the determination in step S69, the time determination value T is equal to the predetermined time T. ₀ When it is determined that the above is the case, the control unit 1 selects data having a smaller capacity than the predetermined data amount among the image data stored in the camera memory 101a (step S71). That is, the image data selected here is transmitted at the time of the subsequent image transmission.
[0092]
Next, the control unit 1 detects the communication state (Step S72), and determines whether or not the current communication state is good (Step S73). If it is determined in step S73 that the communication state is good, the control unit 1 causes the display unit 8 to display a character display or the like indicating that the communication state is good (step S74). Then, a standby state for operations such as input of a telephone number, input of a mail address, input of a mail text, and the like are made (step S75). In this operation standby state, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the line is being connected (step S76). When it is determined in step S76 that the line is not connected, the control unit 1 determines whether the communication state is good for a predetermined time (step S77). For example, at the time of inputting an e-mail message, communication is not performed for a predetermined time, and the camera simply functions as an input device. If the communication state is good for a predetermined time during this time, the process proceeds to step S79. That is, in this case, it is determined that the moving speed of the user is low and the possibility of communication interruption is small, and the image data is transmitted. However, if data is transmitted for a long time during a call, the connection to the line may be affected, or the user may suddenly move to a place where radio waves cannot reach. Send.
[0093]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S76 that the line is being connected, it is unlikely that the user will dare go to a place with a poor communication state, so that the image data is transmitted by packet communication in this case as well. That is, when it is determined in step S76 that the line is being connected, it is determined whether data is currently being received (step S78). Here, "during reception of data" means the timing at which the other party of the telephone is talking. If it is determined in step S78 that data is not being received, the process returns to step S75.
[0094]
That is, if it is determined in step S77 that the communication state is good for a predetermined time or if it is determined in step S78 that data is being received, the control unit 1 divides the image data into packets. It transmits to base station 103 (step S79). Next, the control unit 1 determines whether the transmission of the image data has been completed (step S80). If it is determined that the transmission of the image data has been completed, the process proceeds to step S82. On the other hand, if it is determined that the transmission of the image data has not been completed, the process proceeds to step S75.
[0095]
If it is determined in step S73 that the communication state is poor, the control unit 1 issues a warning to the user (step S81) and ends the control of this flowchart.
[0096]
After the transmission of the image data is completed, the control unit 1 determines whether or not a notification of the completion of the image data storage has been received from the server 102 (step S82). If it is determined in step S82 that the notification of the completion of the storage of the image data has not been received, for example, it is determined that there is a request for the missing packet from the server 102, the process proceeds to step S61. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S82 that the notification of the completion of the storage of the image data is received from the server 102, the control unit 1 displays the fact on the display unit 8 (step S83). Note that this display need not be performed during a call or the like. Next, the control unit 1 determines whether or not the user has performed an erasing operation of the image data (step S84). When it is determined that the erasing operation has been performed, the control unit 1 determines whether the image transmission has been completed. The data is erased (step S85). Thereafter, the control of this flowchart ends.
[0097]
FIGS. 15A and 15B show a detailed control procedure for transmitting packet data in step S79 of this flowchart. Here, FIG. 15A is a flowchart relating to normal image data transmission, and FIG. 15B is a flowchart relating to emergency image data transmission.
[0098]
First, referring to FIG. 15A, in this flowchart, the control unit 1 first divides image data into image data corresponding to a plurality of regions as shown in FIG. 7 (step S91), and Of the image data at the time of transmission (step S92). After the priority order is determined, the image data in the low priority area is compressed (step S93). If the image data is compressed in this manner, the communication time can be reduced.
[0099]
Thereafter, the control unit 1 transmits the image data of the area having the higher priority (Step S94). Note that the transmission of the image data of the region having the higher priority may be performed before step S93. After transmitting the image with the higher priority, the control unit 1 transmits the image with the lower priority (step S95). Next, the image data in the area with the highest priority is compressed (step S96) and transmitted (step S97). Since the image data in the high-priority area is stored in two places, the camera memory 101a and the server memory 102a, even if any data is damaged due to communication disturbance or other factors, Restoration can also be performed using the other image data.
[0100]
Next, an emergency image data transmission will be described with reference to FIG. In this case, the control unit 1 determines whether the selected (step S101) image data needs to be transmitted urgently (step S102). In this determination, if it is determined that the image data needs to be transmitted urgently, the processing corresponding to steps S93 to S95 in FIG. 15A is skipped, and the image in the high priority area is compressed. It transmits (step S103). In other words, when an urgent situation is required, the image quality has deteriorated, and we want to end the transmission as soon as possible. Therefore, only the image data of the main part area is extracted, and the part is further compressed to minimize the communication time. shorten.
[0101]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that image data need not be transmitted urgently, the control unit performs normal transmission according to the procedure of FIG. 15A (step S104).
[0102]
As described above, according to the second embodiment, it is possible to determine whether to prioritize the communication time or the image quality, and to perform optimal image data transmission according to the determination.
[0103]
[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The third embodiment is an example in which image data is divided and transmitted according to the radio wave state around the camera, not the length of communication time. Regarding the configuration, any of the first and second embodiments can be used.
[0104]
In FIG. 16, first, the control unit determines whether the storage destination of the image data is the PC memory 106a based on a user operation, whether a cable is connected, or the like (step S111). If it is determined in step S111 that the storage destination of the image data is the PC memory 106a, the control unit determines, among the image data stored in the camera memory 101a, the image data of which transmission is permitted by the user. Is transmitted to the PC 106 (step S112).
[0105]
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S112 that the storage destination of the image data is not the PC memory 106a, the control unit communicates with the base station and determines whether or not the base station is close based on the strength of the radio wave at this time. Is determined (step S113). As a result of the determination in step S113, when it is determined that the received radio wave is weak, that is, the base station is far, the control unit divides the image data (step S114). Then, it is determined whether the base station is farther than a predetermined distance (step S115). If it is determined in step S115 that the base station is not farther than the predetermined distance, only the image data in the low priority area is compressed (step S116). On the other hand, when it is determined that the base station is farther than the predetermined distance, the image data of the entire area is compressed (step S117). The reason for switching the compression method according to the distance to the base station is to shorten the communication time as much as possible and to surely transmit the image data. Thereafter, the image data of the high priority area is transmitted (step S118).
[0106]
After starting the transmission of the image, the control unit determines whether the transmission of the image data has been completed (step S119). If it is determined in step S119 that the transmission has not been completed, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S120). If it is determined in step S120 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the flow shifts to step S128 to interrupt the transmission of the image data. On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S118.
[0107]
On the other hand, when it is determined in step S119 that the transmission of the image data has been completed, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S121). If it is determined in step S121 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the transmission of the image data in the region with the higher priority has already been completed, and the process proceeds to step S128 to interrupt the transmission of the image data. On the other hand, when it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the transmission of the image data of the area with the lower priority is started (step S122). Thereafter, the control unit determines whether the transmission of the image data has been completed (Step S123). If it is determined in step S123 that the transmission has not been completed, the process returns to step S121. On the other hand, when determining that the transmission of the image data has been completed, the control unit deletes the image data whose transmission has been completed from the camera memory 101a (step S124).
[0108]
Further, as a result of the determination in step S113, when it is determined that the received radio wave is strong, that is, the base station is close, the control unit transmits the image data without dividing (step S125). After starting the transmission of the image, the control unit determines whether the transmission of the image data has been completed (Step S126). If it is determined in step S126 that the transmission has not been completed, the control unit determines whether a predetermined time has elapsed (step S127). If it is determined in step S127 that the predetermined time has elapsed, the transmission of the image data is interrupted (step S128). On the other hand, if it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S125.
[0109]
If it is determined in step S126 that the transmission has been completed, the process proceeds to step S124 to delete the image data.
[0110]
Next, a procedure for determining the priority of transmission of the divided areas will be described with reference to FIG. The determination of the priority order is performed at the time of image capturing. After capturing the image, the control unit determines whether or not the currently determined area is an area having no contrast (step S141). If it is determined in step S141 that the region is a region having no contrast, the control unit determines that the subject distance L in the region is a predetermined distance L ₀ It is determined whether or not it is farther (step S142). As a result of this determination, the subject distance L becomes the predetermined distance L ₀ When it is determined that the area is farther than the area, the control unit determines that the priority of the area is low (step 143).
[0111]
On the other hand, in the determination in step S142, when it is determined that the area has a contrast, or when the ₀ If it is determined that the area is closer, the control unit determines that the priority of the area is higher (step 144).
[0112]
Here, for simplicity, one predetermined value L ₀ Since only the threshold value is used, a binary determination of high / low priority is made. It is needless to say that two or more ranks can be determined by providing a plurality of thresholds for the magnitude of the contrast and the subject distance.
[0113]
After determining the priority order of the areas, the control unit determines whether the determination has been completed for all areas (step S145). In this determination, if it is determined that the determination has not been completed for all areas, another area is selected (step S146), and the process returns to step S141.
[0114]
The transmission of the image data after the priorities are determined in this way will be described with reference to FIG. Here, an example in which the transmission is performed by determining the level of the priority order will be described.
[0115]
That is, for the area divided as shown in FIG. 7, the control unit first determines whether the priority of the area 43L (upper left area) is high (step S151). If it is determined in step S151 that the priority of the area 43L is low, the area 43L is added to the "remaining area" to be transmitted at the end (step S152). On the other hand, when it is determined that the priority of the area 43L is high, the transmission is performed (step S153).
[0116]
Thereafter, the same processing is performed for all areas (steps S154 to S168). After the transmission is performed for each area in this manner, the image data of the remaining area is finally transmitted (step S169). Since the image data in the remaining area has low priority, even if the communication fails, the damage is not so large.
[0117]
The image data transmitted in this manner is restored by the server 102. FIG. 19 shows the control at this time. Prior to this, it is assumed that the image data to be divided and transmitted has stored therein positional information indicating to which area the image data corresponds.
[0118]
That is, the server 102 determines whether or not the image data has been received (step S171), and when determining that the image data has been received, detects the position information stored in the image data (step S172). ). Thereafter, the control unit rearranges the image data according to the detected position information (step S173). In the third embodiment, since image data of an area that is not transmitted from the camera 101 may exist, for such an area, for example, all data may be set to “0”.
[0119]
After rearranging the image data, the control unit determines whether or not a signal notifying that the transmission has been completed has been received from the camera side (step S174). If the result of this determination is that a transmission end signal has not been received, processing returns to step S171. On the other hand, when determining that the transmission end signal has been received, the control unit stores the restored image data in the server memory 102a (step S175), and ends the control of this flowchart.
[0120]
Although the present invention has been described based on the above embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and it is needless to say that various modifications and applications can be made within the scope of the present invention.
[0121]
For example, in the above-described embodiment, a high priority area is defined as a high contrast area or a short distance area.For example, as the area is closer to the center area of the screen, the transmission priority is increased, The order may be changed according to the brightness. Further, the number of divided areas is not limited to the above embodiment.
[0122]
Furthermore, the embodiments described above include inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted by appropriately combining a plurality of disclosed constituent features. For example, even if some components are deleted from all the components shown in the embodiments, the problems described in the column of the problem to be solved by the invention can be solved and the effects described in the column of the effect of the invention can be solved. When the effect is obtained, a configuration from which this configuration requirement is deleted can be extracted as an invention.
[0123]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a camera with a communication function that allows a user to concentrate on photographing without being aware of a shortage of storage capacity of a storage unit of the camera or image data communication.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a conceptual configuration of a communication system including a camera with a communication function according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram for describing a usage mode of the camera with a communication function according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a detailed configuration diagram of a communication system.
FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of data stored in a camera memory.
FIG. 5 is a first half of a flowchart illustrating control on the camera side when transmitting an image in the communication system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a second half of a flowchart illustrating control on the camera side when transmitting an image of the camera with a communication function according to the first embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a diagram for describing division of an image area.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating transmission of image data according to priority.
FIG. 9 is a diagram for describing a usage pattern of a camera with a communication function according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a conceptual configuration of a communication system including a camera with a communication function according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a distance measuring device.
FIG. 12 is a flowchart illustrating control in a shooting mode of a camera with a communication function according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 13 is a first half of a flowchart showing control in a telephone mode of the camera with a communication function according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 14 is a latter half of a flowchart showing control in a telephone mode of the camera with a communication function according to the second embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 15 is a flowchart illustrating control when transmitting image data according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 16 is a flowchart illustrating control of image transmission by a camera with a communication function according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing control at the time of determining a priority order.
FIG. 18 is a flowchart illustrating control when determining an image data transmission order.
FIG. 19 is a flowchart illustrating control performed when the image data is restored in the server.
[Description of Signs] 1 ... control unit, 2 ... photographing lens, 3 ... lens drive unit, 4 ... distance measuring unit, 5 ... image sensor, 6 ... analog / digital (A / D) conversion unit, 7 ... digital signal processing Unit, 8 display unit, 9 data division unit, 10 modulation / demodulation unit, 11 communication unit, 12 audio input unit, 13 digital / analog (D / A) conversion unit, 14 audio output unit, Reference numeral 15: operation unit, 100: camera with communication function (camera), 101a: camera memory, 102: external storage unit control server (server), 102a: server memory, 102b: album creation unit, 102c: photo printing unit, 102d ... Mail attachment distribution unit, 103 base station, 104 exchange, 105 internet, 105a provider, 106 personal computer (PC), 106a PC memory, 107a, 107b Connection device, 108 ... indoor stationary terminal, 109 ... control device

Claims (10)

Imaging means for imaging a subject to obtain image data;
Storage means for storing the image data obtained by the imaging means,
Transmitting means for transmitting the image data stored in the storage means to a storage unit external to the camera;
Communication time detection means for detecting communication time prior to transmitting image data by the transmission means,
With
When the communication time detected by the communication time detecting means is longer than a predetermined time, the transmitting means extracts image data corresponding to the main part area from the image data, and gives priority to the extracted image data. A camera with a communication function, characterized in that transmission is performed in a targeted manner. The image data corresponding to the main portion area is image data of at least one of image data of an area determined to be a short distance and image data of an area determined to have a high contrast. The camera with a communication function according to claim 1. Imaging means for imaging a subject to obtain image data;
Storage means for storing the image data obtained by the imaging means,
Transmitting means for transmitting the image data stored in the storage means to a storage unit external to the camera;
A radio wave state detecting unit for detecting a radio wave state around the camera before transmitting the image data by the transmitting unit,
With
A camera with a communication function, wherein the transmitting means transmits the image data by changing a compression ratio of the image data according to the radio wave state detected by the radio wave state detecting means. The transmission means detects image data of a low-priority area from the image data, and transmits the image data of the detected low-priority area at a high compression rate. 4. The camera with a communication function according to 3. Imaging means for imaging a subject to obtain image data;
Storage means for storing the image data obtained by the imaging means,
Transmitting means for transmitting the image data stored in the storage means to a storage unit external to the camera;
Priority order determining means for dividing the image data into image data corresponding to a plurality of regions in the screen, and determining a priority when transmitting the image data of the plurality of divided regions;
With
The image data of the area determined to have a high priority by the priority determination means is stored in the storage means even after transmission by the transmission means, and is determined to be low by the priority determination means. A camera with a communication function, wherein the image data of the determined area is deleted from the storage unit after being transmitted by the transmission unit. 6. The camera with a communication function according to claim 5, wherein the transmission unit transmits the image data of the area having a higher priority at the time of the transmission a plurality of times. 6. The image processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the image data of the area determined to have a higher priority at the time of transmission before the image data of the area determined to have a lower priority. Camera with communication function as described. The camera with a communication function according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the image data in the area having a high priority at the time of the transmission without compressing the image data. 6. The camera with a communication function according to claim 5, wherein the transmitting unit transmits image data in an area having a higher priority at the time of transmission, and then compresses and transmits the image data in the area again. The camera with a communication function according to claim 5, wherein the transmission unit transmits only image data of a main part area in the image data.

Images