JP3173454B2 - Digital camera, digital camera application and its recording medium - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera, and more particularly to a digital camera connected to a computer to exchange data.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a digital camera is an input device that converts an analog signal output from a CCD into a digital signal and records a still image in a memory inside the camera or an external storage medium such as a floppy disk or a PC card. is there. The image data recorded on the storage medium is transferred to a host computer, a printer, a television, or the like via various interface cables when the recording medium cannot be removed, such as a memory inside the camera. If the external storage medium is removable, the storage medium is removed and transferred to a host computer or the like directly or through an interface.

Conventionally, in order to use an image photographed by an ordinary camera on a computer, a negative or the like is created from a photographed film, and the negative is printed on photographic paper. Digitalization is carried out by scanning paper or requesting a specialized photo studio to create a photo CD. On the other hand, the digital camera is characterized in that it is easy to use the image shot as described above on a computer. For this reason,
Most users of digital cameras prepare digital camera applications for computers in order to use captured images in the computers or to perform settings and remote control for the digital cameras. For example, JP-A-7-2408
Reference 71 describes a portable electronic camera that gives arbitrary parameters set from a computer.

[0004]

However, the application provided in the computer is not associated with a digital camera. That is, the application can be launched regardless of whether the digital camera is connected to a computer. For this reason, settings may be made without noticing that the digital camera is not connected, and a situation may occur in which the user is not connected for the first time when trying to download the digital camera. It is only necessary to be able to connect in this state, but if connection is not possible, the settings made by the application will be wasted. Also, since the application is not associated with a digital camera, a user unfamiliar with the computer on which the application is
When trying to start an application, there is also a problem that the user may be wondering which application to start.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a digital camera having good compatibility with a computer and an application of the digital camera.

[0006]

According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera for exchanging data by connecting to a computer. and outputting means for sending the information of the file according to read out the computer, and means for activating the digital camera executable on demand computer, the computer <br/> over data by the activation of the executable file Means for activating the application. According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the first aspect, the digital camera is a digital camera having a unit for importing settings of a computer application. According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a digital camera application executing method for exchanging data by connecting to a computer, comprising the steps of: reading a file of the digital camera by the computer; The procedure for starting the executable file and the execution
Activating a computer application from the digital camera by activating the file .

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the third aspect, the digital camera application execution method includes a step of writing a setting by a computer application to the digital camera, or The present invention is a digital camera application execution method including a procedure of executing a remote control of a digital camera from a computer. Further, among the present invention, the invention according to claim 5 includes a step of reading a file of the digital camera by a computer, a step of starting an execution file of the digital camera from the computer, and a step of starting the execution file of the digital camera from the digital camera. It is a computer-readable recording medium on which a program for causing a computer to execute an application starting procedure is recorded. According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in addition to the fifth aspect, a computer readable recording medium storing the program writes a setting by a computer application to a digital camera, or It is a computer-readable recording medium in which a program for causing a computer to execute a procedure for performing remote control of a digital camera is recorded.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The digital camera 21 is connected to the personal computer 20 via a universal serial bus (hereinafter, referred to as USB). In the personal computer 20, a file configuration such as the execution file 11 and the image file 12 in the digital camera 21 can be displayed by a normal file reference application 10 as shown in FIG. Further, the image data input / output processing 22 for inputting / outputting the image file 12 selected on the display screen shown in FIG. Further, by selecting the execution file 11 on the display screen shown in FIG. 2, an application on the personal computer side is searched and activated.
Personal computer / application startup process 2
3 can be activated. Personal computer / application activation process 23 of digital camera 21
Thereby, the application program of the personal computer 20 is found, and the personal computer application processing 25 is executed. The user
By the application processing 25 of the personal computer 20, setting is performed on the digital camera 21,
The remote control of the digital camera 21 can be performed. The setting determined by the user or the remote control operation is performed by a command data output process 26 for outputting data to the digital camera 21 by the digital camera 21.
Sent to The digital camera 21 determines whether the data sent from the personal computer 20 is to be written to a normal memory, is to be converted into setting information, or is a remote control, and performs a setting information writing process for executing a specified operation. Step 24 is executed. The program for the personal computer application start-up process 23 is virtually stored in the memory area of the digital camera or in a ROM outside the memory area.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. The flowchart of FIG.
The operation after the personal computer 20 displays the file configuration of the digital camera 21 as shown in FIG. 2 will be described. When a file is selected, a command is sent from the personal computer 20. Digital camera 21
Determines whether the command is to select an execution file of the digital camera or an image file (S30). When an image file is selected, the image file data is output to the personal computer 21 (S31). When the execution file is selected, the personal computer 2
0 searches whether the application specified in the execution file exists on the personal computer side (S
32). If there is a corresponding application, the application is executed by the personal computer application activation process 23 of the digital camera 21. If there is no corresponding application, the personal computer / application activation process 23 displays an error on the display screen of the personal computer 20 (S33). By the personal computer application processing 25 on the personal computer 20 side,
The setting of the digital camera and the remote control are set (S34), and the information is output to the digital camera by the command data output processing 26 (S35). The digital camera 21 executes the specified operation by the setting information writing process / remote control process 24 (S3).
6).

Next, a detailed operation of the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG. A command and data from the personal computer 20 are received (S50), and it is determined whether the command and data are read from the memory area or read out of the memory area is written (S51). In the case of reading the memory area, the data in the corresponding memory area is output to the personal computer (S52). In the case of reading out of the memory area, data written in a non-memory ROM or the like is output to the personal computer (S53). It is determined whether the next command is read or write (S55).
Return to At the time of writing, write data from the personal computer is written into the memory (S56). At the time of writing outside the memory area, the digital camera determines that the setting or remote control has been performed, and operates as specified (S57). Next, it is determined whether or not to end (S58).
If not, the process returns to S50.

The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the USB connection, but may be another interface that can be viewed as a hard disk or a connection having a protocol.

[0012]

According to the digital camera and the digital camera application of the present invention, when the computer and the digital camera are connected, the relationship between the computer and the digital camera is strengthened, and the connection can be easily confirmed by the digital camera application. Further, there is an effect that the application can be easily activated and used. This is because the application of the digital camera can be started only by the execution file displayed on the disk display of the digital camera while the digital camera is connected to the personal computer.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a digital camera and a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a digital camera display of a personal computer according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining in detail the operation of the digital camera according to the embodiment of the present invention;

[Explanation of symbols]

10 File Reference Application 11 Executable File 12 Image Data File 20 Personal Computer 21 Digital Camera 22 Image Data Processing 23 Personal Computer / Application Startup Processing 24 Setting Information Writing / Remote Control Processing 25 Personal Computer / Application Processing 26 Command Data Output Processing

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI H04N 5/765 H04N 5/781 510C 5/781 (58) Fields investigated (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H04N 5/225 -5/257 G06F 9/445 G06F 13/10 310 G06T 1/00 H04N 5/765 H04N 5/781

Claims (6)

(57) [Claims] 1. A connecting the computer digital camera to exchange data, and means for inputting and outputting image data, means for sending the information of the file according to read out the computer, in response to a request of the computer A digital camera comprising: means for activating an execution file of a digital camera; and means for activating an application of a computer by activating the execution file . 2. The digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said digital camera further comprises means for capturing settings by a computer application. 3. A application execution method for a digital camera connected to the computer to exchange data, the procedure for reading the digital camera files on a computer, the procedure for starting the digital camera executable from the computer, the Activating a computer application from a digital camera by activating an executable file . 4. The digital camera application execution method according to claim 3, further comprising a step of writing a setting by a computer application to the digital camera, or a step of executing a remote control of the digital camera from the computer. The application execution method of the digital camera described in the above. 5. The computer executes the following steps: a step of reading a file of the digital camera by the computer; a step of starting an execution file of the digital camera from the computer; and a step of starting an application of the computer from the digital camera by starting the execution file. A computer-readable recording medium on which a program to be recorded is recorded. 6. A computer-readable recording medium storing the program, further comprising: a step of writing a setting by a computer application to the digital camera, or a step of causing the computer to execute a step of executing remote control of the digital camera from the computer. The computer-readable recording medium according to claim 5, wherein the recording medium is recorded.