Electronic camera system with detachable printer

A readily portable electronic imaging system comprising:

• a camera housing of a size that is conveniently carried by hand;
• a printer housing distinct from said camera housing and also of a size that is conveniently carried by hand;
• an objective lens operatively disposed with respect to said camera housing to receive and focus incident image defining scene light;
• a solid state light responsive array disposed within said camera housing for receiving incident scene light by way of said objective lens and converting such scene light into an image defining electronic information signal;
• storage means releasably and operatively connectable to said camera and printer housings for storing the image defining electronic information signals;
• complimentary releasable connecting means operatively associated with respect to said camera and printer housings for effecting a releasable fixed connection between said camera and printer housings, said fixed connection also operating to effect an electrical connection between said camera and printer housings;
• hard copy printing means disposed within said printer housing for making a hard copy of select images from said image defining electronic information signals;
• and
• signal control and processing means having portions disposed respectively within said camera and printer housings and responsive to user selection for effecting an exposure interval and thereafter processing said image defining electronic information signal to effect a select transformation thereof, said control means thereafter responding to user selection for directing said transformed electronic information signals to either said storage means for storage therein or said hard copy printing means for printing said hard copy wherein said portion of said signal control and processing means disposed within said camera housing is responsive to user selection when said camera housing is disconnected from said printer housing and said storage means is operatively connected to said camera housing for directing image defining electronic information signals from said light responsive array to said storage means immediately subsequent to each exposure interval and wherein:
• said camera housing comprises substantially planar major bottom and top wall members interconnected by substantially planar minor side, front and back wall portions to define a substantially parallelepiped structure wherein said objective lens is disposed in said front wall portion of said camera housing, said printer housing comprises substantially planar major top and bottom wall members interconnected by substantially planar minor side wall portions to define a substantially parallelepiped structure, said complimentary releasable connecting means operatively associated with said camera and printer housings comprises portions for connecting the major bottom wall member of the camera housing to a minor side wall portion of the printer housing.