Card type camera with image processing function

An IC card camera comprising:

• an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data;
• and
• a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card,
• image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to an external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,
• said camera body being insertable into said external information processing device through a card slot provided in said external information processing device.

An IC card camera comprising:

• an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data;
• a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card,
• image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to an external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector;
• a shutter switch for outputting an interrupt signal when actuated;
• a shutter sound generator, on the IC card, for generating a shutter sound upon reception of a sound signal transferred from said external information processing device based on the interrupt signal;
• and
• an interface for enabling signal transmission and reception between said shutter switch and said shutter sound generator, and said information processing device.

An IC camera comprising:

• an imaging unit including imaging means for generating image signals corresponding to an image of a subject and image forming means for focusing the image of the subject on said imaging means;
• and
• a camera body having a processor and a memory, said processor processing the image signals generated by said imaging means and storing the processed image signals in said memory, said camera body being mounted to said imaging unit and being an IC card,
• said camera body being insertable into a card slot of an external information processing device for communication of processed image signals therebetween, only said imaging unit protruding from said external information processing device when said camera body is inserted into the card slot of said external information processing device.

An IC card camera comprising:

• imaging means for generating image signals corresponding to an image of a subject;
• an optical lens for focusing the image of the subject on said imaging means;
• a memory, coupled to said imaging means, for storing the generated image signals;
• processing means, coupled to said memory, for processing the stored image signals to provide processed image signals;
• and
• an IC card connector, coupled to said processing means, for providing the processed image signals to an external information processing device,
• said memory, said processing means and said IC card connector being on an IC card,
• said IC card being insertable into a card slot of the external information processing device, only said imaging means and said optical lens protruding from the external information processing device when said IC card is inserted into the card slot.

An IC card camera comprising:

• an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data;
• and
• an IC card camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said IC card camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being connectable to an external information processing device,
• image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to the external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,
• said IC card camera body further including
• image processing means for implementing image processing on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory, and
• an interface, connected to said connector and to said memory, said memory controller, and said image processing means, for enabling data transmission and reception between at least one of said memory, said memory controller and said image processing means, and the external information processing device.

An IC card camera comprising:

• an image input unit having an image forming part for forming an image of a subject on an image forming surface and an image pick-up part for capturing the image on said image forming surface and generating digital image data;
• and
• a camera body having a memory, a memory controller, and a connector, said camera body being directly coupled to said image input unit and being an IC card connectable to an external information processing device,
• image data from said image input unit being stored in said memory and the stored image data being transferred to the external information processing device electrically connected to the IC card camera via said connector,
• said camera body further including
• image processing means for implementing image processing on image data transferred from said image input unit and on image data read from said memory, and
• an interface, connected to said connector and to said memory, said memory controller, and said image processing means, for enabling data transmission and reception between at least one of said memory, said memory controller and said image processing means, and the external information processing device,
• said image input unit being directly coupled to an end portion of said camera body on a side opposite to a side of said camera body which is connectable to the external information processing device,
• said image input unit protruding out of the external information processing device when said camera body is fitted to and electrically connected to the external information processing device.