Electronic camera accessory and image composition system

An image composition system for use in an electronic camera comprising:

• an image capturer which picks up a subject image and obtains image data representing the picked-up image;
• a background image provider which provides image data representing a background image;
• a combining processor which combines the image data representing the background image and the picked -up image;
• an output unit which outputs a composite image representing the image data combined in the combining processor;
• and
• a controller which performs two-way communication with the output unit and which transfers the combined image data in a format suitable to the output unit, the controller further including:
• memory means for storing the combined image data;
• and
• buffer means for temporarily retaining the combined image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory means, thereby enabling space in the memory means to be effectively used in a linear format.

An electronic camera with an image-composing function, comprising:

• an electronic camera which picks up a subject image shown on a finder and obtains image data representing the picked-up image;
• a background image provider which provides image data representing a background image;
• and
• an image composing unit detachably connected to said electronic camera, the image composing unit further comprising:
• a terminal connected to said electronic camera, a terminal capable of connecting to a printer, a combining processor which combines the image data representing the background image and the image data representing the picked-up image, and a controller which performs two-way communication with the printer and transfers the combined image data to the printer in a format suitable for the printer, the controller further including:
• memory means for storing the combined image data;
• and
• buffer means for temporarily retaining the combined image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory means, thereby enabling space in the memory means to be effectively used in a linear format.

An electronic camera with an image-composing function, comprising:

• an electronic camera comprising an image capturer which picks up a subject image shown on a finder and obtains image data representing the picked-up image, a recording medium on which said image data is recorded, and an image reproducer which reads image data from said recording medium and displays a reproduced image on a display;
• a background image provider which provides image data representing a background image;
• and
• an image composing unit detachably connected to said electronic camera, said image composing unit further comprising a terminal connected to said electronic camera, a terminal capable of connecting to a printer, a combining processor which combines the image data representing the background image and the image data representing the reproduced image, and a controller which performs two-way communication with the printer and transfers the combined image data to the printer in a format suitable for the printer, the controller further including:
• memory means for storing the combined image data;
• and
• buffer means for temporarily retaining the combined image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory means, thereby enabling space in the memory means to be effectively used in a linear format.

An electronic camera with an image-composing function, comprising:

• an image capturer which picks up a subject image shown on a finder and obtains image data representing the picked-up image;
• a recording medium detachably connected to a camera body;
• a detector which detects whether image data representing a background image is recorded in said recording medium;
• a combining processor which combines the image data representing the picked-up image and the image data representing the background image, if the detector detects that the image data representing the background image is recorded in said recording medium;
• and
• an output unit which outputs the combined image data representing a composite image, if the detector detects that the image data representing the background image is recorded in said recording medium, and outputs the image data representing the picked-up image, if the detector does not detect that the image data representing the background image is recorded in said recording medium.

An electronic camera with an image-composing function, comprising:

• an image capturer which picks up a subject image shown on a finder and obtains image data representing the picked-up image;
• a recording medium which is detachably connected to a camera body, wherein image data representing a background image is recorded in at least a part of said recording medium;
• a combining processor which combines the image data representing the picked-up image and the image data representing the background image, thereby forming combined image data;
• and
• a recorder which records the combined image data wherein the combined image data is recorded in an area of the recording medium other than the part of the recording medium where the image data representing the background image is being recorded.

An accessory for an electronic camera, comprising:

• an interface for connecting the accessory to the camera;
• and
• a controller for transferring image data input from the camera, via the interface, to a printer, the controller further including:
• memory for storing image data input from the camera through the interface;
• and
• a buffer for temporarily retaining input image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory, thereby enabling space in the memory to be effectively used in a linear format.

A detachable camera accessory for use in an electronic camera, comprising:

• a memory for storing sequentially-captured uncompressed image data of a plurality of frames transferred from a signal processor of the electronic camera when the camera is in a sequential image-capturing mode;
• and
• a controller for controlling the memory so that it sequentially stores the uncompressed image data, for reading the uncompressed image data in the order in which frames are stored in said memory, and for transferring the read uncompressed image data back to the camera to be compressed in a data compressor,
• wherein the controller further includes a buffer for temporarily retaining the uncompressed image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory, thereby enabling space in the memory to be effectively used in a linear format.

An electronic camera, comprising:

• image capturing means for obtaining image data from a picked-up subject image;
• background image provider means for providing background image data;
• image composing means detachably connected to said electronic camera for combining a plurality of image data, the image composing means including:
• connector means for connecting the image composing means to a printer,
• combining means for combining image data from the picked-up subject image with the background image data to thereby obtain combined image data, and
• controller means for performing two-way communication with the printer and for transferring the combined image data to the printer in a suitable format, the controller further including:
• memory means for storing the combined image data;
• and
• buffer means for temporarily retaining the combined image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory means, thereby enabling space in the memory means to be effectively used in a linear format.

An accessory for use with an electronic camera having a separate recording medium attached thereto, comprising:

• an interface for receiving picked-up image data which is image-captured by the electronic camera;
• a terminal for connecting the accessory to a printer;
• a combining processor for combining picked-up image data with background image data recorded on the recording medium, thereby forming combined image data;
• and
• a controller for performing two-way communication with the printer and for transferring the combined image data to the printer in a suitable format, the controller further including:
• a memory for storing the combined image data;
• and
• a buffer for temporarily retaining the combined image data, so that the controller can refresh the memory, thereby enabling space in the memory to be effectively used in a linear format.