Electronic imaging apparatus

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them in an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and a outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied s device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving image information generated in this apparatus or the other equivalent apparatuses while an operation mode of the apparatus is set for communication;
• image memory means for providing a temporary storage region and for enabling image processing in said electronic still camera, said image memory means also being used as a data reception buffer for data communication;
• and
• switch means for causing said communication means to start a communication mode operation;
• wherein
• said communication means includes play-back means for playing-back an image represented by image information received from a transmission side system via a network connected thereto, and request command generating means for generating and transmitting a request command representing a re-send instruction for causing said transmission side system to re-send image information once again response to operation of a switch.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them on an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving information signal via a network connected therewith;
• image memory means for providing a temporary storage region and for enabling image processing in said electronic still camera, said image memory means also being used as a data reception buffer for data communication;
• and
• power source control means for executing a power off process for turning off a power source circuit when communication with the other party fails to be held in a predetermined period of time.

An adapter device applicable to an electronic still camera which comprises image pick-up means for obtaining an image signal by photoelectrical conversion, image data storing means for storing image data representative of the image on an applied storage device and communication means for communicating the image data to the other party via transmission channel connected therewith, said adapter device comprising:

• first interface means for communication with said electronic still camera;
• second interface means for communication via said transmission channel through a modem connected in between;
• control means for establishing a transmission channel for image data communication via said second interface means by designating the other party on the basis of a user's operation to operation keys of sections thereof and for controlling said image data communication for said electronic imaging apparatus via said first and second interface means;
• and
• display means for displaying information capable of representing a telephone number and/or a frame number representative of image data to be communicated whether data is being transmitted or received.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them in an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from-an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving image information generated in this apparatus or the other equivalent apparatuses while an operation mode of the apparatus is set for communication;
• switch means for causing said communication means to start a communication mode operation;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• display means for displaying various characters or patterns inclusive of a predetermined mark for representing said communication mode operation;
• wherein
• said communication means includes modem setting up means for setting up a modem to be ready for communication in response to a user's operation of said switch means.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them in an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving image information generated in this apparatus or the other equivalent apparatuses while an operation mode of the apparatus is set for communication;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• switch means for causing said communication means to start a communication mode operation;
• wherein
• said communication means includes play-back means for playing-back an image represented by image information received from a transmission side system via a network connected thereto, and request command generating means for generating and transmitting a request command representing a re-send instruction for causing said transmission side system to re-send image information once again in response to operation of a switch.

An electronic still camera ;system for taking pictures and storing them in an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving image information generated in this apparatus or the other equivalent apparatuses while an operation mode of the apparatus is set for communication;
• switch means for causing said communication means to start a communication mode operation;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• communication order controlling means for automatically controlling an order of successive image information to be sent or received via said communication means on the basis of subsidiary data stored in a predetermined specific file defined relating to image information in said applied storage device.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them on an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• external commands receiving means for receiving various commands from an external device connected therewith via a transmission channel;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after touch operation;
• and
• image pick-up by one-executing means for carrying out operations corresponding to said commands received via said external commands receiving means.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them on an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image information storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving an information signal via a network connected therewith;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• power source control means for automatically making a power source circuit ready to supply power, in response to reception of a call signal of said information signal received via said communication means.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them in an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an analog image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image data generating means for generating digital image data corresponding to said image signal outputted from said image pick-up means, a format of the digital image data being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• data storing means for storing said image data on said applied storage device in the form of a file organized by a directory or sub-directory supported by a disk operating system;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving image data or further subsidiary data via a transmission channel connected therewith;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• preceding transmission means for transmitting data for said directory and/or said subsidiary data relating to a transmission of image information, when a transmitting operation mode is set.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them in an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an analog image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image data generating means for generating digital image data corresponding to said image signal outputted from said image pick-up means, a format of the digital image data being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• data storing means for storing said image data on said applied storage device in the form of a file organized by a directory or a sub-directory supported by a disk operating system;
• communication means for at least one of transmitting and receiving image data or further subsidiary data via a transmission channel connected therewith;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• preceding transmission means for transmitting data representative of a capacity reservable for receiving an image data, to a sender side device, in anticipation of reception when a receiving operation mode is set.

An electronic still camera system for taking pictures and storing them on an applied storage device, said system comprising:

• image pick-up means for generating and outputting an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident thereon;
• image in formation storing means for storing image information represented by said image signal issued from said image pick-up means, a format of a signal to be stored being dependent upon a type of said applied storage device;
• communication means for transmitting and/or receiving information signal via a network connected therewith;
• an erase switch for causing an erasing:
• operation in which a recorded image file is erased and also for causing play-back right after image pick-up by one-touch operation;
• and
• power source control means for executing a power off process for turning off a power source circuit when communication with the other party fails to be held in a predetermined period of time.