Abstract of JP9331499 PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To store information such as date and time relating to image pickup without processing an original image when the picked-up image by the digital camera is stored. SOLUTION: A character image generating section 30 produces an image for character information denoting a date, a time and an image pickup condition or the like and a composition processing section 32 composes the image obtained as a result and a list display reduced image outputted from a reduction processing section 10 of the digital camera. Thus, the reduced image for a list is obtained. In the case of conducting a list display by means of a camera application software working on a personal computer, the reduced image on which date, image pickup time and image pickup data or the like are overwritten is displayed. The original image is stored as it is and the processing speed such as image retrieval is enhanced.
Publication info: JP3037140B2 B2 - 2000-04-24 JP9331499 A - 1997-12-22
Digital camera recording a reduced image synthesized with a character image of the image picking-up information
Inventor: OTA TAKAYUKI (JP)
Applicant: NIPPON ELECTRIC CO (US)
EC:H04N1/21B3; H04N5/232
IPC:H04N5/765; H04N1/21; H04N5/225(+11)
Publication info: US6201571 B1 - 2001-03-13
List of citing documents
ELECTRONIC CAMERA
Inventor: UMEYAMA KAZUYA (JP)
Applicant: NIPPON KOGAKU KK (JP); UMEYAMA KAZUYA (JP)
EC:H04N1/387B; H04N1/21D
IPC:H04N5/225; H04N1/21; H04N5/76(+6)
Publication info: WO2004073304 - 2004-08-26
Claims
What is claimed is: 1. A digital camera comprising: image picking-up means for generating an initial image by picking-up an object; image picking-up information generating means for outputting image picking-up information as text file data, said image picking-up information including at least one of picking-up date, picking-up time and picking-up condition; character image generating means for converting the text data of said image picking-up information to a bit map character image; reduction processing means for generating a reduced image by reducing said image in image size; synthesis processing means for generating a simultaneous display reduced image by synthesizing said bit map character image with said reduced image; a recording medium for storing an image; and control means for recording said simultaneously display reduced image on said recording medium. 2. The digital camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said character image processing means generates said bit map character image having a size equivalent to that of said reduced image. 3. The digital camera as set forth in claim 2, wherein said control means stores said bit map character image and said reduced image as files, each being independent from each other. 4. The digital camera as set forth in claim 1, wherein said synthesis processing means reads out one pixel of said reduced image located in the same position as that of a pixel having a pixel value of 1 on said bit map character image, compares data of red, green and blue colors in one pixel of said reduced image with a previously set threshold value, when the number of the colors more than the threshold value is two or more, the image synthesis is performed while regarding the pixel as white, and when the number of the colors more than the threshold value is less than two, the image synthesis is performed while regarding the pixel as black. 5. The digital camera as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a display panel for displaying an image, wherein said control means searches said simultaneous display reduced image stored on said recording medium, and reads out more than one simultaneous display reduced image, when more than one simultaneous display reduced image is stored on said recording medium, said control means displaying more than one read out simultaneous display reduced image on said display panel while arranging them. 6. The digital camera as set forth in claim 5, further comprising selection means for selecting one of said simultaneous display reduced images displayed on said display panel. wherein said control means reads out an initial image corresponding to the selected simultaneous display reduced image, and displays the initial image on said display panel. 7. The digital camera as set forth in claim 5, wherein said control means searches an image picking-up condition numerical data stored in said recording medium, searches a reduced image corresponding to said image picking-up condition numerical data when the image picking-up condition numerical data is stored, and reads out a pair of said reduced image and said image picking-up condition numerical data when said reduced image is stored, thereby arranging a plurality of said reduced images in the order depending on a predetermined image picking-up condition value of said image picking-up condition numerical data to display them on said display panel. 8. The digital camera as set forth in claim 5, further comprising selection means for selecting one of said simultaneous display reduced images displayed on said display panel, wherein image picking-up condition numerical data corresponding to the selected simultaneous display reduced image is read out from the recording medium and the same image picking-up condition concerning a predetermined image picking-up value of the read-out image picking-up condition numerical data is set. Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a digital camera, more particularly to a digital camera which is capable of converting an analog image to a digital image to store it as a static image on a recording medium, and an operator is capable of easily fetching the image to a host computer by connecting the recording medium to the host computer. 2. Description of the Related Art In general, a digital camera is an input device which converts an analog signal output from a CCD (charged coupled device) to a digital signal and records a static image either in a memory in the camera or in an external recording medium such as a floppy disk and a PCMCIA card, which is a card type memory and a modem card according to standard set by Personal Computer Memory Card Association in United States of America and Japan Electronic Industry Developing Association (JEIDA). In order to use an image picked up by an ordinary camera in a computer, an object is picked up by the camera. A negative or positive slide is prepared from a photo-graphic film, and an image on the negative or positive slide is printed on a photographic paper. The image on the negative or positive slide or the photographic paper having been printed is scanned by a scanner whereby the image is converted to a digital image. Or, a professional photo studio prepares a photo CD to convert the analog image to the digital image. The above described treatment requires many steps until the picked-up image actually becomes available in the computer. Particularly, it brings about lack of promptness. For this reason, in a system where data is finally processed by the computer, a digital camera which has an ability to instantaneously form an input image supplied to the computer has been popularized. For example, concerning a news photograph made by a news paper publishing company in which promptness is very important, an image picked up by the digital camera is transmitted to a remote place using a network, thereby increasing its promptness. Furthermore, instead of image picking-up by a Polaroid camera for damaged portions due to a car accident, the damaged portions are picked-up with a digital camera and the picked-up image can be transmitted to an automobile physical damage insurance company through a network. Furthermore, use of a digital camera has been begun as input means in various kinds of business fields such as confirmations for architecture state by an architectural firm, acquisition of information concerning objects to be dealt with by used car dealers which exchange information through computers, and data input by a realty dealer who performs guides for dealing objects by a computer. An image written to a recording medium is generally transmitted to a host computer side through various kinds of interface cables, when the recording medium is installed in a camera so that it is impossible to freely detach it from the camera. Furthermore, in case of an external recording medium capable of being freely detached such as a floppy disk and a PCMCIA card, the external recording medium is detached from the camera and it is set to the host computer, whereby the picked-up image is transmitted to the host computer.
