An electronic camera captures images representing a variety of subjects and categorizes the image according to subject matter. The camera comprises an image sensor for capturing an image, a converter stage for converting the image into digital image data, and a memory for storing a plurality of categories providing classification of the images by subject. A processor in the camera has the capability of assigning the plurality of categories to the images captured by the camera, with each category providing a subject classification for the images. A user selects one or more categories for a plurality of images prior to capture, and an output image signal is then generated including the digital image data corresponding to a captured image and the particular category selected by the user. The categories can be default identifiers stored in the memory, or can be names, text (i.e., account number), and/or graphics overlays (i.e., company logo) entered via a host computer and uploaded to the camera memory before the pictures are taken.
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29. An electronic camera for capturing images representing a variety of subjects and for providing captured images to an external computer in response to a single computer initiated request, wherein the electronic camera is interconnected to the external computer via a cable interface, said camera comprising:
an image sensor for capturing the images;
a converter stage for converting the images into digital image data;
a memory for storing a plurality of categories two or more tag names providing classification of the images by subject ;
control means for selecting one of the stored tag names for each of the images;
a processor having the capability of for assigning the plurality of categories selected tag names to each of the images captured by the image sensor, wherein each category providing subject tag name provides classification of one two or more captured images;
a user control for selecting one or more categories for the images before the images are captured by the image sensor;
means for storing the digital image data in image files; and
means for grouping storing each of the image files according to the plurality of categories into a tag name file corresponding to the selected tag name, wherein two or more tag name files are stored and each tag name file stores two or more image files; and
means responsive to the computer initiated request for identifying a particular tag name for transferring all of the image files stored in the corresponding tag name file to the external computer via the cable interface.
30. A method using an electronic camera for capturing images representing a variety of subjects and for providing captured images to an external computer in response to a single computer initiated request, wherein the electronic camera is interconnected to the external computer via a cable interface, said method comprising the steps of:
storing a plurality of categories two or more tag names providing classification of the images by subject ;
selecting, by a user control, one of the stored tag names for each of the images;
assigning at least one of the plurality of categories the selected tag names to each of the images before the images are captured by the electronic camera, wherein each category providing subject tag name provides classification of one two or more images;
capturing the images with the electronic camera;
converting the images into digital image data; and
generating, by a camera processor, an output image signal comprising an image file including both the digital image data corresponding to the captured images and separate category data including the one or more categories selected by the user control, wherein the category data is separately accessible for each image apart from the image data a separate tag name file for each selected tag name;
storing each of the image files into the tag name file corresponding to the selected tag name, wherein the camera stores two or more tag names files with each tag name file storing two or more image files; and
identifying, in response to a computer initiated request, a particular tag name and transferring all of the image files stored in the tag name file corresponding to the identified particular tag name to the external computer via the cable interface.
1. An electronic camera for capturing images representing a variety of subjects and for providing captured images to an external computer in response to a single computer initiated request, wherein the electronic camera is interconnected to the external computer via a cable interface, said camera comprising:
an image sensor for capturing the images;
a converter stage for converting the images into digital image data;
a memory for storing a plurality of categories two or more tag names providing classification of the images by subject ;
control means for selecting one of the stored tag names for each of the images;
a processor having the capability of for assigning the plurality of categories selected tag names to each of the images captured by the image sensor, wherein each category providing subject tag name provides classification of one two or more captured images;
a user control for selecting one or more categories for the images before the images are captured by the image sensor; and
means for generating an output image signal comprising an image file including both the digital image data corresponding to the captured images and separate category data including the one or more categories selected by the user control, wherein the category data is separately accessible for each image apart from the image data a separate tag name file for each selected tag name;
a removable memory for storing each of the image files into the tag name file corresponding to the selected tag name, wherein the removable memory stores two or more tag name files with each tag name file storing two or more image files; and
means responsive to the single computer initiated request for identifying a particular tag name for transferring all of the image files stored in the corresponding tag name file to the external computer via the cable interface.
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0. 17. An electronic camera for capturing images representing a variety of subjects, said camera comprising:
an image sensor for capturing a particular image;
a converter stage for converting the particular image into digital image data;
a signal port for receiving at least one externally generated category providing classification of the image by subject;
a memory for storing each category provided by the signal port;
a processor having the capability of assigning said at least one category stored in the memory to the images captured by the camera, each category providing subject classification of one or more images;
a user control for selecting a particular category for the selected image; and
means for generating an output image signal comprising an image file including both the digital image data corresponding to the particular image and separate category data including the particular category selected by the user control, wherein the category data is separately accessible for each image apart from the image data.
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This invention pertains to the field of electronic imaging systems, and in particular to a digital electronic still camera of the type that is used with a host computer.
As understood in the prior art, a digital electronic still camera is a device which uses an electronic sensor to capture an image; signal processing to represent the captured signal numerically; and some storage device to preserve the numerical image data. It is further known for a digital electronic still camera to use a removable storage device, such as an integrated circuit memory card, to store images. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,107 describes an electronic still camera utilizing image compression and providing digital storage in a removable memory card having a static random access memory. In this camera, the integrated circuits in the removable memory card store image data and a directory locating the data.
Coordination between a digital camera and a computer is generally known in the prior art.
Digital cameras, such as the Kodak Digital Science DC40™ camera sold by Eastman Kodak Company, allow almost a hundred images to be stored. Because the images are stored as sequentially numbered images, it can be difficult and time consuming to locate a group of images of interest from all of the images stored in the camera. In a typical usage, an insurance adjuster may take a number of photos in processing a number of different claims during one day's operations. It would be desirable to be able to identify the images of each group, for example by claim number or client name. It may be further desirable to allow this information, along with the date and time or a company logo, to be optionally included with the image data. This ensures that any prints made from the camera can be easily identified. Such processing of the captured images is today performed in a host computer, such as the host computer 4 in FIG. 1.
The Kodak Professional Digital Camera System (model DCS-100) included a digital camera tethered by cable to a separate digital storage unit (DSU). The DSU, similar to the computer 4 of
Another embodiment of this camera, the Kodak Hawkeye II camera, also allowed the user to type in a name for any one image after the image was taken, and to add a “note” text-string to the image file. Both cameras allowed a simple division of already-captured images into “tagged” and “not-tagged” images and required a pattern of keystrokes subsequent to capture for every image of interest. In particular, the tagging feature functioned more as a post-capture data gatekeeper than as a useful tool for image handling. Anything more complex in the way of data organization requires, as shown in
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above. Briefly summarized, according to one aspect of the present invention, an electronic camera captures images representing a variety of subjects and categorizes the image according to subject matter. The camera comprises an image sensor for the images, a converter stage for converting the images into digital image data, and a memory for storing a plurality of categories providing classification of the images by subject. A processor in the camera has the capability of assigning the plurality of categories to the images captured by the camera, with each category providing subject classification of one or more images. A user then interacts with a user control on the camera in order to select one or more of the categories for the images, and an output image signal is then generated including the digital image data corresponding to the images and the one or more categories selected by the user control.
The advantage of the invention is that the known provision of a simple post-capture “tag” is enlarged into useful pre-capture categories that can effectively manage images according to variable subject content. According to this invention, a digital camera includes a display-based “tag” icon/feature which the user can set to an appropriate category before taking a group of pictures. The category names can be defaults, or can be names and optional text (i.e., account number) and/or graphics overlays (i.e., company logo) entered via a host computer and uploaded to the camera before the pictures are taken. When the user selects a particular category, the category name is stored along with the image data in the image file, and any text and graphics logo, as appropriate, are overlaid onto the image. When downloading the images to a host computer, the user can select a category and download only the images which have a particular category name, or the images can be stored in folders labeled with each category name.
These and other aspects, objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood and appreciated from a review of the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments and appended claims, and by reference to the accompanying drawings.
Because electronic still cameras employing electronic sensors are well known, the present description will be directed in particular to elements forming part of, or cooperating more directly with, apparatus in accordance with the present invention. Elements not specifically shown or described herein may be selected from those known in the art. Certain aspects of the embodiments to be described are provided in software. Given the system description as described in the following materials, all such software implementation is conventional and within the ordinary skill in such arts.
The analog image signals are applied to an A/D converter 16, which generates digital image data from the analog input signals for each picture element. The digital image data is applied to an image buffer 18 for storing one or more images, albeit shown in
Once a certain amount of digital image data has accumulated in the image buffer 18, the stored data is applied to a programmed digital signal processor 22, which controls the throughput processing rate for the compression and recording section B of the camera. The algorithms and other operating code used by the processor 22 are stored in an algorithm memory 28. The digital signal processor 22 compresses each still image stored in the image buffer 18 according to any one of a number of known image compression algorithms, such as the well-known JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) discrete cosine transformation-based compression algorithm. The processor 22 applies the compression algorithm from the memory 28 to the digital image data, and sends the compressed data to a removable storage device via a signal port 26. However, while compression is shown in the camera of
In this example, the signal port 26 is a card interface and the removable storage device is a memory card 24. While a memory card 24 is shown in this system as the storage device, other devices may be used, such as a floppy disk magnetic medium, a small hard drive, or optical storage (in the latter cases, suitable conventional reading/writing apparatus would be provided in the camera, e.g., magnetic or optical read/write head, etc.). A representative memory card is a card adapted to the PCMCIA card interface standard, such as described in the PC Card Standard, Release 2.0, published by The Personal Computer Memory Card International Association, Sunnyvale, Calif., September 1991. The memory card 24 accordingly contains solid state memory 24a, such as Flash EPROM memory, which the card uses to store image data files.
According to this invention, the digital camera includes a categorization feature which enables a user to establish an appropriate category, providing classification of the images by subject, before taking a group of pictures. The category information can be default code symbols (A,B,C, etc.), or can be externally-generated category information, such as names and optional text (i.e., account numbers) and/or graphics overlays (i.e., company logos), which is entered via a host computer and uploaded to the camera through the signal port 26 before the pictures are taken or via cable connection. After the user selects a particular category, the image is captured and the category information is stored in the removable storage device along with the image data in the image file, and any text and graphics logo, as appropriate, are overlaid onto the image. When downloading the images to a host computer, the user can select a particular category and download only the images which have a particular category identifier, or the images can all be downloaded and stored in file folders labeled with each category name.
Consequently, the memory card 24 contains additional memory to store header files 24b containing category information helpful in providing classification of the images by subject matter. Such category information may include default tag codes, such as simple alphabetic identifiers A, B, C, D, etc., or alphanumeric names that can be associated with specific images according to subject matter. The header files 24b can also contain strings of text that identify particular images and separate graphics images that signify or otherwise identify subject matter. The header files 24b can also contain instructions to overlay all or part of the category information into the image data files 24a, or, alternatively, the digital signal processor 22 can access an algorithm in the algorithm memory 28 which accomplishes the overlay, and then stores all or part of the category information with the image data. It is a further feature of this invention that the externally generated category information can be supplied to the digital camera through the signal port 26. Such externally generated category information can be stored in the Card Information Structure (CIS) of the PCMCIA Format (as described in the aforementioned Release 2.0), in the header data file 24b, or in a portion of the memory space of the memory 24a used to store the image data.
The camera also contains a memory section 31, including firmware memory 32a with operating code for the camera, as well as RAM instruction memory 32b connected to receive code from the memory card 24. When the memory card 24 is inserted into the camera, the processor 20 uses the firmware algorithms in the memory 32a to determine if the memory card 24 contains externally generated files which can be used by the camera. If not, the firmware algorithms supplied with the camera in the memory 32a are used by the programmable processor 20. In particular, the default category parameters are stored in the firmware memory 32a and accessed by the processor 20. If the card does contain appropriate externally generated category information, however, these are downloaded from the header file section 24b of the card 24 to the RAM instruction memory 32b and used by the programmable processor 20 in place of some portion of the firmware algorithms supplied with the camera from the firmware memory 32a. In this way the camera can execute customized category definitions which provide higher quality or more complex categorization of pictures.
User control is provided by a status display 30 connected to the control processor 20 for displaying information useful in operation of the camera, and by a set of user control switches 29. The set of user control switches 29 are also connected to the processor 20 for entering, highlighting, and selecting information displayed on the status display 30. In accordance with invention, the status display 30 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) having a panel configuration 50 such as shown in
While not important to this invention, other information displayed on the status display 30 might include typical photographic data, such as shutter speed, aperture, exposure bias, color balance (auto, tungsten, fluorescent, daylight), high/low resolution, low light, exposure modes (aperture preferred, shutter preferred), and so on. Moreover, other information unique to this type of camera may be displayed. For instance, the memory card 24 would ordinarily include a directory signifying the beginning and ending of each stored image. This would show on the display 30 as either (or both) the number of images stored or the number of image spaces remaining, or estimated to be remaining.
If externally generated category information is present in the header file 24b on the card 24, it can also be identified on the status display 30. For instance, the externally generated category information, such as names, text strings, and graphics images can be identified and displayed if the status display 30 has the appropriate display capability. Alternatively, the toggle switch 54 can be used to cycle through alphanumeric names that are provided from the host computer and displayed on the segmented section 52b. Selecting any one name then automatically accesses any text string or graphics image that might be associated with the name in the instruction memory 32b, and stores such strings or graphics image with the digital image data. The camera may also have the additional feature of overlaying a text string, or date and/or time from the date/time generator 20a, into the image. Whether or not the date/time or text string is overlaid in the images of any particular category can be controlled by overlay control information for each category present in the header file 24b. Alternately, this can be done from additional icons in the panel configuration 50 and from the user control switches 29, as shown in FIG. 9. Date, time, name, and text are separately activated by the toggle switch 54, and “on” (overlay active) or “off” icons are activated by the select switch 56. It is assumed that an uploaded graphics image would always overlay into the image, but if this is not always desirable, then a separate graphics icon may be provided for overlay control.
The process for categorizing images according to default parameters is shown in
After the tag is selected, the user can activate other icons by use of the select button 56. Then, when the shutter button 21 is pressed, the selected category (tag) is associated with the digital image data (steps 62, 63). Then the steps 62, 63 are repeated for any additional images in the same category. If a new category is desired, the process reverts to step 61. When all the images are captured, the user connects the camera (by cable) or the memory card 24 to a host computer (step 64), such as the host computer 4 illustrated in FIG. 1. Using software supplied by the camera manufacturer, the user opens a camera application and chooses the desired category (step 65). Then the images from appropriate categories stored in the camera, or the memory card 24, are downloaded to proper file folders according to the category data stored with the digital image data in each file (step 66).
The user may also customize the tags using the host computer. As shown in the process diagram of
When programmed by the host or memory card 24, the number of tag categories that can be selected in the camera, and the four-letter name of each category, is as set by the user via the host computer. The user selects the appropriate category before taking a sequence of images. The tag names and text are then included in the image files, as shown in FIG. 7. In this example, the user selected Tag name H111 and took images #1-2. The user then selected Tag name KIDS and took images 3-5. Finally, the user selected tag name F123 and took image #6. As the images are captured and processed, the appropriate overlay information for the tag chosen is used. For the category “F123”, the tag indicates that the image should include a graphics overlay, the text “Claim #123”, and the date/time, as shown in FIG. 8. In a further embodiment shown in
After the images from the camera are stored on the memory card 24, the card is inserted into the computer memory card reader 5 (see FIG. 1). In applications where the memory card may contain category information which can be used by the computer, the computer uses the software supplied with the camera to check if the memory card contains such information. If the card does contain appropriate category information, this information is downloaded from the card to the RAM instruction memory 9a and used by the CPU 9b in combination with the software algorithms from the hard drive 8. This allows a quick and convenient way of categorizing the images accessed by the computer, without requiring further intervention from the host computer.
According to the invention shown in
The invention has been described with reference to a preferred embodiment. However, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications can be effected by a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the image files shown in
Parulski, Kenneth A., Napoli, Thomas A., Lewis, David M.
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