Abstract: Device for mounting a tethered camera on a portable computer, including a base attached to a back of the computer's screen housing via an adhesive, a holder for the camera removably engaged to the base via cooperating mating members formed thereon, and a hinge in the holder allowing movement of the camera. The hinge includes two coil springs assembled over a pair of split shafts incorporated in the holder to provide a relatively high friction force on a pair of pins non-movably attached to the camera. The camera and holder combination can be attached to or detached from the base as need be, but the base can remain unobtrusively attached to the housing. When attached to the housing, the camera is stably held in position to allow easier hands-free use of the camera. A separate stand is also provided which can similarly mated with the holder.

Abstract: Imaging devices are configured and purchased by the steps of providing an electronic database of information describing a plurality of differently configured imaging devices which have different features that can be selected by a purchaser via a digital communications network and programs which depict the functionality of such features; displaying at the purchaser's location remote from the electronic database various configuration features of imaging devices that are available for purchase and selecting programs which depict the functionality of features that the purchaser may purchase; the purchaser selecting various features to provide a desired configuration of an imaging device and providing a payment identifier specifying an account to be debited to pay for the configured imaging device; configuring the imaging device adding at least one program which provides one feature selected by the purchaser; and sending the configured imaging device to a designee of the purchaser.

Abstract: A system for recording and displaying a multimedia presentation, includes a digital camera having a solid state image sensor for selectively generating a sampled analog video image signal or a higher resolution sampled analog still image signal, and a microphone for generating an analog audio signal. An analog to digital converter converts the sampled analog video image signals and audio signal to a digital image signal and digital audio signal and an audio visual encoder in the camera compresses the digital video signal and associated digital audio signal to form a compressed video bit stream. The camera is operated to periodically capture a higher resolution still image to form a still image file while capturing a video sequence. A pointer linking a captured high resolution still image with a corresponding frame in the compressed video bit stream is appended to the still image file.

Abstract: A photographic system involves the collection of data from a scene, e.g., a visitor attraction site, that is capable of interactive communication with a user. The attraction site stores content data related to the site, and the user communicates with the attraction site through a camera capable of communication with the site. Besides capturing an image associated with the site, the camera stores predetermined personality data that relates an interest of the user to at least a portion of the content data and includes means for transferring the personality data to the attraction site. The camera further includes means for receiving and displaying the portion of the content data from the attraction site, and a user interface for selecting from the displayed content data that part which the user wants to keep. In this manner, information relevant to a user's interests about a photographed item can be easily requested, accessed and stored with the specific pictures that the user has captured.

Abstract: A method for customizing a digital camera for at least one particular user is disclosed. The digital camera includes a reprogrammable memory for storing firmware which controls the operation of the digital camera and a camera graphical user interface responsive to the firmware stored in the reprogrammable memory. The method includes providing customization software executed external to the digital camera which can access a plurality of firmware components having different camera features. A user selects desired camera features to cause the customization software to access the corresponding firmware component(s). The selected corresponding firmware component(s) are provided to the digital camera and the reprogrammable memory is reprogrammed to store the corresponding firmware component(s) to thereby customize the digital camera.

Abstract: A method for selectively adjusting the resolution levels or the quality levels of digital images stored in a memory of a digital camera having a predetermined memory space includes capturing a first image and storing the captured first image at a specific resolution level or quality level. The resolution level or quality level of the stored first image is adjusted based on the available memory space in the digital camera memory so that a subsequent captured image can be stored. A subsequent image is then captured, and the captured subsequent image is stored with the adjusted first image.

Abstract: A camera comprising: (a) means for capturing an image of a real world scene as an image signal; (b) storage means for storing captured images and from which stored images can be read; (c) a screen; (d) a means for displaying on the screen a symbolic representation of the list of stored images and a user selected location within the list; (e) a user interface which allows a user to select the location within the list; and (f) means for displaying on the screen the image within the list corresponding to the selected location. A method which can be executed by a camera such as the above, is also provided.

Abstract: In an electronic device that uses a self-emissive display such as an organic EL display, terminal voltage of a battery is monitored with high precision. In a digital camera 10, an organic EL display 26 is driven by a battery 12. The terminal voltage of the battery 12 is detected and a CPU 20 compares the detected terminal voltage with a threshold voltage to determine whether or not a fully discharged state has been reached. The luminance level of an image for the next frame stored in a VRAM 24 is detected, and the threshold value is dynamically changed according to the luminance level.

Abstract: To select a color tone adjusting mode in an electronic camera, a guide for adjusting the color tone is shown on a monitor (S100), an operation signal from direction buttons is read (S102), and it is judged from the read operation signal whether the direction buttons are operated (S104). When it is judged that the direction buttons are operated, an adjustment value of the color tone corresponding to the operated button is calculated to instruct the correction of the color tone (S106, S108). A decision signal is read (S110), and processes of adjusting the color tone (S102 to S112) are repeated until it is judged that the operation has been terminated. Thus, operability of the electronic camera to adjust the color tone can be improved furthermore.

Abstract: A photographic film product is configured and purchased by providing an electronic database of information describing at least one photographic film product that can be configured by a purchaser via a digital communications network; displaying at the purchaser's location remote from the electronic database information describing instructions to enable the purchaser to configure the at least one photographic film product; the purchaser uploading at least one digital image from the purchaser's location remote from the electronic database; the purchaser providing a payment identifier specifying an account to be debited to pay for the configured photographic film product; configuring the photographic film product to include the uploaded digital image; and sending the configured photographic film product to a designee of the purchaser.

Abstract: An auto white balancing apparatus includes a block split circuit for splitting an image into a plurality of blocks; a representative color calculating circuit which for each split block, derives a representative color of each block on the basis of pixel values within each block; and a block reliability estimating circuit which for each block and for each light source determines the distance between color difference components of the color of a white object under each light source and color difference components of the representative color of each block, to thereby estimate a reliability signal with which each light source lights a scene of each block on the basis of the distances.

Abstract: A network configuration file is generated at a host computer and downloaded to a digital camera. This file contains instruction information for communicating with a selected destination via a communications interface. The digital camera includes a “send” button or LCD icon which allows the user to easily transmit one or more images via a wired or wireless communications interface to a desired destination, which among other possibilities may be an Internet Service Provider or a digital photofinishing center. When the user selects this option, the communications port settings, user account specifics, and destination connection commands are read from the network configuration file on the removable memory card. Examples of these settings include serial port baud rate, parity, and stop bits, as well as account name and password.

Abstract: A method for producing a compressed digital image from an input digital image is disclosed, wherein the compressed digital image is organized into layers having information that can be extracted in accordance with different desired viewing conditions and resolutions. The input digital image is decomposed to produce a plurality of subbands, each subband having a plurality of subband coefficients. The plurality of subband coefficients of each subband of the decomposed input digital image are quantized to produce a quantized output value for each subband coefficient of each subband. At least one bit-plane is formed from the quantized output values of subband coefficients of each subband. Each bit-plane of each subband in at least one pass is entropy encoded to produce a compressed bit-stream corresponding to each pass, wherein each subband is entropy encoded independently of the other subbands.

Abstract: At the time of preliminary photographing for exposure adjustment, an image pickup screen is divided into n blocks S100 and color decision processing is executed for sorting each block into a block belonging to monochromatic light and a block belonging to light other than the monochromatic light S102. A reference luminance value LSi (LSi=(Ri+2Gi+Bi)/4) is set for the block belonging to the light other than the monochromatic light as a luminance value Li of the block S104 and a higher value than the reference luminance value LSi is set for the block belonging to the monochromatic light as the luminance value Li S106. Then, exposure is adjusted so that an average E of this luminance value Li can match a target luminance value X (reflectivity of 18%) S108, S110. Accordingly, the monochromatic light can be prevented from being displayed more brightly than needed, and, as a result, photographing is enabled with a more appropriate exposure.

Abstract: A handheld mobile telephone system is disclosed including a detachable camera/battery module for capturing images and a mobile telephone for communicating with a receiving unit. The detachable camera/battery module includes a lens for focusing light from a scene to produce an image; an image sensor for capturing one or more images; and a converter for producing digital image signals from the at least one captured image. The detachable camera/battery module further includes a battery for supplying power to the mobile telephone system; and a first connector for detachably supplying the digital image signals and the power to the mobile telephone. The mobile telephone includes a memory for storing the digital image signals; and a processor for processing the stored digital image signals.

Abstract: A brightness threshold value calculation unit figures out a brightness threshold value on the basis of a brightness average value of all blocks and the brightness of a maximum brightness block determined by a maximum brightness block search unit. Block average value calculation units extract blocks corresponding thereto and find average values of representative values of the extracted blocks. At that time, subjects of extraction by the block average value calculation units are limited to blocks having a higher brightness than the brightness threshold value among all the blocks. A white balance gain is then determined from the thus obtained block average values. This configuration achieves a white balance which responds better to light sources since the white balance gain is not affected by values of dark blocks which are considered not to well reflect the color of light from the light sources.

Abstract: A panoramic digital image is produced by providing a digital camera having a memory and which is operable in a first mode for producing individual still digital images, and in a second mode for capturing a series of overlapping digital images to be used in constructing the panoramic digital image. The digital camera is mounted on a stand, rotated on the stand through a series of predetermined positions, and operated in the second mode to capture the series of overlapping digital images. The series of overlapping digital images corresponding to the panoramic digital image is stored in a predetermined location in the memory, and processed to stitch such images together to produce the panoramic digital image.

Abstract: A method for producing a compressed digital image from an input digital image is disclosed, wherein the compressed digital image is organized into layers corresponding to increasing visual quality levels. The input digital image is decomposed to produce a plurality of subbands, each subband having a plurality of subband coefficients. The plurality of subband coefficients of each subband of the decomposed input digital image are quantized to produce a quantized output value for each subband coefficient of each subband. At least one bit-plane is formed from the quantized output values of the subband coefficients of each subband. Each bit-plane of each subband in at least one pass is entropy encoded to produce a compressed bit-stream corresponding to each pass, wherein each subband is entropy encoded independently of the other subbands.

Abstract: A digital camera having a plurality of adjustable memory card fullness icons to visually indicate the amount of memory space that is available for storage in a plurality of corresponding removable memory cards insertable into the digital camera is disclosed. The digital camera includes an arrangement for capturing and digitizing image data, a display, and a processor for constructing the memory card fullness icon on the display. Each memory card fullness icon includes an inner portion that can be adjusted to graphically display the relative amount of memory space that is available for storage in its corresponding removable memory card. The digital camera further includes circuitry for transferring the digitized image data into a selected removable memory card.