Abstract: A digital camera is characterized by an optical system for forming an optical image of a subject, conversion means for converting the formed optical image of the subject into a digital image, selection means for selecting a layout at the playback time of the digital image output by the conversion means, a display, determination means for determining the playback orientation of the digital image output by the conversion means with respect to the selected layout, display control means for combining an object indicating how to hold the digital camera at the ready in response to the determined playback orientation and a digital moving image output by the conversion means into one for display on the display in a state in which a still image record command can be entered, and image record means for storing a digital still image output by the conversion means in nonvolatile memory in association with the selected layout when a still image record command is entered.

Abstract: In the structure for image data having image components of three channels and a transmission ratio component of one channel, the image data structure includes an image area in which the image components of three channels are recorded in a compressed format, and a transmission ratio area which has the same data structure as that of the image area and in which a transmission ratio component and pseudo components of two channels having the same compression format as that of the image components are recorded.

Abstract: Background data to be synthesized with the subject data in which the subject area to which an image represented by the subject data is allocated is previously set in an image represented by the background data, and partial background data associated with the background data, showing at least a part of the area of the image represented by the background data that includes the subject area and having the number of pixels accommodated in a display are stored in a nonvolatile memory. The subject data is synthesized with the partial background data and the synthesized image data is displayed on the display (S230) The subject data is associated with the background data associated with the partial background data and the associated image data is stored in the nonvolatile memory (S260 and S270).

Abstract: A digital camera capable of recording a subject image so that the subject image can be drawn as it is combined with a selected default image and that the subject image can be drawn separately from a selected default image. The digital camera includes image processing means for creating subject image data based on output of an image sensor and default image setting means for storing subject image data in removable memory 57 together with information for associating background data with the subject image data, whereby the subject image data rather than the data provided by combining the subject image data and the background data is stored in the removable memory 57 and the subject image data and the background data are associated with each other.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention ensures flexible image processing that is performed integrally on a plurality of image data.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention ensures generation of an image file, in which image data and additional data are included, with the confidentiality of specific data kept.

Abstract: This invention relates to the updating of image processing control data that is related to image data and controls image processing of the image data. An image related data generator 10 generates an image file that includes image data and image processing data pre-stored therein. The image processing control data can be updated according to the following process. The image related data generator 10 sends specification data that specifies image processing control data to be updated to an update data server 12. Then the image related data generator 10 receives the update data from the update data server 12. And the image related generator 10 updates the image processing control data stored therein with the update data.

Abstract: When a memory card MC is inserted into a slot, a control circuit of a color printer acquires and analyzes graphics processing control information GC from the memory card MC. A CPU corrects standard values for image quality parameters indicating properties of graphics data, to reflect the graphics processing control information GC. The CPU corrects image quality parameters to bring them into approximation with the corrected standard values, and adjusts image quality of the graphics data to reflect the corrected image quality parameters.

Abstract: The technique of the present invention ensures output of an image subjected to image processing, which does not depend upon the output environment but reflects the color reproduction characteristics of a shooting device and the intention of a photographer in shooting. The process generates an image file that includes picture data generated by a digital still camera, as well as control data and output specification information attached thereto. The control data controls the details of image processing according to the color reproduction characteristics of the camera and the intention of the photographer in shooting. The output specification information specifies, for example, the address of a printing device used as an output resource, the type of printing paper used for printing, and the number of copies. The image file is transmitted to an image processing system on a network.

Abstract: Printing the image data displayed on an LCD (38) and its print number or incrementing the print number by one can be specified only by depressing a DPOF dedicated switch (41) while the still image is being displayed on the LCD (38). For example, if the DPOF dedicated switch (41) is depressed when still image is being displayed in a reproduction mode, the print number of displayed image data is set to one, and if the DPOF dedicated switch (41) is depressed successively without changing the displayed image, the print number of the image data is set to two.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cathode composite for use in a primary battery and a secondary battery. In order to uniformly disperse a positive active material and a conductive agent in the cathode composite, wherein the cathode composite comprises a polar organic molecule, a chalcogen containing positive active compound, a conductive agent and a diluent, wherein the polar organic molecule has at least one acid structure based on phosphoric acid, sulfonic acid, boric acid, carboxylic acid or sulfuric acid and functions as a dispersant.

Abstract: This invention relates to a cathode composite for use in a primary battery and a secondary battery. In order to disperse uniformly a positive active material and a conductive agent in the cathode composite, the cathode composite is characterized by that it includes a compound having a pyridine ring in its molecular structure which will become a polar molecule, and functioning as a dispersant.