Digital still camera capable of telecommunication

Abstract

A digital still camera capable of telecommunication includes a device which converts an optical image into a digital electromagnetic signal indicative of a still image, a receiver which receives an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system, a modifying unit which modifies the electromagnetic signal into a digital electronic signal indicative of a still image, and for a device which alternatively displays a still image on the basis of the digital electronic signal from the converting device or from the modifying unit

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication comprising: 
 a device which converts an optical image into a digital electromagnetic signal indicative of a still image;    a receiver which receives an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system;    a modifying unit which modifies said electromagnetic signal into a digital electronic signal indicative of a still image; and    a device which alternatively displays a still image on the basis of the digital electronic signal from the converting device or from the modifying unit.    
     
     
         2 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a memory which alternatively stores the digital electronic signal from the converting device or from the modifying unit, the displaying device being responsive to the memory.  
     
     
         3 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the displaying device includes a reflection type color liquid crystal display device without back light illumination.  
     
     
         4 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a device for automatically activating the receiver responsive to an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system identifying the digital still camera.  
     
     
         5 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising a speaker for generating an audio signal in response to the electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system received by the receiver.  
     
     
         6 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising a device responsive to the receiver for controlling the displaying device to indicate whether the received electromagnetic signal contains a still image signal or an audio signal.  
     
     
         7 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising a device for switching a first mode of generating the audio signal via the speaker in response to the electromagnetic signal received by the receiver to a second mode of displaying the image on the displaying device in response to the electromagnetic signal received by the receiver.  
     
     
         8 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 7 , further comprising a device for inhibiting the speaker from generating the audio signal in the second mode.  
     
     
         9 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 7 , further comprising a device for distinguishing an electromagnetic signal containing a still image signal from an electromagnetic signal containing an audio signal to thereby automatically controlling the switching device.  
     
     
         10 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 7 , further comprising a device for manually controlling the switching device.  
     
     
         11 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising a device for extracting an audio signal component from an electromagnetic signal containing both a still image signal and an audio signal to control the speaker, and a device for extracting a still image signal component from the same electromagnetic signal to control the displaying device, whereby the displaying device is capable of displaying the still image while the audio signal is being generated from the speaker.  
     
     
         12 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 11 , further comprising a microphone for converting sound into an electronic signal, a device for combining the digital electronic signal indicative of a still image with the electronic audio signal to form a combination signal, and a device for transmitting the combination signal as an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system, whereby the still image is capable of being transmitted while the audio signal is transmitted by the transmitting device.  
     
     
         13 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 12 , further comprising a device responsive to the converting device, for storing the digital electromagnetic signal indicative of a still image, wherein the combining device is responsive to the memory to thereby combine the digital electronic signal indicative of a still image converted prior to the combining operation.  
     
     
         14 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the converting device is capable of converting an optical image into a digital electronic signal indicative of a still image while the audio signal is transmitted by the transmitting device.  
     
     
         15 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 12 , further comprising a device for designating a remote device with a telephone number transmitted by the transmitting device as an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system, a memory device for storing at least one specific telephone number, and a device for preventing the combining device form combining the digital electronic signal indicative of a still image with the electronic audio signal when the telephone number designating the remote device coincides with a specific telephone number.  
     
     
         16 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 5 , further comprising a microphone for converting sound into an electronic audio signal, wherein the speaker and the microphone have a first mode function in which they are used with the ear and the mouth of a user respectively close thereto and a second mode function in which they are used with the ear and the mouth of a user respectively remote therefrom.  
     
     
         17 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising a manual switch for activating the display device, wherein the speaker and the microphone are automatically changed into the second mode when the display means is activated by the manual switch.  
     
     
         18 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the optical image converting device is directed toward an object located at a position where the display device is not observable.  
     
     
         19 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication in accordance with  claim 18 , wherein the optical image converting device is capable of being directed toward an object located at a position where the display device is observable.  
     
     
         20 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication comprising: 
 a device which converts an optical image into a digital electronic signal;    a microphone for converting sound into an electronic audio signal;    a device which selects one of the digital electronic signal indicative of the still image and the electronic audio signal;    a first transmitter which transmits an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system to designate a remote device having a telephone number;    a second transmitter which transmits the signal selected by the selecting device as an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system containing the still image signal or the audio signal to the designated remote device;    a memory which stores at least one specific telephone number; and    a device for preventing the selecting device from selecting the digital electronic signal indicative of the still image when the telephone number designating the remote device coincides with the specific telephone number.    
     
     
         21 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication comprising: 
 a device which converts an optical image into a digital electronic signal indicative of a still image;    a microphone for converting sound into an electronic audio signal;    a device which selects one of the digital electronic signal indicative of the still image and the electronic audio signal;    a transmitter which transmits the signal selected by the selecting device as an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system containing the still image signal or the voice signal; and    a device which prevents the selecting device from selecting the digital electronic signal indicative of the still image unless the selection is requested by a manual operation.    
     
     
         22 . A digital still camera capable of telecommunication comprising: 
 a device which converts an optical image into a digital electronic signal indicative of a still image;    a memory which stores at least one specific telephone number;    a first transmitter which transmits an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system to designate a remote device with a telephone number;    a second transmitter which transmits the digital electronic signal indicative of the still image as an electromagnetic signal generated in accordance with a wireless telephone system containing the still image; and    a device which allows the transmission of the electromagnetic signal containing the still image when the telephone number designating the remote device coincides with the specific telephone number in the memory.