Electronic camera

Abstract

An electronic camera of the present invention includes: an imaging unit capturing a subject to generate an original image; a derivative image generating unit reducing resolution or color of the original image to generate a derivative image for transfer; a recording unit recording the original image and the derivative image thereon such that the original image and the derivative image get associated with each other; and a transfer unit transferring the derivative image recorded on the recording unit to an external transfer destination. In this configuration, the recording unit finds the derivative image (original image) by referring to the association with the original image (or derivative image), thereby collectively managing the original image and the derivative image. This makes it possible to prevent a user from being confused at image management due to the original image and the derivative image being the same image.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic camera comprising: 
 an imaging unit for capturing a subject to generate an original image;    a derivative image generating unit for reducing resolution or color of the original image to generate derivative image(s) which is/are used for transfer;    a recording unit for recording the original image and the derivative image thereon such that the original image and the derivative image get associated with each other; and    a transfer unit for transferring the derivative image recorded on said recording unit to an external transfer destination.    
     
     
         2 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said recording unit has a folder in which the original image is recorded, and lower folders being under said folder hierarchically and in which the derivative images are separately recorded depending on their respective image sizes, in order to manage the original image and the derivative images in a hierarchical manner.    
     
     
         3 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said transfer unit obtains information on said external transfer destination from said external transfer destination or a user; and    said derivative image generating unit determines an image format in accordance with the information on said external transfer destination to generate the derivative image according to said image format.    
     
     
         4 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 an erase control unit for receiving an erase command for the original image from a user, wherein 
 said recording unit erases the original image in compliance with said erase command, and retrieves and erases the recorded derivative image which is associated with the erased original image.  
   
     
     
         5 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein 
 said recording unit erases the derivative image which has been transferred to exterior by said transfer unit.    
     
     
         6 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a storage space monitoring unit for determining an available storage space of said recording unit and finding a shortage in the available storage space, wherein 
 said recording unit erases all or a part of the derivative images when said storage space monitoring unit finds the shortage in the storage space.  
   
     
     
         7 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a transfer control unit for receiving a file transfer command for the original image from a user, wherein 
 said recording unit file-transfers the original image in compliance with said file transfer command, and retrieves and file-transfers the recorded derivative image which is associated with the original image.  
   
     
     
         8 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a protect control unit for receiving a protect command for the original image from a user, wherein 
 said recording unit sets a protect attribute on the original image in compliance with said protect command, and retrieve the recorded derivative image which is associated with the original image to set a protect attribute on the derivative image.  
   
     
     
         9 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 an original image erase control unit for receiving only an erase command for the original image from a user, wherein 
 said recording unit erases the original image in compliance with said erase command, and retrieves the recorded derivative image which is associated with the original image and upgrade the retrieved derivative image to the original image.  
   
     
     
         10 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said imaging unit selectively has a moving image capture mode in which a subject is captured to generate the original image as a moving image; and    said derivative image generating unit generates the derivative image of the original image captured in said moving image capture mode (namely, the moving image), by reducing resolution or color of one frame of the original image captured in said moving image capture mode.    
     
     
         11 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said imaging unit selectively has a continuous capture mode in which a subject is captured to generate the original image as continuous static images; and    said derivative image generating unit generates the derivative image (namely, a plurality of static images) of the original image captured in said continuous capture mode (namely, a plurality of static images), by reducing resolution or color of each frame of the original image captured in said moving image capture mode.    
     
     
         12 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a thumbnail generating unit for generating a thumbnail image for thumbnail display from the original image and appending the generated thumbnail image to the original image, wherein 
 said thumbnail generating unit does not append said thumbnail image to the original image when the number of pixels of said thumbnail image is equal to or larger than the number of pixels of the derivative image.  
   
     
     
         13 . An electronic camera, comprising: 
 an imaging unit for capturing a subject to generate an original image;    a derivative image generating unit for reducing resolution or color of the original image to generate derivative image(s) which is/are used for transfer;    a recording unit for recording the original image and the derivative image thereon;    a transfer unit for transferring the derivative image recorded on said recording unit to an external transfer destination; and    a control unit for erasing from said recording unit the derivative image which has been transferred to exterior by said transfer unit.    
     
     
         14 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a display unit displaying an image or information on the image, wherein 
 said display unit discriminates between the original image and the derivative image and decides the derivative image as non-display.  
   
     
     
         15 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a display unit displaying an image or information on the image, wherein 
 upon displaying the derivative image, said display unit displays information on an image size of the derivative image.  
   
     
     
         16 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a display unit displaying an image or information on the image, wherein: 
 said display unit displays the derivative image when a user performs a predetermined operation during display of the original image; and  
 when a plurality of derivative images generated from a same original image are present, said display unit displays the plurality of derivative images in the order of their image sizes in compliance with the user's predetermined operation.  
   
     
     
         17 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a display unit displaying an image or information on the image, wherein 
 when deciding the original image as non-display, said display unit also decides, as non-display, the derivative image generated from the non-display original image.  
   
     
     
         18 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a display unit displaying an image or information on the image, wherein 
 said display unit discriminates between the original image and the derivative image, and does not display the original image and the derivative image on a screen at the same time.  
   
     
     
         19 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a slide display unit automatically displaying a plurality of images in sequence, wherein 
 said slide display unit separates said plurality of images into original image(s) and derivative image(s) to automatically display either of the original image (s) and derivative image(s).  
   
     
     
         20 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a transfer setting unit setting a flag on an image designated by a user's input, the flag indicating a transfer candidate of said transfer unit, wherein: 
 said transfer unit has a function of transferring the original image in addition to a function of transferring the derivative image; and  
 when generating the derivative image from the original image having the flag set, said derivative image generating unit removes the flag from the original image and sets the flag on the generated derivative image.  
   
     
     
         21 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a transfer setting unit setting a flag on an image designated by a user's input, the flag indicating a transfer candidate of said transfer unit, wherein: 
 said transfer unit has a function of transferring the original image in addition to a function of transferring the derivative image;  
 when an original image designated by the user's input has a derivative image, said transfer setting unit sets the flag not on the original image but on the derivative image.  
   
     
     
         22 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein further comprising: 
 a transfer setting unit setting a flag on an image designated by a user's input, the flag indicating a transfer candidate of said transfer unit; and    an erase unit erasing an image designated by a user's input, wherein: 
 said transfer unit has a function of transferring the original image in addition to a function of transferring the derivative image;  
 in response to erase of the original image, said transfer setting unit erases the derivative image generated from the erased original image, and removes the flag of the derivative image.  
   
     
     
         23 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a transfer setting unit setting a flag on an image designated by a user's input, the flag indicating a transfer candidate of said transfer unit; and    an erase unit erasing an image designated by a user's input, wherein: 
 said transfer unit has a function of transferring the original image in addition to a function of transferring the derivative image;  
 when the derivative image having the flag set is erased, said transfer setting unit sets the flag on its original image from which the erased derivative image has been generated.  
   
     
     
         24 . The electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising 
 a transfer setting unit setting a flag on an image designated by user's input, the flag indicating a transfer candidate of said transfer unit, wherein: 
 said transfer unit has a function of transferring the original image in addition to a function of transferring the derivative image;  
 said transfer setting unit sets the flag on an original image having print information, irrespective of whether or not the original image has a derivative image.