Digital camera, and image synthesizer and method of controlling the same

Abstract

The present invention is directed to identifying photographs to be handed to attendants at a wedding reception, for example. In front of a seat in which the attendant at the wedding reception sits, an Ir light emitting device which transmits a seat code for identifying the attendant is placed. The seat code is received, to record data representing the seat code, and the attendant is photographed, to record image data representing an image of the attendant in correlation with the seat code on a memory card of a digital camera. An attendant file including the seat code and the name of the attendant is previously created. The image of the attendant which is obtained by the photographing, the name of the attendant and so forth are related to each other using the seat code. A print is obtained from a composite image in which the image of the attendant and the name of the attendant is synthesized with a template image. The attendant to which the print is to be handed can be confirmed by seeing the name.

1 .- 8 . (Cancelled).  
     
     
         9 . A digital camera comprising: 
 an imaging device for photographing an image of a subject;    a receiving device for receiving an identification code;    a first storage device for storing digital image data representing the subject image obtained from the imaging device in correlation with the identification code received by the receiving device, and    a second storage device for storing a plurality of items of subject identification information representatively including identification codes; and    the first storage device for comparing the identification code received by the receiving device with the identification codes stored in the second storage device and for storing the subject identification information which includes the identification code matching with the received identification code and the digital image data obtained from the imaging device in correlation with each other.    
     
     
         10 . The digital camera according to  claim 9  further comprising a display device for displaying the identification code received by the receiving device.  
     
     
         11 . The digital camera according to  claim 9 , wherein the receiving device has high directivity.  
     
     
         12 . (Cancelled).  
     
     
         13 . The digital camera according to  claim 9  further comprising a display device for displaying a part of the subject identification information which includes the identification code matching with the received identification code.  
     
     
         14 . The digital camera according to  claim 9  further comprising: 
 a device for performing image synthesis of the digital image data and the data representing the subject identification information which are stored in the first storage device in mutually correlated manner; and  
 a printer for printing the composite image produced by the image synthesis device.  
 
     
     
         15 . A digital camera comprising: 
 number-of-photographs-to-be-taken file input device for inputting a file in which the number of photographs to be taken is previously determined for each category;    first report control device for reporting for each category the number of photographs to be taken;    recording control device for recording image data representing an image of the subject obtained by photographing the subject for each category on a recording medium;    decrement means for decrementing the number of photographs to be taken for the corresponding category in response to the recording of the image data on the recording medium by the recording control device; and    second report control device for reporting for each category the number of photographs to be taken after the decrement by the decrement means.    
     
     
         16 . The digital camera according to  claim 15  further comprising a device for changing the number of photographs to be taken.  
     
     
         17 . A printer controller comprising: 
 an input device for inputting image data obtained by photographing a subject for each category and number data representing the number of photographs which have already been taken or which is to be taken;    a number-of-prints setting device for setting for each subject the number of prints to be made from an image of the subject which is represented by the image data obtained by the photographing;    calculation means for calculating for each category the number of prints to be made which is set by the number-of-prints setting device;    a warning device for providing warning when the number of prints to be made for each category which is calculated by said calculation means is more than the number data; and    an output device for outputting data representing the number of prints to be made which is set by the number-of-prints setting device and the corresponding image data when the number of prints to be made for each category which is calculated by the calculation means is not more than the number data.    
     
     
         18 . The printer controller according to  claim 17 , wherein the output device outputs the data to a printer, and further comprising 
 a device for reporting for each category conditions for printing by the printer.    
     
     
         19 . An image synthesizing method comprising the steps of: 
 inputting, from an image file storing image data of a plurality of frames respectively representing subject images which are obtained by photographing the subjects in correlation with identification codes respectively specifying the plurality of subjects, the image data and the identification codes;    inputting, from a subject identification file storing subject identification information including the identification codes for the plurality of subjects, the subject identification information; and    synthesizing to output the image data and the subject identification information which are related to each other by the identification code, among the inputted image data and the inputted subject identification information.    
     
     
         20 . (Cancelled).  
     
     
         21 . A method of controlling the operation of a digital camera, comprising the steps of; 
 inputting a file in which the number of photographs to be taken is previously determined for each category;    reporting for each category the number of photographs to be taken;    photographing a subject in accordance with the category and recording image data representing an image of the subject on a recording medium;    decrementing the number of photographs to be taken for the corresponding category in response to the recording of the image data on the recording medium; and    reporting for each category the number of photographs to be taken after the decrement.    
     
     
         22 . A method of operating a printer controller, comprising the steps of: 
 inputting image data obtained by photographing a subject for each category and number data representing the number of photographs which have already been taken or which is to be taken;    setting for each subject the number of prints to be made from an image of the subject which is represented by the image data obtained by the photographing;    calculating for each category the set number of prints to be made;    providing warning when the calculated number of prints to be made for each category is more than the number data; and    outputting data representing the set number of prints to be made and the corresponding image data when the calculated number of prints to be made for each category is not more than the number data.    
     
     
         23 . A method of controlling the operation of a digital camera, comprising the steps of: 
 inputting identification data determined in correspondence with a subject;    photographing the subject, to obtain image data representing an image of the subject;    recording the image data obtained by the photographing and the inputted identification data on a recording medium in correlation with each other; and    receiving an identification code corresponding to a respective segment of the identification data when photographing the subject,    wherein said recording step correlates the respective segment of the identification data with the image data based on the received identification code,    wherein the respective segment comprises name information associated with the identification code.    
     
     
         24 . A camera according to  claim 9 , wherein the digital image data and the subject identification information are individually and uniquely correlated.  
     
     
         25 . The image synthesizing method according to  claim 19 , wherein the identification information and the image data are individually and uniquely correlated.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the image file storing image data is stored to a first storage device, and the subject identification file is stored to a second storage device, wherein the first and second storage devices comprise separate media, and wherein inputting of the image data and inputting of the subject identification information comprises reading data from the first and second storage devices and inputting the image data and subject identification to an output device for synthesis.  
     
     
         27 . The camera according to  claim 9 , wherein the subject identification information comprises information prestored in the second storage device.  
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the subject identification information comprises information prestored in the second storage device.