Printing system and method having a digital printer that uses a digital camera image display

Abstract

A digital photography system includes a digital camera and a digital printer. The digital camera includes an image display and the digital printer includes user interface controls to control the images displayed on the camera and to select images to be printed.

1 . A digital photography system comprising: 
 a digital camera for capturing images and a digital printer for producing hardcopy prints;    the camera including:    an image sensor for capturing images;    a memory for storing a plurality of the captured images;    an image display for displaying the stored images;    camera user controls for selecting the stored images to be displayed; and    a camera electrical connector which directly mates with a printer electrical connector in the digital printer; and    the printer including:    a housing having a top surface including a recess for receiving the digital camera, the recess including the printer electrical connector which directly mates with the camera electrical connector;    a marking apparatus adapted to provide the images on a print;    printer user controls for controlling, from the printer, the images displayed on the display of the camera and for selecting an image to be printed from the plurality of digital images stored in the memory of the camera; and    a processor, coupled to the user controls, marking apparatus and printer electrical connector, for commanding the digital camera to transfer the selected image from the camera to the printer over the printer electrical connector.    
   
   
       2 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera user controls are smaller than the printer user controls.  
   
   
       3 . A system according to  claim 2 , wherein the printer user controls include a print button which is larger than the other printer user controls.  
   
   
       4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera electrical connector uses the IEEE 1394 interface.  
   
   
       5 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera electrical connector uses the universal serial bus interface.  
   
   
       6 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the printer user controls further comprise menu buttons for processing and manipulating images viewed on the image display of the camera.  
   
   
       7 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the printer user controls enable a selection of a preferred layout from a plurality of layouts.  
   
   
       8 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the printer user controls enable the selected image to be cropped prior to printing.  
   
   
       9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the cropped image is displayed on the image display prior to printing.  
   
   
       10 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the printer user controls enable the selected image to be overlayed with a text message prior to printing.  
   
   
       11 . A system according to claim  21 , wherein the overlayed image is displayed on the color image display prior to printing.  
   
   
       12 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the marking apparatus includes a removable ink jet head.  
   
   
       13 . A system according to  claim 12 , wherein the image display provides a graphical image depicting the amount of ink remaining in the ink jet head.  
   
   
       14 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the printer user controls enable a printing of multiple copies of the selected image.  
   
   
       15 . A digital printer comprising: 
 a housing having a top surface including a recess for receiving a handheld digital camera, the digital camera being smaller than the digital printer such that it can be inserted into said recess;    an printer electrical connector located in the recess, for directly mating with an electrical connector of the digital camera;    a marking apparatus adapted to provide the images on a print;    printer user controls for selecting an image to be printed from a plurality of digital images stored that can be provided by the digital camera; and    a processor, coupled to the user controls, marking apparatus and printer electrical connector, for commanding the digital camera to transfer the selected image from the camera to the printer over the printer electrical connector.    
   
   
       16 . A printer according to  claim 15 , wherein the printer user controls include a print button which is larger than the other printer user controls.  
   
   
       17 . A printer according to  claim 15 , wherein the printer electrical connector uses the IEEE 1394 interface.  
   
   
       18 . A printer according to  claim 15 , wherein the camera electrical connector uses the universal serial bus interface.