Image display apparatus having image-related information displaying function

Abstract

An electronic device includes an image sensor that outputs image data; a display that displays the image data output by the image sensor; an operating unit by which a user of the electronic device selects the image data displayed on the display; and a communication circuit that communicates with other electronic devices that are separate from the electronic device. When the image data is selected by the operating unit and the communication circuit receives an identification information of a first electronic device, which is one of the other electronic devices, the communication circuit transmits an identification information of the electronic device and an information about the image data to the first electronic device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic device comprising:
 an image sensor that outputs image data;   a display that displays the image data output by the image sensor;   an operating unit by which a user of the electronic device selects the image data displayed on the display; and   a communication circuit that communicates with other electronic devices that are separate from the electronic device, wherein   when the image data is selected by the operating unit and the communication circuit receives an identification information of a first electronic device, which is one of the other electronic devices, the communication circuit transmits an identification information of the electronic device and an information about the image data to the first electronic device.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the communication circuit transmits the identification information of the electronic device and the information about the image data to the first electronic device based on the identification information of the first electronic device received from the first electronic device.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 when the communication circuit communicates with the first electronic device and a second electronic device which is another one of the other electronic devices, the communication circuit receives the identification information of the first electronic device and an identification information of the second electronic device, and   the display displays a first indication of the first electronic device and a second indication of the second electronic device based on the identification information of the first electronic device and the identification information of the second electronic device.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic device according to  claim 3 , wherein.
 the operating unit enables the user of the electronic device to select at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, and   the communication circuit transmits the identification information of the electronic device and the information about the image data to the at least one of the first and second electronic devices selected by the operating unit.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the communication circuit communicates with the other electronic devices that are within a vicinity of the electronic device when the image data is selected by the operating unit.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the communication circuit receives the identification information from each of the other electronic devices with which the communication circuit was able to communicate.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic device according to  claim 6 , wherein
 the display displays an indication of each of the other electronic devices with which the communication circuit was able to communicate based on the identification information received by the communication circuit.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 the operating unit enables the user of the electronic device to select at least one of the other electronic devices with which the communication circuit was able to communicate, and   the communication circuit transmits the identification information of the electronic device and the information about the image data to each of the other electronic devices selected by the operating unit.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the communication circuit communicates by a short-distance wireless communication.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 an amount of data in the information about the image data transmitted by the communication circuit is less than an amount of data in the image data.   
     
     
         11 . The electronic device according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the information about the image data transmitted by the communication circuit is a reduced-size version of an image represented by the image data.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the information about the image data transmitted by the communication circuit is a thumbnail image.   
     
     
         13 . The electronic device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the operating unit includes a touch screen of the electronic device.   
     
     
         14 . An electronic device comprising:
 an image sensor that outputs image data from an image of a subject received through a lens of the electronic device;   a memory in which the image data is stored;   a display that displays the image data stored in the memory;   a touch screen by which a user of the electronic device selects the image data displayed on the display; and   a communication circuit that communicates with other electronic devices that are external of the electronic device, wherein   when the image data is selected on the touch screen and the communication circuit receives an identification information of a first electronic device, which is one of the other electronic devices, the communication circuit transmits an identification information of the electronic device and an information about the image data selected on the touch screen to the first electronic device.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the communication circuit transmits the identification information of the electronic device and the information about the image data selected on the touch screen to the first electronic device based on the identification information of the first electronic device received from the first electronic device.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 when the communication circuit communicates with the first electronic device and a second electronic device which is another one of the other electronic devices, the communication circuit receives the identification information of the first electronic device and an identification information of the second electronic device, and   the display displays a first indication of the first electronic device and a second indication of the second electronic device based on the identification information of the first electronic device and the identification information of the second electronic device.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic device according to  claim 16 , wherein
 the touch screen enables the user of the electronic device to select at least one of the first electronic device and the second electronic device, and   the communication circuit transmits the identification information of the electronic device and the information about the image data selected on the touch screen to the at least one of the first and second electronic devices selected on the touch screen.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the communication circuit communicates with the other electronic devices that are within a vicinity of the electronic device when the image data is selected on the touch screen.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic device according to claim  1 $, wherein
 the communication circuit receives the identification information from each of the other electronic devices with which the communication circuit was able to communicate.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic device according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the display displays an indication of each of the other electronic devices with which the communication circuit was able to communicate based on the identification information received by the communication circuit.   
     
     
         21 . The electronic device according to  claim 20 , wherein
 the touch screen enables the user of the electronic device to select at least one of the other electronic devices with which the communication circuit was able to communicate, and   the communication circuit transmits the identification information of the electronic device and the information about the image data selected on the touch screen to each of the other electronic devices selected on the touch screen.   
     
     
         22 . The electronic device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 the communication circuit communicates by a short-distance wireless communication.   
     
     
         23 . The electronic device according to  claim 14 , wherein
 an amount of data in the information about the image data transmitted by the communication circuit is less than an amount of data in the image data.   
     
     
         24 . The electronic device according to  claim 23 , wherein
 the information about the image data transmitted by the communication circuit is a reduced-size version of an image represented by the image data.   
     
     
         25 . The electronic device according to  claim 24 , wherein
 the information about the image data transmitted by the communication circuit is a thumbnail image.