US7212229B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Digital camera providing image processing for an attachable printer
Assignee: Apple Inc
•
Filing: 2001-03-06
•
Granted: 2007-05-01
•
Expires: 2021-03-06
Abstract
Abstract A system wherein already-existing computing and memory resources in an electronic camera are used to process an image for printing. Rather than duplicating, in printers, computing and memory resources that are already in digital cameras, significant computing and memory resources need exist only in the camera. A digital camera can support many different printers, each with its own set of parameters such as for example print size, pixel size, colorimetry, sensitometry, and artifacts compensation. Printer parameters are uploaded from the printer to the camera to provide a basis for image processing specific to the associated printer; whereby compensation may be done for variations in the printer characteristics which may occur as a result of printer manufacturing variations, and further so that compensation may be done for different media types which may be installed in the printer.
Inventors
- 👤 Kenneth A. Parulski
- 👤 Jeffrey A. Small
- 👤 Douglas W. Couwenhoven
- 👤 Jason C. VanBlargan
- 👤 Raymond E. Wess
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:48
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00962; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00278; H04N1/21; H04N1/2104; H04N1/2112; H04N1/2158; H04N23/00; H04N1/32; H04N1/32101; H04N1/32128; H04N2101/00; H04N2201/00; H04N2201/0008; H04N2201/001; H04N2201/0034; H04N2201/0048; H04N2201/0049; H04N2201/0053; H04N2201/0055; H04N2201/0077; H04N2201/0082; H04N2201/0086; H04N2201/32; H04N2201/3201; H04N2201/3225; H04N2201/3242; H04N2201/3274; H04N2201/3278
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
141 words
A digital camera for use with a separate color printer having predetermined characteristics, said camera comprising: a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture analog image data; an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert the analog image data captured by the image sensor to digital image data; an image processor adapted to perform first processing and compression of the digital image data to create a first-processed digital image file; digital memory in the camera housing, a plurality of first-processed digital image files from the image processor being stored in the digital memory; and an interface to the separate color printer to which a digital image file, which is selected from the digital memory, is applied, wherein the image processor is adapted to perform second processing on the selected digital image file before the selected digital image file is applied to the interface.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
141 words
A digital camera for use with a separate color printer having predetermined characteristics, said camera comprising: a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture analog image data; an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert the analog image data captured by the image sensor to digital image data; an image processor adapted to perform first processing and compression of the digital image data to create a first-processed digital image file; digital memory in the camera housing, a plurality of first-processed digital image files from the image processor being stored in the digital memory; and an interface to the separate color printer to which a digital image file, which is selected from the digital memory, is applied, wherein the image processor is adapted to perform second processing on the selected digital image file before the selected digital image file is applied to the interface.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
27 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein color records of the selected digital image file are converted to multi-tone values during said second processing.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
31 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 2 wherein the multi-tone values are determined using a predetermined number of density levels provided by the separate color printer over the interface.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
25 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 3 wherein the multi-tone values are determined using a predetermined density for each of the density levels.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
28 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein color records of the selected digital image file are processed during said second processing to provide ink limiting.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 5 wherein the ink limiting is effected using type of printer, ink, and receiver media information provided by the separate color printer over the interface.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
59 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the separate color printer uses four ink colors; and the color records of the selected digital image file are converted to three image planes and are color corrected during said second processing to provide a set of color planes corresponding to each ink color of the separate color printer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
31 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 7 wherein the provided set of color planes corresponding to each ink color of the separate color printer include at least four colors.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
38 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 7 wherein the provided set of color planes corresponding to each ink color of the separate color printer include light cyan, dark cyan, light magenta, dark magenta, yellow, and black.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
91 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the separate color printer uses four ink colors; the color records of the selected digital image file are converted to three image planes; and sequentially during said second processing: the three image planes are color corrected to provide a set of color planes corresponding to each ink color of the separate color printer, color records of the user-selected digital image file are processed to provide ink limiting, and color records of the user-selected digital image file are converted to multi-tone values.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
53 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the housing includes a color image display for providing user-observable images of first-processed digital image files stored in the removable digital memory; and user controls coupled to the processor for selecting a digital image file to be second processed by said image processor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
68 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 1 wherein: the first processing includes: interpolation to provide red, green and blue image data values to provide red, green, and blue color planes, color correction of the red, green, and blue color planes, and image compression; and the second processing includes decompression of the selected digital image file before the selected digital image file is applied to the interface.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
102 words
A digital camera as set forth in claim 12 wherein: the separate color printer uses four ink colors; the color records of the user-selected digital image file are converted to three image planes; and sequentially during said second processing: the decompression of the selected digital image file is effected, the three image planes and are color corrected to provide a set of color planes corresponding to each ink color of the separate color printer, color records of the user-selected digital image file are processed to provide ink limiting, and color records of the selected digital image file are converted to multi-tone values.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
144 words
A digital camera for use with a separate color printer having predetermined characteristics, said camera comprising: a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture analog image data; an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert the analog image data captured by the image sensor to digital image data; an image processor adapted to perform first processing and compression of the digital image data to create a first-processed digital image file; digital memory removably mounted in the camera housing, a plurality of first-processed digital image files from the image processor being stored in the removable digital memory; and an interface to the separate color printer to which a digital image file, which is user-selected from the digital memory, is applied, wherein the image processor is adapted to perform second processing on the user-selected digital image file before the user-selected digital image file is applied to the interface.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
144 words
A digital camera for use with a separate color printer having predetermined characteristics, said camera comprising: a housing; an image sensor adapted to capture analog image data; an analog-to-digital converter adapted to convert the analog image data captured by the image sensor to digital image data; an image processor adapted to perform first processing and compression of the digital image data to create a first-processed digital image file; digital memory removably mounted in the camera housing, a plurality of first-processed digital image files from the image processor being stored in the removable digital memory; and an interface to the separate color printer to which a digital image file, which is user-selected from the digital memory, is applied, wherein the image processor is adapted to perform second processing on the user-selected digital image file before the user-selected digital image file is applied to the interface.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4642678A
Cited
US4774574A
Cited
US4962419A
Cited
US5189511A
Cited
US20020080250A1
Cited
US5652621A
Cited
US5668596A
Cited
US5689344A
Cited
US6856425B2
Cited
EP0869656A2
Cited
US20050190265A1
Cited
US6618553B1
Cited
US6668596B1
Cited
US6952222B2
Cited
US20040095469A1
Cited
US20040165083A1
Cited
US20040189811A1
Cited
US20060109349A1
Cited
US20060221191A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2010-04-30 | 2010-10-30 | 2011-05-01 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2014-04-30 | 2014-10-30 | 2015-05-01 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2018-04-30 | 2018-10-30 | 2019-05-01 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |