Claims
- 1. A method for managing electronic images, said method comprising:
capturing a first plurality of electronic images in a camera; filling memory in said camera to capacity with said first plurality of electronic images; capturing a second plurality of electronic images in said camera, following said filling; selectively assigning individual tags to one or more of said electronic images to define tagged images having said tags and untagged images lacking said tags; during said capturing of said second plurality of electronic images, replacing said untagged images in said memory on a first in-first out basis; retaining said tagged images in said memory during said replacing; downloading together said tagged electronic images and said untagged electronic images to provide a set of downloaded images external to said camera; and retaining said tags in said downloaded images corresponding to said tagged electronic images.
- 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying said set of downloaded images on a computer monitor and identifying said downloaded images having said tags.
- 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising selectively terminating one or more of said tags prior to said downloading, said terminating redefining said tagged images as untagged images.
- 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during said capturing of said electronic images, capturing corresponding first and second pluralities of latent images on photographic film.
- 5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first and second pluralities of latent images on photographic film are in first and second film units, respectively, and said method further comprises loading said first film unit in said camera prior to said capturing of said first plurality of latent images; unloading said first film unit; and, following said unloading and prior to said capturing of said second plurality of latent images, loading said second film unit.
- 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising terminating said tags of said tagged images in said memory responsive to said downloading, said terminating redefining said tagged images as untagged images.
- 7. A method for managing electronic images in a camera, said method comprising:
sequentially storing said first plurality of electronic images in memory in said camera, said memory having a storage capacity commensurate with said first plurality of electronic images; sequentially capturing a second plurality of electronic images in said camera, following said storing; selectively assigning individual tags to one or more of said electronic images to define tagged images having said tags and untagged images lacking said tags; during said capturing of said second plurality of electronic images, sequentially replacing an oldest of said untagged images in said memory; retaining said tagged images in said memory during said replacing; and terminating one or more of said tags, said terminating redefining said tagged images as untagged images, said terminating being independent of said capturing; and downloading together said tagged electronic images and said untagged electronic images to provide a set of downloaded images external to said camera; and retaining said tags in said downloaded images corresponding to said tagged electronic images.
- 8. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying said set of downloaded images on a computer monitor and identifying said downloaded images having said tags.
- 9. The method of claim 1 further comprising, during said capturing of said electronic images, capturing corresponding first and second pluralities of latent images on photographic film.
- 10. A hybrid electronic-film camera for use with photographic film units, said camera comprising:
a body; an electronic capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic capture unit capturing a sequence of electronic images; memory disposed in said body in operative relation to said electronic capture unit, said memory storing said electronic images, said memory having a predetermined storage capacity; a tag selector disposed on said body, said tag selector selectively tagging selected ones of said electronic images in said memory with electronic tags to define said images having said tags as tagged images and said images lacking said tags as untagged images, said tag selector selectively detagging individual ones of said tags; and a memory manager operatively connected to said memory and said tag selector, said memory manager blocking replacement of said tagged images, said memory manager replacing said untagged images in said memory on a first-in-first-out basis when said sequence of electronic images exceeds said storage capacity; and a communications port operatively connected to said memory, said port being selectively useable to download together all of said tagged images and all of said untagged images in said memory.
- 11. The camera of claim 10 further comprising a film capture unit disposed in said body, said film capture unit being capable of selectively capturing a plurality of latent images corresponding to said electronic images.
- 12. A photography system comprising:
a camera including: a body; an electronic capture unit disposed in said body, said electronic capture unit capturing a sequence of electronic images; memory disposed in said body in operative relation to said electronic capture unit, said memory storing said electronic images, said memory having a predetermined storage capacity; a tag selector disposed on said body, said tag selector selectively tagging selected ones of said electronic images in said memory with electronic tags to define said images having said tags as tagged images and said images lacking said tags as untagged images, said tag selector selectively detagging individual ones of said tags; and a memory manager operatively connected to said memory and said tag selector, said memory manager blocking replacement of said tagged images, said memory manager replacing said untagged images in said memory on a first-in-first-out basis when said sequence of electronic images exceeds said storage capacity; and a communications port operatively connected to said memory, said port being selectively useable to download together all of said tagged images and all of said untagged images in said memory; and an image manipulation device operatively connected to receive said download of said tagged and untagged images, said image manipulation device having a monitor displaying said images and an indication of said tags.
- 13. The camera of claim 12 further comprising a film capture unit disposed in said body, said film capture unit being capable of selectively capturing a plurality of latent images corresponding to said electronic images.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Reference is made to commonly assigned, co-pending U.S. patent applications Serial No.______[Attorney Docket No. 83097RLW], entitled: CAMERA HAVING SINGLE-BUTTON TIMED DISPLAY OF MOST-RECENTLY VIEWED IMAGE AND DEFAULT DISPLAY OF LAST VERIFICATION IMAGE AND METHOD, filed______, in the name of Stephen G. Malloy Desormeaux; Serial No. ______[Attorney Docket No. 83099RLW], entitled: HYBRID FILM-ELECTRONIC CAMERA HAVING A DYNAMIC NUMBER OF STORED ELECTRONIC IMAGES PROTECTED FROM OVERWRITING AND METHOD, filed______, in the name of Stephen G. Malloy Desormeaux; Serial No.______[Attorney Docket No. 83096RLW], entitled: CAMERA HAVING SELECTIVE IMAGE EXCLUSION FROM FIRST IN-FIRST OUT ELECTRONIC IMAGE OVERWRITING AND METHOD, filed______, in the name of Stephen G. Malloy Desormeaux; and Serial No.______[Attorney Docket No. 83187RLW], entitled: CAMERA HAVING ELECTRONIC IMAGES CORRESPONDING TO CURRENT FILM IMAGES AUTOMATICALLY EXCLUDED FROM FIRST IN-FIRST OUT OVERWRITING AND METHOD, filed______, in the name of Stephen G. Malloy Desormeaux and Robert Hills.