Patent Application
20100265533
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an image transmitting device and a method utilizing the image transmitting device to transmit image and, more particularly, to an image transmitting device which allows an image source device to capture images while the image source device is being connected to the image transmitting device by a universal serial bus (USB) cable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently in real time embedded applications, it is impossible for users to print directly from their mobile camera to printer. However, the proposed PictBridge protocol defines a set of protocols and operations that enable an image source device to create and send a print job to an image output device. The proposed protocol supports for printing a single image or a collection of images and for providing the user with ongoing status results. The proposed PictBridge protocol makes it possible for any digital camera and printer to be combined, regardless of manufacturer or model, as long as they both support the PictBridge standard.
In order to print image data, a user is required to connect the digital camera and printer with a USB cable. If a USB cable is used for such connection, the distance between the digital camera and printer is limited by the length of the USB cable. If the cable is short, the digital camera and printer are required to be set near to each other. Furthermore, once the digital camera is connected to the printer by a USB cable, it will enter an operation mode immediately by PictBridge protocol and cannot be used to capture images under the operation mode. After transmitting image data from the digital camera to the printer, the user is required to disconnect the digital camera from the printer so as to operate the digital camera to capture images again. The user operations therefore become complicated.
An objective of the invention is to provide an image transmitting device and method for transmitting an image from an image source device to an image output device so as to solve the aforesaid problems.
According to an embodiment, the image transmitting device of the invention comprises a second connecting interface, an image receiver, a first memory, a wireless transmitter, a processor, and a switch. Furthermore, the image source device comprises a first connecting interface, and the image output device comprises a wireless receiver.
The second connecting interface of the image transmitting device is connected to the first connecting interface of the image source device by a cable. The image receiver is connected to the second connecting interface and used for receiving the image from the image source device via the first and second connecting interfaces. The first memory is used for storing the image received by the image receiver. The wireless transmitter is used for communicating with the wireless receiver and for transmitting the image from the first memory to the image output device via the wireless receiver. The processor is connected to the image receiver, the memory, and the wireless transmitter and used for controlling operations of the image receiver, the memory, and the wireless transmitter. The switch is connected between the second connecting interface and the processor and used for switching on or off the second connecting interface and for driving the processor to switch on or off the image receiver.
According to another embodiment, the method for transmitting an image from an image source device to an image output device comprises the steps of: (1) connecting a first connecting interface of the image source device and a second connecting interface of an image transmitting device by a cable, wherein the image transmitting device comprises a switch for switching on or off the second connecting interface; (2) operating the switch to switch on the second connecting interface; (3) transmitting the image from the image source device to the image transmitting device via the first and second connecting interfaces; and (4) transmitting the image from the image transmitting device to the image output device in wireless manner.
These and other objectives of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.
Referring to
Referring to
Furthermore, the image transmitting device 12 comprises a switch 120, a processor 122, a connecting interface 124, an image receiver 126, a memory 128, and a wireless transmitter 130. The processor 122 is electrically connected to the switch 120, the connecting interface 124, the image receiver 126, the memory 128, and the wireless transmitter 130 so as to control operations of these components. The switch 120 is used for switching on or off the connecting interface 124 and for driving the processor 122 to switch on or off the image receiver 126.
The connecting interface 124 of the image transmitting device 12 can be connected to the connecting interface 106 of the image source device 10 by the cable 16. In this embodiment, the cable 16 is a USB cable, so the connecting interfaces 106, 124 comply with USB protocol. When the image source device 10 is connected to the image transmitting device 12 with the cable 16, the connecting interface 124 is disabled before actuating the switch 120. Therefore, a user still can use the image source device 10 to capture images even though the image source device 10 is connected to the image transmitting device 12 with the cable 16.
When the user wants to print the images captured by the image source device 10 immediately, he or she just needs to depress the switch 120 so as to switch on the connecting interface 124 and drive the processor 122 to switch on the image receiver 126. Afterward, the connecting interface 124 is powered on and then can communicate with the connecting interface 106 of the image source device 10. In this embodiment, the image receiver 126 complies with PictBridge protocol, so it can receive the image from the image source device 10 via the connecting interfaces 106, 124 under PictBridge protocol. That is to say, when the user depresses the switch 120, the photo mode performed on the image source device 10 will be converted into PictBridge mode. In practical applications, the user may manually operate PictBridge mode to send a single image or a collection of images to the image transmitting device 12. It should be noted that when the switch 120 is operated to switch on the connecting interface 124 and drive the processor 122 to switch on the image receiver 126, the image source device 10 is incapable of capturing images.
After receiving the image from the image source device 10 and storing the image into the memory 128, the user has to depress the switch 120 again or, alternatively, the connecting interface 124 and the image receiver 126 will be switched off automatically, so as to convert PictBridge mode into photo mode. Then, the user can use the image source device 10, which is still connected to the image transmitting device 12, to capture images again. That is to say, when the switch 120 is operated to switch off the connecting interface and drive the processor 122 to switch off the image receiver 126 or, alternatively, the connecting interface 124 and the image receiver are switched off automatically after receiving the image from the image source device 10, the image source device 10 is capable of capturing images.
Referring to
In this embodiment, after the image transmitting device 12 receives the image from the image source device 10, the wireless transmitter 130 can transmit the image stored in the memory to the image output device 14 via the wireless receiver 144. Afterward, the image may be stored in the memory 146 or be printed by the print unit 142.
Moreover, a set of wireless setting information can be stored in the memory 146 of the image output device 14. The set of wireless setting information is used for establishing communication between the wireless transmitter 130 of the image transmitting device 12 and the wireless receiver 144 of the image output device 14. In this embodiment, the user can utilizes the aforesaid cable 16 to connect the connecting interface 124 of the image transmitting device 12 and the connecting interface 148 of the image output device 14. It should be noted that the connecting interface 148 also complies with USB protocol since the cable 16 is a USB cable. When the connecting interface 124 is connected to the connecting interface 148 by the cable 16, the set of wireless setting information is capable of being transmitted from the memory 146 of the image output device 14 to the memory 128 of the image transmitting device 12 via the connecting interfaces 124, 148. For example, when the connecting interface 124 is connected to the connecting interface 148 by the cable 16, the set of wireless setting information can be automatically transmitted from the image output device 14 to the image transmitting device 12 and then the setting procedure can be automatically performed. That is to say, the user does not need to remember the set of wireless setting information and setting procedure, and the user operations therefore become easy.
Referring to
First of all, in step S100, a user has to connect the connecting interface 106 of the image source device 10 and the connecting interface 124 of the image transmitting device 12 by the cable 16. It should be noted that the communication between the image source device 10 and the image transmitting device 12 does not be established yet before depressing the switch 120. Next, in step S102, if the user wants to transmit the images stored in the memory 104 of the image source device 10 to the image transmitting device 12, he or she has to operate the switch 120 to switch on the connecting interface 124 so as to establish communication between the image source device 10 and the image transmitting device 12. Then, in step S104, the image can be transmitted from the image source device 10 to the image transmitting device 12 via the connecting interfaces 106, 124 in PictBridge mode. Afterward, in step S106, the image is automatically transmitted from the image transmitting device 12 to the image output device 14 in wireless manner via the wireless transmitter 130 and the wireless receiver 144. As mentioned in the above, after transmitting the image, the user has to operate the switch 120 again to switch off the connecting interface 124 or, alternatively, the connecting interface 124 can be switched off automatically, such that the image source device 10 is capable of capturing images while the connecting interface 106 of the image source device 10 is still connected to the connecting interface 124 of the image transmitting device 12 by the cable 16.
Referring to
Compared to the prior art, when the user wants to print the images captured by the image source device immediately, he or she just needs to depress the switch of the image transmitting device. The user can utilize the image source device to capture images in photo mode before depressing the switch, and the photo mode will be converted into PictBridge mode while he or she depresses the switch. Furthermore, the user can utilize a cable to connect the image transmitting device and the output device, such that the set of wireless setting information can be automatically transmitted from the image output device to the image transmitting device and then the setting procedure can be automatically performed on the image transmitting device. The user operations therefore become easy.
Those skilled in the art will readily observe that numerous modifications and alterations of the device and method may be made while retaining the teachings of the invention.
