Electronic camera and server device

Abstract

An electronic camera, which captures an image and transmits the image via wireless network to a server, comprises a transmitting person information registration means that registers transmitting person information entered by a user, and a transmission inhibit means that inhibits image transmission to the server if transmitting person information is not registered by the transmitting person information registration means.

1 . An electronic camera that captures an image and transmits the image via wireless network to a server, comprising:
 a transmitting person information registration unit that registers transmitting person information entered by a user; and   a transmission inhibit unit that inhibits image transmission to the server if transmitting person information is not registered by the transmitting person information registration unit.   
     
     
         2 . An electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the transmitting person information is a nickname and a mail address of a user.   
     
     
         3 . An electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a transmitting person information transmission unit that transmits to the server transmitting person information registered by the transmitting person information registration unit at a time of image transmission to the server.   
     
     
         4 . An electronic camera according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a registration request unit that requests a user to register transmitting person information if the user instructs image transmission to the server in a state in which the transmitting person information has not been registered.   
     
     
         5 . A server device, comprising:
 a receiving unit that receives an image transmitted from an electronic camera via wireless network;   a browse page creation unit that creates a browse page for browsing the transmitted image from the electronic camera, the image having been received by the receiving unit;   a mail creation unit that creates a notification mail for introducing the browse page that has been created by the browse page creation unit to a person other than a user of the electronic camera; and   a mail transmission unit that transmits the notification mail that has been created by the mail creation unit to a specified mail address.   
     
     
         6 . A server device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the mail creation unit creates a notification mail that includes link information for connecting to the browse page.   
     
     
         7 . A server device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the mail creation unit creates a notification mail having attached thereto a thumbnail image that is a shrunk image of the transmitted image from the electronic camera.   
     
     
         8 . A server device according to  claim 7 , wherein
 if there are more than a predetermined number of images transmitted from the electronic camera, the mail creation unit selects some of the transmitted images and creates a notification mail having attached thereto thumbnail images of selected transmitted images.   
     
     
         9 . A server device according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the mail creation unit makes a decision as to which transmitted image to select based upon an order in which each of images transmitted from the electronic camera was captured.   
     
     
         10 . A server device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the browse page created by the browse page creation unit is erased after a predetermined period of time.   
     
     
         11 . A server device according to  claim 5 , further comprising
 an interruption detection unit that detects interruption of image transmission from the electronic camera, wherein   if interruption of image transmission is detected by the interruption detection unit, the mail creation unit suspends creation of the notification mail.   
     
     
         12 . A server device according to  claim 11 , wherein
 if interruption of image transmission is detected by the interruption detection unit, the mail creation unit releases suspension of creation of the notification mail when an untransmitted image is retransmitted from the electronic camera.   
     
     
         13 . A server device according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the browse page creation unit creates a browse page that includes a mail address of a user of the electronic camera.   
     
     
         14 . A server device according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the mail address of the user has been registered in advance in the electronic camera, and is transmitted when an image is transmitted from the electronic camera.   
     
     
         15 . A server device, comprising:
 an album registration unit that registers an online album for each user of an electronic camera;   a folder setting unit that sets a plurality of folders in each online album registered by the album registration unit;   a receiving unit that receives an image transmitted from the electronic camera via wireless network; and   an image storage unit that stores the transmitted image from the electronic camera that is received by the receiving unit in one of the plurality of folders that have been set in an online album of a user of the electronic camera by the folder setting unit.   
     
     
         16 . A server device according to  claim 15 , wherein
 the image storage unit stores the transmitted image from the electronic camera in an initial folder that has been set in advance from among the plurality of folders.   
     
     
         17 . A server device according to  claim 16 , wherein
 an image stored in the initial folder is not published to anyone but the user.   
     
     
         18 . An electronic camera that captures an image and transmits the image via wireless network to a server, a personal computer, or a printer, comprising:
 a wireless communication unit that performs a wireless communication with an access point that is located in the wireless network;   a mode switch unit that switches in response to operation input of a user between a variety of operation modes including at least a capture mode for capturing an image and a wireless LAN mode for performing a wireless communication with the access point by the wireless communication unit so as to transmit an image to the server, the personal computer, or the printer; and   a search unit that searches an access point that can communicate wirelessly with the wireless communication unit when an operation mode is switched to the wireless LAN mode by the mode switch unit.   
     
     
         19 . An electronic camera according to  claim 18 , further comprising:
 an access point selection unit that selects in response to operation input of the user one of access points that have been found by the search unit; and   a menu display control unit that displays on a display device a menu screen on which a list of a variety of menu items is displayed in accordance with a selection result of access point by the access point selection unit, wherein   the menu display control unit varies a display configuration of the menu screen depending upon a network connection configuration of an access point that has been selected by the access point selection unit.   
     
     
         20 . An electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the menu display control unit displays menu items in a list on the menu screen that vary depending on whether or not the selected access point is connected to a server.   
     
     
         21 . An electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the menu display control unit displays menu items in a list on the menu screen that vary depending on whether or not the selected access point is connected to a personal computer.   
     
     
         22 . An electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the menu display control unit displays menu items in a list on the menu screen that vary depending on whether or not the selected access point is connected to a printer.   
     
     
         23 . An electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the menu display control unit does not display the menu screen if the selected access point is connected only to either a server or a printer.   
     
     
         24 . An electronic camera according to  claim 19 , wherein
 the menu display control unit makes a decision as to a network connection configuration of the selected access point based upon profile information of each device that has been registered in advance.   
     
     
         25 . An electronic camera that captures an image and transmits the image via wireless network to a server, a personal computer, or a printer, comprising:
 a wireless communication unit that performs a wireless communication with an access point that is located in the wireless network; and   an image selection unit that selects an image to be transmitted to the server, the personal computer, or the printer, in response to operation input of a user, wherein   the wireless communication unit starts the wireless communication with the access point after an image is selected by the image selection unit.   
     
     
         26 . An electronic camera according to  claim 25 , wherein
 the wireless communication unit terminates the wireless communication with the access point after the selected image is transmitted.   
     
     
         27 . An electronic camera according to  claim 26 , further comprising
 a power supply stop unit that stops power supply to the wireless communication unit after the wireless communication with the access point is terminated by the wireless communication unit.   
     
     
         28 . An electronic camera according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the transmitting person information includes information that is to be announced to a person other than the user of the electronic camera, the person browsing the image transmitted to the server.   
     
     
         29 . An electronic camera according to  claim 28 , wherein
 the server comprises a browse page creation unit that creates a browse page for browsing the transmitted image from the electronic camera, the browse page including the transmitting person information.