Digital Camera Email Creation with Position Data

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Solution Overview

Problem

Digital cameras lack a suitable control method for sending and receiving electronic mail with attached images, differing from their primary function of photography and image replay.

Innovation Solution

A digital camera equipped with an image-capturing unit, communication unit, recording control unit, email creation unit, and event information storage unit, allowing for the creation and sending of emails with attached images, along with optional position and map information, and user-editable email titles or texts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a digital camera is equipped with email sending and receiving functions, then communication capability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecommunication capabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the email creation function with the image capture function by integrating the email creation unit with the image-capturing unit and recording control unit. This allows the camera to automatically create email data using captured image data and associated metadata (date, time, location) without requiring separate manual operations, thereby reducing operational complexity while enhancing communication capability

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The camera device performs multiple functions including image capture, email creation, email sending, and position information acquisition within a single integrated system. The control unit coordinates these diverse functions, allowing the device to serve both as a photography tool and a communication device, improving versatility while managing complexity through unified control

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If email content is manually created, then email accuracy is improved, but time consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemail accuracyVSAvoidtime consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent automatically creates email data by pre-assembling image data, date information, time information, and position information into a structured email format. This preliminary automatic assembly reduces the time required for email creation while maintaining accuracy through systematic data organization, eliminating the need for manual content creation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The camera device automatically generates email content using its own captured data (images, metadata, position information) without requiring external input or manual composition. The email creation unit self-servingly assembles the email data from internally stored information, reducing both time consumption and potential errors from manual entry

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Productivity

If automatic email creation is implemented, then productivity is improved, but email content quality may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveemail creation efficiencyVSAvoidemail content quality
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates position information acquisition and map information integration to enhance automatic email creation. By including location data and map information as feedback elements in the email content, the system enriches automatically created emails with contextual information, maintaining content quality while preserving high productivity through automated assembly

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP2040460B1Digital camera
Publication Date: 2014.10.22 NIKON CORP
  • EP2040460B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2040460B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2040460B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A digital camera comprises an image-capturing unit that captures an image of a photographic subject and acquires image data, a communication unit for sending and receiving electronic mail data including image data, a recording control unit that records the image data acquired by the image-capturing unit as photographed image data upon a recording medium, an email for sending creation unit that creates an email for sending, for causing the communication unit to send the electronic mail data, to which is attached an image to be sent based upon the photographed image data recorded upon the recording medium, and an email address setting unit that sets an email address as the destination of the email for sending that has been created by the email for sending creation unit, and the email for sending creation unit creates a title or a text of the email for sending, based upon at least one of the photographed image data and the email address that has been set by the email address setting unit.