This invention relates to an imaging apparatus and an imaging method for supplying an optimum amount of image data to another apparatus. When a PDA 91 has a maximum transfer rate of 1.5 Mbps, a mobile phone 1 determines that a maximum speed of communication with the PDA 91 is low, reduces accordingly the amount of moving image data captured by a CCD of the mobile phone, and supplies the captured moving image data to the PDA 91. The PDA 91 displays a low-quality moving image 93 on its display unit. When the PDA 91 has a maximum transfer rate of 480 Mbps, the CPU of the mobile phone leaves unchanged the amount of moving picture data captured by the CCD and supplies the captured moving image data to the PDA 91. The PDA 91 then displays a high-quality moving image 94 on the display unit. This invention applies advantageously to digital cameras.

A display apparatus transmits a picture acquisition request for getting picture information to an external image apparatus connected through a predetermined interface to the display apparatus from the external image apparatus at predetermined intervals and gets a plurality of pieces of picture information from the external image apparatus to be displayed. The plurality of pictures may be switched at predetermined intervals, for example, to be displayed, so that the plurality of pictures may be displayed in a so-called slide show manner. A plurality of pictures for thumbnail may be produced from the plurality of pieces of picture information and be arranged together to be displayed in one picture screen of a display device.

A display apparatus transmits a picture acquisition request for getting picture information to an external image apparatus connected through a predetermined interface to the display apparatus from the external image apparatus at predetermined intervals and gets a plurality of pieces of picture information from the external image apparatus to be displayed. The plurality of pictures may be switched at predetermined intervals, for example, to be displayed, so that the plurality of pictures may be displayed in a so-called slide show manner. A plurality of pictures for thumbnail may be produced from the plurality of pieces of picture information and be arranged together to be displayed in one picture screen of a display device.

Embodiments of a fax system with adaptive protocol selection, and methods for such a system, are disclosed herein. Embodiments of a fax system may be adapted to selectively configure the protocol (both the type of protocol or aspects of a particular protocol) used in association with the transmission or reception of a specific fax. The configuration of the protocol utilized can be based on one or more attributes associated with a sender or a destination. The fax can then be transmitted or received according to those configuration parameters.

Methods and devices for masking latency may include detecting a pause in receiving an image stream from an imaging device and generating one or more virtual image frames, each including a status indicator to indicate a status of the imaging device when the pause in receiving the image stream is detected. The methods and devices may also include generating, at the operating system, a data stream with the one or more virtual image frames inserted after a last image frame of the received image stream. In addition, the methods and devices may include transmitting the data stream to an application.

A photographic processing system in which subject and other data is stored and such data is automatically linked to photographs taken using either a film or digital camera.

An imaging apparatus to be remotely controlled by an external electronic device includes: a communication unit that communicates with the electronic device; an imaging unit that captures a moving image of a subject to generate moving image data from which still image data is to be extracted; a storage unit that stores, in a recording medium, the moving image data generated by the imaging unit; and a control unit that controls an operation of the imaging apparatus. The control unit performs a process of generating the moving image data in response to a first request from the electronic device and generating the still image data by extracting at least one frame image from the moving image data stored in the recording medium, in response to a second request from the electronic device, and causes the communication unit to transmit the generated still image data to the electronic device.

An image processing device that provides an operation terminal device with an operation screen and receives input information from the operation terminal device, comprising a hardware processor that: communicates with the operation terminal device in either a first communication mode or a second communication mode, which is different from the first communication mode; determines whether the communication with the operation terminal device is in the first communication mode or the second communication mode; and creates a first screen, which is the operation screen imposed with no limit, and provides the operation terminal device with the created first screen when the communication is determined to be made in the first communication mode, and creates a second screen, which is the operation screen imposed with a limit, and provides the operation terminal device with the created second screen when the communication is determined to be made in the second communication mode.

An image forming apparatus including applications and system side software for providing system side services to the applications is provided, in which the image forming apparatus includes: an authentication module for displaying an authentication screen on an operation panel of the image forming apparatus, wherein the authentication module allows the image forming apparatus to display a screen for using the image forming apparatus instead of the authentication screen if authentication data input from the authentication screen satisfies an authentication condition, and wherein the authentication module is provided in the image forming apparatus separately from the system side software.

Embodiment of systems and methods for the sending, delivery or receiving of faxes are disclosed herein. In particular, certain embodiments include a fax connector that may be deployed at users' sites, and a fax registration system that may be deployed remotely from these users' site. The fax connector can be accessed at a user's site over a computer based network in order to perform functions associated with faxing, including sending, receiving and obtaining status on faxes. The fax connector deployed at a sending user's site communicates with the fax registration system to obtain destination data associated with a recipient user's fax connector and transmits the fax to the destination fax connector over the computer based network based on the destination data obtained from the registration system. The fax can then be presented to the recipient at the recipient user's site.