1. A system for taking and printing digital images comprising:
a digital camera, a digital image processing unit, and a printer,
where the digital camera comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with the digital image processing unit, where the digital image processing unit comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with the digital camera and a means of communicating with the printer, where the printer comprises a means of communicating with the digital image processing unit,
where the digital camera transfers digital images to the digital image processing unit, where the digital image processing unit automatically transfers the digital images it receives from the digital camera to the printer to be printed.
2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote server, where the remote server wirelessly communicates with the digital image processing unit, where the remote server is connected to the internet, where users can access the remote server to view digital images.
3. The system of claim 2, where the digital image processing unit automatically transfers the digital images, received from the digital camera, to the remote server.
4. The system of claim 1, where the printer wirelessly communicates with the digital image processing unit.
5. The system of claim 1, where the digital image processing unit and the printer are the same physical device.
6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote server, where the digital image processing unit further comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with a remote server, where the digital image processing unit obtains settings necessary to perform its functions from the remote server.
7. A method for disseminating digital images comprising the steps of:
(a) Entering settings for a first event into a remote server;
(b) Sending a digital image system to the first event, where the digital image system comprises a digital camera, a digital image processing unit, and a printer,
where the digital camera comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with the digital image processing unit, where the digital image processing unit comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with the digital camera and a means of communicating with the printer, where the printer comprises a means of communicating with the digital image processing unit,
where the digital camera transfers digital images to the digital image processing unit, where the digital image processing unit automatically transfers the digital images it receives from the digital camera to the printer to be printed;
(c) Having the digital image processing unit communicate with the remote server and download the settings for the first event;
(d) Taking a digital image with a digital camera;
(e) Transferring the digital image from the digital camera to a digital image processing unit, where the digital camera wirelessly communicates with the digital image processing unit;
(f) Transferring the digital image from the digital image processing unit to the printer; and
(g) Printing the image from the printer.
8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the steps of:
(h) Entering settings for a second event into the remote server;
(i) Sending the digital image system to the second event,
(j) Having the digital image processing unit communicate with the remote server and download the settings for the second event.
9. The method of claim 7, wherein after step (e), the digital image processing unit overlays a graphic on the digital image thereby creating a composite digital image, where the composite digital image becomes the digital image.
10. The method of claim 9, where the graphic was downloaded from the remote server.
11. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step:
(h) Transferring the digital image from the digital image processing unit to the remote server.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step:
(i) making the digital image accessible over the internet.
13. The method of claim 7, where the digital image processing unit wirelessly communicates with the remote server.
14. The method of claim 7, wherein step (a), the settings are entered into a database on the remote server.
15. The method of claim 7, where the remote server is a plurality of computer servers.
16. The method of claim 7, where the digital image system further comprises an additional printer, where the digital image processing unit sends the digital images to either the printer or the additional printer to be printed.
17. A method for disseminating digital images comprising the steps of:
(a) Entering settings for a first event into a remote server;
(b) Sending a digital image system to the first event, where the digital image system comprises a digital camera, a digital image processing unit, and a printer,
where the digital camera comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with the digital image processing unit, where the digital image processing unit comprises a means of wirelessly communicating with the digital camera and a means of communicating with the printer, where the printer comprises a means of communicating with the digital image processing unit,
where the digital camera transfers digital images to the digital image processing unit, where the digital image processing unit automatically transfers the digital images it receives from the digital camera to the printer to be printed;
(c) Having the digital image processing unit communicate with the remote server and download the settings for the first event;
(d) Taking a digital image with a digital camera;
(e) Transferring the digital image from the digital camera to a digital image processing unit, where the digital camera wirelessly communicates with the digital image processing unit;
(f) Transferring the digital image from the digital image processing unit to the printer;
(g) Transferring the digital image from the digital image processing unit to the remote server; and
(h) Printing the image from the printer;
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps:
(i) Entering settings for a second event into the remote server;
(j) Sending the digital image system to the second event, and
(k) Having the digital image processing unit communicate with the remote server and download the settings for the second event.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein after step (e), the digital image processing unit overlays a graphic on the digital image thereby creating a composite digital image, where the composite digital image becomes the digital image.
20. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step:
(i) making the digital image accessible over the internet.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An electric storage apparatus comprising:
an electric storage device;
a potential difference measuring unit for measuring a potential difference at two arbitrary points on a chargingdischarging path for the electric storage device;
a self-holding switch disposed between the two points on the chargingdischarging path;
a current measuring unit for measuring a current flowing on the chargingdischarging path;
a switch controller for controlling switching of the self-holding switch based on at least the state of the electric storage device; and
an operational state determining unit for determining the operational state of the self-holding switch based on the control state of the switch controller and at least one of a result measured by the potential difference measuring unit and a result measured by the current measuring unit.
2. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the current measuring unit measures the current between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch or at one arbitrary point on a path connected to a negative electrode of the electric storage device.
3. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the operational state determining unit causes the switch controller to drive the self-holding switch in the case where the operational state of the self-holding switch and the control state of the switch controller are different from each other.
4. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in the case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into a closed state, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is an open state when a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a chargingdischarging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes a predetermined value or more.
5. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in the case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into a closed state, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is an open state when the range of fluctuations of a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a chargingdischarging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes a predetermined value or more.
6. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in the case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into a closed state,
the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is an open state
when the magnitude of a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a chargingdischarging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination or the range of fluctuations of the difference becomes a predetermined value or more, and further, the current measured by the current measuring unit is substantially 0 A.
7. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in the case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into an open state, the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is a closed state when a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a chargingdischarging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes substantially 0 V.
8. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
in the case where the switch controller controls the self-holding switch so as to turn it into an open state,
the operational state determining unit determines that the operational state of the self-holding switch is a closed state
when a difference between an electric storage device voltage between the electric storage device and the self-holding switch and a chargingdischarging voltage between the self-holding switch and a charging source or a discharging destination becomes substantially 0 V, and further, the current measured by the current measuring unit is substantially larger than 0 A.
9. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the self-holding switch is switched in response to a pulse signal.
10. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the self-holding switch is a latch relay.
11. The electric storage apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a notifying unit for notifying an alarm in the case where the operational state of the self-holding switch determined by the operational state determining unit is different from the control state of the switch controller.
12. A power path switch apparatus comprising:
a potential difference measuring unit for measuring a potential difference between two arbitrary points on a power path;
a self-holding switch disposed between the two points on the power path;
a current measuring unit for measuring a current flowing on the power path;
a switch controller for controlling switching of the self-holding switch based on at least the operational state on the input side of the power path; and
an operational state determining unit for determining the operational state of the self-holding switch based on the control state of the switch controller and at least one of a result measured by the potential difference measuring unit and a result measured by the current measuring unit.
13. A power path switch method comprising the steps of;
measuring a potential difference between two arbitrary points on a power path;
measuring a current flowing on the power path;
controlling switching of a self-holding switch disposed between the two points on the power path by a switch controller based on at least the operational state on the input side of the power path; and
determining the operational state of the self-holding switch based on the control state of the switch controller and at least one of the measurement result of a potential difference and the measurement result of a current.