picture transfer protocol (PTP)

The Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) is a widely used standardized transfer protocol developed by the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A) for the transfer of static images and photographs.

The PTP protocol, standardized by PIMA in 2000 and under ISO 15740 in 2005, is used to transfer photos from digital cameras or other capture devices to personal computers(PCs), printers, image storage devices, and point of sales( POS) with photo kiosks. It is supported by many well-known camera manufacturers, including Kodak, Hewlett Packard, Nikon, Canon, Panasonic, Olympus, Konica, Minolta, Fuji, Ricoh and Sony.

The platform-independent PTP protocol was originally developed for the USB interface and later extended for WLANs as Picture Transfer Protocol over Internet Protocol (PTP/ IP). It is supported by many operating systems and finds its further development in the Media Transfer Protocol( MTP).