Data recorder, electronic camera, and recording medium

• US 20020031349A1
• Filed: 08/24/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Hayashi, Masaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,012,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 396/429
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/215 Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media

Abstract

A data recorder of the present invention comprises a recording unit, a condition determining unit, and an optimizing unit. This condition determining unit performs a recording test or information acquisition on a recording medium, and determines from the result the right condition for performing a recording operation. The optimizing unit optimizes the recording operation according to this right condition. The recording unit performs the recording condition optimized by the optimizing unit, thereby recording data on the removable recording medium.

Claims

1. A data recorder comprising:

a recording unit for recording data on a removable recording medium;

a condition determining unit for determining a right condition for performing a recording operation with said recording unit according to a recording test performed on said recording medium; and

an optimizing unit for optimizing the recording operation of said recording unit according to said right condition determined by said condition determining unit.

3. The data recorder according to claim 1, wherein:

said recording unit includes a recording buffer for temporarily storing data yet to be output to said recording medium; and

said optimizing unit optimizes the capacity of said recording buffer according to said right condition.

5. An electronic camera comprising:

the data recorder according to claim 1;

and

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data, wherein

said data recorder records image data generated by said shooting unit.

7. An electronic camera comprising:

the data recorder according to claim 3; and

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data, wherein

said data recorder records image data generated by said shooting unit.

9. An electronic camera comprising:

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data;

a continuous shooting memory for temporarily storing said image data yet to be completed of processing; and

the data recorder according to claim 3 for recording image data generated by said shooting unit, and wherein

said optimizing unit included in the data recorder optimizes the capacity of said recording buffer by allocating an area of said continuous shooting memory to said recording buffer according to said right condition.

11. An electronic camera comprising:

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data;

a display memory for storing said image data for displaying purpose; and

the data recorder according to claim 3 for recording image data generated by said shooting unit, and wherein

said optimizing unit included in the data recorder optimizes the capacity of said recording buffer by allocating an area of said display memory to said recording buffer according to said right condition.

13. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program for operating a computer as said recording unit, said condition determining unit, and said optimizing unit according to claim 1, the computer having the function of recording data on a removable recording medium.

15. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program for operating a computer as said recording unit, said condition determining unit, and said optimizing unit according to claim 3, the computer having the function of recording data on a removable recording medium.

2. A data recorder comprising:

a recording unit for recording data on a removable recording medium;

a condition determining unit for determining a right condition for performing a recording operation with said recording unit according to information acquisition from said recording medium; and

an optimizing unit for optimizing the recording operation of said recording unit according to on said right condition determined by said condition determining unit.

4. The data recorder according to claim 2, wherein:

said recording unit includes a recording buffer for temporarily storing data yet to be output to said recording medium; and

said optimizing unit optimizes the capacity of said recording buffer according to said right condition.

6. An electronic camera comprising:

the data recorder according to claim 2; and

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data, wherein

said data recorder records image data generated by said shooting unit.

8. An electronic camera comprising:

the data recorder according to claim 4; and

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data, wherein

said data recorder records image data generated by said shooting unit.

10. An electronic camera comprising:

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data;

a continuous shooting memory for temporarily storing said image data yet to be completed of processing; and

the data recorder according to claim 4 for recording image data generated by said shooting unit, and wherein

said optimizing unit included in the data recorder optimizes the capacity of said recording buffer by allocating an area of said continuous shooting memory to said recording buffer according to said right condition.

12. An electronic camera comprising:

a shooting unit for shooting a subject image to generate image data;

a display memory for storing said image data for displaying purpose; and

the data recorder according to claim 4 for recording image data generated by said shooting unit, and wherein

said optimizing unit included in the data recorder optimizes the capacity of said recording buffer by allocating an area of said display memory to said recording buffer according to said right condition.

14. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program for operating a computer as said recording unit, said condition determining unit, and said optimizing unit according to claim 2, the computer having the function of recording data on a removable recording medium.

16. A machine-readable recording medium containing a program for operating a computer as said recording unit, said condition determining unit, and said optimizing unit according to claim 4, the computer having the function of recording data on a removable recording medium.