ELECTRONIC CAMERA HAVING CONTINUOUS SHOOTING FUNCTION

• US 20040056960A1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Published: 03/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: HAYASHI, MASAKI
• Application Number:
  US09/247,525
• Publication Number:
  US 20040056960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/207.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/215 Recording a sequence of still pictures, e.g. burst mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/212 Selecting different recording or reproducing modes, e.g. high or low resolution, field or frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3247 Data linking a set of images to one another, e.g. sequence, burst or continuous capture mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/60 Control of cameras or camera modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes

Abstract

An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function includes: an image capturing unit that captures a subject image; a setting unit that sets operating parameters related to image processing performed during image capturing; a resolution conversion unit that performs resolution conversion on image data of an image captured by the image capturing unit in correspondence to a resolution set at the setting unit; an image compression unit that performs image compression on image data converted by the resolution conversion unit in correspondence to a compression factor set at the setting unit; and a continuous shooting unit that performs continuous shooting of a subject image by continuously driving the image capturing unit, the resolution conversion unit and the image compression unit. And: the resolution conversion unit is capable of performing resolution conversion at least at a high resolution and at a low resolution that is lower than the high resolution; the image compression unit is capable of performing image compression at least at a low compression factor and at a high compression factor that is higher than the low compression factor; and when the continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, the image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor if the resolution at the resolution conversion unit is set to the low resolution.

Claims

1. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function, comprising:

an image capturing unit that captures a subject image;

a setting unit that sets operating parameters related to image processing performed during image capturing;

a resolution conversion unit that performs resolution conversion on image data of an image captured by said image capturing unit in correspondence to a resolution set at said setting unit;

an image compression unit that performs image compression on image data converted by said resolution conversion unit in correspondence to a compression factor set at said setting unit; and

a continuous shooting unit that performs continuous shooting of a subject image by continuously driving said image capturing unit, said resolution conversion unit and said image compression unit, wherein;

said resolution conversion unit is capable of performing resolution conversion at least at a high resolution and at a low resolution that is lower than the high resolution;

said image compression unit is capable of performing image compression at least at a low compression factor and at a high compression factor that is higher than the low compression factor; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor if the resolution at said resolution conversion unit is set to the low resolution.

2. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function according to claim 1, wherein:

an instruction unit that issues instructions to ensure that said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor, without having to change settings for the resolution and the compression factor that have been set by said setting unit, is provided; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor in conformance to instructions issued at said instruction unit.

3. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function, comprising:

an image capturing unit that captures a subject image;

a setting unit that sets operating parameters related to image processing performed during image capturing;

a resolution conversion unit that performs resolution conversion on image data of an image captured by said image capturing unit in correspondence to a resolution set at said setting unit;

an image compression unit that performs image compression on image data converted by said resolution conversion unit in correspondence to a compression factor set at said setting unit; and

a continuous shooting unit that performs continuous shooting of a subject image by continuously driving said image capturing unit, said resolution conversion unit and said image compression unit, wherein;

said resolution conversion unit is capable of performing resolution conversion at least at a high resolution and at low resolution that is lower than the high resolution;

said image compression unit is capable of performing image compression at least at a low compression factor and at a high compression factor that is higher than the low compression factor; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution if the compression factor at said image compression unit is set to the high compression factor.

4. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function according to claim 3, wherein:

an instruction unit that issues instructions to ensure that said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor, without having to change settings for the resolution and the compression factor that have been set by said setting unit, is provided; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor in conformance to instructions issued at said instruction unit.

6. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function according to claim 3, wherein:

an instruction unit that issues instructions to ensure that said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor, without having to change settings for the resolution and the compression factor that have been set by said setting unit, is provided; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting and the continuous shooting speed is set to the high speed, said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor in conformance to instructions issued at said instruction unit.

5. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function, comprising:

an image capturing unit that captures a subject image;

a setting unit that sets operating parameters related to image processing performed during image capturing;

a resolution conversion unit that performs resolution conversion image data of an image captured by said image capturing unit in correspondence to a resolution set at said setting unit;

an image compression unit that performs image compression on image data converted by said resolution conversion unit in correspondence to a compression factor set at said setting unit; and

a continuous shooting unit that performs continuous shooting of a subject image by continuously driving said image capturing unit, said resolution conversion unit and said image compression unit, wherein;

said setting unit is capable of setting a continuous shooting speed at said continuous shooting unit at least at a normal speed and at a high speed that is higher than the normal speed;

said resolution conversion unit is capable of performing resolution conversion at least at a high resolution and at a low resolution that is lower than the high resolution;

said image compression unit is capable of performing image compression at least at a low compression factor and a high compression factor that is higher than the low compression factor; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor if the continuous shooting speed is set to the high speed.

7. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function, comprising:

an image capturing unit that captures a subject image;

a setting unit that sets operating parameters related to image processing performed during image capturing;

a resolution conversion unit that performs resolution conversion on image data of an image captured by said image capturing unit in correspondence to a resolution set at said setting unit;

an image compression unit that performs image compression on image data converted by said resolution conversion unit in correspondence to a compression factor set at said setting unit;

ad

a continuous shooting unit that performs continuous shooting of a subject image continuously driving said image capturing unit, said resolution conversion unit and said image compression unit, wherein;

said resolution conversion unit is capable of performing resolution conversion a least at a high resolution and at a low resolution that is lower than the high resolution;

image compression at least at a low compression factor and at a high compression factor that is higher than the low compression factor; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, said resolution conversion unit performs solution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor.

8. An electronic camera having a continuous shooting function according to claim 7, wherein:

an instruction unit that issues instructions to ensure that said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor, without having to change settings for the resolution and the compression factor that have been set by said setting unit, is provided; and

when said continuous shooting unit executes continuous shooting, said resolution conversion unit performs resolution conversion at the low resolution and said image compression unit performs image compression at the high compression factor in conformance to instructions issued at said instruction unit.