Digital video camera and mode changing method

• US 20070064123A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aizawa, Toyokazu, Nagaoka, Shiro, Abe, Tatsuro, Ikehata, Tatsuhiko, Takahashi, Kuniaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,659,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.990
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the invention, in a digital video camera using a non-tape recording medium, the user can select whether to save a moving image file in a divided form or as one file, when recording a moving image, by changing the function of a REC button. When one moving image file has been saved in a divided form, a moving image file to be reproduced is easily searched, and a moving image is quickly played from an object chapter, or from a divided sub-file.

Claims

1. A digital video camera comprising:

an image pickup unit which optically takes in image data of an object moving image, converts the data into an electric signal of a moving image, and outputs the signal;

an image processing circuit which converts the electric signal of a moving image output from the image pickup unit, to a digital signal;

a data recording medium which is a non-tape recording medium, and holds the moving image data converted into a digital signal in the image processing circuit, in a file format;

a first signal input unit which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on the data recording medium, as a single image file; and

a second signal input unit which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on the data recording medium, together with a divided information optionally given in the single image file.

2. The digital video camera according to claim 1, wherein the second signal input unit is configured to be switched to output a signal for recording as a single image file by the signal output from the first signal input unit, when recording the moving image data on the data recording medium.

3. The digital video camera according to claim 1, further comprising:

an image display unit which is configured to display an image obtained by reproducing the moving image data recorded on the data recording medium; and

an output image control unit which displays an image obtained by reproducing the moving image data based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file held as a single image file on the recording medium, in the video display unit.

4. The digital video camera according to claim 3, wherein the output image control unit is configured to display a reduced image obtained by reproducing the moving image data based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file, in the video display unit.

5. The digital video camera according to claim 4, wherein the first signal input unit is configured to input a signal to start reproduction of the moving image data, by the reduced image displayed in the video display unit, based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file.

6. The digital video camera according to claim 5, further comprising a third signal input unit which is configured to select and instruct a reduced image to reproduce the moving image data, by the reduced image displayed in the video display unit, based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file.

7. A method of changing a signal to be output from a signal input unit in a digital video camera which comprises an image pickup unit which optically takes in image data of an object moving image, converts the data into an electric signal of a moving image, and outputs the signal;

an image processing circuit which converts the electric signal of a moving image output from the image pickup unit, to a digital signal;

a data recording medium which is a non-tape recording medium, and holds the moving image data converted into a digital signal in the image processing circuit, in a file format;

a first signal input unit which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on a data recording medium, as a single image file; and

a second signal input unit which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on a data recording medium, together with a divided information optionally given in a single image file, comprising

displaying a mode change acceptance screen in a display unit at the time when a mode change is instructed;

displaying a change input screen configured to input CHANGE/RESET for a mode selected on a mode change acceptance screen; and

switching a signal output from a second signal input unit to a signal for recording as a single image file by a signal from a first signal input unit, when recording a moving image data on a data recording medium, at the time when a change of a selected mode is input.