Electronic imaging apparatus

• US 20070109427A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 05/17/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1992
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Satoh, Yoshiaki, Kiyokawa, Izuru, Saitoh, Yawara
• Granted Patent: US 7,599,581 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00127 Connection or combination of a still picture apparatus with another apparatus, e.g. for storage, processing or transmission of still picture signals or of information associated with a still picture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00347 with another still picture apparatus, e.g. hybrid still picture apparatus circuits or arrangements for control or supervision between image input and image output device H04N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2129 Recording in, or reproducing from, a specific memory area or areas, or recording or reproducing at a specific moment
• 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 1/32128 attached to the image data, e.g. file header, transmitted message header, information on the same page or in the same computer file as the image for information embedded in the image H04N1/32144
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0039 Connection via a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0041 Point to point H04N2201/0039 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0049 By wire, cable or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0077 Types of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0084 Digital still camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0086 Image transceiver H04N2201/0093 and H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• 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 2201/216 Arrangements for recording on different types of storage medium, e.g. IC card or magnetic tape; Recording on a plurality of storage media
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3252 : Image capture parameters, e.g. resolution, illumination conditions, orientation of the image capture device H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 : The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/635 : Region indicators; Field of view indicators
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 : for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/661 : Transmitting camera control signals through networks, e.g. control via the Internet
• 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 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 : using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

In an electronic imaging apparatus, image information of an image signal photoelectrically converted from an image incident is stored in image information storing means in a format dependent upon a type of the applied storage device. Provided therein are communication means for transmitting and/or receiving image information generated in this apparatus or the other equivalent apparatuses while an operation mode of the apparatus is set for communication and switch means for causing the communication means to start a communication mode operation.

Claims

1. An electronic image pick-up apparatus for capturing an image information representing an object image and storing the image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure, comprising:

a storage controller adapted to control storing of image information on the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching an upper limit of registered image information of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the upper limit.

2. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 1, wherein the storage medium is a detachable storage medium.

3. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 1, wherein the directory structure is a hierarchical directory structure.

4. An electronic image pick-up apparatus for storing an image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure comprising:

an image pick-up device adapted to generate an electrical signal representing an object image;

an A/D converter adapted to convert the electrical signal to a digital image data;

a compression circuit adapted to compress the digital image data to obtain the image information; and

a storage controller adapted to control storing of the image information on the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching a file registration limit of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the file registration limit.

5. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 4, wherein the electronic image pick-up apparatus reproduces a stored image information stored on the storage medium by using the directory structure for play-back, the electronic image pick-up apparatus further comprising:

a display unit adapted to display, for play-back, a first indication representing a directory in which a stored image information is registered and a second indication representing a stored image information.

6. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 5, wherein the display unit is adapted to display a connection symbol disposed between the first indication and the second indication.

7. An electronic image pick-up apparatus for storing an image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure and reproducing a stored image information stored on the storage medium by using the directory structure for play-back, comprising:

a storage controller adapted to control storing of the image information on the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching an upper limit of registered image information of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the upper limit; and

a display unit adapted to display, for play-back, a first indication representing a directory in which a stored image information is registered and a second indication representing a stored image information.

8. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 7, wherein the display unit is adapted to display a connection symbol disposed between the first indication and the second indication.

9. An electronic image pick-up apparatus for storing an image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure and reproducing a stored image information stored on the storage medium by using the directory structure for play-back, comprising:

a storage controller adapted to control storing of the image information on the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure up to a maximum file registration number of the directory, and not registering the image information in the directory beyond the maximum file registration number; and

a display unit adapted to display, for play-back, a first indication representing a directory in which a stored image information is registered and a second indication representing a stored image information.

10. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 9, wherein the storage controller changes from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the maximum file registration number.

11. An electronic image pick-up apparatus for capturing an image information representing an object image and storing the image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure, comprising.

a storage controller adapted to control storing of the image information on the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching an upper limit of registered image information of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory after reaching the upper limit;

and

an operation member for manually changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information before reaching the upper limit.

12. An electronic image pick-up apparatus for capturing an image information representing an object image and storing the image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure, comprising:

a storage controller adapted to control storing of the image information on the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure up to a maximum file registration number of the directory and not registering the image information in the directory beyond the maximum file registration number; and

an operation member for manually changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information before reaching the maximum file registration number.

13. The electronic image pick-up apparatus of claim 12, wherein the storage controller changes from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the maximum file registration number.

14. A method for storing an image information on a storage medium of an image pick-up apparatus by using a directory structure, comprising:

capturing an image representing an object;

storing the image information by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching an upper limited of registered image information of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the upper limit; and

changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information before reaching the upper limit by manual operation.

15. A method for storing an image information on a storage medium of an image pick-up apparatus by using a directory structure, comprising:

capturing an image representing an object;

checking whether an upper limit of registered image information of a current directory is reached;

registering the image information in the current directory until reaching the upper limit according to the checking result; and

changing the current directory from the directory to another directory after reaching the upper limit.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the another directory is in a higher-order layer in the directory structure.

17. A method for storing an image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure and playing back a stored image information stored on the storage medium by using the directory structure, comprising:

checking whether an upper limit of registered image information of a current directory is reached;

registering the image information in the current directory until reaching the upper limit according to the checking result;

changing the current directory from the directory to another directory after reaching the upper limit; and

in playing-back the stored image information, displaying a first indication representing a directory in which a stored image information is registered and a second indication representing a stored image information.

18. A method for storing an image information on a storage medium of an image pick-up apparatus by using a directory structure, comprising:

capturing an image representing an object;

registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure up to an upper limit of registered image information of the directory; and

beyond the upper limit, not registering the image information in the directory, but changing to another directory before registering the image information.

19. A method for storing image information on a storage medium of an electronic image pick-up apparatus, comprising:

checking whether a registration limit of a directory is reached;

designating, if further registration within the directory is possible, a directory entry within the directory for registering an image information; and

changing, if no further registration within the directory is possible, to another directory for registering image information.

20. A method for storing image information on a storage medium by using a directory structure and reproducing stored image information stored on the storage medium by using the directory structure for play-back, the method comprising:

registering image information in a directory of the directory structure up to a maximum file registration number of the directory, but not registering image information in the directory beyond the maximum file registration number; and

displaying, for play-back, a first indication representing a directory in which a storage image information is registered and a second indication representing the stored image information.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

generating a warning if no further registration of image information is possible within a directory.

22. A method for storing an image information on a storage medium of an image pick-up apparatus by using a directory structure, comprising:

capturing an image representing an object; and

storing the image information by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching an upper limit of registered image information of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the upper limit;

wherein the directory for registering the image information is changeable before reaching the upper limit by manual operation.

23. An electronic image pick-up apparatus, comprising:

an image pick-up device for capturing an image information representing an object image;

a storage medium for storing the image information by using a directory structure; and

a storage controller adapted to control storing of image information or the storage medium, by registering the image information in a directory of the directory structure until reaching an upper limit of registered image information of the directory and changing from the directory to another directory for registering the image information after reaching the upper limit.