Image file generation device, camera and image file generation method

• US 20100134655A1
• Filed: 11/25/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Kuroiwa, Toshihisa
• Application Number:
  US12/591,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20100134655A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2141 in a multi-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 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32454 Controlling data flow to or from the memory in relation to the amount of data, e.g. file size
• 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 2201/3288 Storage of two or more complete document pages or image frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3295 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 Television signal recording

Abstract

An image file generation device includes: an image file generation unit that generates an image file having stored therein a plurality of sets of image data obtained in a batch via an image sensor; and an image recording unit that records the image file into a storage medium, wherein: if the image file generation unit determines that an image file-splitting condition has been satisfied while the batch of image data is being obtained via the image sensor, the image file generation unit ends image data storage into the current image file and starts image data storage into a new image file.

Claims

1. An image file generation device, comprising:

an image file generation unit that generates an image file having stored therein a plurality of sets of image data obtained in a batch via an image sensor; and

an image recording unit that records the image file into a storage medium, wherein;

if the image file generation unit determines that an image file-splitting condition has been satisfied while the batch of image data is being obtained via the image sensor, the image file generation unit ends image data storage into the current image file and starts image data storage into a new image file.

2. An image file generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the image file generation unit determines that the image file-splitting condition has been satisfied when a number of sets of image data stored in the image file exceeds a predetermined value.

3. An image file generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the image file generation unit determines that the image file-splitting condition has been satisfied when a data size of the image file exceeds a predetermined data size.

4. An image file generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

a FAT file system is adopted as a file system in the storage medium;

the image file generation device further comprises a FAT memory where FAT information read out from a FAT area in the storage medium is stored; and

the image file generation unit determines that the image file-splitting condition has been satisfied with timing with which the FAT information having been rewritten in the FAT memory while the image data are recorded into the storage medium is written back into the storage medium from the FAT memory.

5. An image file generation device according to claim 4, wherein:

the image file generation unit determines that the image file-splitting condition has been satisfied each time the FAT information in the FAT memory is written back into the storage medium.

6. An image file generation device according to claim 4, wherein:

the image file generation unit determines that the image file-splitting condition has been satisfied when the FAT information in the FAT memory has been written back into the storage medium a predetermined number of times.

7. An image file generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

a user is allowed to select a setting for the image file-splitting condition.

8. An image file generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the batch of image data is a batch of image data made up with a plurality of image data obtained through a single continuous shooting operation.

9. An image file generation device according to claim 1, wherein:

the batch of image data is a batch of image data made up with a plurality of image data obtained through a single continuous shooting operation; and

the image file generation unit determines that the image file-splitting condition has been satisfied when a continuous shooting speed has become lower.

10. An image file generation device according to claim 9, further comprising:

a focus adjustment unit that executes focus adjustment, wherein;

the focus adjustment unit executes focus adjustment before starting the continuous shooting operation and when the continuous shooting speed has become lower.

11. An image file generation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a deletion unit that deletes at least one set of image data among the plurality of image data stored in the image file in response to an instruction issued by the user; and

an integration unit that integrates a plurality of image files having been generated in correspondence to a batch of image data into a single image file by ensuring that the image file-splitting condition is satisfied if the deletion unit has deleted image data in an image file.

12. A camera, comprising:

an image sensor that obtains image data by capturing a subject image; and

an image file generation device according to claim 1.

13. An image file generation method, comprising:

an image file generation step of generating an image file having stored therein a plurality of image data obtained in a batch via an image sensor; and

an image recording step of recording the image file into a storage medium, wherein;

in the image file generation step, image data storage into a current image file is ended and image file storage into a new image file is started if an image file-splitting condition is determined to have been satisfied while the batch of image data is being obtained via the image sensor.

15. A computer program product containing a program enabling a computer to execute an image file generation method according to claim 13.

14. An image file generation method, comprising:

a deletion step of deleting at least one set of image data among a plurality of sets of image data stored in an image file in response to an instruction issued by a user; and

an integration step of integrating a plurality of image files generated in correspondence to a batch of image data into a single image file by ensuring that an image file-splitting condition is satisfied if image data have been deleted in the deletion step.