IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20110249147A1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ishii, Akiyoshi
• Granted Patent: US 8,648,933 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

The present invention provides an image sensing apparatus including an encoding unit for converting video from an image sensing unit so as to generate stream data, and store the stream data in a buffer unit, a control unit for controlling the encoding unit, in a case where, in a fixed time recording mode for recording for a fixed time in response to an instruction to start recording, a second instruction to start recording is issued before the fixed time has elapsed since a first instruction to start recording was issued, to store in the buffer unit stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording, and a recording unit for recording each piece of stream data stored in the buffer unit on a recording medium.

Claims

1. An image sensing apparatus comprising:

an encoding unit configured to convert video from an image sensing unit so as to generate stream data, and store the stream data in a buffer unit;

a control unit configured to control the encoding unit, in a case where, in a fixed time recording mode for recording for a fixed time in response to an instruction to start recording, a second instruction to start recording is issued by a user before the fixed time has elapsed since a first instruction to start recording was issued by a user, to store in the buffer unit stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording; and

a recording unit configured to record each piece of stream data stored in the buffer unit on a recording medium.

2. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the encoding unit includes a plurality of encoders that perform a converting process for converting the video into stream data,

the control unit controls an operation timing of the plurality of encoders so as to generate the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording, and

the encoding unit stores stream data generated by the plurality of encoders in the buffer unit.

3. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the buffer unit includes a plurality of buffers, and

the control unit controls a saving timing at which the encoding unit stores in the plurality of buffers such that the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording are stored in a different buffer of the plurality of buffers.

4. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit configured to display a list of a plurality of pieces of stream data recorded on the recording medium so that a user can select therefrom,

wherein the recording unit deletes, from the recording medium, stream data selected by the user from among the plurality of pieces of stream data displayed in the list on the display unit.

5. An image sensing apparatus, comprising:

an encoding unit configured to convert video from an image sensing unit so as to generate stream data;

a recording unit configured to record the stream data generated by the encoding unit on a recording medium;

a storage unit configured to store, in a case where, in a fixed time recording mode for recording for a fixed time in response to an instruction to start recording, a second instruction to start recording is issued by a user before the fixed time has elapsed since a first instruction to start recording was issued by a user, a time when the first instruction to start recording was issued and a time when the second instruction to start recording was issued; and

a control unit configured, after recordings in response to the first instruction to start recording, and the second instruction to start recording have ended, to cut out stream data that lasts for the fixed time from the time when the first instruction to start recording was issued stored in the storage unit and stream data that lasts for the fixed time from the time when the second instruction to start recording was issued stored in the storage unit, respectively, from the stream data recorded on the recording medium, and to cause the recording unit to record the cut-out stream data as the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording, on the recording medium.

6. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a display unit configured to display a list of a plurality of pieces of stream data recorded on the recording medium so that a user can select therefrom,

wherein the recording unit deletes, from the recording medium, stream data selected by the user from among the plurality of pieces of stream data displayed in the list on the display unit.

7. A method for controlling an image sensing apparatus comprising an encoding unit configured to convert video from an image sensing unit so as to generate stream data, and store the stream data in a buffer unit, the method comprising:

a control step of controlling the encoding unit, in a case where, in a fixed time recording mode for recording for a fixed time in response to an instruction to start recording, a second instruction to start recording is issued by a user before the fixed time has elapsed since a first instruction to start recording was issued by a user, to store in the buffer unit stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording; and

a recording step of recording each piece of stream data stored in the buffer unit on a recording medium.

8. A method for controlling an image sensing apparatus comprising an encoding unit configured to convert video from an image sensing unit so as to generate stream data, and a recording unit configured to record the stream data generated by the encoding unit on a recording medium, the method comprising:

a storage step of storing, in a case where, in a fixed time recording mode for recording for a fixed time in response to an instruction to start recording, a second instruction to start recording is issued by a user before the fixed time has elapsed since a first instruction to start recording was issued by a user, a time when the first instruction to start recording was issued and a time when the second instruction to start recording was issued; and

a control step of, after recordings in response to the first instruction to start recording, and the second instruction to start recording have ended, cutting out stream data that lasts for the fixed time from the time when the first instruction to start recording was issued stored in the storage step and stream data that lasts for the fixed time from the time when the second instruction to start recording was issued stored in the storage step, respectively, from the stream data recorded on the recording medium, and causing the recording unit to record the cut-out stream data as the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the first instruction to start recording, and the stream data that lasts for the fixed time corresponding to the second instruction to start recording, on the recording medium.