Electronic still camera capable of selecting recording media

• US 5,067,029 A
• Filed: 04/06/1989
• Issued: 11/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Yohnosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): Envall, Jr., Roy N.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US07/333,914
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• Field of Search: 358/310, 358/335, 358/906, 358/909, 358/342, 360/33.1, 360/35.1, 360/14.1
• US Class Current: 386/225
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• 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 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0077 Types of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 358/906 Hand-held camera with recorder in a single unit

Abstract

An electronic still camera in which as a recording medium, for example, at least either one of a semiconductor memory, an optical memory, and a magnetic memory is selected so as to record a video signal therein. Through the selection of the recording medium, it is possible to desirably set the recording speed and the recording capacity.

Claims

1. An electronic still camera for shooting an object field to record a still picture representative of the object field in a recording medium, comprising:

imaging means for shooting the object field to produce a video signal representative of the object field;

analog-to-digital signal converter means for converting said video signal produced from said imaging means into a digital signal corresponding to said video signal;

storage means for temporarily storing said digital signal produced from said analog-to-digital signal converter means, said storage means being operative at a plurality of readout speeds;

digital-to-analog signal converter means for converting said digital signal produced from said storage means into an analog signal corresponding to said digital signal;

first recording means for recording said analog signal developed from said digital-to-analog signal converter means in an analog, magnetic recording medium at a first recording rate;

second recording means for recording said digital signal read out from said storage means in a digital, optical recording medium at a second recording rate lower than said first recording rate, at least one of said magnetic recording medium and said optical recording medium being detachably connectable to a corresponding one of said first and second recording means;

selector means for delivering said digital signal read out from said storage means selectively to either one of said digital-to-analog signal converter means and said second recording means; and

control means for controlling said imaging means, said analog-to-digital signal converter means, said storage means, said first and second recording means and said selector means to read out said digital signal from said storage means to selectively supply said digital signal to either one of said first and second means at any of said first and second recording rate.

2. An electronic still camera in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

signal processing means for processing said video signal produced in response to a shooting operation of said imaging means and associated with a filter array of said imaging means and for generating color component signals;

said selector means delivering to the selected recording medium said color component signals processed by said signal processing means.

3. An electronic still camera in accordance with claim 2 further comprising:

matrix means for converting into a luminance signal and color difference signals said color component signals processed by said signal processing means;

said selector means delivering to the selected recording medium said luminance signal and said color difference signals converted by said matrix means.

4. An electronic still camera in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

filter array data output means for delivering data of a filter array of said imaging means;

said selector means supplying the selected recording medium with the data of said filter array fed from said filter array data output means together with said video signal read from said storage means.

5. A electronic still camera in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

signal compressing means for compressing said digital signal read out from said storage means to produce a resultant signal; and

third recording means for recording said resultant signal produced from said signal compressing means in a semiconductor storage medium at a third recording rate lower than said first recording rate and higher than said second recording rate;

said selector means being operative in response to said control means to deliver said digital signal read out from storage means selectively to said third recording means.

6. An electronic still camera in accordance with claim 5, wherein said semiconductor recording medium is detachably connectable to said third recording means.

7. An electronic still camera for shooting an object field to record a still picture representative of the object field in a recording medium, comprising:

imaging means for shooting the object field to produce a video signal representative of the object field;

analog-to-digital signal converter means for converting said video signal produced from said imaging means into a digital signal corresponding to said video signal;

storage means for temporarily storing said digital signal produced from said analog-to-digital signal converter means, said storage means being operative at a plurality of readout speeds;

digital-to-analog signal converter means for converting said digital signal produced from said storage means into an analog signal corresponding to said digital signal;

first recording means for recording said analog signal developed from said digital-to-analog signal converter means in an analog, magnetic recording medium at a first recording rate;

signal compressing means for compressing said digital signal read out from said storage means to produce a resultant signal;

third recording means for recording said resultant signal produced from said signal compressing means in a semiconductor storage medium at a third recording rate lower than said first recording rate;

second recording means for recording said digital signal read out from said storage means in an optical storage medium at a second recording rate lower than said first recording rate and said third recording rate, at least one of said magnetic recording medium and said semiconductor storage medium being detachably connectable to a corresponding one of said first and second recording means;

selector means for delivering said digital signal read out from said storage means selectively to either one of said digital-to-analog signal converter means, and said second recording means said signal compressing means; and

control means for controlling said imaging means, said analog-to-digital signal converter means, said storage means, said first and, second, and third recording means said selector means to read out said digital signal from said storage means to selectively supply said digital signal to either one of said first, second, and third recording means to any of said first, second, and third recording rates.

8. An electronic still camera for shooting an object field to record a still picture representative of the object field in a recording medium, comprising:

imaging means for shooting the object field to produce a video signal representative of the object field;

analog-to-digital signal converter means for converting said video signal produced from said imaging means into a digital signal corresponding to said video signal;

storage means for temporarily storing said digital signal produced from said analog-to-digital signal converter means, said storage means being operative at a plurality of readout speeds;

signal compressing means for compressing said digital signal read out from said storage means to produce a resultant signal;

first recording means for recording said resultant signal produced from said signal compressing means in a semiconductor storage medium at a first recording rate;

second recording means for recording said digital signal read out from said storage means in a digital, optical recording medium at a second recording rate lower than said first recording rate, at least one of said optical recording medium and said semiconductor storage medium being detachably connectable to a corresponding one of said first and second recording means;

selector means for delivering said digital signal read out from said storage means selectively to either one of said signal compressing means and said second recording means; and

control means for controlling said imaging means, said analog-to-digital converter means, said storage means, said first and second recording means and said selector means to read out said digital signal from said storage means to selectively supply said digital signal to either one of said first and second recording means at any of said first and second recording rates.