Digital electronic still camera and method of recording image data in memory card

• US 5,528,293 A
• Filed: 03/27/1995
• Issued: 06/18/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Watanabe, Mikio
• Primary Examiner(s): Metjahic, Safet
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSIA, SHERRIE Y
• Application Number:
  US08/411,152
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 348/222, 348/231, 348/233, 348/240, 358/909.1
• US Class Current: 348/231.2
• CPC Class Codes: F02B 2075/025 two
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• 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 2201/3225 of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/325 Modified version of the image, e.g. part of the image, image reduced in size or resolution, thumbnail or screennail
• 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 2201/33357 Compression mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33378 Type or format of data, e.g. colour or B/W, halftone or binary, computer image file or facsimile data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/804 involving pulse code modulation of the colour picture signal components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

Image data are recorded in a memory card in a standard DOS-FAT data file structure. When the compression mode is set, original image data is compressed in accordance with a JPEG system, and compressed image data obtained and fixed information in a JPEG header are written in the memory card so as to form a JPEG file. When the uncompression mode is set, the original image data and fixed information in a TIFF header are written into the memory card so as to form a TIFF file. Accordingly, it becomes possible to handle not only compressed image data but also original image data which is obtained in a digital electronic still camera by a lot of types of personal computers.

Claims

1. A digital electronic still camera comprising:

an original image data generation device for imaging a subject to generate original image data representing an image of the subject;

a data compression circuit for compressing said original image data in accordance with a JPEG system to generate compressed image data;

a mode setting device for setting either one of a compression mode and an uncompression mode;

a memory previously storing fixed information of a JPEG header for the compressed image data and fixed information of a TIFF header for the original image data; and

an image data writing device for starting said data compression circuit to generate the compressed image data and writing the compressed image data and the fixed information of the JPEG header stored in said memory into a memory card in a DOS-FAT data file structure so that a JPEG file is formed when the compression mode is set, while writing the original image data obtained from said original image data generation device and the fixed information of the TIFF header stored in said memory into the memory card in the DOS-FAT data file structure so that a TIFF file is formed when the uncompression mode is set.

6. The digital electronic still camera as recited in claim 1, wherein both the original image data and the compressed image data are stored in the memory card.

2. A digital electronic still camera in which a memory card is freely loadable/unloadable for writing image data into the memory card in a standard data file structure which can be read by a plurality of types of personal computers, comprising:

an original image data generation device for imaging a subject to generate original image data representing an image of the subject;

a data compression circuit for compressing said original image data in accordance with a data compression algorithm which can be handled by the plurality of types of personal computers to generate compressed image data;

a mode setting device for setting either one of a compression mode and an uncompression mode;

a storage device for storing fixed information of a first header of a first format for the compressed image data which can be handled by the plurality of types of personal computers and fixed information of a second header of a second format for the original image data which can be handled by the plurality of types of personal computers; and

an image data writing device for starting said data compression circuit to generate the compressed image data and writing the compressed image data and the fixed information of the first header stored in said storage device into the memory card so that a file conforming to the first format is formed when the compression mode is set, while writing the original image data obtained from said original image data generation device and the fixed information of the second header stored in said storage device into the memory card so that a file conforming to the second format is formed when the uncompression mode is set.

7. The digital electronic still camera as recited in claim 2, wherein both the original image data and the compressed image data are stored in the memory card.

3. A digital electronic still camera comprising:

original image data generation means for imaging a subject to generate original image data representing an image of the subject;

data compression means for compressing said original image data in accordance with a JPEG system to generate compressed image data;

mode setting means for setting either one of a compression mode and an uncompression mode;

storage means previously storing fixed information of a JPEG header for the compressed image data and fixed information of a TIFF header for the original image data; and

image data writing means for starting said data compression means to generate the compressed image data and writing the compressed image data and the fixed information of the JPEG header stored in said storage means into a memory card in a DOS-FAT data file structure so that a JPEG file is formed when the compression mode is set, while writing the original image data obtained from said original image data generation means and the fixed information of the TIFF header stored in said storage means into the memory card in the DOS-FAT data file structure so that a TIFF file is formed when the uncompression mode is set.

8. The digital electronic still camera as recited in claim 3, wherein both the original image data and the compressed image data are stored in the memory card.

4. A digital electronic still camera in which a memory card is freely loadable/unloadable for writing image data into the memory card in a standard data file structure which can be read by a plurality of types of personal computers, comprising:

original image data generation means for imaging a subject to generate original image data representing an image of the subject;

data compression means for compressing said original image data in accordance with a data compression algorithm which can be handled by the plurality of types of personal computers to generate compressed image data;

mode setting means for setting either one of a compression mode and an uncompression mode;

storage means for storing fixed information of a first header of a first format for the compressed image data which can be handled by the plurality of types of personal computers and fixed information of a second header of a second format for the original image data which can be handled by the plurality of types of personal computers; and

image data writing means for starting said data compression means to generate the compressed image data and writing the compressed image data and the fixed information of the first header stored in said storage means into the memory card so that a file conforming to the first format is formed when the compression mode is set, while writing the original image data obtained from said original image data generation means and the fixed information of the second header stored in said storage means into the memory card so that a file conforming to the second format is formed when the uncompression mode is set.

9. The digital electronic still camera as recited in claim 4, wherein both the original image data and the compressed image data are stored in the memory card.

5. In a digital electronic still camera in which a memory card is freely loadable/unloadable for writing image data into the memory card in a standard DOS-FAT data file structure which can be read by a plurality of types of personal computers, a method of writing image data into the memory card in the digital electronic still camera, comprising the steps of:

previously setting fixed information of a JPEG header for compressed image data and fixed information of a TIFF header for original image data;

imaging a subject in response to a shutter release signal to generate the original image data representing an image of the subject;

judging which of a compression mode and an uncompression mode is set;

compressing the generated original image data in accordance with a JPEG system and writing the compressed image data and said fixed information of the JPEG header into the memory card so that a JPEG file is formed when the judging step determines that the compression mode is set; and

writing the generated original image data and said fixed information of the TIFF header into the memory card so that a TIFF file is formed when the judging step determines that the uncompression mode is set.

10. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising forming both the JPEG file and the TIFF file in the memory card.

11. The method as recited in claim 5, further comprising writing a file size of the JPEG file to the JPEG header after the writing of the compressed image data and writing a file size of the TIFF file to the TIFF header after the writing of the original image data.