Apparatus for recording and/or reproducing a video signal

• US 5,659,654 A
• Filed: 09/02/1994
• Issued: 08/19/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nagasawa, Fumihiro, Oguro, Masaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, HUY THANH
• Application Number:
  US08/300,704
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 358/310, 358/906, 358/909.1, 348/458, 386/1, 386/8, 386/31, 386/38, 386/101, 386/112, 386/120, 386/107, 386/117
• US Class Current: 386/200
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0065 Converting image data to a format usable by the connected apparatus or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3212 of data relating to a job, e.g. communication, capture or filing of an image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/33378 Type or format of data, e.g. colour or B/W, halftone or binary, computer image file or facsimile data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7824 with rotating magnetic heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8066 with insertion of the PCM audio signals in the vertical blanking interval of the PCM video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8244 involving the use of subcodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/87 Regeneration of colour television signals H04N9/80 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for recording and/or reproducing a video signal as a moving image or a still image. A moving image may be recorded in a first (YCrCb) recording mode wherein a luminance signal Y and color difference signals (R-Y) and (R-B) corresponding thereto are recorded. A still image may be recorded in a second (RGB) recording mode wherein three primary color signals corresponding thereto are recorded. In the RGB recording mode, the amount of information of each of the three primary color signals may be set to at least the amount of information of the luminance signal Y of the YCrCb recording mode such that, upon the reproduction thereof, a reproduced still image having a relatively high resolution is obtained.

Claims

1. A video signal recording apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a video signal and for converting the received video signal to a digital video signal;

recording means having first and second modes for compression coding said digital video signal and for recording the compression coded digital video signal, said recording means being operable in said first mode to record a compression coded digital signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said recording means being operable in said second mode to record a compression coded digital signal having three primary color signals; and

a shutter key adapted to activate said second mode,

wherein an image represented by a current digital video signal is recorded as a still image when said shutter key activates said second mode.

2. A video signal recording apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a video signal and for converting the received video signal to a digital video signal; and

recording means having first and second modes for compression coding said digital video signal and for recording the compression coded digital video signal, said recording means being operable in said first mode to record a compression coded digital signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said recording means being operable in said second mode to record a compression coded digital signal having three primary color signals, in which a compression coding parameter of each of said three primary color signals of said second mode is similar to a compression coding parameter of said luminance signal of said first mode so that each of said three primary color signals of said second mode has an amount of information which corresponds to the amount of information of said luminance signal of said first mode.

3. A video signal recording apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a video signal and for converting the received video signal to a digital video signal; and

recording means having first and second modes for compression coding said digital video signal and for recording the compression coded digital video signal, said recording means being operable in said first mode to record a compression coded digital signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said recording means being operable in said second mode to record a compression coded digital signal having three primary color signals,

wherein an amount of information of each of said three primary color signals of said second mode corresponds to the amount of information of said luminance signal and said two color difference signals of said first mode, and

wherein each of said three primary color signals is recorded in a recording area utilized for recording said luminance signal and said two color difference signals.

4. A video signal recording apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a video signal and for converting the received video signal to a digital video signal; and

recording means having first and second modes for compression coding said digital video signal and for recording the compression coded digital video signal, said recording means being operable in said first mode to record a compression coded digital signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said recording means being operable in said second mode to record a compression coded digital signal having three primary color signals,

wherein said recording means continuously records an image as a still image a plurality of times when operating in said second mode.

5. A video signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

reproducing means having first and second modes for reproducing a compression coded digital video signal, said reproducing means being operable in said first mode to reproduce a recorded compression coded digital video signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said reproducing means being operable in said second mode to reproduce a recorded compression coded digital video signal having three primary color signals; and

output means for receiving the reproduced digital video signal from said reproducing means and for supplying the same therefrom,

wherein said reproducing means reproduces in said second mode a plurality of still images representing one image from a recording medium which had been recorded thereon a plurality of times so as to produce a reproduced still image having no errors.

6. A video signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

reproducing means having first and second modes for reproducing a compression coded digital video signal, said reproducing means being operable in said first mode to reproduce a recorded compression coded digital video signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said reproducing means being operable in said second mode to reproduce a recorded compression coded digital video signal having three primary color signals; and

output means for receiving the reproduced digital video signal from said reproducing means and for supplying the same therefrom, said output means including a digital interface for supplying therefrom the reproduced digital video signal having said three primary color signals.

7. A video signal recording apparatus comprising:

means for receiving digital video signals;

means for processing the received digital video signals so as to form first and second sets of signals in which said first set includes a luminance signal and two color difference signals and said second set includes three primary color signals;

means for selecting one of said first and second sets of signals;

means for compressing the signals of the selected set so as to form compressed video signals, said compressing means including means for processing each of said three primary color signals of said second set such that each of said three color signals has an amount of information which is at least the same as the amount of information of said luminance signal of said first set; and

means for recording said compressed video signals.

8. A video signal recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the amount of information of each of the three processed primary color signals is approximately one and one half (11/2) times the amount of information of said luminance signal of said first set.

9. A video signal recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the amount of information of each of the three processed primary color signals is substantially equal to the amount of information of said luminance signal and said two color difference signals of said first set.

10. A video signal processing apparatus comprising:

selecting means for selecting a first video signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals or a second video signal having three primary color signals;

coding means for coding the selected first video signal in response to a first coding parameter or for coding the selected second video signal in response to a second coding parameter; and

controlling means coupled to said selecting means and said coding means for controlling a value of said first coding parameter or said second coding parameter so that an amount of information of the coded first video signal corresponds to an amount of information of the coded second video signal.

11. A video signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

means for reproducing recorded compression coded video signals from a recording medium;

means for decoding the reproduced video signals;

determining means for determining whether the reproduced video signals were recorded in a first recording mode, in which a video signal having a luminance signal and two color difference signals were recorded, or in a second recording mode, in which a video signal having three primary color signals were recorded, and for supplying therefrom an output signal corresponding to such determination;

selecting means receiving the decoded reproduced video signals and, in response to said output signal from said determining means, for supplying said decoded reproduced video signals to one of first and second outputs; and

first and second processing means respectively coupled to said first and second outputs of said selecting means for respectively processing said decoded reproduced video signals in a first manner and a second manner.

12. A video signal reproducing apparatus comprising:

means for reproducing recorded compression coded video signals from a recording medium;

means for decoding the reproduced video signals;

determining means for determining whether the reproduced video signals include three primary color signals or a luminance signal and two color difference signals and for supplying therefrom an output signal corresponding to such determination;

first and second processing means for respectively processing the decoded reproduced video signals in a first manner and a second manner; and

selecting means for supplying said decoded reproduced video signals to one of said first and second processing means in response to said output signal from said determining means.