Apparatus for recording a video signal together with information from an external storage device

• US 5,796,429 A
• Filed: 05/24/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Takahashi, Koji, Suzuki, Koichiro, Hieda, Teruo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan V.
• Application Number:
  US08/449,567
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/239, 348/220, 358/335, 358/341
• US Class Current: 348/239
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2621 Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects during image pickup, e.g. digital cameras, camcorders, video cameras having integrated special effects capability
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/272 Means for inserting a foreground image in a background image, i.e. inlay, outlay
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure

Abstract

A video signal recording apparatus selectively reads information stored in a plurality of external storage devices through a plurality of connecting parts and records the read information together with a video signal on a recording medium. A video camera selectively reads information stored in a plurality of external storage devices through a plurality of connecting parts and simultaneously records the read information and a video signal according to subject light on a recording medium. In accordance with the video signal recording apparatus and the video camera, a variety of video signals can be recorded and a variety of photography can be performed.

Claims

1. A video signal recording apparatus, comprising:

(a) connecting means to which an external storage device is attachable and detachable, said external storage device storing a plurality of image information and control information representing literal information, said control information relating to the plurality of image information;

(b) reading means for reading the image information and the control information stored in the external storage device through said connecting means;

(c) generation means for generating a first video signal representing the literal information according to the control information read by said reading means;

(d) selecting means for selecting image information among the plurality of image information read by said reading means by using the first video signal generated by said generation means and forming a second video signal representing the selected image information; and

(e) recording means for recording the second video signal generated by said selecting means together with a video signal on a recording medium.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising image sensing means for forming the video signal from subject light.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said recording means includes combining means for combining an image signal related to the image information selected by said selecting means with said video signal.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said selecting means includes manual operating means for effecting said selecting operation.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising display means for displaying image information selected by said selecting means.

6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said image information for display relates to said image information for recording.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

detecting means for automatically detecting a kind of the plurality of kinds of external storage devices.

8. A video camera, comprising:

(a) image sensing means for forming a video signal according to subject light;

(b) connecting means to which an external storage device is attachable and detachable, said external storage device storing a plurality of image information and control information representing literal information, said control information relating to the plurality of image information;

(c) reading means for reading the image information and the control information stored in the external storage device through said connecting means;

(d) generation means for generating a first video signal representing the literal information according to the control information read by said reading means;

(e) selecting means for selecting image information among the plurality of the image information read by said reading means by using the first video signal generated by said generating means and forming a second video signal representing the selected image information;

(f) combining means for combining the second video signal generated by said selecting means and said video signal supplied from said image sensing means; and

(g) outputting means for outputting said combined signal combined by said combining means.

9. A camera according to claim 8, wherein said selecting means includes manual operating means for selecting audio information among a plurality of kinds of a audio information.

10. A camera according to claim 8, further comprising display means for displaying the control information read by said reading means.

11. A video signal processing apparatus, comprising:

(a) input means for inputting a main video signal;

(b) connecting means to which an external storage device is attachable and detachable,

the external storage device storing image information and literal information relative to the image information;

(c) reading means for reading the image information and the literal information from the external storage device through said connecting means;

(d) means for forming a first subordinate video signal according to the literal information read by said reading means;

(e) selecting means for selecting image information among said image information read by said reading means by using said first subordinate signal;

(f) means for forming a second subordinate video signal according to said image information selected by said selecting means; and

(g) combining means for combining said second subordinate signal and said main video signal supplied from said image sensing means and outputting said combined signal.

12. A camera according to claim 11, wherein said literal information includes image data of dot data and image data of code data.

13. A camera according to claim 11, further comprising display means for displaying an image according to said first subordinate video signal.

14. A camera according to claim 13, wherein said display means is also able to display an image according to said second subordinate video signal.

15. An apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising

recording means for recording an output of said combining means.

16. An apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said input means includes imaging means for generating the video signal according to subject light.

17. A video signal processing apparatus, comprising:

(a) input means for inputting a main video signal;

(b) connecting means to which an external storage device is attachable and detachable,

the external storage device storing image information and literal information relative to the image information;

(c) reading means for reading the image Information and the literal information from the external storage device through said connecting means;

(d) means for forming a first subordinate video signal according to the literal information read by said reading means;

(e) selecting means for selecting image information among said image information read by said reading means by using said first subordinate signal;

(f) means for forming a second subordinate video signal according to said image information selected by said selecting means; and

(g) displaying means for displaying together the second subordinate signal and the main video signal from said input means.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said connecting means includes a plurality of connecting parts to which the mutually different kind of the external storage devices are connected.

19. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said input means includes a photo-taking part for photographing an object and outputting the main video signal.

20. An apparatus according to claim 17, comprising recording means for recording together the second subordinate signal and the main video signal from said input means.

21. An apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said selecting means includes a manual operating part for selecting the image information.

22. An image processing apparatus to which an external storage device is detachable and attachable, said external storage device storing a plurality of image information and control data representing literal information, said control data relating to the plurality of image information, said external storage device having a solid-state memory, said apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading the image information and the control data stored in said external storage device;

generation means for generating a first video signal representing the literal information according to the control data read by said reading means;

selection means for selecting image information among the image information stored in said external storage device by using the first video signal generated by said generation means and generating a second video signal representing the selected image information; and

output means for outputting the image information selected by said selection means.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said output means outputs the second video signal to a display device.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising image sensing means for generating a video signal according to an object light.

25. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said output means includes combining means for combining the second video signal and the video signal generated by said video signal generation means.

26. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein a display device displays an image represented by the video signal generated by said video signal generation means.

27. An apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said output means includes recording means for recording the video signal supplied from said image sensing means.

28. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said output means outputs the second video signal to a recording device by which the second video signal is recorded on a recording medium.

29. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said control data being stored in said solid-state memory.

30. An apparatus according to claim 22, further comprising a connection part to which said external storage device is connected.

31. An apparatus according to claim 30, wherein said connection part has a terminal through which said control data are read by said reading means, and wherein said reading means includes a detection means for detecting said external storage device by detecting a voltage of the terminal.

32. An image processing apparatus to which an external storage device is detachable and attachable, said external storage device storing a plurality of image information and control data representing literal information, said control data relating to the plurality of image information, said external storage device having a solid-state memory, said apparatus comprising:

reading means for reading the image information and the control data stored in said external storage device;

generation means for generating a first video signal representing the literal information according to the control data read by said reading means;

display means for displaying the literal information according to the first video signal generated by said generation means;

determining means for manually determining literal information among the literal information displayed by said display means; and

control means for determining image information among the plurality of image information stored in said external storage device according to a determined result of said determining means and for generating a second video signal representing the determined image information.

33. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said determining means includes an operation member for manually determining the literal information.

34. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said control means outputs the second video signal to said display means, and wherein said display means displays the determined image information according to the second video signal.

35. An apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising image sensing means for generating a video signal according to an object light, wherein said display means displays an image represented by the video signal generated by said image sensing means.

36. An apparatus according to claim 35, further comprising recording means for recording the video signal generated by said image sensing means.

37. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said control means outputs the second video signal to a recording device by which the second video signal is recorded on a recording medium.

38. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein control data being stored in said solid-state memory.

39. An apparatus according to claim 32, further comprising a connection part to which said external storage device is connected.

40. An apparatus according to claim 39, wherein said connection part has a terminal through which the control data are read by said reading means, and wherein said reading means includes a detection means for detecting said external storage device by detecting a voltage of the terminal.

41. An apparatus according to claim 32, wherein said external storage device includes an IC-card.

42. An image apparatus, comprising:

image sensing means for generating a video signal according to an object light;

storing means for storing a plurality of image information and control data representing a plurality of literal information, said control data relating to the plurality of image information;

reading means for reading the image information and the control data from said storing means;

generation means for generating a first video signal representing the plurality of literal information according to the control data read by said reading means;

selection means for selecting image information among the plurality of image information stored in said storing means by using the first video signal generated by said generation means and generating a second video signal representing the selected image information; and

display means for displaying the selected image information represented by the second video signal and an image represented by said video signal generated by said image sensing means.

43. An apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising combining means for combining the second video signal and the video signal generated by said image sensing means, wherein said display means displaying an image represented by said combined signal.

44. An apparatus according to claim 42, further comprising recording means for recording the combined signal from said combining means on a recording medium.