Digital image recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a plurality of compression methods

• US 6,192,190 B1
• Filed: 05/30/1995
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Takashi, Murata, Yoshitaka, Horii, Hiroyuki, Mimura, Toshihiko, Kawamura, Hideaki, Takaiwa, Kan, Tojo, Akihiko, Date, Nobuaki, Ozaki, Seiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US08/453,489
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.576, H04/N.5781, H04/N.5782, H04/N.5783, H04/N.578, H04/N.979, H04/N.5225, H04/N.592, H04/N.712, 358/310, 358/335, 358/906, 358/909.1, 360/8, 360/32, 348/207, 348/400, 348/409, 348/420, 386/33, 386/38, 386/109-112, 386/117, 386/121
• US Class Current: 386/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8063 using time division multiplex of the PCM audio and PCM video signals

Abstract

A digital image recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a plurality of compression methods may include, in a recording section, (a) data compression circuitry, including a plurality of compression circuits which have different compression methods, for changing a compression rate for input digital image data by changing a combination of the plurality of compression circuits compressing the digital input image data and (b) circuitry for recording (1) the digital image data compressed by the data compressing circuit and (2) data representing the compression rate of the digital image data compressed by the data compressing circuit. The apparatus may include a reproducing section having (a) a reproducing circuit for reproducing from the recording medium the digital image data compressed with the compression rate provided by the combination of different compression methods, (b) detecting circuitry for detecting the data representing the predetermined compression rate stored on the recording medium, and (c) reconstruction circuitry for reconstructing the digital image data reproduced by the reproducing circuitry according to the representing data detected by the detecting circuitry.

Claims

1. A digital image recording apparatus comprising:

(a) data compressing means, including at least block-encoding means for compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions of said block-encoding means;

(b) control means for manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided by said data compression means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image; and

(c) means for recording (1) the digital image data selected by said control means and (2) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected by said control means.

2. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording means comprises a semiconductor memory.

3. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording means comprises a medium attached removably to the digital image recording apparatus.

4. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

image pickup means for providing digital image data to the data compressing means.

5. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data compressing means comprises a block encoding circuit.

6. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means.

7. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates.

8. A digital image recordiing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said data compressing means provides digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to whether said block encoding means is used or not.

9. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

10. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

(a) data compressing means, including at least block-encoding means for compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions of said block-encoding means;

(b) control means for manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided by said data compression means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image;

(c) means for recording on a recording medium (1) the digital image data selected by said control means and (2) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected by said control means; and

(d) means for reproducing the image data in accordance with (1) the recorded digital image data compressed with a predetermined compression rate, and (2) the recorded data representing the compression rate.

11. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the recording medium is mounted removably on a digital image reproducing apparatus.

12. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the recording medium comprises a semiconductor memory.

13. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:

(d) means for variably compressing a quantity of input digital image data; and

(e) means for adding the data representing the compression rate to the digital image data output by the data compressing means.

14. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising:

image pickup means for providing digital image data to the data compressing means.

15. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the data compressing means comprises a block encoding circuit.

16. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means.

17. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reproducing means comprises a block decoding circuit.

18. A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reproducing means comprises an interfield interpolation circuit.

19. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates.

20. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said data compressing means provides digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to whether said block-encoding means is used or not.

21. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

22. A digital image reproducing apparatus comprising:

(a) reproducing means, including block-decoding means for reproducing digital image data which is compressed with a different compression rate according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from input digital image data on a unit basis of a block by a block encoding means, for reproducing digital image data recorded on a recording medium, the digital image data being manually selected from compressed digital image data of different compression rates provided in different operating conditions of said block-encoding means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image and recorded on said recording medium;

(b) detecting means for detecting information associated with the selected compression rate of the recorded digital data, said information representing the operation condition of said block-encoding means applied to said recorded digital data; and

(c) reconstructing means for reconstructing the digital image data reproduced by said reproducing means, according to the information detected by said detecting means.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22, whrein said data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates.

24. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein said data compressing means provides digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to whether said block-encoding means is used or not.

25. An apparatus according to claim 22, wherein different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

26. A digital image transmitting apparatus comprising:

(a) data compressing means, including at least block-encoding means for compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions of said block-encoding means;

(b) control means for manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided by said data compression means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image; and

(c) means for transmitting (i) the digital image data selected by said control means and (ii) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected by said control means.

27. A digital image transmitting apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said transmitting means comprises a recording medium for recording said data.

28. A digital image transmitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the recording medium is removably mounted on a digital image reproducing apparatus.

29. A digital image transmitting apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the recording medium comprises a semiconductor memory.

30. A digital image transmitting apparatus according to claim 27, further comprising:

means for variably compressing a quantity of input digital image; and

means for adding the data representing the compression rate to the digital image data output by the data compressing means.

31. A digital image transmitting apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising image pickup means for providing digital image data to the data compressing means.

32. A digital image transmitting apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means.

33. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means for providing digital imaage data compressed with different compression rates.

34. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said data compressing means provides digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to whether said block-encoding means is used or not.

35. An apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

36. A digital image recording apparatus comprising:

(a) image pickup means for converting an optical image into an electrical signal;

(b) analog to digital converting means for converting said electrical signal into a digital image signal;

(c) block-coding means for compressing, with different compression rates, said digital image signal based on a correlation between signals within each block;

(d) selection means for selecting a compressed digital image signal of a different compression rate corresponding to different operating conditions of said block-coding means;

(e) storing means for storing information on whether said block coding means is operated; and

(f) control means for manually controlling said selection means to provide the compressed digital image signals of the different compression rates, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image.

37. Apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising thinning means for thinning said digital image signal.

38. Apparatus according to claim 37, wherein said thinning means selectively thins out said digital image signal.

39. Apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising error correction code adding means for adding an error correction code to said digital image signal block-coded by said block-coding means.

40. Apparatus according to claim 36, further comprising error correction code adding means for adding an error correction code to said digital image signal not block-coded by said block coding means.

41. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said data compressing means comprises data thinning-out means for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates.

42. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said data compressing means provides digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to whether said block encoding means is used or not.

43. A digital image recording apparatus according to claim 36, wherein said different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

44. A digital image reproducing apparatus for use with a recording device having a block-coding means for compressing, with a different compression rate, a digital image signal based on a correlation between signals within each block and a recording medium, a digital image signal to be recorded on the recording medium being manually selected from the compressed digital image signals of different compression rates provided by said block-encoding means on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image, said apparatus comprising:

(a) reproducing means for reproducing information on whether the block-coding means was operated when the manually-selected digital image signal was recorded on the recording medium, and for reproducing a digital image signal recorded on the recording medium; and

(b) block-decoding means for block-decoding the digital image signal reproduced from the recording medium by said reproducing means when the image signal was reproduced.

45. Apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising interpolating means for interpolating said digital image signal.

46. Apparatus according to claim 45, wherein said interpolating means selectively interpolates said digital image signal.

47. A digital image reproducing apparatus according to claim 44, further comprising error correction code decoding means for decoding said digital image signal.

48. An apparatus according to claim 44, wherein said different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

49. A digital image recording method comprising the steps of:

(a) a data compressing step, including at least a block-encoding step of compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, of providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions in said block-encoding steps;

(b) a control step of manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided in said data compression step, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image; and

(c) a step of recording (i) the digital image data selected in said control step and (ii) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected in said control step.

50. A digital image recording method according to claim 49, wherein said data compressing step comprises a data thinning-out step of providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates.

51. A digital image recording method according to claim 49, wherein said data compressing step provides digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to whether said block encoding step is used or not.

52. A digital image recording method according to claim 49, wherein said different compression rates include a rate where data compression is not carried out.

53. A digital image reproducing method for use with a recording device having a clock-encoding means for compressing, with different compression rates, a digital image signal based on a correlation between signals within each block and a recorded medium, a digital image signal to be recorded on said recording medium being manually selected from the compressed digital image signals of different compression rates provided by said block-encoding means on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) a reproducing step of reproducing information on whether the block-encoding means was operated when the manually-selected digital image signal was recorded on the recording medium, and of reproducing a digital image signal recorded on the recording medium; and

(b) a block-decoding step of block-decoding the digital image signal reproduced from the recording medium in said reproducing step when the iamge signal was reproduced.

54. A method according to claim 53, further comprising in interpolating step of interpolating said digital image signal.

55. A method according to claim 54, wherein said interpolating step includes a step of selectively interpolating said digital image signal.

56. A method according to claim 53, further comprising an error correction code decoding step of decoding said digital image signal.