Apparatus for recording and reproducing digital image and speech

• US 6,226,449 B1
• Filed: 04/17/1997
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Nagayama, Keiji, Inoue, Hisashi, Yatsugi, Tomishige
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ONUAKU, CHRISTOPHER O
• Application Number:
  US08/838,286
• Time in Patent Office: 1,475 Days
• Field of Search: 386/38, 386/69, 386/70, 386/120, 386/121, 386/97, 386/95, 348/220, 348/232, 348/231, 348/233, 348/234, 348/222, 360/72.2, 358/296, 345/328
• US Class Current: 386/225
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/61 wherein solid state memory is used for storing A/V content storing computer data in solid state memories G06F
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/11 by using information not detectable on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00442 Simultaneous viewing of a plurality of images, e.g. using a mosaic display arrangement of thumbnails
• 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 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• 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 1/32122 in a separate device, e.g. in a memory or on a display separate from image data
• 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 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/218 Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 : of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• 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 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3273 : Display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3295 : Deletion of stored data; Preventing such deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/951 : by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/445 : for displaying additional information H04N5/50 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 : between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 : Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 : for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8045 : using predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8205 : involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A digital image and speech recording and reproducing apparatus is arranged to quickly and simply retrieve, classify, and erase a great deal of data for improving the operativity in small-sized equipment. The apparatus includes a recording and reproducing unit for a moving image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a still image signal, a recording and reproducing unit for a digital speech signal operated in synchronous to the image, a display for displaying the image for said moving image signal or said still image signal, a recording condition recording unit for recording recording conditions containing data information about recorded data for distinguishing said moving image from said still image and recording time information for recording an image or a speech. The recording conditions consisting of at least the data information and the recording time information about the recorded data are graphically and literarily displayed on the display, so that the recorded data item may be selected on the display screen.

Claims

1. A digital camera comprising:

a lens,

an imaging device which converts an optical image into an analog signal;

an A/D converter which converts the analog signal from said imaging device to a digital signal;

a compressor which compresses said digital signal outputted from said A/D converter, and generates compressed data by using a different compressing method for moving image signals than for still image signals;

a recording circuit which records compressed data, said compressed data including a moving image signal, and a still image signal;

a decompressor which decompresses said compressed data by using a different decompressing method according to whether said recorded compressed data is a moving image signal or a still image signal;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces a moving image signal, a sound signal in synchronous to said moving image signal, and a still image signal; and

a display which displays moving image signals and still image signals outputted from said reproducing circuit, and a list of said moving image signals and still image signals in a search mode;

wherein said recording circuit records recording information data for distinguishing a moving image signal from a still image signal and recording time data for indicating when an image is recorded, and said list of image signals displayed by said display in a search mode includes a plurality of marks for distinguishing a moving image signal from a still image signal and said recording time data corresponding to each displaying mark.

3. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said recording information data includes recording time data for indicating when a image is recorded, and said display displays said recording time information corresponding to each displaying image signals.

4. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said recording time data indicates recording start date and recording start time.

5. A digital camera according to claim 1 or 2, said recording circuit records a sound signal in synchronous to said moving image signal and a sound signal in synchronous to said still image signal and recording information data for distinguishing a still image signal with a sound signal from a still image signal without a sound signal, and said display displays a mark for distinguishing a still image signal with still image signal with a sound signal from a still image signal without a sound signal corresponding to each displaying image signals.

6. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said recording information data includes reduced image data.

8. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said displays the information data recorded later on higher locations of the display screen.

10. A digital camera according to claim 8, wherein the display sequence may be changed by a user'"'"'s direction.

12. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said display displays said mark and said recording time corresponding to each displaying mark on same row as graphic and literary notation.

14. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said recording information data includes information indicating preventing erasion, and said display displays a mark indicating preventing erasion.

16. A digital camera according to claim 1, wherein said displays at least one of function buttons which representatives moving recorded data to a temporary discard area, erasing all data to a temporary discard area, changing a retrieving classification, changing display sequences, changing an erasing attribute, displaying a remaining volume.

18. A digital camera according to claim 1, further comprising a storage medium;

wherein display displays remaining volume of said storage medium.

19. An image recording and reproducing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein after one data of the plurality of data displayed in a search display is selected by an user, said display displays plurality of said image signal belonging to selected data.

2. A digital camera comprising:

a lens,

an imaging device which converts an optical image into an analog signal;

an A/D converter which converts the analog signal from said imaging device to a digital signal;

a compressor which compresses said digital signal outputted from said A/D converter, and generates compressed data by using a different compressing method for moving image signals than for still image signals;

a recording circuit which records compressed data, said compressed data including a moving image signal, and a still image signal;

a decompressor which decompresses said compressed data by using a different decompressing method according to whether said recorded compressed data is a moving image signal or a still image signal;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces a moving image signal, a sound signal in synchronous to said moving image signal, and a still image signal; and

a display which displays said moving image signals and still image signals outputted from said reproducing circuit, a list of said moving image signals and still image signals in a search mode, and a list of classifications in a classification mode;

wherein said recording circuit records an image signal with classification data and information data for distinguishing a moving image signal from a still image signal, and recording time data for indicating when an image is recorded, and

said display displays a plurality of classifications and a number of moving image signals, still image signals, still image with sound signals, distinguishably, belonging to each classification in said classification mode,

after selecting one classification in said classification mode by a user, said search display displays a list of a plurality of image signals belonging to the selected classification with a mark for distinguishing a moving image signal from a still image signal and a recording time corresponding to each mark.

7. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said recording information data includes reduced image data, and said display displays plurality of said reduced image signal.

9. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said displays the image recorded later on higher locations of the display screen.

11. A digital camera according to claim 7, wherein the display sequence may be changed by a users direction.

13. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said display displays said image and said mark and said recording time corresponding to each displaying mark on same row as graphic and literary notation.

15. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said recording information data includes information indicating preventing erasion, and said display displays a mark indicating preventing erasion.

17. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said displays at least one of function buttons which representatives moving recorded data to a temporary discard area, erasing all data to a temporary discard area, changing a retrieving classification, changing display sequences, changing an erasing attribute, displaying a remaining volume.

20. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said recording circuit records image signal with classification data, and said display displays plurality of classification and a number of image belonging to each classification as a classification screen mode, and after directing one classification on said classification screen mode said by an user, said display displays plurality of said image signal belonging to selected classification with a mark for distinguishing a moving image signal from a still image signal.

21. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said display displays a number of each moving image, still image, still image with sound, distinguishably, belonging to each classification.

22. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said classification is able to change by a direction of a user.

23. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein said display said classification including image without a direction of a user higher of a screen.

24. A digital camera according to claim 2, further comprising:

a button for changing the display screen from said classification screen mode to a mode displaying said plurality of image,

a button for selecting each recording data from a list of the recording data,

a button for indicating a function of playing back stopping, fast feeding, and rewinding said image,

a button for changing said display screen for indicating the functions into display screen for indicating a recording mode,

wherein said buttons integrated same one button.

30. A digital camera according to claim 2, wherein after one data of the plurality of data displayed in a search display is selected, said display displays said image signal belonging to the selected data.

25. A digital camera comprising:

a lens,

an imaging device which converts an optical image into an analog signal;

an A/D converter which converts said analog signal from said imaging device to a digital signal;

a compressor which compresses said digital signal outputted from said A/D converter, and generates compressed data by using a different compressing method for moving image signals and for still image signals;

a recording circuit which records compressed data, said compressed data including a moving image signal, and a still image signal;

a decompressor which decompresses said compressed data by using a different decompressing method according to whether said recorded compressed data is a moving image signal or a still image signal;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces a moving image signal, a sound signal in synchronous to said moving image signal, and a still image signal; and

a display which displays said moving image signals and still image signals outputted from said reproducing circuit, and a list of said moving image signal and still image signal as a search mode, and a list of classifications as a classification mode;

wherein said recording circuit records each one of said plurality of image signals with classification data, and

said display lists a plurality of classifications and a number of images belonging to each classification.

26. A digital camera according to claim 25,

wherein said display displays a number of each moving image, still image, still image with sound, distinguishably, belonging to each classification.

27. A digital camera according to claim 25,

wherein said classification is able to change by a direction of a user.

28. A digital camera according to claim 25,

wherein said display said classification including image without a direction of a user higher of a screen.

31. A digital camera according to claim 25, wherein after one data of the plurality of data displayed in a search display is selected, said display displays said image signal belonging to the selected data.

29. A digital camera comprising:

a lens,

an imaging device which converts an optical image into an analog signal;

an A/D converter which converts said analog signal from said imaging device to a digital signal;

a compressor which compresses said digital signal outputted from said A/D converter, and generates compressed data by using a different compressing method for moving image signals and for still image signals;

a recording circuit which records compressed data, said compressed data including a moving image signal, and a still image signal;

a decompressor which decompresses said compressed data by using a different decompressing method according to whether said recorded compressed data is a moving image signal or a still image signal;

a reproducing circuit which reproduces a moving image signal, a sound signal in synchronous to said moving image signal, and a still image signal to a storage medium;

a display which displays said moving image signal and still image signal outputted from said reproducing circuit;

wherein said recording circuit records recording information data for distinguishing a moving image signal from a still image signal to said storage medium, and said display displays a remaining time if only compressed moving image data is recorded to said storage medium, a remaining pages if only compressed still picture image data is recorded to said storage medium, and a remaining volume of said storage medium as a remaining volume displaying mode.