Image data processing apparatus for processing and transferring data from memory cards to external devices

• US 6,295,139 B1
• Filed: 02/04/1994
• Issued: 09/25/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation), Toshiba Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ono, Tomoko, Kakizaki, Mikio, Suyama, Takaaki, Yamauchi, Akira, Mimura, Hideki, Hisatomi, Shuichi, Izawa, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Cheukfan
• Application Number:
  US08/192,306
• Time in Patent Office: 2,790 Days
• Field of Search: 358/400, 358/443, 358/474, 358/473, 358/404, 358/444
• US Class Current: 358/443
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• 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 2220/90 Tape-like record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/913 Digital audio tape [DAT] format
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/028 with computer assistance
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/031 Electronic editing of digitised analogue information signals, e.g. audio or video signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/032 on tapes G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: H04N 1/00129 with a display device, e.g. CRT or LCD monitor with a television apparatus H04N1/00283; arrangements for control of display devices G09G
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2125 Display of information relating to the still picture recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• 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 1/2166 for mass storage, e.g. in document filing systems information retrieval G06F16/00
• 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 1/32502 in systems having a plurality of input or output devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32512 of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32529 : of different type, e.g. internal and external devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/3871 : the composed originals being of different kinds, e.g. low- and high-resolution originals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/115 : Selection of the code volume for a coding unit prior to coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/124 : Quantisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/14 : Coding unit complexity, e.g. amount of activity or edge presence estimation H04N19/146 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/146 : Data rate or code amount at the encoder output
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/149 : by estimating the code amount by means of a model, e.g. mathematical model or statistical model
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/15 : by monitoring actual compressed data size at the memory before deciding storage at the transmission buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/154 : Measured or subjectively estimated visual quality after decoding, e.g. measurement of distortion use of rate-distortion criteria H04N19/147
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/162 : User input
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/17 : the unit being an image region, e.g. an object
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/172 : the region being a picture, frame or field
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/176 : the region being a block, e.g. a macroblock
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/186 : the unit being a colour or a chrominance component
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/196 : being specially adapted for the computation of encoding parameters, e.g. by averaging previously computed encoding parameters processing of motion vectors H04N19/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/30 : using hierarchical techniques, e.g. scalability H04N19/63 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/42 : characterised by implementation details or hardware specially adapted for video compression or decompression, e.g. dedicated software implementation H04N19/635 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/46 : Embedding additional information in the video signal during the compression process H04N19/517, H04N19/68, H04N19/70 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/60 : using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 : Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0077 : Types of the still picture apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 : Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3214 : of a date
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3215 : of a time or duration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3225 : of data relating to an image, a page or a document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3226 : of identification information or the like, e.g. ID code, index, title, part of an image, reduced-size image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3242 : of processing required or performed, e.g. for reproduction or before recording H04N2201/3256 and subgroups take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3243 : of type information, e.g. handwritten or text document
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3253 : Position information, e.g. geographical position at time of capture, GPS data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3264 : of sound signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3277 : The additional information being stored in the same storage device as the image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/046 : Colour interpolation to calculate the missing colour values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/049 : having three pick-up sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 : Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/633 : for displaying additional information relating to control or operation of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 : Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 : Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 : Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 : Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 : the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 : between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 : on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 : using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction
• 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

Abstract

The invention is based on an electronic still camera for converting a taken optical image of the subject into digital image data, and recording into a memory card incorporating semiconductor memories, in which the digital image data obtained from this electronic still camera is stored in a large-capacity recording medium through an exclusive recording device, or displayed in plural monitors, or stored in a disk or magnetic tape by existing recording devices or even compressed, expanded, edited or processed, so that it may satisfy versatile requests of users sufficiently.

Claims

1. An image data processing apparatus having an editing machine for processing digital image data and transferring the image data between a plurality of memory cards in which digital image data is recorded and a plurality of external devices in which digital image data is recorded, said editing machine comprising:

a plurality of holding parts for holding said memory cards;

a plurality of connecting parts for respectively connecting the plurality of external devices to the editing machine;

first data processing means for selectively reading the digital image data from said plurality of memory cards held by said plurality of holding parts, compressing the digital image data by a discrete cosine transform system or expanding the data by a reverse discrete cosine transform system, and transferring the data to said external devices connected to said plurality of connecting parts;

second data processing means for selectively reading said digital image data from said external devices connected to said connecting parts, compressing the digital image data by the discrete cosine transform system or expanding the data by the reverse discrete cosine transform system, and transferring the data to said memory cards held in said holding parts; and

third data processing means for selectively reading the digital image data from said memory cards held in said holding parts, compressing the digital image data by the discrete cosine transform system or expanding the data by the reverse discrete cosine transform system, and transferring the data to the memory cards other than said memory cards from which the digital image data has been read out.

2. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of display parts for displaying the connecting state of said memory cards to said connecting parts.

3. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a first bus line is provided for transferring the digital image data from said memory cards held by said plurality of holding parts and each of the digital image data from said external devices to said data processing means, and a second bus line is provided for transferring the digital image data compresses or expanded in the data processing means to said plurality of holding parts, and said first and second bus lines are provided independent of each other.

4. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

at least one of said external devices connected to said connecting part comprises a display means for displaying the digital image data, selectively supplied from a predetermined one or ones of said memory cards held by said plurality of holding parts, and compressed or expanded in said data processing means; and

at least another one of said external devices connected to said connecting parts comprises a record-replay means for recording the digital image data selectively supplied from a predetermined one or ones of said memory cards held by said plurality of holding parts, and compressed or expanded in said data processing means, and for replaying the digital image data to be recorded in said memory cards held by said plurality of holding parts by compressing or expanding the digital image data in said data processing means.

5. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of said holding parts comprises:

a tray for containing said memory cards, said memory cards being supported by the tray to be introduced into or ejected from the editing machine;

an operating system for introducing the tray into or ejecting the tray from said editing machine, and

a connector in said editing machine for connecting said memory cards supported by the tray to said editing machine when said memory cards are entirely introduced into said editing machine.

6. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising a card clamp for clamping said memory cards supported by the tray to hold said memory cards when said memory cards are entirely introduced into said editing machine.

7. The image data processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an extended program cartridge having predetermined extension programs and connected to said data processing means for controlling the operation of said data processing means.

8. An image data processing apparatus having an editing machine for processing and transferring digital image data between a plurality of memory cards in which digital image data is recorded and an external device in which digital image data is recorded, said editing machine comprising:

a plurality of holding parts for holding said memory cards;

a connecting part for connecting said external device to the editing machine;

first data processing means for selectively reading said digital image data from said memory cards held in said holding parts, compressing the digital image data by a discrete cosine transform system or expanding the data by a reverse discrete cosine transform system, and transferring the data to said external device connected to said connecting part;

second data processing means for reading said digital image data from said external device connected to said connecting part, compressing the digital image data by the discrete cosine transform system or expanding the data by the reverse discrete cosine transform system, and transferring the data to said memory cards held in said holding parts; and

third data processing means for selectively reading said digital image data from said memory cards held in said holding parts, compressing the digital image data by the discrete cosine transform system or expanding the data by the reverse discrete cosine transform system, and transferring the data to the memory cards other than said memory cards from which the digital image data have been read out.