Image signal recording system

• US 6,590,609 B1
• Filed: 02/19/1998
• Issued: 07/08/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Maxell, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Kitade, Takeshi, Chiba, Hiroshi, Yatsugi, Tomishige, Kinugasa, Toshiro
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TUAN V
• Application Number:
  US09/026,207
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.5225, 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/222, 348/207, 348/373, 348/374, 348/375, 348/552, 348/231.99, 348/231.1, 348/231.2, 348/231.3, 348/231.6, 348/231.7, 348/231.9, 348/222.1, 348/207.99
• US Class Current: 348/231.6
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• 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

Abstract

To provide an image signal recording system for compressing image signals and storing compressed image data onto a storage-medium PC card; which prevents at least occurrence of an abnormal interruption of recording operation in the system. Conventionally, if a write data transfer rate of the PC card is relatively slow, full-motion picture data recording is disabled to cause an abnormal interruption of recording operation in the image signal recording system. Although there are conventional arrangements specifically designed for use with a dedicated card having a high rate of write data transfer, any arrangement applicable to write data transfer rates of various kinds of general-purpose PC cards has not been devised yet. The present invention provides an image signal recording system which is capable of detecting a write data transfer rate of each kind of PC card for inhibiting full-motion picture data recording or selecting a write data transfer rate meeting the detected transfer rate, thereby accomplishing above object.

Claims

1. An image signal recording system which records image signals in digital form, comprising:

an image signal compressor which compresses said image signals as still or full-motion picture data;

a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon;

a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information; and

an image signal compression ratio instructing circuit which adjusts an image signal compression ratio of said image signal compressor according to an output of said data transfer rate detector.

2. An image signal recording system according to claim 1, wherein said data transfer rate detector comprises:

a circuit which identifies inherent information on said storage medium;

a reference information storage circuit which pre-stores reference information and write data transfer rates on various kinds of storage media; and

an output circuit which compares identified inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit and which delivers a write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

3. An image signal recording system according to claim 1, wherein said data transfer rate detector comprises:

an identification circuit which identifies inherent information on a manufacturer and model code of said storage medium;

a reference information storage circuit which pre-stores reference information on manufacturers, model codes and write data transfer rates of various kinds of storage media; and

an output circuit which compares identified inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit and which delivers a write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

4. An image signal recording system according to claim 3, wherein said image signal compression ratio instructing circuit performs selection between high-quality full-motion picture recording mode and low-quality full-motion picture recording mode according to identified inherent information on said storage medium.

5. An image signal recording system according to claim 1, wherein said data transfer rate detector comprises:

a write circuit which writes a predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium;

a timer circuit which measures a period of time to be taken to write said predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium; and

a transfer rate calculating circuit which calculates a write data transfer rate from said predetermined amount of reference data and said period of time measured by said timer circuit.

6. An image signal recording system according to claim 5, wherein said data transfer rate detector further comprises:

a transfer rate storage circuit which stores identified inherent information on a manufacturer and model code and a calculated write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

7. An image signal recording system according to claim 3, wherein a PC card meeting the PC Card Standards is used as said removable storage medium,

said identification circuit identifies inherent information on a manufacturer and model code of said PC card according to “

CISTPL_MANFID, CISTPL_VER_1”

contained therein,

said reference information storage circuit pre-stores reference information on “

CISTPL_MANFID, CISTPL_VER_1” and

write data transfer rates of various kinds of PC cards, and

the output circuit compares identified “

CISTPL_MANFID, CISTPL_VER_1”

of said PC card with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit and delivers said write data transfer rate of said PC card.

8. An image signal recording system according to claim 3, wherein said removable storage medium provides physical and electrical connections meeting the PC Card Standards.

9. An image signal recording system which records image signals in digital form, comprising:

an image signal compressor which compresses said image signals as still or full-motion picture data;

a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon;

a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information; and

an image signal compression procedure instructing circuit which inhibits said image signal compressor from compressing image signals as full-motion picture data according to an output of said data transfer rate detector.

10. An image signal recording system according to claim 9, wherein said data transfer rate detector comprises:

a circuit which identifies inherent information on said storage medium;

a reference information storage circuit which pre-stores reference information and write data transfer rates on various kinds of storage media; and

an output circuit which compares identified inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit and which delivers a write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

11. An image signal recording system according to claim 9, wherein said data transfer rate detector comprises:

a circuit which identifies inherent information on a manufacturer and model code of said storage medium;

a reference information storage circuit which pre-stores reference information on manufacturers, model codes and write data transfer rates of various kinds of storage media; and

an output circuit which compares identified inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit and which delivers a write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

12. An image signal recording system according to claim 11, wherein said image signal compression procedure instructing circuit performs selection between high-quality full-motion picture recording mode and low-quality full-motion picture recording mode according to identified inherent information on said storage medium.

13. An image signal recording system according to claim 9, wherein said data transfer rate detector comprises:

a write circuit which writes a predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium;

a timer circuit which measures a period of time to be taken for writing said predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium; and

a transfer rate calculating circuit which calculates a write data transfer rate from said predetermined amount of reference data and said period of time measured by said timer circuit.

14. An image signal recording method using an image signal compressor which compresses image signals as still or full-motion picture data, a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon, a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information, and an image signal compression ratio instructing circuit which adjusts an image signal compression ratio of said image signal compressor, the method comprising the steps of:

reading inherent information on said storage medium,

detecting a write data transfer rate of said storage medium by comparing said inherent information on said storage medium with pre-stored reference information on a write data transfer rate of each kind of storage medium, and

adjusting an image signal compression ratio of said image signal compressor according to said detected write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

15. An image signal recording method using an image signal compressor which compresses image signals as still or full-motion picture data, a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon, a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information, including a circuit which identifies inherent information on said storage medium, a reference information storage circuit which pre-stores reference information and write data transfer rates on various kinds of storage media, and an output circuit which compares identified inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit, and an image signal compression ratio instructing circuit which adjusts an image signal compression ratio of said image signal compressor, the method comprising the steps of:

reading inherent information on said storage medium,

detecting a write data transfer rate of said storage medium by comparing said inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit, and

adjusting an image signal compression ratio of said image signal compressor according to said detected write data transfer rate of said storage medium.

16. An image signal recording method using an image signal compressor which compresses image signals as still or full-motion picture data, a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon, a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information, and an image signal compression ratio instructing circuit which adjusts an image signal compression ratio of said image signal compressor, the method comprising the steps of:

writing a predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium,

measuring a period of time to be taken for writing said predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium,

calculating a write data transfer rate from said predetermined amount of reference data and said period of time measured in the measuring step, and

determining an image signal compression ratio from said calculated write data transfer rate.

17. An image signal recording method using an image signal compressor which compresses image signals as still or full-motion picture data, a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon, and a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information, including a reference information storage circuit which pre-stores reference information and write data transfer rates on various kinds of storage media, the method comprising the steps of:

reading inherent information on said storage medium, and

detecting a write data transfer rate of said storage medium by comparing said inherent information on said storage medium with reference information registered in said reference information storage circuit.

18. An image signal recording method using an image signal compressor to compress image signals as still or full-motion picture data, a recording circuit which records an output from said image signal compressor onto a removable storage medium containing inherent information thereon, and a data transfer rate detector which detects a write data transfer rate of said storage medium using said inherent information, the method comprising the steps of:

writing a predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium,

measuring a period of time to be taken for writing said predetermined amount of reference data onto said storage medium,

calculating a write data transfer rate from said predetermined amount of reference data and said period of time measured in the measuring step, and

determining an image signal compression ratio from said calculated write data transfer rate.