Image capturing apparatus

• US 6,933,969 B1
• Filed: 07/22/1999
• Issued: 08/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Noguchi, Fujio, Ishizuka, Shigeki
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): GENCO, BRIAN C
• Application Number:
  US09/358,529
• Time in Patent Office: 2,224 Days
• Field of Search: 340/995, 340/701, 340/213, 340/208, 340/937, 348/220.1, 348/231.9, 358/906, 358/909.1, 386/117, 386/120, 386/121, 701/200, 701/201, 701/207, 701/208, 701/213, 336/117, 336/120.121
• US Class Current: 348/220.1
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 21/3602 Input other than that of destination using image analysis, e.g. detection of road signs, lanes, buildings, real preceding vehicles using a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8227 the additional signal being at least another television signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8233 the additional signal being a character code signal

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus uses a plurality of recording media. The image capturing apparatus includes a detection unit for detecting the loading of a first recording medium, and a control unit for switching the operation mode of the image capturing apparatus in accordance with a detection result obtained by the detection unit.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

control means for switching the mode of said image capturing apparatus between a first operation mode for recording an image-capturing signal as a still picture and a second operation mode for recording the signal as a moving picture; and

detection means for detecting the loading of a first recording medium;

wherein said control means automatically switches the operation mode of said image capturing apparatus to said first operation mode when said detection means detects that said first recording medium is loaded into said image processing apparatus.

2. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

control means for switching the mode of said image capturing apparatus between a first operation mode for recording an image-capturing signal as a still picture on a card recording medium and a second operation mode for recording the signal as a moving picture on a tape recording medium; and

detection means for determining whether said card recording medium is loaded into said image processing apparatus;

wherein said control means automatically switches the operation mode of said image capturing apparatus to said first operation mode, when said detection means detects that said card recording medium is loaded into said image processing apparatus.

3. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

first operation means for recording an image-capturing signal on a card recording medium in accordance with a first recording mode;

second operation means for recording the signal on a tape recording medium in accordance with a second recording mode;

detection means for determining whether said card recording medium is loaded into said image capturing apparatus;

wherein said control means causes said first recording mode of said image capturing apparatus to be automatically set when said detection means detects that said card recording medium is loaded into said image processing apparatus.