Image recording and reproducing device, method and memory medium readable with computer

• US 7,274,475 B1
• Filed: 01/29/1999
• Issued: 09/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Ito, Masamichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Moe; Aung S.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MURPHY, DILLON J
• Application Number:
  US09/239,016
• Time in Patent Office: 3,161 Days
• Field of Search: 358 11- 19, 358 111- 118, 358/1.15, 358/3.28, 358/302, 358/527, 358/306, 709211-212, 709213-238, 709/323, 382/233, 382/232, 382/100, 346/107.2, 348/207.99, 348/231.9, 348/209.99, 348/207.1, 348/207.2, D16/202, 399/140
• US Class Current: 358/1.15
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00007 Time or data compression or expansion audio compression based on psychoacoustics G10L19/00; data processing for reproducing audio data at different playback speeds G10L21/04; video compression H04N19/00; data compression per se H03M7/30
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00884 involving a watermark, i.e. a barely perceptible transformation of the original data which can nevertheless be recognised by an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2005/91335 the copy protection signal being a watermark
• 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 5/782 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 9/8205 involving the multiplexing of an additional signal and the colour video signal

Abstract

A camera device includes an image data generation unit which generates image data corresponding to a captured image; a specific information generation unit which generates specific information relating to the image data; a recording unit which records the image data and the specific information on a removable recording medium which is removably attachable to the camera device; a reproducing unit which reproduces the image data and the specific information from the removable recording medium; an embedding unit which controllably embeds the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data using a digital watermarking technique; and a control unit which controls the embedding unit to embed the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data if a first process is selected by a user, and controls the embedding unit not to embed the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data if a second process is selected by the user.

Claims

1. A camera device comprising:

an image capture unit which captures an image;

an image data generation unit which generates image data corresponding to the captured image;

a specific information generation unit which generates specific information relating to the image data;

a recording unit which records the image data and the specific information on a removable recording medium which is removably attachable to said camera device;

a reproducing unit which reproduces the image data and the specific information from the removable recording medium;

an embedding unit which controllably embeds the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data using a digital watermarking technique; and

a control unit which controls the embedding unit to embed the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data if a first process is selected by a user, and controls the embedding unit not to embed the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data if a second process is selected by the user.

2. A camera device according to claim 1, further comprising a decompressing unit which decompresses the reproduced image data,

wherein the embedding unit embeds the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data decompressed by the decompressing unit.

3. A camera device according to claim 1, further comprising an outputting unit which outputs the image data into which the specific information is embedded to an external device if the first process is selected by a user, and outputs the image data into which the specific information is not embedded to the external device if the second process is selected by the user.

4. A method of controlling a camera device, the method comprising the steps of:

capturing an image;

generating image data corresponding to the captured image;

generating specific information relating to the image data;

recording the image data and the specific information on a removable recording medium which is removably attachable to said camera device;

reproducing the image data and the specific information from the removable recording medium;

controllably embedding the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data using a digital watermarking technique;

responsive to selection of a first process by a user, embedding the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data; and

responsive to selection of a second process by the user, not embedding the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data.

5. A method according to claim 4, further comprising a decompressing step of decompressing the reproduced image data,

wherein the reproduced specific information is embedded into the reproduced image data decompressed in the decompressing step.

6. A method according to claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

outputting the image data into which the specific information is embedded to an external device if the first process is selected by a user; and

outputting the image data into which the specific information is not embedded to the external device if the second process is selected by the user.

7. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program for controlling a camera device, the program capable of performing the steps of:

capturing an image;

generating image data corresponding to the captured image;

generating specific information relating to the image data;

recording the image data and the specific information on a removable recording medium which is removably attachable to said camera device;

reproducing the image data and the specific information from the removable recording medium;

controllably embedding the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data using a digital watermarking technique;

responsive to selection of a first process by a user, embedding the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data; and

responsive to selection of a second process by the user, not embedding the reproduced specific information into the reproduced image data.

8. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the program is capable of further performing a decompressing step of decompressing the reproduced image data,

wherein the reproduced specific information is embedded into the reproduced image data decompressed in the decompressing step.

9. A storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the program is capable of further performing the steps of:

outputting the image data into which the specific information is embedded to an external device if the first process is selected by a user; and

outputting the image data into which the specific information is not embedded to the external device if the second process is selected by the user.