Recording apparatus having a pause mode in which video signals are written to memory by cyclically designating write addresses

• US 7,400,818 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2004
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hoshi, Hidenori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dunn; Mishawn
• Application Number:
  US10/769,766
• Publication Number:
  US 20040156618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 386/46, 386/68, 386/95, 386/125, 386/52, 386/117, 348/231, 369/30
• US Class Current: 386/248
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2009/8084 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums

Abstract

A recording apparatus reads and stores video signals on a recording medium. The recording apparatus has a recording mode and a recording pause mode. In the recording mode, the video signals are stored in a memory, and the video signals read from the memory are recorded. In the recording pause mode, the video signals are stored in the memory by cycling through selecting storage addresses, and the recording of the video signals is terminated.

Claims

1. A recording apparatus comprising:

a storage unit which stores video signals of a plurality of frames;

a recording unit which records video signals read out from said storage unit on a recording medium;

a control unit which controls a storing operation of said storage unit; and

a mode-setting unit which sets a mode of said recording apparatus in one of a plurality of modes including (i) a first mode, in which said control unit cyclically writes video signals into said storage unit and reads out video signals from said storage unit, and said recording unit performs recording of the video signals read out from said storage unit at a first speed, (ii) a second mode, in which said control unit cyclically writes video signals into said storage unit and reads out video signals from said storage unit, and said recording unit performs recording of the video signals read out from said storage unit at a second speed faster than the first speed, and (iii) a third mode, in which said control unit cyclically writes video signals into said storage unit by cyclically designating write addresses of said storage unit at which the video signals are to be written, and recording of video signals on the recording medium is stopped.

2. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction unit which manually instructs a start of recording of video signals, and wherein said mode-setting means sets said recording apparatus in the first mode in response to a start recording instruction by said instruction unit in the third mode.

3. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction unit which manually instructs a stop of recording of video signals, and wherein said mode-setting means sets said recording apparatus in the second mode in response to a stop recording instruction by said instruction unit in the first mode.

4. A recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein in the second mode, said recording unit records a predetermined number of frames of the video signals read out from said storage unit in response to the stop recording instruction, and after that, stops recording of video signals.

5. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an instruction unit which manually instructs a change of the mode of said recording apparatus, wherein said mode-setting means sets the mode of said recording apparatus in response to an instruction by said instruction unit.

6. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an imaging unit which obtains video signals, and wherein said storage unit stores the video signals obtained by said imaging unit.

7. A recording apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

a compression unit which compresses an information amount of the video signals obtained by said imaging unit by encoding the video signals, wherein said control unit controls the storing operation so as to write the video signals compressed by said compression unit into said storage unit.

8. A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording medium includes a disk recording medium.

9. A recording apparatus comprising:

a storage unit which stores video signals of a plurality of frames;

a recording unit which records video signals read out from said storage unit on a recording medium;

a control unit which controls a storing operation of said storage unit; and

a mode-setting unit which sets a mode of said recording apparatus in one of a plurality of modes including (i) a first mode, in which said control unit reads out video signals from said storage unit, and said recording unit performs recording of the video signals read out from said storage unit at a first speed, (ii) a second mode, in which said control unit reads out video signals from said storage unit, and said recording unit performs recording of the video signals read out from said storage unit at a second speed faster than the first speed, and (iii) a third mode, in which said control unit cyclically writes video signals into said storage unit by cyclically designating write address of said storage unit at which the video signals are to be written, and recording of video signals on the recording medium is stopped.

10. A recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction unit which manually instructs a start of recording of video signals, and wherein said mode-setting means sets the first mode in response to a start recording instruction by said instruction unit in the third mode.

11. A recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction unit which manually instructs a stop of recording of video signals, and wherein said mode-setting means sets the second mode in response to a stop recording instruction by said instruction unit in the first mode.

12. A recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein in the second mode, said recording unit records a predetermined number of frames of the video signals read out from said storage unit in response to the stop recording instruction, and after that, stops recording of video signals.

13. A recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an instruction unit which manually instructs a change of the mode of said recording apparatus, and wherein said mode-setting means sets the mode of said recording apparatus in response to an instruction by said instruction unit.

14. A recording apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

an imaging unit which obtains video signals, and wherein said storage unit stores the video signals obtained by said imaging unit.

15. A recording apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising:

a compression unit which compresses an information amount of the video signals obtained by said imaging unit by encoding the video signals, and wherein said control unit controls the storing operation so as to write the video signals compressed by said compression unit into said storage unit.

16. A recording apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the recording medium includes a disk recording medium.

17. A recording method for a recording apparatus comprising:

storing video signals of a plurality of frames in a storage unit;

reading out video signals from the storage unit and recording the video signals on a recording medium;

controlling a storing operation in said storing step; and

setting a mode of the recording apparatus in one of a plurality of modes including (i) a first mode, in which said controlling step includes cyclically writing video signals into the storage unit and reading out video signals from the storage unit, and said reading and recording step performs recording of the video signals read out from the storage unit at a first speed, (ii) a second mode, in which said controlling step includes cyclically writing video signals into the storage unit and reading out video signals from the storage unit, and said reading and recording step includes recording of the video signals read out from the storage unit at a second speed faster than the first speed, and (iii) a third mode, in which said controlling step includes cyclically writing video signals into the storage unit by cyclically designating write addresses of the storage unit at which the video signals are to be written, and stopping recording of video signals on the recording medium.

18. A recording method for a recording apparatus comprising:

storing video signals of a plurality of frames in a storage unit;

reading video signals out from the storage unit and recording the video signals on a recording medium;

controlling a storing operation in said storing step; and

setting a mode of the recording apparatus in one of a plurality of modes including (i) a first mode, in which said controlling step includes reading out video signals from the storage unit, and said reading and recording step includes recording of the video signals read out from the storage unit at a first speed, (ii) a second mode, in which said controlling step includes reading out video signals from the storage unit, and said reading and recording step includes recording of the video signals read out from the storage unit at a second speed faster than the first speed, and (iii) a third mode, in which said controlling step includes cyclically writing video signals into the storage unit by cyclically designating write addresses of the storage unit at which the video signals are to be written, and stopping recording of video signals on the recording medium.