Image recording apparatus, dynamic image processing apparatus, dynamic image reproduction apparatus, dynamic image recording apparatus, information recording / reproduction apparatus and methods employed therein, recording medium with computer program stored therein

• US 7,519,268 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2003
• Issued: 04/14/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Juen, Masahiro, Ito, Masaharu, Toyoda, Kenji, Tanaka, Masahide, Nozaki, Hirotake
• Primary Examiner(s): Chevalier; Robert
• Application Number:
  US10/423,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20030210898A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,178 Days
• Field of Search: 386/117, 386/107, 386/46, 386/109, 386/111, 386/112, 386/27, 386/33, 386/68
• US Class Current: 386/329
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/20 Disc-shaped record carriers
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2220/2525 Magneto-optical [MO] discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/005 Reproducing at a different information rate from the information rate of recording for television signals H04N5/783
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• 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: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00408 Display of information to the user, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00477 Indicating status, e.g. of a job for control or supervision between transmitter and receiver or between image input and image output device H04N2201/3219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00885 Power supply means, e.g. arrangements for the control of power supply to the apparatus or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00899 Detection of supply level or supply failure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2158 using a detachable storage unit
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/214 Checking or indicating the storage space
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/783 Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• 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

The image recording apparatus according to the present invention is provided with a conversion device that converts an optical image of a subject to an electrical signal, a recording circuit that records the electrical signal achieved through the conversion device in a storage device as image data and a display control circuit that detects an available capacity at the storage device and the length of time that power supply by a source is possible and displays them on a display as available capacity information and remaining power supply time information. The available capacity information indicates the length of available recording time remaining at the available capacity that has been detected.

Claims

1. A dynamic image processing apparatus comprising:

an image processing circuit that receives data of a scene formed by a sequence of dynamic images that are continuous over time, divides the dynamic images into specific quantity units, compresses each of the specific quantity units of the dynamic images, adds header information, which shows a reproduction order to the compressed specific quantity units of each of the dynamic images, and records as respective independent files in a storage device specific quantity units of dynamic images to which header information has been added.

2. A dynamic image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said image processing circuit forms each divisional specific units of the dynamic images every specific time or specific data quantity.

3. A dynamic image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said image processing circuit forms each divisional specific units of the dynamic images which contains a specific number of GOPs to be compressed by adopting the MPEG method.

4. A dynamic image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said image processing circuit also records information indicating continuity over time of a plurality of dynamic image files that have been divisionally formed.

5. A dynamic image processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a photographing device that photographs a moving object to form dynamic images, wherein;

said image processing circuit processes data of the dynamic images photographed by said photographing device to be compressed and recorded.

6. A dynamic image processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said image processing circuit records a thumbnail image, which is a still image extracted from the dynamic images, in header information of the specific quantity unit of a heading from among the scene formed by the sequence of dynamic images.