Data output apparatus that locks and unlocks data format

• US 7,624,200 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2005
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Koyama, Shinichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai; Henry W. H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nam; Hyun
• Application Number:
  US11/060,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20050188124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 710/5, 725/80
• US Class Current: 710/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A data output apparatus receives a first command from a first device, and receives a second command from a second device. The apparatus (a) sets an output terminal to a locked state where a data format thereof is locked to a data format indicated by the first command and where the terminal cannot output video data whose data format is different, if the first command is received while the terminal is being set to an unlocked state, (b) determines whether a data format indicated by the second command is the same as the data format of the terminal, if the second command is received while the terminal is being set to the locked state, and (c) transmits a response for informing the second device that the second command is accepted, if the data format indicated by the second command is the same as the data format of the terminal.

Claims

1. A data output apparatus comprising:

an output terminal, wherein the output terminal is an oPCR (output plug control register) defined by the IEC 61883-1 standard;

a receiving unit that is configured to receive a first command from a first control device, and to receive a second command from a second control device different from the first control device; and

a control unit that (a) sets the output terminal to a locked state where a data format of the output terminal is locked to a data format indicated by the first command and where the output terminal cannot output video data whose data format is different from the data format indicated by the first command, if the receiving unit receives the first command from the first control device while the output terminal is being set to an unlocked state where the data format of the output terminal is not locked to one data format, (b) determines whether a data format indicated by the second command is the same as the data format of the output terminal, if the receiving unit receives the second command from the second control device while the output terminal is being set to the locked state, and (c) transmits a response for informing the second control device that the second command is accepted, if the data format indicated by the second command is the same as the data format of the output terminal.

2. The data output apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output terminal is a logical output terminal.

3. A method of controlling a data output apparatus having an output terminal, the method comprising:

a first receiving step of receiving a first command from a first control device;

a second receiving step of receiving a second command from a second control device different from the first control device;

a setting step of setting the output terminal to a locked state where a data format of the output terminal is locked to a data format indicated by the first command and where the output terminal cannot output video data whose data format is different from the data format indicated by the first command, if the first command is received from the first control device while the output terminal is being set to an unlocked state where the data format of the output terminal is not locked to one data format;

a determining step of determining whether a data format indicated by the second command is the same as the data format of the output terminal, if the second command is received from the second control device while the output terminal is being set to the locked state; and

a transmitting step of transmitting a response for informing the second control device that the second command is accepted, if the data format indicated by the second command is the same as the data format of the output terminal, wherein the output terminal is an oPCR (output plug control register) defined by the IEC 61883-1 standard.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the output terminal is a logical output terminal.