Digital video camera and mode changing method

• US 7,659,927 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Issued: 02/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Aizawa, Toyokazu, Nagaoka, Shiro, Abe, Tatsuro, Ikehata, Tatsuhiko, Takahashi, Kuniaki
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Nhan T
• Assistant Examiner(s): Garces-Rivera; Angel L
• Application Number:
  US11/515,917
• Publication Number:
  US 20070064123A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 348/333.05
• US Class Current: 348/231.3
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• 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: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/667 Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes
• 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 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

According to an embodiment of the invention, in a digital video camera using a non-tape recording medium, the user can select whether to save a moving image file in a divided form or as one file, when recording a moving image, by changing the function of a REC button. When one moving image file has been saved in a divided form, a moving image file to be reproduced is easily searched, and a moving image is quickly played from an object chapter, or from a divided sub-file.

Claims

1. A digital video camera comprising:

an image pickup unit which optically takes in image data of an object moving image, converts the data into an electric signal of a moving image, and outputs the signal;

an image processing circuit which converts the electric signal of a moving image output from the image pickup unit, to a digital signal;

a data recording medium which is a non-tape recording medium, and holds the moving image data converted into a digital signal in the image processing circuit, in a file format;

a REC button which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on the data recording medium as a single image file and a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on the data recording medium, together with a divided information optionally given in the single image file; and

a mode setting button which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on the data recording medium, together with a divided information optionally given in the single image file, and to switch function between a first mode and a second mode, either of the first mode in which one movie file is closed each time the REC button is turned on and off or the second mode in which a pause is repeated each time the REC button is turned on and off can be set.

2. The digital video camera of claim 1, wherein the mode setting button is configured to be switched to output a signal for recording as a single image fire by the signal output from the REC button, when recording the moving image data on the data recording medium.

3. The digital video camera of claim 1, further comprising:

an image display unit which is configured to display an image obtained by reproducing the moving image data recorded on the data recording medium; and

an output image control unit which displays an image obtained by reproducing the moving image data based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file held as a single image file on the recording medium, in the video display unit.

4. The digital video camera of claim 3, wherein the output image control unit is configured to display a thumbnail image obtained by reproducing the moving image data based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file, in the video display unit.

5. The digital video camera of claim 4 wherein the REC button is configured to input a signal to start reproduction of the moving image data, by the thumbnail image displayed in the video display unit, based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file.

6. The digital video camera of claim 5, further comprising a JOG dial which is configured to select and instruct a thumbnail image to reproduce the moving image data, by the thumbnail image displayed in the video display unit, based on the divided information optionally given in the single image file.

7. A method of changing a signal to be output from a signal input unit in a digital video camera which comprises an image pickup unit which optically takes in image data of an object moving image, converts the data into an electric signal of a moving image, and outputs the signal;

an image processing circuit which converts the electric signal of a moving image output from the image pickup unit to a digital signal;

a data recording medium which is a non-tape recording medium, and holds the moving image data converted into a digital signal in the image processing circuit, in a file format;

a REC button which outputs a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on a data recording medium, as a single image file and a signal to record the moving image data to be recorded on a data recording medium, together with a divided information optionally given in a single image file;

a mode setting button which outputs a signal to switch function between a first mode and a second mode, either of the first mode in which one movie file is closed each time the REC button is turned on and off or the second mode in which a pause is repeated each time the REC button is turned on and off can be set characterized by comprising

displaying a mode change acceptance screen in a display unit at the time when a mode change is instructed;

displaying a change input screen configured to input CHANGE/RESET for a mode selected on a mode change acceptance screen; and

switching a signal output from the mode setting button to a signal for recording as a single image file by a signal from a the REC button, when recording a moving image data on a data recording medium, at the time when a change of a selected mode is input.