Camera and method for recording image files

• US 9,143,683 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OM Digital Solutions Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Nonaka, Osamu, Tani, Akira, Hara, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): OSINSKI, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/904,411
• Publication Number:
  US 20130258128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 846 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.99, 348/218.1, 348/220.1, 348/222.1, 34823199-2403, 348/239, 34833301-33313
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3251 where the modified version of the image is relating to a person or face
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/611 where the recognised objects include parts of the human body
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/63 by using electronic viewfinders
• 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

Abstract

A camera according to the present invention comprises: an imaging section converting an object image into image data; a storage section storing still image data of a still image obtained by the imaging section, thumbnail image data of the still image, and moving image data of a moving image which has been photographed at timing at least either before or after photographing of the still image; a display section performing display of one or more thumbnail views according to the thumbnail image data; and a display control section, when one of the thumbnail views is designated in the thumbnail view display, performing display of the still image on the display section according to the still image data corresponding to the designated thumbnail view after having performed display of the moving image according to the moving image data corresponding to the designated thumbnail view stored in the storage section.

Claims

1. A camera, comprising:

an imaging section converting an object image into image data and outputting the image data; and

a storage section storing a single image file including both (1) still image data obtained by the imaging section and (2) moving image data of a moving image which has been photographed before and/or after photographing of a still image, wherein

the single image file includes employed time information specifying a plurality of frames of the stored moving image data for display as a moving image where all stored moving image data of the moving image are not displayed, for the moving image data stored in the single image file.

2. The camera according to claim 1, wherein

the stored moving image data for display accompanies the display of the still image and is displayed so as to fall within a predetermined time specified by the employed time information.

3. The camera according to claim 1, wherein

the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating at least one of object movement, image disturbance, and expression change, as an inappropriate portion.

7. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating object movement as an inappropriate portion.

8. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating image disturbance as an inappropriate portion.

9. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating expression change as an inappropriate portion.

10. The camera according to claim 1, wherein the single image file further includes a start time and an end time of the stored moving image data.

4. A camera, comprising:

an imaging section converting an object image into image data and outputting the image data; and

a storage section storing a single image file including still image data obtained by the imaging section and moving image data of a moving image which has been photographed immediately before and/or after the still image, wherein

the single image file includes employed time information specifying a portion of the stored moving image data for display as a moving image where all stored moving image data of the moving image are not displayed, for the moving image data stored in the single image file.

5. The camera according to claim 4, wherein

the stored moving image data for display where all stored moving image data of the moving image are not displayed is displayed accompanying the reproduction of the still image.

11. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating object movement as an inappropriate portion.

12. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating image disturbance as an inappropriate portion.

13. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the stored moving image data for display is selected as an appropriate portion by eliminating expression change as an inappropriate portion.

14. The camera according to claim 4, wherein the single image file further includes a start time and an end time of the stored moving image data.

6. A method for recording image files, comprising the steps of:

converting an object image into image data and outputting the image data by an imaging section; and

storing both (1) still image data obtained by the imaging section, and (2) image data of a moving image, which has been photographed before and/or after photographing of a still image, in a single image file of the storage section, wherein

the single image file includes employed time information specifying a plurality of frames of the stored image data of the moving image for display as a moving image where all of the stored image data of the moving image are not displayed, for the moving image data stored in the single image file.

15. The method according to claim 6, further comprising selecting the stored image data of the moving image for display as an appropriate portion by eliminating object movement as an inappropriate portion.

16. The method according to claim 6, further comprising selecting the stored image data of the moving image for display as an appropriate portion by eliminating image disturbance as an inappropriate portion.

17. The method according to claim 6, further comprising selecting the stored image data of the moving image for display as an appropriate portion by eliminating expression change as an inappropriate portion.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein the single image file further includes a start time and an end time the stored image data of the moving image.