Image recording apparatus, image recording method, and image compressing apparatus

• US 20050046707A1
• Filed: 08/13/2004
• Published: 03/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fujifilm Corporation (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Takane, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,504 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/212 Motion video recording combined with still video recording television signal recording H04N5/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2137 with temporary storage before final recording, e.g. in a frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2101/00 Still video cameras
• 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 23/673 based on contrast or high frequency components of image signals, e.g. hill climbing method
• 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 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus, an image recording method, and an image compressing apparatus capable of performing a still image process during moving image shooting without stopping a sequence of a moving image process also in the case of performing the still image shooting during the moving image shooting. In a moving image shooting mode, CCD data of an odd-numbered frame image and image data of an even-numbered frame image are separately stored into an SDRAM. In the case of writing CCD data of an odd-numbered frame image, in parallel with the writing, a moving image process based on CCD data of an even-numbered frame image written in the immediately preceding cycle is performed. When shooting still images is directed during the moving image, the still image process is divided into processes for a plurality of cycles and then executed.

Claims

1. An image recording apparatus comprising:

a shooting component which shoots an image of a subject;

a first storing component which stores shot frame image data;

a moving image compressing component which generates moving image data by performing a compressing process for a moving image on the frame image data;

a moving image data recording component which records the moving image data onto a recording medium;

a second storing component which stores the frame image data in a case where still image shooting is directed during the moving image shooting;

a still image compressing component which generates still image data by performing a compressing process for a still image on the frame image data stored in the second storing component;

a control component which controls the still image compressing component so as to divide the compressing process for the still image into processes for a plurality of predetermined periods and execute the divided compressing processes for the still image, when the compressing process for the still image is not finished within the predetermined period; and

a still image data recording component which records the still image data onto a recording medium,

wherein the image recording apparatus is characterized by shooting still images during shooting of moving images, in which a moving image process on a frame image is performed every predetermined period.

2. The image recording apparatus of claim 1, wherein the moving image compressing component also serves as the still image compressing component and the still image data is generated in a period other than the period of performing the process of generating the moving image data.

3. The image recording apparatus of claim 1, wherein when the still image shooting is directed during the moving image shooting, the control component copies frame image data stored in the first storing component to the second storing component.

4. An image compressing apparatus comprising:

a compressing process component which performs a compressing process on input frame image data;

a first buffer which stores compression data for a moving image subjected to the compressing process; and

a second buffer which stores compression data for a still image subjected to the compressing process.

5. An image recording method in an image recording, the image recording method comprising:

shooting an image of a subject;

storing shot frame image data into a first storing component;

generating moving image data by performing a compressing process for a moving image on the frame image data;

recording the moving image data onto a recording medium;

in a case where the still image shooting is directed during moving image shooting, storing the frame image data into a second storing component;

generating still image data by performing a compressing process for the still image on the frame image data stored in the second storing component; and

recording the still image data onto a recording medium,

wherein when the compressing process for still image is not finished within the predetermined period, the compressing process for the still image is divided into processes for a plurality of predetermined periods and executed, and

the image recording apparatus is characterized by shooting still images during shooting of moving images, in which a moving image process on a frame image is performed every predetermined period.

6. The image recording method of claim 5, wherein the still image data is generated in a period other than the period of performing the process of generating the moving image data.

7. The image recording method of claim 5, wherein when the still image shooting is directed during the moving image shooting, frame image data stored in the first storing component is copied into the second storing component.