JP2006109176A - Image recording device and its control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an image recording device recording image data supporting a plurality of data structures without unnecessarily consuming a recording medium, and also to provide a control method for the image recording device. <P>SOLUTION: The image recording device has: a first recording means for recording an image data file in an MEDIA directory or less according to the first data structure; and a second recording means for recording the image data file in a DCIM directory according to the second data structure different from the first data structure. A link file to the image data file recorded by using the first recording means is recorded by the second recording means. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an image recording apparatus and a control method thereof, and more particularly to an image recording apparatus that records an image data file while supporting a plurality of data structures and a control method thereof.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known an apparatus for recording a still image such as a JPEG format on a recording medium with a directory structure conforming to the DCF (Design Rule for Camera File system) standard widely known as a data structure of a digital still camera (for example, , See Patent Document 1). There is also known an apparatus for recording a moving image and a still image in the MPEG format on the same recording medium with a directory structure conforming to a moving image recording method such as the SD-Video method. By performing recording according to such a standardized format, it becomes possible to record and reproduce still images and moving images across differences between manufacturers and hardware.

JP 2004-48183 A

  However, in the above-described configuration of the related art, the directory configuration of the still image recording method is different from that of the DCF method that is a still image recording method and the SD-Video method that is a moving image recording method. ing. Therefore, it is necessary to provide both a still image recording mode (recording a DCF file structure) and a moving image recording mode (recording a moving image recording file structure), and switch between them to record. Similarly, since still images and moving images cannot be handled in a manner that conforms to the same standard, the user can switch between still image playback mode (playback DCF file structure) and video playback mode (play back video recording file structure) for playback. There is a need to.

  In the future, a new standard may be created that can handle both still images and movies in the same format, but it is necessary to support currently used data structures from the viewpoint of maintaining backward compatibility. Is considered not to be lost for the time being.

  For example, a direct print function that directly connects a digital still camera to a printer and prints a captured image requires data communication between the printer and the camera using the DCF method. Therefore, even if a standard that can handle both still images and moving images is created, in order to use such functions based on the conventional data structure, recording with the conventional data structure is still necessary. is there. Therefore, when both the recording of image data based on a new standard and the use of a function requiring a conventional data structure are required, the same captured image must be recorded in a plurality of formats, and the capacity of the recording medium Is consumed more than necessary.

  The present invention has been made in view of such problems, and provides an image recording apparatus capable of recording image data that supports a plurality of data structures without unnecessarily consuming a recording medium, and a control method thereof. For the purpose.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an image recording apparatus for recording image data on a recording medium, a first recording means for recording an image data file according to the first data structure, and a second data structure different from the first data structure. And a second recording unit that records the image data file according to the first recording unit, and the second recording unit records a link file to the image data file recorded using the first recording unit. Achieved by the device.

  Further, the above-described object is to obtain an acquisition unit for acquiring a data structure of a recording medium in which an image data file is recorded according to a first data structure and a second data structure different from the first data structure; A moving means for moving the image data file recorded according to the data structure of 2 according to the first data structure, and a link file to the image data file after the movement of the moved image data file in the second data structure. Instead, this is achieved by an image recording apparatus having recording means for recording.

  Further, the above-described object is to provide a first recording means for recording an image data file on a recording medium according to the first data structure, and an image data file on the recording medium according to a second data structure different from the first data structure. A method for controlling an image recording apparatus comprising a second recording means for recording, wherein a step of recording an image data file using the first recording means and a recording using the first recording means It is also achieved by a method for controlling an image recording apparatus, comprising: a step of recording a link file to an image data file by a second recording means.

  Further, the above-mentioned object is to obtain an acquisition step of acquiring a data structure of a recording medium in which an image data file is recorded according to a first data structure and a second data structure different from the first data structure; A moving step of moving the image data file recorded according to the data structure of 2 according to the first data structure, and a link file to the moved image data file of the moved image data file in the second data structure. It is also achieved by a control method for an image recording apparatus characterized by having a recording step for recording instead.

  With such a configuration, according to the present invention, it is possible to record image data that supports a plurality of data structures without unnecessarily consuming a recording medium.

Hereinafter, an imaging apparatus as an image recording apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of an imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment.

  In the figure, an imaging apparatus 100 includes a lens and an imaging element (CCD sensor, CMOS sensor, etc.), converts a light from a subject into an electrical signal, and converts an electrical signal from the lens unit 101 into image data. The image data that is output from the camera signal processing unit 102 and the camera signal processing unit 102 is compressed using a compression encoding method such as the JPEG method or the MPEG method to be converted into compressed image data, or stored in the image memory 104. A compression / decompression unit 103 for decompressing the compressed image data, image data, an image memory 104 for temporarily storing the compressed image data, image data from the camera signal processing unit 102, and an image decompressed by the compression / decompression unit 103 , Displays a GUI image such as various setting menus, for example, the display unit 105 which is an LCD, An operation key 106 including a trigger, a moving image recording button, a zoom lever, a menu operation key, a CPU 107 for controlling the entire image recording apparatus, a file management module 108 for managing a recording file name, attribute, type, and the like on the recording medium 110, an optical disc A disk drive / reader / writer (hereinafter simply referred to as a reader / writer) 109 for reading / writing from / to a detachable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory card or a card-type magnetic disk drive, an optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc. The recording medium 110 is configured.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data recording structure when the imaging apparatus of the present embodiment records data on the recording medium 110.
As shown in FIG. 2, the data recording structure in the present embodiment is a hierarchical data structure with the root directory as the highest hierarchy. A MEDIA directory and a DCIM directory are provided directly under the root directory.

  First, the MEDIA directory will be described. The MEDIA directory and below have a data structure conforming to a standard that can handle content files such as moving images including still images, audio, and the like, and a playlist for reproducing the content files.

  Immediately below the MEDIA directory, an entry file (MED_0001.IDX) that can be recognized by a disc video recorder and in which reproducible content information is recorded, and a thumbnail file (MED_0001) in which thumbnail data associated with the entry file are recorded are recorded. .THM) and a title file (MED_0001.TXT) in which title data including text associated with the entry file is recorded. Directly under the MEDIA directory, there are also directories (100ABCDE and 101ABCDE in FIG. 2) having an eight-character name in which three-digit numbers that do not overlap each other and five alphabets that can be arbitrarily designated by the user are combined. Under these directories, a content file having an 8-character name that is a combination of 4 alphabets that can be arbitrarily specified by the user and 4-digit serial numbers that do not overlap with each other in the case of irrelevant files. Can be recorded. In addition, the file name is appended with a three-character extension following the period of the recorded file (“.MPG” for MPEG files, “.JPG” for JPEG files, “.JPG” for audio files). AC3 ”, playlist file is“ .LST ”, etc.). Since the disc video recorder performs a reproduction operation based on the information registered in the entry file described above, the content file to be reproduced is registered in the entry file.

  The DCIM directory directly under the root directory as well as the MEDIA directory will be described. The data recording structure under the DCIM directory conforms to the DCF (Design Rule for Camera File system) method, which is widely known as a digital still camera data structure. Has the structure. However, in the present embodiment, in order to prevent consumption of the recording medium due to recording a plurality of the same file, link information to the content file under the MEDIA directory is provided below the DCIM directory instead of the content file entity. To be recorded.

  In addition, a still image file (JPEG file or the like) that can be handled by the DCF method is linked, and is not linked to an extension file (such as an MPEG file or a playlist) that is not supported by the DCF method.

  For example, the link information can be recorded using a method realized by a name such as a shortcut, an alias, or a symbolic link in an operating system employing a file system using a hierarchical file structure.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the recording operation of the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment.
The imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment has a playback mode and a recording mode. When the still image trigger included in the operation key 106 is operated during operation in the recording mode, a still image is displayed. When a moving image trigger is operated, a moving image is displayed. Is recorded on the recording medium 110. In the following description, it is assumed that the operation is in the recording mode.

  In the data recording structure in FIG. 2, the root directory and the MEDIA directory, the DCIM directory, and the entry file (MED_0001.IDX in FIG. 2) under the MEDIA directory in the data recording structure in FIG. And Furthermore, it is assumed that user-designable character strings used for directory names and content file names and numerical values to be automatically assigned have already been determined.

  The imaging apparatus determines whether a recording instruction has been issued by a still image trigger or a moving image trigger (S301). If it is determined No in S301, the determination in S301 is repeated again. When it is determined Yes in S301, still image data or moving image data created in the image memory 104 by the processing of the lens unit 101, the camera signal processing unit 102, and the compression / decompression unit 103 is used using the file management module 108. The content file is recorded from the reader / writer 109 under the MEDIA directory on the recording medium 110 (S302).

  Next, the content file recorded in S302 is registered in the entry file (MED_0001.IDX in FIG. 2) directly under the MEDIA directory (S303). At this time, if the thumbnail file (MED_0001.THM in FIG. 2) and the title file (MED_0001.TXT in FIG. 2) have not yet been generated, they are generated. Also, a thumbnail image is created and registered in a thumbnail image file. Then, it is determined from the file extension, for example, whether the image data recorded in S302 is a still image (S304). If it is determined No in S304, the process returns to S301. If it is determined Yes in S304, a link file (for example, a shortcut file) created in S302 and recorded under the MEDIA directory is transferred from the reader / writer 109 to the recording medium 110 using the file management module 108. (S305). After the process of S305, the process returns to S301.

  Further, the name of the link file created in S305 may be the same as or different from the linked content file. FIG. 2 shows a case where the same name is used.

<Use of direct print function>
An operation when the imaging apparatus 100 mounted with the recording medium 110 having such a data structure is connected to a printer compatible with a direct print function that requires a DCF data structure will be described.

FIG. 6A is a diagram schematically illustrating a state in which the imaging apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment is directly connected to the printer 603 with the USB cable 602.
First, it is assumed that the recording medium 110 is mounted on the imaging apparatus 100 and the data structure recorded on the recording medium 110 is as shown in FIG. That is, all content file entities exist under the MEDIA directory, and no content file entity exists under the DCF directory, and a link file to a still image file existing under the MEDIA directory is recorded. .

  When the imaging apparatus 100 (USB Slave) and the printer 603 (USB Host) are connected using the USB cable 602, negotiation between the apparatuses is performed, and it is determined to perform communication using PTP (Picture Transfer Protocol). In connection according to PTP, the printer 603 requests a file list from the imaging apparatus 100.

Here, the imaging apparatus 100 generates and transmits a file list by the operation shown in the flowchart of FIG.
First, in S701, reception of a file list transmission request is awaited. When there is a request for a file list, the data structure of the recording medium 110 is checked (S703), and only the DCIM directory exists directly under the root directory, and the link file under the DCIM directory is represented as an actual content file. A list is generated (S705). At this time, if the name of the link file is different from the name of the link destination file (content file entity), the name of the link destination file is acquired, and a file list is generated using the acquired name. Then, this file list is transmitted to the printer 603 (S707). That is, the file list received by the printer 603 has a data structure as shown in FIG.

  If the name of the link file is different from the name of the linked file (content file entity), the file list may be created using the link file name instead of the entity file name.

  By performing the above-described processing when connected to the printer 603, a file list of still image files can be transmitted with a file configuration that can be handled by the printer 603.

  In this embodiment, when a still image file is recorded, a link file is always created under the DCIM directory. However, the user sets whether to create a link file (whether to support other standards). It may be possible. In this case, the setting may be made by the user operating the setting menu of the imaging device as is generally known.

  In this embodiment, the link file is created under the DCIM directory for only the still image file. However, the link file may be created for an arbitrary file such as an audio file or an AVI file other than the still image file. good.

  In this embodiment, the link file to the content file created under the MEDIA directory is created under the DCIM directory, but the link file may be recorded on the MEDIA directory side. In this case, a file may be moved from the MEDIA directory under the DCIM directory, and then a link file may be recorded under the MEDIA directory.

  Furthermore, in the present embodiment, an example in which a content file is recorded so as to support two different data structures has been described, but it is of course possible to record so as to support three or more different data structures. That is, if only a file unique to each data structure (for example, the media management file in FIG. 2) is created and the link file is recorded instead of the actual file, the data to be recorded on the same recording medium There is no theoretical limit to the number of structures.

  In this embodiment, communication is performed with the printer 603 using PTP. However, communication is performed according to a procedure conforming to the Pict Bridge standard, which is an extended format of PTP, or a file list is transferred and the file list is used. When performing communication by a method compliant with another communication method such as communication, file list creation and communication processing as described herein may be performed.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by recording a content file with a data structure compliant with a certain standard, and by recording a link file to the content file with a different data structure compliant with another standard, A plurality of data structures can be supported while the consumption of the recording medium is minimized.

  Also, for example, when a file list is requested in direct printing, a function that requires a conventional data structure can be created by generating and transmitting a file list that represents a linked file as an actual content file. It can be used.

<Second Embodiment>
Next, an imaging apparatus as an image recording apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Note that the imaging apparatus of the present embodiment has the same configuration as that of the imaging apparatus described in the first embodiment, and therefore description of the configuration is omitted, and the recording format conversion operation that is a feature of the present embodiment is omitted. Only explained.

  FIG. 4A shows a data structure of a recording medium recorded by, for example, another imaging device. The data structure of FIG. 4A basically includes the imaging of the first embodiment, such as having a MEDIA directory and a DCIM directory directly under the root directory, and having a media management file under the MEDIA directory. Similar to the data recording structure of the device, except that still image files (files with the extension “.JPG” in this case) exist only in the DCIM directory and their entities are also recorded in the DCIM directory. .

  The imaging apparatus of the present embodiment has a function of converting a content file recorded in such a data structure into a data structure (FIG. 4B) as described in the first embodiment. To do.

  The outline of the conversion procedure is as follows. First, a JPEG still image file existing under the DCIM directory is moved under the MEDIA directory, and a link file to the moved file is recorded at the original location under the DCIM directory. Thereafter, the moved JPEG still image file is registered in the media management file immediately below the MEDIA directory. By performing the above processing on all JPEG still image files whose entities exist under the DCIM directory, the data structure is converted from FIG. 4A to FIG. 4B.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining the details of such data structure conversion processing.
First, the imaging apparatus reads file system data from the recording medium 110 via the reader / writer 109 and the file management module 108 (S501). The file management module 108 determines whether a still image file entity exists under the DCIM directory (S502). This can be realized, for example, by determining whether the file is a link file by referring to the attribute and type of the file. When it is determined No in S502, the process proceeds to the normal reproduction operation.

  If YES is determined in S502, the still image file whose entity exists under the DCIM directory is moved to an arbitrary location under the MEDIA directory (S503). In addition, as shown in FIG. 4, you may move under the same name directory existing under the MEDIA directory. In the location under the DCIM directory where the still image file moved in S503 originally existed, a link file to the still image file moved under the MEDIA directory is recorded (S504). Then, the still image file moved to the MEDIA directory is additionally registered in the entry file immediately below the MEDIA directory (S505). After the processing of S505, the process returns to S502.

  By performing the processing from S501 to S505 for each directory under the DCIM directory, the conversion from the data structure of FIG. 4A to the data structure of FIG. 4B is completed.

  In the normal playback mode, all content file entities exist under the MEDIA directory, so there is a need to switch between a method of playing back content under the DCIM directory (DCIM playback) and a method of playing back content under the MEDIA directory (MEDIA playback). In addition, all contents can be played back by MEDIA playback. That is, since it is not necessary to read out the media management file every time switching from the reproduction of the still image file stored in the DCIM directory to the reproduction of the moving image file stored in the MEDIA directory, the still image file and the moving image file can be quickly retrieved. Can be played.

  In S503, the still image file that exists under the DCIM directory is moved under the MEDIA directory, but the file name after the movement may be the same.

  In S503, the still image file existing under the DCIM directory is moved under the MEDIA directory. At that time, in the case of files that are not related in the DCF method, a 4-digit serial number assigned so as not to overlap each other. If a file with a matching character string already exists in the destination directory, the four-digit serial number character string may be changed to a file name that does not overlap.

  In S504, the link is generated in the original location under the DCIM directory. However, the link name to be generated may be the same as the name of the still image file before moving in S503.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, by collecting all the content files under one data structure, it is possible to reproduce a moving image and a still image only by reproducing the directory.

<Other embodiments>
In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to an imaging apparatus having the lens unit 101 for converting a subject image into image data, the camera signal processing unit 102, the compression / decompression unit 103, and the like has been described. This function is not essential for the image recording apparatus according to the present invention, and may be an image recording apparatus that receives image data created by another apparatus and records it in the above-described format.

  A software program that implements the functions of the above-described embodiments is supplied directly from a recording medium or to an image recording apparatus or image recording system having a computer that can execute the program using wired / wireless communication. The present invention includes a case where an equivalent function is achieved by the computer of the system or apparatus executing the supplied program.

  Accordingly, the program code itself supplied and installed in the computer in order to implement the functional processing of the present invention by the computer also realizes the present invention. That is, the computer program itself for realizing the functional processing of the present invention is also included in the present invention.

  In this case, the program may be in any form as long as it has a program function, such as an object code, a program executed by an interpreter, or script data supplied to the OS.

  As a recording medium for supplying the program, for example, a magnetic recording medium such as a flexible disk, a hard disk, a magnetic tape, MO, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD- There are optical / magneto-optical storage media such as RW, and non-volatile semiconductor memory.

  As a program supply method using wired / wireless communication, a computer program forming the present invention on a server on a computer network, or a computer forming the present invention on a client computer such as a compressed file including an automatic installation function A method of storing a data file (program data file) that can be a program and downloading the program data file to a connected client computer can be used. In this case, the program data file can be divided into a plurality of segment files, and the segment files can be arranged on different servers.

  That is, the present invention includes a server device that allows a plurality of users to download a program data file for realizing the functional processing of the present invention on a computer.

  In addition, the program of the present invention is encrypted, stored in a storage medium such as a CD-ROM, distributed to the user, and key information for decrypting the encryption for a user who satisfies a predetermined condition is provided via a homepage via the Internet, for example. It is also possible to realize the program by downloading it from the computer and executing the encrypted program using the key information and installing it on the computer.

  In addition to the functions of the above-described embodiments being realized by the computer executing the read program, the OS running on the computer based on an instruction of the program is a part of the actual processing. Alternatively, the functions of the above-described embodiment can be realized by performing all of them and performing the processing.

  Furthermore, after the program read from the recording medium is written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer, the function expansion board or The CPU of the function expansion unit performs part or all of the actual processing, and the functions of the above-described embodiments can also be realized by the processing.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the data recording structure of the imaging device which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart for explaining a recording processing operation of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment. It is a figure explaining the conversion process of the data structure which the imaging device which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention performs. It is a flowchart explaining the data structure conversion process of the imaging device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows typically the state which connects the imaging device which concerns on 1st Embodiment directly with a printer. 6 is a flowchart for describing processing of the imaging apparatus when a file list is requested from a printer.

Claims (8)

In an image recording apparatus for recording image data on a recording medium,
First recording means for recording an image data file according to a first data structure;
Second recording means for recording an image data file according to a second data structure different from the first data structure;
An image recording apparatus, wherein a link file to an image data file recorded using the first recording means is recorded by the second recording means.   The first recording unit records a still image data file or a moving image data file, and the second recording unit records the link file only for the still image data file. Item 2. The image recording apparatus according to Item 1. A communication means for communicating with an external device;
When a file list of still image data files recorded on the recording medium is requested from an external device connected via the communication means, the file list of the still image data is generated based on the second data structure A file list generating means to perform,
A transmission means for transmitting the file list generation means to the external device via the communication means;
3. The image recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the file list generation unit generates a file list representing the link file as an entity of a still image data file. Acquisition means for acquiring a data structure of a recording medium in which an image data file is recorded according to a first data structure and a second data structure different from the first data structure;
Moving means for moving an image data file recorded according to the second data structure according to the first data structure;
An image recording apparatus comprising: recording means for recording a link file to the moved image data file in place of the moved image data file in the second data structure.   5. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising reproducing means for reproducing the image data file recorded in accordance with the first data structure.   The image file initially recorded on the recording medium according to the first data structure is a moving image file, and the image file initially recorded on the recording medium according to the second data structure is a still image data file. 6. The image recording apparatus according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the image recording apparatus is an image recording apparatus. First recording means for recording an image data file on a recording medium in accordance with a first data structure;
A control method for an image recording apparatus, comprising: a second recording unit that records an image data file on the recording medium according to a second data structure different from the first data structure,
First, recording an image data file using the first recording means;
And a step of recording a link file to the image data file recorded using the first recording means, using the second recording means. An acquisition step of acquiring a data structure of a recording medium in which an image data file is recorded according to a first data structure and a second data structure different from the first data structure;
A moving step of moving an image data file recorded according to the second data structure according to the first data structure;
And a recording step of recording a link file to the moved image data file instead of the moved image data file in the second data structure.

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