JP2002204420A - Camera file system and digital camera - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a camera file system that can create a file by which a thumbnail image can be reproduced by a device whose format standard differs from that of a recorded camera file even when the format for the camera file differs and to provide a digital camera. SOLUTION: The digital camera can record an image obtained through image pickup on a recording medium as a camera file in compliance with the Exif(Exchangeable image file format) file format and the camera file system is characterized in that it creates a thumbnail file of thumbnail file pictures and records it on the recording medium in addition to the camera file in compliance with the Exif standards.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a camera file system and a digital camera, and more particularly to a file system for recording a captured main image and a thumbnail image on a recording medium. The present invention relates to a file system and a digital camera having compatibility in reproducing images and thumbnail images.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As an image file format used in a digital still camera and a related system in the prior art, Jfif (JPEG file) is used.
interchange format), Exi
f (Exchangeable image file
format) standards exist.

[0003] The Jfif standard is based on JPEG (Joint).
Photographic Experts Grou
p) format file is used as a common specification for ensuring the minimum compatibility of files.
Most of what is called EG file is Jfif
It conforms to the standard file. As described above, in the file format of the Jfif standard, the so-called JPEG standard alone does not sufficiently define the file format. For example, a JPEG file generated by a JPEG-compliant application cannot be displayed in another JPEG-compliant application. It is widely used to compensate for the inconvenience.

As described above, the JPEG standard defines an algorithm for compression / encoding of still image data and defines a basic format of encoded data. The information part is often left to the free use of the application, and does not clearly define a common format. Therefore, there is a problem that a different JPEG file appears for each personal computer environment or application, and compatibility is lost.

[0005] As described above, the file format of the Jfif standard as a supplement to the problem of the JPEG standard complies with the JPEG standard. The main image is a JPEG image and the image size is used as tag information. There is information, but information such as shutter speed and aperture value is not included. Also, the thumbnail image cannot be filed together with the original image. Therefore, as shown in FIG.
Forty-eight images are used as thumbnail files.

On the other hand, the file format of the Exif standard defines an image file recorded in a digital still camera and its related devices using a removable memory used in a personal computer (PC) as a recording medium. It consists of an image file specification and an Exif audio file specification.

In the Exif standard file format, the main image is a JPEG image, and includes tag size information such as image size information, shutter speed, and aperture value, and a thumbnail image is combined with the original image. It has a configuration that can be filed. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the main image and the thumbnail image can be combined into one file in one file.

In addition, DCF (Design rule f)
or Camera File System) is E
It is created in accordance with the image file format of the xif standard, and specifies the specifications regarding the handling of recording and playback of image files and files related to images in digital still cameras and related devices.

[0009]

However, in the above-mentioned digital still camera of the prior art, an Exif standard file format seems to be the mainstream as a method for recording the image, but it is based on the Jfif standard file format. When the camera having the created camera file is changed to the Exif standard file format in the middle, both main images can be reproduced because the main images are compliant with the JPEG standard, but the thumbnail images cannot be seen. There is a problem that compatibility with the file recorded in the file cannot be obtained.

Further, at present, there is a method in which a digital still camera equipped with a camera file created according to the Exif standard file format and a digital still camera equipped with a camera file created according to the Jifif standard file format are compatible. I haven't. Such incompatible Exif standard or Jfif
When a camera file created based on a standard is played back on a device of a different standard, the thumbnail image becomes, for example, a single blue color, and cannot be played back.

[0011] Therefore, even if the file is recorded in a file format different from the Jfif standard and the Exif standard, it is possible to solve the problem so that the thumbnail image can be reproduced by a device having a different standard. Have issues that must be addressed.

[0012]

In order to solve the above problems, a camera file system and a digital camera according to the present invention have the following configurations.

(1) The actual image obtained by imaging is converted to an Exi
In a digital camera that can be recorded on a recording medium as a camera file based on an f standard file format, a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image is recorded on the recording medium separately from the Exif camera file. Characterized camera file system. (2) The camera file system according to (1), wherein the digital camera is a digital still camera. (3) The camera file system according to (1), wherein the recording medium is a removable recording medium. (4) When the camera file is composed of a Jfif main image file in which a main image is created based on a Jfif standard file format, and a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image created separately from the Jfif main image file. The camera file created in the subsequent series is used when creating the main image in the Exif main image file based on the Exif standard file format.
The camera file system according to (1), wherein a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image is created separately from the xif main image file and recorded on the recording medium.

(5) The main image obtained by imaging is Jfif
A digital camera capable of recording a Jfif main image file that can be created based on a standard file format and a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image separately from the Jfif main image file on a recording medium, When creating a camera file based on an Exif standard file format for a file to be recorded on a medium, a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image is created separately from the Exif main image file of the Exif standard and recorded on the recording medium. A digital camera characterized by: (6) The digital camera according to (5), wherein the digital camera is a digital still camera. (7) The digital camera according to (5), wherein the recording medium is a detachable recording medium.

As described above, when a camera file in the file format of the Jfif standard exists,
When a camera file of the Exif standard file format is created for a series, a thumbnail file for a thumbnail image is created separately. Therefore, even if an Exif standard camera file is played back on a Jfif standard device, the thumbnail image file is created. Playback is possible,
Also, even if an Exif standard device reproduces a Jfif standard camera file, a thumbnail image can be reproduced.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Next, an embodiment of a camera file system and a digital camera according to the present invention will be described for a digital still camera with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the digital still camera includes an image pickup section 2 for receiving an image photographed through a lens 1 comprising an image pickup device such as a CCD, a recording section 3 for recording imaged data, Playback unit 4 for playing back the captured video data, and operation unit 5 for controlling operations such as shooting / recording / playback
And a control unit 6 for controlling the imaging unit 2 / recording unit 3 / reproducing unit 4 / operation unit 5 and the like. The recording unit 3 has a configuration in which a detachable recording medium 7 can be stored, and the recording medium 7 is a memory card or a disk-shaped recording medium.

The recording medium 7 in the recording section 3 records a camera file based on the Exif standard file format and a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image separately from the camera file based on an Exif standard file format. It can be configured.

The file format of the Exif standard is:
As shown in FIG. 2, the main image obtained by imaging is JPEG
In addition to taking in the format conforming to the standard, the main image and the 160 × 120 thumbnail image can be converted into the same file. here,
A thumbnail image thumbnail file is created separately from a thumbnail image file that can be made identical to the main image file.

As described above, since the thumbnail file can be basically the same file as the main image,
When a thumbnail image is reproduced by an Exif standard device, a file created according to the Exif standard may be reproduced.

However, when a file created according to the Exif standard is played back on a device of a recording system based on the format of the Jifif standard, the main image is converted to a JPEG format.
Since it is created according to the standard, even if the device conforms to the Jfif standard, E
The same image can be reproduced by a device based on the xif standard. However, in the device of the Jfif standard, when a thumbnail image is reproduced, a thumbnail file is created separately from a camera file created in the Exif standard in order to access a thumbnail image file different from the main image file. Otherwise, the thumbnail image cannot be reproduced. In particular, in the case of a device that exists in a series, for example, when playing back with a new
An inconvenience occurs that a thumbnail image created by a device based on the fif standard cannot be reproduced. In addition, in a device of the previous Jifif standard, a thumbnail image in a camera file created by a device of the new Exif standard cannot be reproduced.

In the present invention, in order to eliminate such inconveniences, even if a camera file created by a device of the Jfif standard, for example, a digital still camera, an Exif
The thumbnail image can be played back on a device conforming to the Jf standard.
The thumbnail image can be reproduced even when the image is reproduced on an if standard device. Here, the device is a digital still camera and related devices, such as a personal computer,
Printer.

As described above, the Exif standard equipment, Jfi
Even if the file is a camera file created by a f-standard device, the thumbnail image can be played back by both devices. This camera file uses a Jfif file created based on the Jfif standard file format.
When the main image file and the thumbnail image are composed of the thumbnail file created separately from the Jfif main image file, the camera files created in the series thereafter convert the main image into an Exif file format based on the Exif file format. A main image file may be created, and a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image may be created and recorded on the recording medium 7 separately from the Exif main image file.

[0024]

As described above, the Ex according to the present invention
If a device that conforms to the Exif standard and the Jfif standard is used to create a thumbnail file separately from a camera file that records the main image, the device that conforms to the Exif standard and the Jfif standard There is an effect that a thumbnail image of a file can be reproduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a video still camera which is a video camera according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a file configuration to which a thumbnail file is added separately from the Exif standard file.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a file configuration in which a thumbnail file is added separately from a Jfif standard file.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a file configuration of the Exif standard.

[Explanation of symbols]

1; lens 2; imaging unit 3; recording unit 4;
5; operation unit; 6; control unit; 7; recording medium

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A digital camera capable of recording a main image obtained by imaging on a recording medium as a camera file based on an Exif standard file format, wherein a thumbnail image is provided separately from the Exif standard camera file. A camera file system, wherein the thumbnail file is recorded on the recording medium. 2. The camera file system according to claim 1, wherein said digital camera is a digital still camera. 3. The camera file system according to claim 1, wherein said recording medium is a removable recording medium. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the camera file is a Jfif
Jfi created based on the standard file format
f The main image file and the thumbnail file of the thumbnail image created separately from the Jfif main image file, and the camera file created in the series thereafter converts the main image to the Exif standard file format based on the Exif file format. 2. The camera file system according to claim 1, wherein, when the main image file is created, a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image is created separately from the Exif main image file and recorded on the recording medium. 5. A Jfif main image file capable of creating a main image obtained by imaging based on a Jfif standard file format, and a thumbnail file of a thumbnail image separately from the Jfif main image file. A digital camera capable of recording on a recording medium, wherein when a file to be recorded on the recording medium is created as a camera file based on an Exif standard file format, a thumbnail image is provided separately from the Exif main Exif image file. A digital camera, wherein a thumbnail file is created and recorded on the recording medium. 6. The digital camera according to claim 5, wherein said digital camera is a digital still camera. 7. The digital camera according to claim 5, wherein said recording medium is a detachable recording medium.