JP4298583B2 - Imaging device and mobile phone - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus such as a digital camera or a mobile phone with a camera function, and more particularly to an image pickup apparatus and a mobile phone having a temporary storage unit for temporarily storing image data in a moving image storage process.

  For example, when recording still image data, as shown in the description of paragraphs 0005 to 0017 of the following Patent Document 1 and FIG. Etc.) and the encoded data obtained by encoding the image content of the still image are generally written as image data in the frame memory 64 which is a temporary storage unit and then recorded in a non-volatile storage unit such as a memory card 67. Is.

  In the technique of Patent Document 1, it is assumed that still image shooting is performed, and the contents of the header information are determined before the compression processing is performed by the image compression circuit 65 (in the paragraph 0015, “... “Header information is created based on the settings and other contents made by the photographer prior to the shooting of the corresponding frame, and written in the area starting from the top address An in the address space”. Information size h (given in advance based on the format of header information) "can be interpreted as such). Therefore, after the header information is written in the frame memory 64, the compressed encoded data is stored in the frame memory 64, and the header information and the compressed encoded data are stored in the nonvolatile storage unit such as the memory card 67. It is possible to transfer and record.

JP-A-8-37638

  In the case of moving image shooting, the contents of the header information are undefined until the image shooting is completed. This is because the size h of the header information increases / decreases depending on the compression processing and the recording time. Therefore, in the case of a moving image, the size h of the header information cannot be determined unless the encoded data is compressed.

  In this case, if a transfer / recording method from the frame memory to the memory card as described in Patent Document 1 is adopted, the control unit temporarily stores all the compressed encoded data in a temporary storage unit such as a frame memory, Header information is generated based on the encoded data, and the header information is written into the frame memory. Then, header information is transferred and recorded from the frame memory to a non-volatile storage unit such as a memory card, and then encoded data is transferred and recorded.

  However, if the encoded data is transferred and recorded to the non-volatile storage unit such as a memory card after the temporary storage of the encoded data to the temporary storage unit such as the frame memory is completed as described above, In order to enable all temporary storage, the storage capacity of a temporary storage unit such as a frame memory must be increased. Such an increase in the capacity of the temporary storage unit directly leads to an increase in manufacturing cost.

  In addition, the quality of captured images in digital cameras and mobile phones with camera functions is increasing. With such high image quality and the like, the amount of image data that must be processed at the time of shooting is increasing, and the storage area of the temporary storage unit built in a digital camera or a mobile phone with a camera function is tight.

  Furthermore, in the case of a mobile phone with a camera function, it is necessary to perform incoming call response processing, which is an original function of the phone, and the temporary storage unit is also used for this response processing. Therefore, it is desired to avoid an increase in the use area of the temporary storage unit due to image shooting.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging apparatus and a mobile phone that can avoid an increase in the use area of a temporary storage unit that is necessary for image data storage processing.

  The present invention includes an imaging unit capable of capturing a moving image, a temporary storage unit, a nonvolatile storage unit, and a control unit that controls operations of the imaging unit, the temporary storage unit, and the nonvolatile storage unit, and the control unit The image data, which is a plurality of continuous image frame data constituting the moving image captured by the imaging unit, is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, and each block is stored in the temporary storage unit, and the image data Information relating to the data structure, which is associated with the reproduction of the moving image, is generated and stored in the temporary storage unit, and the image data stored in the temporary storage unit is stored for each block. Transfer and record to the non-volatile storage unit, and transfer the reproduction-related data for image that has been generated by the end of imaging in the imaging unit from the temporary storage unit to the non-volatile storage unit In the non-volatile storage unit, file data as data for one moving image file includes at least the reproduction-related data for image and the image data, and the reproduction-related data for image is at the time of reproduction of the file data. An image pickup apparatus that constitutes the file data to be read prior to the image data, and a mobile phone including the image pickup apparatus.

  According to the present invention, the control unit stores the image data for each block in the temporary storage unit, and transfers and records the image data in the nonvolatile storage unit. Further, the reproduction-related data for image is also transferred from the temporary storage unit to the non-volatile storage unit for recording. Then, in the nonvolatile storage unit, the file data is configured such that the reproduction accompanying data for image is read prior to the image data when the file data is reproduced. Therefore, as long as a storage capacity capable of storing the image data for one block and the image reproduction associated data for all the blocks is secured in the temporary storage unit, the file format in which the image reproduction associated data is read out in advance. The image data and the reproduction accompanying data for image can be recorded in the nonvolatile storage unit via the temporary storage unit while maintaining the above. Thereby, it is possible to avoid an increase in the use area of the temporary storage unit necessary for the image data saving process.

<Embodiment 1>
An imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment includes a camera lens as an imaging unit, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) imaging device and a camera controller, an SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) as a temporary data storage unit, and a compression process of input data A control unit that controls the operation of each component including a media processor that performs data storage, a flash memory that is a nonvolatile storage unit for storing data, an imaging unit, a temporary storage unit, and a nonvolatile storage unit, and generates reproduction-accompanying data CPU (Central Processing Unit).

  This imaging device blocks the encoded data output from the media processor after the start of imaging and sequentially writes it to the flash memory, and also writes reproduction-accompanying data generated by the CPU during and after imaging to the flash memory. Then, the file data is configured in the flash memory so that the reproduction-accompanying data is read prior to the encoded data at the time of reproducing the file data which is the data for one moving image file.

  The reproduction-accompanying data is information related to the data structure of the image data, and is referred to when reproducing a moving image. Therefore, assuming that the file is acquired from the network, it is possible to sequentially reproduce the image data being downloaded from the downloaded data by referring to the reproduction-accompanying data in advance, so that it is described at the beginning of the file rather than the image data. It is desirable that

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, after completion of the process of writing the encoded data and the reproduction-accompanying data to the flash memory, the encoded data recorded in the flash memory is extracted, and the physical data following the reproduction-related data in the flash memory is extracted. By moving to the address, the file data is configured so that the reproduction-accompanying data is read prior to the encoded data when the file data is reproduced.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an imaging apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment. The imaging apparatus 100 can be applied to a digital camera or a mobile phone with a camera function, and may further include, for example, a strobe function or a telephone function block in addition to the components shown in FIG. . In the present embodiment, the case where imaging device 100 is a mobile phone with a camera function is taken as an example.

  In FIG. 1, a preview request is issued from the CPU 101 to the camera controller 102 by the user's camera activation operation. “Preview” is a state of image confirmation before the start of shooting, and the user directs the camera lens 103 toward the subject and determines the imaging composition.

  In the preview state, a subject image is input from the photographing camera lens 103, formed on the light receiving surface of the CCD image sensor 104, and converted into a charge signal corresponding to the amount of incident light. The camera controller 102 outputs the accumulated charge signal in units of frames at a timing synchronized with the frame rate, and the output signal is R · G · B (red / green / blue) or Y · Cb as image frame data. The data is temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 via the data bus 116 and the memory controller 113 in the form of Cr (luminance, color difference (green-blue), color difference (green-red)). The shooting camera lens 103, the CCD image sensor 104, and the camera controller 102 together function as an imaging unit that can capture a moving image.

  The image frame data temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 is reduced or enlarged by the CPU 101 so as to match the size of the main LCD (Liquid Crystal Device) 106 that is the main screen of the mobile phone or the sub LCD 107 that is the sub screen of the mobile phone. Furthermore, if necessary, the storage format in the display memory 108 is converted and copied into the display memory 108 via the data bus 116. The image frame data in the display memory 108 is output as an image to the main LCD 106 or the sub LCD 107 by the LCD controller 109.

  Further, the image frame data output from the camera controller 102 and temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 is overwritten with the image data of the next frame output from the camera controller 102. Furthermore, the image data in the display memory 108 is also updated, and the image frames are sequentially updated on the main LCD 106 or the sub LCD 107. A plurality of continuous image frame data updated in this way constitutes a moving image. A plurality of such continuous image frame data is referred to as image data in the present application.

  The data update of the display memory 108 and the image output to the main LCD 106 or the sub LCD 107 are executed when, for example, interrupt information for completion of frame writing to the display memory 108 is received. These processes are performed by timing control from the CPU 101.

  Moving image capturing is started in the preview state by a user operation via an input / output interface (for example, including various operation buttons of a mobile phone) 117 for inputting / outputting information to / from the user. Then, the input of the microphone 110 becomes valid, and the media processor 111 starts compression processing of the image data temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 and the audio data input from the microphone 110. As for compression processing, image data and audio data at the same timing are processed in order to synchronize the image and audio during reproduction. The processed image data and audio data are encoded into encoded data.

  During imaging, the encoded data output from the media processor 111 is sequentially multiplexed in the SDRAM 105 along the time axis by the CPU 101 (for example, image data and audio data for each predetermined recording time such as every 3 seconds). Are alternately arranged (= interleaved format: a set of image data and audio data is a block (to be described later) processing). After the imaging stop operation by the user via the input / output interface 117, the encoded data recorded in the SDRAM 105 is arranged in a multiplexed moving image file format by the CPU 101.

  As a multiplexed video file format, for example, MPEG4 (Moving Picture Experts Group 4) is used for image compression, and for example, AMR (Adaptive Multi-Rate) coding method (based on 3GPP TS26.104) is used for audio compression. As a method, a method adopting a 3GPP-MP4 format (based on 3GPP TS 26.234) is generally used. As a feature of this 3GPP-MP4 format, reproduction accompanying data, which becomes control information at the time of reproduction, is described at the beginning of the file, so that it is possible to reproduce without waiting for completion of acquisition of all data when obtaining moving image data via the network. The file reproduction can be started at the time of downloading the head portion of the accompanying data and the image data, and the subsequent data can be continuously acquired in parallel with the reproduction. For this reason, it is possible to shorten the processing time required to start playback and start playback.

  FIG. 2 shows the structure of file data for one moving image file recorded in 3GPP-MP4 format (for example, based on Annex D of 3GPP TS 26.234 V5.6.0 (2003-09), Table D.9). Each information stored in the file will be described below.

  The compressed encoded image data and encoded audio data output from the media processor 111 are generally stored in an interleaved format along the time axis. In the 3GPP-MP4 format, the encoded image data and the encoded audio data are stored in the encoded data 501 portion in FIG. In 3GPP-MP4, the data start identifier 502 and the file identifier 503 must be stored as fixed-size data from the beginning of the file.

  The reproduction associated data 504 includes image reproduction associated data 504a and audio reproduction associated data 504b. Data reproduction list 504a and audio reproduction map 504b store data position lists 505a and 505b, data size lists 506a and 506b, and output time lists 507a and 507b, respectively. All of these pieces of information are information related to the data structure of the encoded data 501 and are information that is referred to when a moving image is reproduced.

  In the data position lists 505a and 505b, information on the offset amount from the beginning of the file is described for each block 508 of image data and audio data in the encoded data 501, and described in the data position lists 505a and 505b at the time of reproduction. By referring to the information, a reading position of necessary data can be determined.

  The data size lists 506a and 506b describe the data size information of each block 508 of the encoded data 501, and the information described in the data size lists 506a and 506b is described in the data position lists 505a and 505b. Together with information, it is used for decoding processing during playback.

  In addition, the output time list 507 is obtained when each block 508 of the encoded data 501 is decoded and reproduced from an output device such as an LCD (main LCD 106, sub LCD 107), speaker (included in the input / output interface 117), or the like. Information on the output time required for reproduction is described.

  A process in the case of storing imaging data in the 3GPP-MP4 format will be described below with reference to FIGS.

  In FIG. 1, encoded data (encoded image data and encoded audio data) compressed by the media processor 111 is subdivided into a plurality of blocks 508 by the CPU 101 and temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 for each block 508. .

  Each block 508 includes an image block 508a and an audio block 508b. The image block 508a includes encoded image data 509a to 509d (one of each of 509a to 509d is one image) that is a plurality of continuous image frame data constituting a moving image. The audio block 508b includes a plurality of audio data 510a to 510d for each sampling rate synchronized with the image block 508a in the block.

  In the 3GPP-MP4 format, encoded image data 509a having the same display time (= delta time: for example, 0.3 seconds, 0.5 seconds, etc., which varies depending on imaging settings and imaging conditions) of one image frame data. ˜509d are divided into one block 508, and the corresponding encoded audio data 510a to 510d are also divided into the same block 508. Such a division method is a process specific to 3GPP-MP4, and the delta time of each image frame data in the same block is equal, so it is not necessary to store the information of the delta time for each image frame data. The amount of data about is small.

  When the encoded data 501 is recorded, the CPU 101 generates information described in the data size lists 506a and 506b and the output time lists 507a and 507b shown in FIG. Each information of the data size list and the output time list (in which delta time information is described) of the encoded data that has been blocked can be determined and acquired at the time of the compression processing of the media processor 111, so that the encoded data 501 The information in block 508 is temporarily stored on SDRAM 105.

  On the other hand, when all the shootings are not completed, since there is image data / sound data that is currently being shot and blocks that have not been blocked, the reproduction-associated data 504 continues to increase, so the data position of the encoded data The (offset) list cannot be determined. Therefore, the data position (offset) list information needs to be generated after imaging is completed.

  The image block 508 a and the audio block 508 b temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 in the block format are transferred to the flash memory 112 for recording while being imaged, and are deleted from the SDRAM 105. However, the information regarding the reproduction accompanying data for image 504a and the reproduction accompanying data for audio 504b (data size, output time (delta time)) temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 is generated by the CPU 101 at any time until imaging is completed, and the SDRAM 105 It is recorded and held in. Note that the reproduction-accompanying data 504 has a smaller data size than the encoded data 501 and does not cause an increase in the use area of the SDRAM 105 even in temporary storage in the SDRAM 105.

  If the user requests “end imaging” via the input / output interface 117 while imaging continues, the CPU 101 issues an imaging stop request to the camera controller 102 and a signal input OFF request to the microphone 110. Then, when the final image frame data is compressed by the media processor 111, blocking and temporary storage in the SDRAM 105 are performed, and writing processing in the flash memory 112 is performed.

  Thereafter, from the data size and output time (delta time) information stored in the SDRAM 105, the CPU 101 generates information on the data position (offset) lists 505a and 505b. Specifically, since the information contents of the data position lists 505a and 505b are determined according to the number of encoded image data and audio data, the information of the data size lists 506a and 506b and the output time lists 507a and 507b are determined. Based on the information, the CPU 101 calculates the data start position of each block 508. Information on the generated data position (offset) lists 505 a and 505 b is also temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105.

  After generating the data position (offset) lists 505a and 505b, the CPU 101 sequentially writes a data start identifier 502 and a file identifier 503 to the flash memory 112 as generation of a new file of file data, which is data for one moving image file. Do. Subsequently, the reproduction-accompanying data for image, which is temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105, is composed of information on the data position (offset) lists 505a and 505b, information on the data size lists 506a and 506b, and information on the output time lists 507a and 507b. The data 504a and the audio reproduction accompanying data 504b are also transferred from the SDRAM 105 to the flash memory 112 and recorded in the written file data of the data start identifier 502 and the file identifier 503.

  In the flash memory 112, the file data in which the data is written also includes encoded data 501 in addition to the reproduction associated data 504, and the reproduction associated data 504 precedes the encoded data 501 when the file data is reproduced. The file data is configured so that it can be read.

  Specifically, the CPU 101 extracts encoded data (encoded image data and encoded audio data) recorded in advance in the flash memory 112 after recording the reproduction-accompanying data 504 in the flash memory 112, and extracts the flash memory 112. The data is moved to a physical address subsequent to the reproduction-accompanying data 504 in 112. As a result, the reproduction-accompanying data 504 is read in advance of the encoded data 501 when the file data is reproduced, the imaging data is filed, and the imaging process ends. It is necessary to erase the encoded data previously recorded in the flash memory 112 after completing the file.

  According to the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, the CPU 101 stores the encoded data 501 in the SDRAM 105 for each block 508 and transfers the data to the flash memory 112 for recording. Further, the reproduction accompanying data 504 is also transferred from the SDRAM 105 to the flash memory 112 and recorded. Then, in the flash memory 112, the file data is configured such that the reproduction-accompanying data 504 is read prior to the encoded data 501 when the file data is reproduced.

  Therefore, in the SDRAM 105, as long as the storage capacity capable of storing the encoded data for one block and the reproduction associated data 504 for all blocks is secured, the file format in which the reproduction associated data 504 is read in advance is maintained. The encoded data 501 and the reproduction accompanying data 504 can be recorded in the flash memory 112 via the SDRAM 105. As a result, it is possible to avoid an increase in the use area of the SDRAM 105 required for the encoded data storage process.

  Also, according to the imaging apparatus of the present embodiment, after recording the reproduction-accompanying data 504 in the flash memory 112, the encoded data 501 recorded in the flash memory 112 is extracted, and the reproduction-related data in the flash memory 112 is extracted. By moving to a physical address subsequent to 504, the file data is configured such that the reproduction-accompanying data 504 is read prior to the encoded data 501 when the file data is reproduced. Therefore, in the flash memory 112, the encoded data 501 physically follows the reproduction accompanying data 504, and the reproduction accompanying data 504 can be easily read prior to the encoded data 501 when reproducing the file data.

  In the present embodiment, an example in which the flash memory 112 is used as the nonvolatile storage unit has been described. However, other examples of the nonvolatile storage unit include an HDD (Hard Disc Drive) and a DVD-RW (Digital Versatile Disc). A storage type storage device such as (Re-Writable) may be employed. These storage type storage devices may be built in the imaging device 100 like the flash memory 112, or as an external storage device controlled by the external memory controller 114 like the external memory 115 in FIG. It may be connected to the imaging device 100.

<Embodiment 2>
The present embodiment is a modification of the imaging apparatus according to the first embodiment, and when the encoded data is first transferred to the flash memory 112 and recorded, a reserved area that is a non-data area is stored in the flash memory 112. The file data is configured so that the reproduction-accompanying data is read prior to the encoded data at the time of reproduction by recording the reproduction-accompanying data in the reserved area, provided at the head of the file data. Further, based on the information related to the setting of the imaging state of the moving image input by the user, the size of the playback-accompanying data is predicted before the imaging is started, and the data size of the reserved area is determined.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the structure of file data for one moving image file in the present embodiment. Note that the present embodiment also employs the same structure as that of the imaging device shown in FIG.

  In the present embodiment, when a user requests to start imaging, the CPU 101 writes a data start identifier 502 and a file identifier 503 to the flash memory 112 as generation of a new file. Unlike the reproduction-accompanying data, the data start identifier 502 and the file identifier 503 are fixed-length data that is not related to the imaging time, so that a writing process at the start of imaging can be performed.

  Thereafter, the CPU 101 performs size prediction of the reproduction-accompanying data 606, and provides a reserved area 603 that is a non-data area after the file identifier 503 in the file data. Specifically, the CPU 101 performs a process of skipping only the predicted data area after the file identifier 503 (or an area clear process using invalid data).

  Next, when the imaging process is started, the encoded data output from the media processor 111 is temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105, and after the blocking process is performed, the encoded data is written to the flash memory 112 as needed. At this time, the encoded data 501 is written after the physical address following the reserved area 603.

  After the imaging is completed and the process of writing all the encoded data 501 to the flash memory 112 is completed, the CPU 101 causes the reproduction-accompanying data 606 (reproduction-associated data for image 504a as in the reproduction-associated data 504 in the first embodiment). And audio reproduction accompanying data 504b). The generated reproduction-accompanying data 606 is written in a reserved area 603 previously secured on the flash memory 112.

  Note that the data size of the reproduction-accompanying data 606 varies depending on the shooting time, the image frame rate, the encoding bit rate, the shooting screen size, and the like. For this reason, the compression mode selection screen 401 and the imaging mode selection screen 402 as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 are displayed on a display screen that is a part of the input / output interface 117, and the imaging status of the moving image is displayed to the user in advance before shooting. It is only necessary to input information related to the setting.

  Such information relating to the setting of the imaging state of the moving image includes, for example, “low compression mode (high image quality)” 401a, “normal mode (normal image quality)” 401b, and “high compression mode (low) in the compression mode selection screen 401. Image quality) ”401c is selected by the determination button 401d, and the“ Long-time mode (60 minutes) ”402a,“ Normal mode (10 minutes) ”402b, It is obtained by allowing the user to select one of the “short mode (15 seconds)” 402c with the determination button 402d.

  Then, the CPU 101 performs a data size prediction process for the reproduction-accompanying data 606 based on the given setting information of the moving image capturing state, and determines the data size of the reserved area 603.

  Specifically, for example, when “low compression mode (high image quality)” 401a and “long time mode (60 minutes)” 402a are selected, the data size of the encoded data 501 increases and is reproduced accordingly. It is considered that the data amount of the accompanying data also increases. Conversely, when “high compression mode (low image quality)” 401c and “short mode (15 seconds)” 402c are selected, the data size of the encoded data 501 is Along with this, the data amount of the reproduction-accompanying data is considered to be reduced.

  Therefore, a table in which the corresponding data size is written in advance is prepared in the flash memory 112 or the like according to the combination of the options in the compression mode selection screen 401 and the imaging mode selection screen 402, and according to the user's selection. The data size of the reserved area 603 may be determined by reading the value in the table.

  Even if the data size of the reserved area 603 is determined as described above, the reproduction-accompanying data 606 is used when the user stops imaging earlier or when the captured image is not so complicated. Can be assumed to be less than the size of the reserved area 603. That is, there may be a surplus portion of the non-data area after the reproduction accompanying data 606.

  For this reason, invalid data (padding data) that does not affect the reproduction operation is embedded in the surplus portion of the reserved area 603 that is no longer needed, and the imaging process ends. In the 3GPP-MP4 format, a skip atom or a free atom (for example, these atoms are defined in QuickTime (registered trademark) technology of Apple Inc. based on 3GPP TS 26.234) 605 is used. By doing so, an area of any size can be set as invalid data and an area that does not affect the reproduction operation.

  The other points are the same as those of the imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 1, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

  According to the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, the reserved area 603 is provided in the file data in the flash memory 112, and the reproduction-accompanying data 606 is recorded in the reserved area 603, so that the reproduction-associated data is reproduced when the file data is reproduced. File data is configured so that data 606 is read prior to encoded data 501. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the encoded data 501 in the flash memory 112 after the imaging is completed, and the data storage process after the imaging is completed can be completed in a short time, and the user convenience can be improved.

  Further, according to the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, CPU 101 determines the data size of reserved area 603 based on information related to the setting of the imaging status of a moving image input by the user. Therefore, the CPU 101 can optimally set the data size of the reserved area 603 in accordance with the user's moving image capturing status, minimizes the generation of surplus parts, and suppresses the increase in the used area of the flash memory 112. It becomes possible.

  In addition, according to the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, skip atom or free atom 605 that is invalid data is embedded in the surplus portion in reserved area 603. Therefore, even when the reproduction-accompanying data 606 is not filled to the full reservation area 603, there is no data that induces a malfunction in the surplus portion, and the operational stability can be improved.

<Embodiment 3>
This embodiment is also a modification of the imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 1, and is a flash memory managed by a file system that reads and writes data in units of clusters using FAT (File Allocation Table) 112, the end information of the cluster in which the last part of the reproduction-accompanying data is written is deleted in the FAT, and the number of the cluster in which the first block in one moving image file is written is newly written as the connection destination cluster. Thus, the file data is configured such that the reproduction-accompanying data is read prior to the encoded data during reproduction.

  FIG. 6 shows the structure of the FAT file system. In the FAT 201, the memory area of the flash memory 112 is managed by a memory block of a fixed size called a cluster, and all data read or write processing for the flash memory 112 is executed in cluster units. Note that the area indicated as “Rsv” in FIG. 6 is reserved as a limited area for use for file system management, and is a reserved area where normal data cannot be written.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing an actual data storage area 202 in the flash memory 112. In FIG. 7, for example, when a file system having a cluster size of 512 bytes is employed, if 1500 bytes of data is written, three clusters (512 × 3 = 1536 bytes) are required for saving. Become.

  In the FAT 201 of FIG. 6, the number of the link destination cluster from which the data is to be read subsequently after reading the recorded intra-cluster data is entered in the corresponding column for each cluster, and if there is no link destination cluster, the end of data is set. The file system is constructed such that the end information EOF (End Of Files) shown is written instead of the number of the connection destination cluster. Therefore, the data combining process can be performed by rewriting the cluster number in each column of FAT.

  For example, when three clusters of cluster numbers 009, 00A, and 00B are secured to store the 1500-byte data, 00A is stored in the cluster number 009 column of FAT201, 00B is stored in the cluster number 00A column, and the cluster number is stored. An EOF indicating the end of the file is recorded in the 00B column. This indicates that the intra-cluster data recorded in the cluster number 00A follows the intra-cluster data recorded in the cluster number 009, and further the intra-cluster data recorded in the cluster number 00B follows.

  In this case, the actual file data is stored in the corresponding cluster area 204 in FIG. Note that the area 205 of 1536-1500 = 36 bytes that is not necessary for storing the final cluster is not used.

  In the following, image data storage processing in the image pickup apparatus of FIG. 1 having the flash memory 112 managed by the FAT file system will be described.

  After the start of imaging, the encoded data 501 temporarily stored in the SDRAM 105 in the block format is sequentially stored in the flash memory 112 as in the first embodiment. Note that since the flash memory 112 in this embodiment is managed by the FAT 201, writing to the flash memory 112 is performed in units of clusters, but writing in units of clusters is processing in the FAT library, and the CPU 101 There is no need for the application to be aware of it.

  Writing of the encoded data 501 from the SDRAM 105 to the flash memory 112 is executed as needed until the end of imaging. After the imaging ends, the encoded data 501 recorded on the flash memory 112 is regarded as one file, and the storage process is temporarily completed. .

  Next, the reproduction-accompanying data 504 generated by the CPU 101 after the end of imaging is also recorded in the flash memory 112, together with the data start identifier 502 and the file identifier 503, separately from the encoded data 501. A storage process is performed so that it is included in the file data of the encoded data 501.

  At this time, the combined data size of the reproduction-accompanying data 504, the data start identifier 502 and the file identifier 503 is compared with the size of one FAT201 cluster, and the size of the data to be written is an integral multiple of the size of one cluster. Thus, before saving processing, invalid data such as the skip atom and free atom described in the second embodiment is added, and the added data is written to the flash memory 112. After the execution of the writing process, the data storage area 202 of the flash memory 112 includes the encoded data 203 and the composite data 206 of the data start identifier 502, the file identifier 503, and the reproduction-associated data 504 that have been subjected to cluster integer multiplication processing. It will be in a saved state.

  In other words, in the cluster where the final part of the reproduction-accompanying data 504 is written, if a surplus part that becomes a no-data area occurs after the final part of the reproduction-accompanying data 504, invalid data is embedded in the surplus part.

  The FAT file system according to the present embodiment has a function of connecting a plurality of data without performing replacement processing for any plurality of data. The details of this concatenation process are as follows.

  When making a connection request to the FAT file system, the upper CPU application specifies two file names to be connected, a connection order, and a file name after connection. In the FAT file system, two files for concatenation processing are searched from the FAT 201 and the respective leading cluster numbers are acquired.

  For example, when the data recorded in the cluster numbers 004 to 006 in FIGS. 6 and 7 is encoded data, and the data recorded in the cluster numbers 00E and 00F is composite data including reproduction-accompanying data, the CPU 101 The information of the leading cluster number 00E of the composite data 206 and the leading cluster number 004 of the encoded data 203 is acquired.

  Further, the final cluster number 00F of the composite data 206 that comes before the encoded data by concatenation is acquired. This is possible by sequentially searching the data on the FAT 201.

  Next, EOF which is the end information in the column 201j of the cluster 00F in which the final part of the composite data 206 is written is deleted, and the number 004 of the cluster in which the first block of the encoded data 203 to be followed is written is changed to the connection destination cluster. As new. Thereby, file connection processing is performed, and the file data is configured such that the composite data 206 is read prior to the encoded data 203 when the file data is reproduced.

  FIG. 8 shows a state after the file connection process for the FAT 201 in FIG. 6 is performed. In FIG. 8, the column 201j of the cluster number 00F is rewritten (EOF → 004), and when reading the file, the cluster number 00E is the head, 00F → 004 → 005, and the cluster number 006 is the end of the file. It is possible to read as a file.

  According to the image pickup apparatus according to the present embodiment, after recording the reproduction-accompanying data in the flash memory 112, the FAT 201 deletes the end information EOF of the cluster in which the final portion of the composite data 206 has been written, and one moving image file By newly writing the number of the cluster in which the first block is written as the connection destination cluster, the file data is configured so that the composite data 206 is read prior to the encoded data 203 when the file data is reproduced. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the encoded data within the flash memory 112 after the end of imaging, and the data storage process after the end of imaging can be completed in a short time, and user convenience can be improved.

  Further, according to the imaging apparatus according to the present embodiment, in the cluster in which the final portion of the composite data 206 is written, if a surplus portion that becomes a no-data area occurs after the final portion of the reproduction-accompanying data, the surplus portion Embed invalid data. Therefore, even when the final part of the reproduction-accompanying data is not filled to the full cluster, there is no data that induces a malfunction in the surplus part, and the operational stability can be improved.

  Note that the final cluster portion 203a of the encoded data 203 is not subjected to integer multiplication processing, but this is because the final cluster portion 203a is moved to the middle of the file by concatenation processing like the final portion of the composite data 206. This is because the integer multiplication processing is not necessary because the file always functions as the last part of the file.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the file data of 3GPP-MP4 format. 6 is a diagram illustrating a structure of file data employed in an imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a compression mode selection screen 401 in the imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 2. 6 is a diagram illustrating an imaging mode selection screen 402 in the imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a structure of a FAT file system in an imaging apparatus according to Embodiment 3. It is a figure which shows the actual data storage area in flash memory. It is a figure which shows the state after implementation of the file connection process of a FAT file system.

Explanation of symbols

100 imaging device, 101 CPU, 102 camera controller, 103 camera lens, 104 CCD imaging device, 105 SDRAM, 106 main LCD, 107 sub LCD, 108 display memory, 109 LCD controller, 110 microphone, 111 media processor, 112 flash memory, 113 memory controller, 114 external memory controller, 115 external memory, 116 data bus, 117 input / output interface, 201 file allocation table, 202 FAT file system data storage area, 203 data storage area, 204 data storage area, 205 invalid data Storage area, 206 Data storage area, 401 Compression mode selection screen, 402 Shooting mode selection screen, 501 Encoded data, 502 data Data start identifier, 503 file identifier, 504 reproduction-associated data, 505a, 505b data position list, 506a, 506b data size list, 507a, 507b output time list, 508 encoded data block, 509a-509d encoded image data, 510a ˜510d Encoded audio data, 603 reserved area, 605 free / skip atom, 606 playback-associated data.

Claims (8)

An imaging unit capable of capturing video;
A temporary storage unit;
A non-volatile storage unit;
A controller that controls operations of the imaging unit, the temporary storage unit, and the nonvolatile storage unit,
The controller is
Image data that is a plurality of continuous image frame data constituting the moving image imaged by the imaging unit is subdivided into a plurality of blocks, and each block is stored in the temporary storage unit,
Information relating to the data structure of the image data, and generating image-accompanying reproduction data to be referred to when reproducing the moving image, and storing it in the temporary storage unit,
The image data stored in the temporary storage unit is transferred and recorded in the nonvolatile storage unit for each block,
The reproduction-accompanying data for image that has been generated by completion of imaging in the imaging unit is transferred from the temporary storage unit to the nonvolatile storage unit and recorded,
In the non-volatile storage unit, file data as data for one moving image file includes at least the reproduction-related data for image and the image data, and the reproduction-related data for image is the image data at the time of reproducing the file data. An image pickup apparatus that constitutes the file data so that the file data is read prior to. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,
The controller is
After recording the reproduction-related data for images in the nonvolatile storage unit, the image data recorded in the nonvolatile storage unit is extracted, and the physical data following the reproduction-related data for images in the nonvolatile storage unit is extracted. An image pickup apparatus that configures the file data by moving to an address so that the reproduction-related data for image is read prior to the image data when the file data is reproduced. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,
The controller is
When the first block in one file of the moving image is transferred to the nonvolatile storage unit and recorded, a reserved area that is a non-data area in the nonvolatile storage unit is provided in the file data, and the reserved area The image data is recorded after the physical address following
When the reproduction-related data for image is transferred to the non-volatile storage unit and recorded, the reproduction-related data for image is recorded in the reserved area, so that the reproduction-related data for image is reproduced when the file data is reproduced. An imaging apparatus that configures the file data so that data is read prior to the image data. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3,
The controller is
When recording the reproduction-related data for image in the reserved area, if a surplus part of a non-data area occurs after the reproduction-related data for image in the reserved area, invalid data is added to the surplus part. An imaging device to be embedded. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3,
An input / output interface for inputting / outputting information to / from the user is further provided.
Information regarding the setting of the imaging state of the moving image is input from the user to the control unit via the input / output interface.
The said control part is an imaging device which determines the data size of the said reservation area | region based on the said information regarding the setting of the imaging condition of the said moving image. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,
The nonvolatile storage unit is managed by a file system that reads and writes data in units of clusters using FAT (File Allocation Table),
In the FAT, the number of the cluster to which the data is to be read out after the recorded data in the cluster is read is written in the corresponding column for each cluster. The end information to indicate is written in place of the number of the destination cluster,
After recording the image reproduction-accompanying data in the nonvolatile storage unit, the FAT erases the end information of the cluster in which the final part of the image reproduction-accompanying data is written in the FAT, By newly writing the number of the cluster in which the first block is written as the connection destination cluster, the file data can be read so that the reproduction-related data for image is read prior to the image data when the file data is reproduced. An imaging apparatus to be configured. The imaging apparatus according to claim 6,
In a cluster in which the final part of the reproduction accompanying data for image is written, an imaging device that embeds invalid data in the redundant part when a surplus part that becomes a non-data area occurs after the final part of the reproduction accompanying data for image . A mobile phone including the imaging device according to claim 1.

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