JP4991412B2 - Imaging apparatus, image recording method, and program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique related to image recording in an imaging apparatus capable of mounting a write-once recording medium.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, digital cameras that capture images and record / reproduce them as digital signals are known. Usually, a digital camera uses a rewritable memory card (rewritable recording medium) such as a rewritable flash memory as a recording medium. After shooting, a user can arbitrarily erase specific image data or record a recording medium. It is possible to delete all of the image data.

  However, in recent years, the price of a rewritable memory card is decreasing, but it is still expensive when it has a large capacity. Therefore, a memory card (so-called write-once recording medium, hereinafter referred to as a one-time card) is being studied in which data writing to the same address is performed only once to reduce the cost. A technique related to such a one-time card is disclosed in Patent Document 1.

JP 2004-242260 A

  The transfer method of image data in a conventional rewritable memory card is mainly a transfer method of exchanging image data via a network or moving the image data of its own memory card to a recording medium of the other party. Therefore, the image data can be rewritten or additionally written after the image is delivered, and means such as embedding the encrypted data in the image is necessary to guarantee the original data and prevent falsification.

  On the other hand, in the case of a low-price one-time card as described above, it is possible to use such a method that image data shot on the one-time card is recorded at the time of shooting and is delivered to the other party for each card. In such a case, it is necessary to guarantee the original data and prevent falsification even in the one-time card.

  In view of the actual situation, the present invention performs finalization processing that makes it impossible to rewrite or append to a one-time card after image recording, thereby eliminating the need for means such as embedding encrypted data in image data. The purpose is to guarantee data and prevent tampering.

Imaging apparatus of the present invention is an imaging apparatus capable of mounting a record medium, a recording means for recording the shadow image information to the Symbol recording medium Ta, write-once-type recording medium as said recording medium is attached when the finalizing means for performing a finalizing process of writing dummy data in the unrecorded area of the write-once recording medium, a voltage detection means for detecting the battery voltage, when the rewritable recording medium is mounted as the recording medium In the shooting mode, when the battery voltage detected by the voltage detection means falls below the first threshold, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated, and in the shooting mode when a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium. If the battery voltage detected by the voltage detection means falls below a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value, the shooting mode is And a free space detecting means for detecting a free space of the recording medium, and a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, and the free space is detected at the start of the shooting mode. When the second free space detected by the free space detection unit at the end of the shooting mode is smaller than the first free space detected by the capacity detection unit, the finalizing process by the finalizing unit is executed. And
An image recording method of the present invention is an image recording method in an imaging apparatus capable of mounting a record medium, a recording step of the shadow image information is recorded on the recording medium Ta, write-once recording as said recording medium When a medium is loaded, a finalizing process step for writing dummy data in an unrecorded area of the write-once recording medium, a voltage detection step for detecting a battery voltage, and a rewritable recording medium as the recording medium are loaded When the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below the first threshold in the shooting mode, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated and shooting is performed when a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium. In the mode, the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. In this case, there is a control step for forcibly terminating the shooting mode and a free space detecting step for detecting the free space of the recording medium, and a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium. , When the second free space detected in the free space detection step when the shooting mode ends is smaller than the first free space detected in the free space detection step at the start of the shooting mode, A finalizing process is executed in a finalizing process step .
The program of the present invention is a program for executing an image recording method in an imaging apparatus capable of mounting a record medium, a recording step of recording the shadow image information to the Symbol recording medium shooting, the When a write-once recording medium is mounted as a recording medium, a finalizing process step for writing dummy data in an unrecorded area of the write-once recording medium, a voltage detection step for detecting a battery voltage, and a rewritable type as the recording medium When the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below a first threshold in the shooting mode when a recording medium is mounted, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated, and a write-once recording medium is used as the recording medium. In the shooting mode when attached, the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step is lower than the first threshold value. When the threshold value falls below the second threshold, the computer executes a control step for forcibly terminating the shooting mode and a free space detection step for detecting the free space of the recording medium, and the write-once recording is used as the recording medium. In the case where a medium is mounted, the first free space detected at the free space detection step at the end of the shooting mode is more than the first free space detected at the free space detection step at the start of the shooting mode. This is a program for executing a finalizing process in the finalizing process step when the second free space is small .

  According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an imaging device capable of realizing guarantee of original data and prevention of falsification by performing finalization processing that makes rewriting or additional writing impossible on a one-time card after image recording.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an image processing apparatus 100 (imaging apparatus) according to the present embodiment.

  In the image processing apparatus 100, 10 is a photographing lens, 12 is a shutter having a diaphragm function, 14 is an image sensor that converts an optical image into an electrical signal, and 16 is an A / D that converts an analog signal output of the image sensor 14 into a digital signal. It is a converter.

  A timing generation circuit 18 supplies a clock signal and a control signal to the image sensor 14, the A / D converter 16, and the D / A converter 26. The timing generation circuit 18 is controlled by the memory control circuit 22 and the system control circuit 50.

  An image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined pixel interpolation processing and color conversion processing on the data from the A / D converter 16 or the data from the memory control circuit 22. The image processing circuit 20 also performs arithmetic processing necessary for TTL (through-the-lens) AF (autofocus) processing, AE (automatic exposure) processing, and EF (flash preflash) processing. In this case, the image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined arithmetic processing using the captured image data. Then, the system control circuit 50 controls the exposure control unit 40 and the distance measurement control unit 42 based on the calculation result obtained from the image processing circuit 20, whereby the above-described processes are executed. Further, the image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined calculation processing using the captured image data, and also performs TTL AWB (auto white balance) processing based on the obtained calculation result.

  A memory control circuit 22 controls the A / D converter 16, the timing generation circuit 18, the image processing circuit 20, the image display memory 24, the D / A converter 26, the memory 30, and the compression / decompression circuit 32.

  Data from the A / D converter 16 is directly written into the image display memory 24 or the memory 30 via the image processing circuit 20 and the memory control circuit 22 or directly only through the memory control circuit 22.

  Reference numeral 24 denotes an image display memory, and reference numeral 26 denotes a D / A converter. Reference numeral 28 denotes an image display unit comprising a TFT LCD or the like. The display image data written in the image display memory 24 is displayed by the image display unit 28 via the D / A converter 26. If the image data captured using the image display unit 28 is sequentially displayed, an electronic viewfinder function can be realized.

  The image display unit 28 can also arbitrarily turn on / off the display according to an instruction from the system control circuit 50. When the display is turned off, the power consumption of the image processing apparatus 100 can be greatly reduced. it can.

  The image display unit 28 is also coupled to the main body of the image processing apparatus 100 by a rotatable hinge unit, and an electronic finder function, a reproduction display function, and various display functions can be used by setting a free orientation and angle. It is.

  The image display unit 28 is also configured to store the display portion toward the image processing apparatus 100. In this case, the image display unit open / close detection unit 106 can detect the storage state. The display operation of the image display unit 28 can be stopped.

  Reference numeral 30 denotes a memory for storing captured still image data and moving image data, and has a sufficient storage capacity for storing a predetermined number of still image data and moving image data for a predetermined time. Thereby, even in the case of continuous shooting or panoramic shooting in which a plurality of still images are continuously shot, it is possible to write a large amount of images to the memory 30 at high speed. The memory 30 can also be used as a work area for the system control circuit 50.

  A compression / decompression circuit 32 compresses and decompresses image data by adaptive discrete cosine transform (ADCT) or the like. Specifically, the compression / decompression circuit 32 reads image data stored in the memory 30, performs compression processing or decompression processing, and writes the processed data to the memory 30.

  Reference numeral 40 denotes an exposure control unit that controls the shutter 12 having an aperture function. The exposure control unit 40 also provides a flash dimming function in cooperation with the flash 404. Reference numeral 42 denotes a distance measurement control unit that controls the focusing of the photographing lens 10.

  The exposure control unit 40 and the distance measurement control unit 42 are controlled using the TTL method. In this case, the system control circuit 50 performs exposure control based on the calculation result obtained by calculating the captured image data by the image processing circuit 20. The unit 40 and the distance measurement control unit 42 are controlled.

  A zoom control unit 44 controls zooming of the taking lens 10. A barrier control unit 46 controls the operation of the protection unit 102 serving as a barrier.

  Reference numeral 48 denotes a connector, which is also called an accessory shoe, and includes an electrical contact with the flash device 400 and a mechanical fixing means.

  A system control circuit 50 controls the entire image processing apparatus 100, and a memory 52 stores constants, variables, programs, and the like for operation of the system control circuit 50.

  A display unit 54 displays an operation state, a message, and the like using characters, images, sounds, and the like in accordance with execution of a program by the system control circuit 50. The display unit 54 includes a liquid crystal display device, a speaker, and the like. Specifically, the display unit 54 includes, for example, a combination of an LCD, an LED, a sound generation element, and the like. The display unit 54 is also installed in a single or a plurality of locations near the operation unit of the image processing apparatus 100 so as to be easily visible, and is also installed in the optical viewfinder 104. The display unit 54 is also partially installed in the optical viewfinder 104.

  Among the display contents of the display unit 54, what is displayed on the LCD or the like includes single shot / continuous shooting display, self-timer display, compression rate display, number of recorded pixels, number of recorded pixels, number of remaining images that can be captured, shutter There are speed display, aperture value display, exposure compensation display, and so on. In addition, flash display, red-eye reduction display, macro shooting display, buzzer setting display, clock battery remaining amount display, battery remaining amount display, error display, information display with multiple digits, recording medium 200 and recording medium 210 attached / detached There are status display, communication I / F operation display, date / time display, and the like.

  Among the display contents of the display unit 54, what is displayed in the optical viewfinder 104 includes in-focus display, camera shake warning display, flash charge display, shutter speed display, aperture value display, exposure correction display, and the like.

  Reference numeral 56 denotes an electrically erasable / recordable nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM.

  Reference numerals 60, 62, 64, 66, 68, 70, 115 and 116 are operation means for inputting various operation instructions to the system control circuit 50. These operation means are configured by a single or a combination of a switch, a dial, a touch panel, pointing by line-of-sight detection, a voice recognition device, and the like. Hereinafter, these operation means will be described in detail.

  Reference numeral 60 denotes a mode dial switch, which can switch and set various function modes such as power-off, automatic shooting mode, shooting mode, panoramic shooting mode, playback mode, multi-screen playback / erase mode, and PC connection mode.

  Reference numeral 62 denotes a shutter switch SW1, which is turned on during operation of a shutter button (not shown), and performs AF (auto focus) processing, AE (auto exposure) processing, AWB (auto white balance) processing, EF (flash pre-flash) processing, and the like. Instruct the start of operation.

  Reference numeral 64 denotes a shutter switch SW2, which is turned on when the operation of a shutter button (not shown) is completed, and instructs the start of a series of processing related to photographing. Specifically, first, an exposure process for writing image data to the memory 30 via the A / D converter 16 and the memory control circuit 22 is instructed for the signal read from the image sensor 14. Next, the development processing using the calculation in the image processing circuit 20 and the memory control circuit 22 is instructed. Further, the image data is read from the memory 30, compressed by the compression / decompression circuit 32, and a recording process for writing the image data to the recording medium 200 or 210 is instructed.

  Reference numeral 66 denotes an image display ON / OFF switch, which can set ON / OFF of the image display unit 28. With this function, when photographing using the optical viewfinder 104, it is possible to save power by cutting off the current supply to the image display unit 28 including a TFT LCD or the like.

  Reference numeral 68 denotes a single / continuous shooting switch, which is continuously in a single shooting mode in which one frame is shot when the shutter switch SW2 (64) is pressed and is in a standby state while the shutter switch SW2 (64) is pressed. You can set the continuous shooting mode to continue shooting.

  Reference numeral 115 denotes a recording destination selection switch, which can select and set the recording destination of the captured image from “external storage device”, “recording medium”, or “external storage device and recording medium”. The recording destination selection switch 115 and the mode dial switch 60 have a configuration corresponding to the setting means in the present invention. More specifically, by setting the recording destination selection switch 115 and the mode dial switch 60 to desired settings, it is possible to set a shooting mode for recording captured image information on a write-once recording medium.

  Reference numeral 116 denotes a connection / disconnection switch, which can instruct establishment / disconnection of communication with an external device.

  An operation unit 70 includes various buttons, a touch panel, and the like, and includes, for example, a menu button, a set button, a macro button, a multi-screen playback page break button, a flash setting button, a single shooting / continuous shooting / self-timer switching button, and the like. The operation unit 70 further includes a menu movement + (plus) button, menu movement-(minus) button, reproduction image movement + (plus) button, reproduction image-(minus) button, shooting image quality selection button, exposure correction button, date / time Includes time setting buttons. The operation unit 70 further includes a selection / switch button for setting selection and switching of various functions when performing shooting and playback in the panoramic mode, and determination and execution of various functions when performing shooting and playback in the panoramic mode. Including a determination / execution button for setting. The operation unit 70 further includes an image display ON / OFF switch for setting ON / OFF of the image display unit 28, a quick review ON / OFF switch for setting a quick review function for automatically reproducing image data captured immediately after shooting. . Further, the operation unit 70 is a switch for selecting a compression rate for JPEG compression, or a switch for selecting a CCD RAW mode in which a signal from an image sensor is directly digitized and recorded on a recording medium. Includes playback / erase modes. The operation unit 70 further includes a playback mode switch that can set each function mode such as a PC connection mode. The operation unit 70 further includes a reproduction switch for instructing the start of a reproduction operation in which an image photographed in the photographing mode state is read from the memory 30 or the recording medium 200 or 210 and displayed by the image display unit 28.

  A power control unit 80 includes a battery detection circuit, a DC-DC converter, a switch circuit that switches a block to be energized, and the like, and detects whether or not a battery is installed, the type of battery, and the remaining battery level. The power control unit 80 also controls the DC-DC converter based on the detection result and the instruction from the system control circuit 50, and supplies a necessary voltage to each unit including the recording medium for a necessary period. The power supply control unit 80 corresponds to voltage detection means in the present invention.

  Reference numerals 82 and 84 denote connectors, and 86 denotes a power source means (battery) including a primary battery such as an alkaline battery or a lithium battery, a secondary battery such as a NiCd battery, a NiMH battery, or a Li battery, or an AC adapter.

  Reference numerals 90 and 94 denote interfaces with a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk, and reference numerals 92 and 96 denote connectors for connecting to a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk. A recording medium attachment / detachment detection unit 98 detects whether or not the recording medium 200 or the recording medium 210 is attached to the connector 92 or the connector 96.

  In the present embodiment, it is assumed that there are two interfaces and connectors for attaching a recording medium. Of course, the interface and the connector for attaching the recording medium may have a single or a plurality of systems, any number of systems. Moreover, it is good also as a structure provided with combining the interface and connector of a different standard. The interface and the connector may be configured using a PCMCIA card, a CF (Compact Flash (registered trademark)) card, or the like based on a standard.

  When the interfaces 90 and 94 and the connectors 92 and 96 are configured using a PCMCIA card or a CF (compact flash) card or the like, it is possible to communicate with other computers by connecting a LAN card or the like. It becomes. In addition to the LAN card, various communication cards such as a communication card such as a USB card, an IEEE 1394 card, a P1284 card, a SCSI card, and a PHS can be connected. Even in this case, image data and management information attached to the image data can be transferred to and from other computers and peripheral devices such as a printer.

  Reference numeral 102 denotes a protection unit that provides a barrier function that prevents the imaging unit from being soiled or damaged by covering the imaging unit including the photographing lens 10 of the image processing apparatus 100.

  Reference numeral 104 denotes an optical viewfinder, which enables photographing using only the optical viewfinder 104 without using the electronic viewfinder function of the image display unit 28. In the optical viewfinder 104, some functions of the display unit 54, for example, a focus display, a camera shake warning display, a flash charge display, a shutter speed display, an aperture value display, an exposure correction display, and the like are installed.

  Reference numeral 106 denotes an image display unit open / close detection unit, which can detect whether or not the image display unit 28 is in a storage state in which the display portion of the image display unit 28 is stored in the image processing apparatus 100. Here, if the image display unit open / close detection unit 106 detects that the image display unit open / close detection unit 106 is in the retracted state, the display operation of the image display unit 28 can be stopped to prohibit unnecessary power consumption.

  Reference numerals 111 and 113 denote communication control units, which have various communication functions such as RS232C, USB, IEEE1394, P1284, SCSI, modem, LAN, and wireless communication.

  Reference numeral 112 denotes a connector, which is a connector for connecting the image processing apparatus 100 to another device by a communication control unit 111 through a wire such as USB or IEEE1394. An antenna 114 is an antenna for wireless connection by wireless LAN communication such as IEEE802.11b and IEEE802.11g, spread spectrum communication such as Bluetooth, infrared communication such as IrDA. Here, although it has been described that both the wired connector and the wireless connection antenna are included in the system configuration, there is no problem even if the system configuration includes only wired connection or only wireless connection.

  Further, as described above, external communication is possible by connecting various communication cards such as a LAN card, a modem card, a USB card, an IEEE1394 card, a P1284 card, a SCSI card, a communication card such as a PHS to the interfaces 90 and 94 and the connectors 92 and 96. There is no problem as a system configuration for communicating with the apparatus.

  Reference numeral 200 denotes a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk, on which a one-time card (recordable recording medium) or a rewritable recording medium can be mounted.

  The recording medium 200 includes a recording unit 202 composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like, an interface 204 with the image processing apparatus 100, and a connector 206 that connects to the image processing apparatus 100.

  Reference numeral 210 denotes a recording medium such as a memory card or a hard disk, on which a one-time card (recordable recording medium) or a rewritable recording medium can be mounted.

  The recording medium 210 includes a recording unit 212 composed of a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like, an interface 214 with the image processing apparatus 100, and a connector 216 that connects to the image processing apparatus 100.

  Reference numeral 400 denotes a flash device, and reference numeral 402 denotes a connector for connecting to the accessory shoe 48 of the image processing apparatus 100. A flash 404 has an AF auxiliary light projecting function and a flash light control function.

  Next, operations in the image processing apparatus 100 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2C are flowcharts of the main routine of the image processing apparatus 100. FIG. Hereinafter, the main routine of the image processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2A to 2C.

  First, in step S100, the system control circuit 50 monitors power-on such as a battery button press. If it is confirmed that the power has been turned on, the process proceeds to step S101. If it cannot be confirmed, monitoring is continued.

  In step S101, the system control circuit 50 initializes flags, control variables, and the like. Subsequently, in step S102, the system control circuit 50 initializes the image display of the image display unit 28 to the OFF state.

  Next, in step S103, the system control circuit 50 determines the setting position of the mode dial switch 60.

  If the mode dial switch 60 is set to power OFF in step S103, the process proceeds to step S121. In step S121, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not finalization processing is necessary, and further performs finalization confirmation processing that performs finalization processing as necessary, and proceeds to step S105. Details of the finalization confirmation process in step S121 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S105, the system control circuit 50 changes the display of each display unit to the end state, closes the barrier of the protection unit 102, protects the imaging unit, and sets necessary parameters and settings including flags, control variables, and the like. The value and setting mode are recorded in the nonvolatile memory 56. Further, the power control unit 80 performs a predetermined end process such as shutting off unnecessary power of each unit of the image processing apparatus 100 including the image display unit 28, and then returns to step S100.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S103 that the mode dial switch 60 has been set to another mode, the process proceeds to step S122. In step S122, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the original mode is the shooting mode. If the mode is a mode transition from the shooting mode, the system control circuit 50 proceeds to step S120, performs finalization confirmation processing, and then proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the system control circuit 50 executes processing according to the selected mode, and returns to S103 when the processing is completed. Details of the finalization confirmation processing in step S120 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the mode dial switch 60 is set to the shooting mode in step S103, the process proceeds to step S106.

  In step S <b> 106, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the remaining capacity of the power supply unit 86 configured by a battery or the like has a problem in the operation of the image processing apparatus 100 by the power supply control unit 80. If it is determined that the remaining capacity is insufficient, the process proceeds to step S121, and after performing the finalization confirmation process, the termination process is performed in step S105 (in other words, the process is forcibly terminated). Details of the remaining capacity determination processing of the power supply means 86 in step S106 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If there is no problem with the power supply means 86 in step S106, the process proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the operation state of the recording medium 200 or the recording medium 210 has a problem in the operation of the image processing apparatus 100, in particular, the recording / reproducing operation of the image data with respect to the recording medium. If there is a problem, the process proceeds to step S108, and the system control circuit 50 performs a predetermined warning display by an image or sound using the display unit 54, and then returns to step S103.

  If there is no problem in the operation state of the recording medium 200 or the recording medium 210 in step S107, the process proceeds to step S109. In step S109, the system control circuit 50 checks the setting state of the single / continuous shooting switch 68 for setting single shooting / continuous shooting. If single shooting has been selected, the process proceeds to step S110, where the single shooting / continuous shooting flag is set to single shooting. On the other hand, if the continuous shooting is selected, the process proceeds to step S111, and the single shooting / continuous shooting flag is set to continuous shooting. If the flag setting is completed in step S110 or S111, the system control circuit 50 proceeds to step S112.

  In the single / continuous shooting switch 68, when the shutter switch SW2 (64) is pressed, the single shooting mode in which one frame is shot and is set in a standby state, and while the shutter switch SW2 (64) is pressed, continuously. It is possible to arbitrarily switch between the continuous shooting mode in which shooting continues. The state of the single / continuous shooting flag is stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52.

  In step S <b> 112, the system control circuit 50 displays various setting states of the image processing apparatus 100 using images and sounds using the display unit 54. Here, if the image display of the image display unit 28 is ON, the various display states of the image processing apparatus 100 are displayed using the image display unit 28 by an image or sound.

  In step S113, the system control circuit 50 checks the setting state of the image display ON / OFF switch 66. If the image display ON is set, the system control circuit 50 proceeds to step S114, and if the image display is set OFF. Proceed to step S118.

  In step S114, the system control circuit 50 determines whether the image display unit 28 is in the storage state or the display state by the image display unit open / close detection unit 106. If it is determined that it is in the display state, the process proceeds to step S115 to set an image display flag, and in step S116, the image display of the image display unit 28 is set to the ON state. Further, in step S117, the system control circuit 50 sets the through display state in which captured image data is sequentially displayed, and proceeds to step S131 (FIG. 2B).

  In the through display state in step S117, the data sequentially written in the image display memory 24 via the image sensor 14, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, and the memory control circuit 22 are transferred to the memory control circuit 22 and D. The images are sequentially displayed on the image display unit 28 via the / A converter 26. This realizes an electronic viewfinder function.

  On the other hand, if the image display is set to OFF in step S113, or if the image display unit opening / closing detection unit 106 determines in step S114 that the image display unit 28 is in the storage state, the process proceeds to step S118. In step S118, the system control circuit 50 cancels the image display flag, proceeds to step S119, sets the image display of the image display unit 28 to the OFF state, and proceeds to step S131 (FIG. 2B).

  When the image display is OFF, shooting is performed using the optical viewfinder 104 without using the electronic viewfinder function of the image display unit 28. In this case, it is possible to reduce power consumption of the image display unit 28, the D / A converter 26, and the like that consume a large amount of power. The state of the image display flag is stored in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50.

  Next, in step S131 (FIG. 2B), the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the shutter switch SW1 (62) is pressed. If not, the process returns to step S103. If the shutter switch SW1 (62) is pressed, the process proceeds to step S132.

  In step S <b> 132, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S133, the display state of the image display unit 28 is set to the freeze display state, and the process proceeds to step S134. If the image display flag has been canceled, the process proceeds directly to step S134.

  In the freeze display state in step S133, rewriting of image data in the image display memory 24 via the image sensor 14, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, and the memory control circuit 22 is prohibited. Then, the image data written last is displayed by the image display unit 28 via the memory control circuit 22 and the D / A converter 26. As a result, the frozen video is displayed on the electronic viewfinder.

  In step S134, the system control circuit 50 performs a distance measurement process to focus the photographing lens 10 on the subject, and performs a photometry process to determine an aperture value and a shutter time. In photometric processing, flash settings are also made as necessary. Details of the ranging photometry processing in step S134 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  If the distance measuring photometry process in step S134 is completed, the process proceeds to step S135. In step S135, the system control circuit 50 determines whether the shutter speed to be set exceeds the shutter speed on the fastest side of the mechanical shutter (mechanical shutter) from the set photographing operation mode and the exposure result determined in step S134. Judge whether or not. If not, the process proceeds to step S136 to set the shutter time for the mechanical shutter (mechanical shutter), and the process proceeds to step S138. If exceeded, the process proceeds to step S137, and the shutter time setting using both the mechanical shutter and the electronic shutter is set, and the process proceeds to step S138.

  As described in the processing of step S135 and step S137, in the image processing apparatus 100 of the present embodiment, when the shutter speed to be set exceeds the shutter speed on the fastest side of the mechanical shutter, the electronic shutter Are used together. As a result, smear can be prevented from being generated by the mechanical shutter, and a high shutter speed can be achieved by the electronic shutter.

  In step S 138, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S139, the display state of the image display unit 28 is set to the through display state, and the process proceeds to step S140. If the image display flag is not set, the process proceeds directly to step S140.

  Next, in step S140, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the shutter SW2 (64) has been pressed. If the shutter switch SW2 (64) is not pressed, the process proceeds to step S141. In step S141, it is determined whether the shutter switch SW1 (62) is also released. If it is released, the process returns to step S103.

  On the other hand, if the shutter switch SW2 (64) is pressed in step S140, the process proceeds to step S142, and the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. . If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S143, the display state of the image display unit 28 is set to the fixed color display state, and then the process proceeds to step S161 (FIG. 2C). On the other hand, if the image display flag has been canceled in step S142, the process proceeds directly to step S161.

  In the fixed color display state in step S143, instead of the captured image data written in the image display memory 24 via the image sensor 14, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, and the memory control circuit 22, the fixed image is replaced. Display color image data. In this case, the fixed color image data is displayed by the image display unit 28 via the memory control circuit 22 and the D / A converter 26. Thereby, a fixed color image is displayed on the electronic viewfinder.

  Next, in step S161 (FIG. 2C), the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the single / continuous shooting flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If single shooting has been set, the process proceeds to step S162. If continuous shooting has been set, the process proceeds to step S181.

  In step S162, the system control circuit 50 performs shooting processing. Specifically, the image is first photographed in the memory 30 via the image sensor 14, A / D converter 16, image processing circuit 20, memory control circuit 22, or directly from the A / D converter 16 via the memory control circuit 22. An exposure process for writing the processed image data is performed. Then, using the memory control circuit 22 and, if necessary, the image processing circuit 20, image processing written in the memory 30 is read out and imaging processing including development processing for performing various processes is executed. Details of the photographing process in step S162 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S163, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S164.

  In step S164, the system control circuit 50 performs quick review 1 display. Specifically, the image data processed in accordance with the display format of the image display unit 28 is read from the memory 30, and the display image data is transferred to the image display memory 24 via the memory control circuit 22. The read display image data is displayed on the image display unit 28.

  Since the quick review 1 display process is before the dark capture process in step S165, display image data is created using the image data before the dark correction calculation is performed, and the quick review display is performed. .

  As described above, in the single shooting mode, the shutter release time lag can be shortened by performing the photographing process before the dark capturing process and using the image data before dark correction for the quick review display. Furthermore, quick review display can be performed immediately after shooting.

  In the quick review 1 display (step S164), since the dark capturing process (step S165) has not been finished yet, a character display such as “busy” is superimposed on the quick review image display on the image display unit 28. To display.

  On the other hand, if the image display flag has been canceled in step S163, the process proceeds to step S165 while the image display unit 28 is in an OFF state. In this case, the image display unit 28 remains off even after shooting, and no quick review display is performed. That is, this is a usage method in which it is not necessary to check a photographed image immediately after photographing as in the case where photographing is continued using the optical finder 104, and power saving is emphasized without using the electronic finder function of the image display unit 28. It is.

  Next, in step S165, the system control circuit 50 accumulates noise components such as dark current of the image sensor 14 for the same period of time as the main photographing with the shutter 12 closed, and reads out the noise image signal after accumulation. Then, the process proceeds to step S166.

  The system control circuit 50 performs correction calculation processing using the dark image data captured in the dark capture processing, thereby regarding image quality degradation such as pixel loss due to dark current noise generated in the image sensor 14 or scratches unique to the image sensor 14. The captured image data can be corrected. Details of the dark capturing process in step S165 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, in step S166, the system control circuit 50 reads out part of the image data written in the predetermined area of the memory 30 via the memory control circuit 22, and performs development processing. In this case, specifically, necessary WB (white balance) integration calculation processing and OB (optical black) integration calculation processing are first performed, and the calculation result is stored in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50. Next, the photographed image data written in a predetermined area of the memory 30 is read using the memory control circuit 22 or the image processing circuit 20 as necessary. Various development processes including an AWB (auto white balance) process, a gamma conversion process, and a color conversion process are performed using the calculation results stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. Further, in the development processing in step S166, dark correction calculation processing for canceling dark current noise and the like of the image sensor 14 is also performed by performing subtraction processing using the dark image data acquired in the dark capturing processing. Details of the development processing in step S166 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S167, the system control circuit 50 reads the image data written in the predetermined area of the memory 30, and the compression / decompression circuit 32 performs image compression processing according to the set mode. Furthermore, image data that has been photographed and completed a series of processes is written into an empty image portion of the image storage buffer area of the memory 30.

  Next, in step S168, the system control circuit 50 reads the image data stored in the image storage buffer area of the memory 30. Then, data is written to the recording medium 200 or 210 such as a memory card or a compact flash card via the interface 90 or 94 and the connector 92 or 96.

  In step S168, while the image data is being written to the recording medium 200 or 210, in order to clearly indicate that the writing operation is in progress, the display unit 54 displays a recording medium writing operation display such as blinking an LED. May be performed. Further, the processing in step S168 corresponds to the processing by the recording means in the present invention.

  Next, in step S169, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S170. In step S170, the system control circuit 50 performs a quick review display 2. Specifically, the image data processed in accordance with the display format of the image display unit 28 is read from the memory 30, the display image data is transferred to the image display memory 24 via the memory control circuit 22, and the image display memory 24. The display image data read from is displayed on the image display unit 28.

  In this quick review 2 display process, since the dark capture process (step S165) is performed, display image data is created using the image data after the dark correction calculation is performed in the development process (step S166). And quick review display.

  As described above, in the single shooting mode, first, the photographing process is performed before the dark capturing process, the quick review 1 is displayed using the image data before the dark correction process, and after the dark capturing process is performed, the dark correction process is performed. The quick review 2 is displayed using the image data. As a result, the shutter release time lag can be shortened, and quick review display can be performed immediately after shooting.

  In the quick review 2 display (step S170), the dark capturing process (step S165) has already been completed. For this reason, in the quick review 1 display (step S164), the character display such as “busy” displayed superimposed on the quick review image display on the image display unit 28 is deleted.

  On the other hand, if the image display flag has been canceled in step S169, the process proceeds to step S171 with the image display unit 28 kept OFF. In this case, the image display unit 28 remains off even after shooting, and no quick review display is performed. That is, this is a usage method in which it is not necessary to check a photographed image immediately after photographing as in the case where photographing is continued using the optical finder 104, and power saving is emphasized without using the electronic finder function of the image display unit 28. It is.

  In step S171, the system control circuit 50 continues monitoring until the shutter switch SW1 (62) is released. If the shutter switch SW1 (62) is released, the process proceeds to step S172.

  On the other hand, in step S161, the processing after step S181 will be described which proceeds when continuous shooting is set as a result of the system control circuit 50 determining the state of the single / continuous shooting flag.

  In step S181, the system control circuit 50 performs a dark capturing process of accumulating noise components such as dark current of the image sensor 14 for the same time as the main photographing with the shutter 12 closed, and reading out the noise image signal after the accumulation. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S182.

  In step S182, the system control circuit 50 performs correction calculation processing using the dark image data captured in the dark capturing processing in step S181. As a result, the captured image data can be corrected with respect to image quality degradation such as pixel current loss due to dark current noise generated in the image sensor 14 or scratches inherent to the image sensor 14. Details of the dark capturing process in step S181 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S182, the system control circuit 50 performs a shooting process. Specifically, the image is first photographed in the memory 30 via the image sensor 14, the A / D converter 16, the image processing circuit 20, the memory control circuit 22, or directly from the A / D converter via the memory control circuit 22. An exposure process for writing image data is performed. Then, using the memory control circuit 22 or, if necessary, the image processing circuit 20, the image data written in the memory 30 is read and development processing for performing various processes is performed. Details of the photographing process in step S182 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  Next, in step S183, the system control circuit 50 reads out part of the image data written in the predetermined area of the memory 30 via the memory control circuit 22, and performs development processing. In this case, the system control circuit 50 first performs necessary WB (white balance) integration calculation processing and OB (optical black) integration calculation processing, and stores the calculation results in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50. Next, the system control circuit 50 reads the captured image data written in a predetermined area of the memory 30 using the memory control circuit 22 or the image processing circuit 20 as necessary. Then, various development processes including an AWB (auto white balance) process, a gamma conversion process, and a color conversion process are performed using the calculation result stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. Further, in the development processing, dark correction calculation processing for canceling dark current noise and the like of the image sensor 14 is also performed by performing subtraction processing using the dark image data captured in the dark capturing processing. Details of the development processing in step S183 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S184, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S185.

  In step S185, the system control circuit 50 performs quick review 3 display. Specifically, the image data processed in accordance with the display format of the image display unit 28 is read from the memory 30, the display image data is transferred to the image display memory 24 via the memory control circuit 22, and the image display memory 24. The display image data read from is displayed on the image display unit 28.

  In the quick review 3 display process, since the dark capture process (step S181) is performed, display image data is created using the image data after the dark correction calculation is performed in the development process (step S183). And quick review display.

  As described above, in the continuous shooting mode, the quick review 3 display is performed using the image data after dark correction, so that the interval between the continuous shooting frames of the first image and the second image is made almost constant and immediately after shooting. Quick review display can be performed.

  On the other hand, if the image display flag has been canceled in step S184, the process proceeds to step S186 while the image display unit 28 remains OFF. In this case, the image display unit 28 remains off even after shooting, and no quick review display is performed. That is, this is a usage method in which it is not necessary to check a photographed image immediately after photographing as in the case where photographing is continued using the optical finder 104, and power saving is emphasized without using the electronic finder function of the image display unit 28. It is.

  Next, in step S186, the system control circuit 50 reads the image data written in the predetermined area of the memory 30, and the compression / decompression circuit 32 starts image compression processing according to the set mode.

  In step S187, the system control circuit 50 checks whether there is a free space in the image storage buffer area of the memory 30. If there is a free space in the image storage buffer area, the image data that has undergone the compression process is sequentially written, and the process proceeds to step S189.

  On the other hand, if there is no free space in the image storage buffer area of the memory 30 in step S187, the process proceeds to step S188. In step S188, the system control circuit 50 reads the image data stored in the image storage buffer area of the memory 30. Then, recording processing for writing to the recording medium 200 or 210 such as a memory card or a compact flash card is performed via the interface 90 or 94 and the connector 92 or 96, and the process proceeds to step S189. As a result, if the image recording buffer area is insufficient after a predetermined number of continuous shootings have been performed, it is possible to resume the subsequent continuous shooting by performing recording processing to make a space in the image recording buffer area. Become.

  Note that when performing the recording process in step S188, there is no problem even if a predetermined warning is displayed by an image or sound using either the image display unit 28 or the display unit 54.

  In step S189, the system control circuit 50 determines whether the shutter switch SW2 (64) is pressed. If it has been pressed, the system control circuit 50 returns to step S182 and repeats a series of continuous shooting. If the shutter switch SW2 (64) is released, the process proceeds to step S190, and the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the shutter switch SW1 (62).

  If the shutter switch SW1 (62) has been pressed in step S190, the process returns to step S189. If the shutter switch SW1 (62) is released, the process proceeds to step S191. In step S191, the system control circuit 50 performs a recording process. Specifically, the image data stored in the image storage buffer area of the memory 30 is read and written to the recording medium 200 or 210 such as a memory card or compact flash card via the interface 90 or 94 and the connector 92 or 96. . Note that the processing in step S191 corresponds to the processing by the recording means in the present invention.

  Note that while writing image data to the recording medium 200 or 210, in order to clearly indicate that the writing operation is in progress, the display unit 54 displays a recording medium writing operation display such as blinking an LED. May be.

  If the recording process is completed in step S191, the system control circuit 50 proceeds to step S172.

  In step S <b> 172, which proceeds after the shooting by single shooting or continuous shooting, the system control circuit 50 determines the state of the image display flag stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52. If the image display flag has been set, the process proceeds to step S173, and the system control circuit 50 sets the display state of the image display unit 28 to the through display state, ends the series of shooting operations, and returns to step S103.

  In step S173, after the captured image is confirmed by the quick review display on the image display unit 28, it is possible to enter a through display state in which image data captured for the next shooting is sequentially displayed.

  On the other hand, if the image display flag has been canceled in step S172, the image display of the image display unit 28 is set to the OFF state in step S174, and a series of photographing operations are completed, and the process returns to step S103.

  Next, FIG. 3 is a detailed flowchart of the distance measurement / photometry process in step S134 of FIG. 2B. Hereinafter, distance measurement / photometry processing will be described.

  First, in step S <b> 301, the system control circuit 50 reads out a charge signal from the image sensor 14 and sequentially reads captured image data into the image processing circuit 20 via the A / D converter 16. Using the sequentially read image data, the image processing circuit 20 performs predetermined calculations used for TTL AE processing, EF processing, and AF processing.

  In each processing here, a specific portion of the total number of photographed pixels is extracted by extracting a necessary portion according to necessity and used for calculation. This makes it possible to perform optimum calculations for different modes such as the center-weighted mode, the average mode, and the evaluation mode in each of the TTL method AE, EF, AWB, and AF processes.

  In step S <b> 302, the system control circuit 50 continues the determination until the exposure becomes appropriate using the calculation result in the image processing circuit 20. If it cannot be determined as appropriate, the process proceeds to step S303, and the exposure control unit 40 is used to perform AE control.

  In step S304, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not flashing is necessary using the measurement data obtained by the AE control. If flash is necessary, the flash flag is set, the process proceeds to step S305, the flash 404 is charged, and the process returns to step S301. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S304 that no flash is required, the process returns to step S301.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S302 that the exposure is appropriate, the measurement data and setting parameters are stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52, and the process proceeds to step S306.

  In step S306, the system control circuit 50 continues the determination until the white balance becomes appropriate, using the calculation result in the image processing circuit 20 and the measurement data obtained by the AE control. When it is not possible to determine appropriateness, the process proceeds to step S307, and the system control circuit 50 performs AWB control by adjusting the color processing parameters using the image processing circuit 20, and returns to step S301.

  If it is determined in step S306 that the white balance is appropriate, the process proceeds to step S308, the measurement data and the setting parameters are stored in the internal memory of the system control circuit 50 or the memory 52, and the process proceeds to step 308.

  In step S308, the system control circuit 50 continues determination using the measurement data obtained by the AE control and the AWB control until the distance measurement result is in focus. If it cannot be determined that the focus is achieved, the process proceeds to step S309, where AF control is performed using the distance measurement control unit.

  If it is determined in step S308 that the distance measurement result is in focus, the system control circuit 50 stores the measurement data and setting parameters in the internal memory or the memory 52 of the system control circuit 50, and performs the distance measurement / photometry processing in step S134. finish.

  Next, FIG. 4 is a detailed flowchart of the photographing process in steps S162 and S182 of FIG. 2C. Hereinafter, the photographing process will be described.

  First, in step S <b> 401, the system control circuit 50 performs a charge clear operation of the image sensor 14.

  Next, in step S <b> 402, the system control circuit 50 starts charge accumulation in the image sensor 14.

  In step S <b> 403, the system control circuit 50 opens the shutter 12 by the exposure control unit 40.

  In step S404, the system control circuit 50 starts exposure of the image sensor 14.

  In step S405, the system control circuit 50 confirms the flash flag and determines whether the flash 404 is necessary. If necessary, the flash is emitted in step S406 and the process proceeds to step S407. If the flash 404 is not required, the process proceeds to step S407.

  In step S407, the system control circuit 50 confirms the end of exposure of the image sensor 14 according to the photometric data. If it is confirmed that the exposure has ended, the shutter 12 is closed by the exposure control unit 40 in step S408, and the exposure of the image sensor 14 is ended.

  In step S409, the system control circuit 50 confirms the elapse of the set charge accumulation time. If the elapse of the charge accumulation time is confirmed, the process proceeds to step S410, and the system control circuit 50 ends the charge accumulation of the image sensor 14, and proceeds to step S411. In step S <b> 411, the system control circuit 50 reads the charge signal from the image sensor 14 and writes the captured image data in a predetermined area of the memory 30. When the above series of processing is completed, the photographing processing in step S162 and step S182 is ended.

  Next, FIG. 5 is a detailed flowchart of the dark capturing process in steps S165 and S181 in FIG. 2C. Hereinafter, the dark capturing process will be described.

  First, in step S <b> 501, the system control circuit 50 performs a charge clear operation of the image sensor 14.

  In step S <b> 502, the system control circuit 50 starts charge accumulation of the image sensor 14 with the shutter 12 closed.

  Next, in step S503, the system control circuit 50 determines the elapse of a set predetermined charge accumulation time. If it is determined that the charge accumulation time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S504, where the system control circuit 50 ends the charge accumulation of the image sensor 14 and proceeds to step S505.

  In step S <b> 505, the system control circuit 50 reads the charge signal from the image sensor 14 and writes image data (dark image data) to a predetermined area of the memory 30.

  By performing development processing using the above dark capture data, the captured image data can be corrected for image quality degradation such as dark current noise generated in the image sensor 14 and pixel defects due to defects inherent in the image sensor 14. .

  The dark image data is held in a predetermined area of the memory 30 until a new dark capturing process is performed or the power of the image processing apparatus 100 is turned off. Alternatively, part or all of the memory 30 may be composed of a nonvolatile memory such as an EEPROM or a hard disk, and the dark image data may be written to the nonvolatile memory. In this case, the dark image data is held in a predetermined area of the nonvolatile memory until a new dark capturing process is performed.

  The dark image data is then subjected to a photographing process, and is used when the photographed image data is read from the image sensor 14 and the developing process is performed. When the series of processes as described above is completed, the dark capturing process in steps S165 and S181 is terminated.

  Next, FIG. 6 is a detailed flowchart of the development processing in step S166 and step S183 in FIG. 2C. Hereinafter, the development processing will be described.

  First, in step S601, the system control circuit 50 reads captured image data and dark image data written in the memory 30, and performs luminance signal processing.

  In step S602, the system control circuit 50 performs color processing. In step S603, the system control circuit 50 performs thumbnail image processing.

  In step S604, the system control circuit 50 writes the processed image data in the memory 30. When the series of processes as described above is completed, the development process in steps S166 and S183 is terminated.

  Next, FIG. 7 is a detailed flowchart of the finalization confirmation process in step S120 and step S121 of FIG. 2A. Hereinafter, the finalization confirmation process will be described.

  In step S701, the system control circuit 50 determines whether the mounted recording medium 200 or 210 is a write-once recording medium. If it is a write-once recording medium, the process proceeds to step S702. If it is not a write-once recording medium, the process is terminated.

  Next, in step S702, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the remaining free space of the recording medium at the present time (in other words, at the end of the shooting mode) is smaller than when the shooting mode is started (when the shooting mode is set). Determine. If it is determined that the remaining free space has decreased, it is determined that some photographing process has been performed, and the process proceeds to step S703. If it is determined that the remaining free space has not decreased, the process is terminated.

  Next, in step S703, the system control circuit 50 displays a finalization confirmation screen (selection screen) that can select whether or not to execute finalization processing, and proceeds to step S704. Here, FIG. 8 shows an example of a screen displayed in step S703.

  Next, in step S704, the process waits for an input to select whether or not to execute the finalizing process. In the screen shown in FIG. 8, when the user selects the icon 801 indicating “Yes”, the process proceeds to step S705 to execute the finalizing process, and the finalizing process is executed. On the other hand, when the user selects the icon 802 indicating “No” on the screen shown in FIG. 8, the process ends.

  The finalization confirmation process described above is intended to provide a user interface for preventing the user from forgetting to perform the finalization process when the user exits the shooting mode after setting the shooting mode and performing the shooting process. In the description of the above processing, the processing in step S702 corresponds to the processing by the free space detection means in the present invention, and the processing in steps S703 and S704 corresponds to the processing by the selection means in the present invention. Further, the processing in step S705 corresponds to the processing by the finalizing means in the present invention. Further, the remaining free space at the start of the shooting mode in step S702 corresponds to the first free space referred to in the present invention, and the remaining free space of the current recording medium corresponds to the second free space referred to in the present invention. .

  Here, the finalizing process will be described with reference to FIGS. As described above, when the photographing operation is performed, the system control circuit 50 records an image on a recording medium as shown in step S168, step S188, or step S191. An example of data on the recording medium recorded in this case is shown in FIG. Image information is recorded in the data area 902 of the recording medium, and a file name 903, a write head sector number 904, a used sector number 905, and the like are recorded in the management area 901 of the recording medium. The management area 901 corresponds to the file management information recording area of the write-once recording medium in the present invention.

  When the finalizing process is performed, the system control circuit 50 writes the dummy data 1001 and 1002 in the unrecorded area 906 in the management area 901 and the unrecorded area 907 in the data area 902. An example is shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating data after finalization processing is performed on the data illustrated in FIG. 9. FIG. 10 shows an example in which “0xFF” is written as an example of dummy data. This makes it impossible to add or rewrite image data in a write-once recording medium.

  In the above description, dummy data is written in the unrecorded areas of the management area 901 and the data area 902. However, the image data may be written only in all the unrecorded areas of the management area 901. Addition and rewriting can be made impossible.

  Next, FIG. 11 is a detailed flowchart of the remaining battery capacity determination process in step S106 of FIG. 2A. Hereinafter, the battery remaining capacity determination process will be described.

  First, in step S1101, the system control circuit 50 acquires the current power supply voltage (battery voltage) V.

  In step S1102, the system control circuit 50 determines whether the mounted recording medium is a write-once type, and rewrites the threshold (Thresh) in step S1103 or step S1104 according to the result. In this example, if the recording medium is not a write-once recording medium, the threshold is set to A in step S1103, and the process proceeds to step S1105. If the recording medium is a write-once recording medium, the threshold is set to B in step S1104. Proceed to Here, the threshold value B is set to a value larger than the threshold value A (threshold value B> threshold value A).

  In step S1105, the system control circuit 50 determines whether or not the current power supply voltage V is below a threshold value (Thresh). If it falls below the threshold value, the process advances to step S1107 to determine that the remaining capacity is insufficient. If it exceeds, it is determined in step S1106 that the remaining capacity is sufficient. If it is determined that the remaining capacity is insufficient, the process proceeds to step S121 as referred to in FIG. 2A.

  The finalizing process for a one-time card, which is a so-called write-once recording medium, may take several minutes depending on the capacity of the recordable area and the recording speed of the one-time card. In this case, when the remaining battery level is low, there is a problem that the power is turned off before the finalizing process is completed. According to the remaining battery capacity determination process described above, it is possible to prevent the finalization process from being disabled due to a decrease in the remaining battery capacity. Further, in the example of FIG. 11, by setting threshold value B> threshold value A, the battery level drop is detected at an earlier timing when the write-once recording medium is mounted without degrading the battery performance when the conventional rewritable recording medium is mounted. In addition, the finalizing process can be performed reliably. The threshold value B corresponds to the second threshold value in the present invention, and the threshold value A corresponds to the first threshold value in the present invention.

  As described above, in the image processing apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment, finalization processing is performed so that rewriting or additional writing cannot be performed on a one-time card that is a write-once recording medium after image recording. As a result, even when the one-time card is delivered to another person, it is possible to guarantee the original data and prevent falsification without requiring a means such as embedding the encrypted data in the image data.

  In the present embodiment, the recording media 200 and 210 are exemplified as memory cards such as PCMCIA cards and compact flash, hard disks, and the like. However, other modes may be used, and for example, a micro DAT, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk such as a CD-R or a CD-RW, a phase change optical disk such as a DVD, or the like may be used.

  Of course, there is no problem even if the recording media 200 and 210 are composite media in which a memory card and a hard disk are integrated. Further, there is no problem even if a part of the composite medium is detachable.

  In the description of the present embodiment, the recording media 200 and 210 have been described as being separated from the image processing apparatus 100 and can be arbitrarily connected. However, any or all of the recording media are connected to the image processing apparatus 100. Of course, there is no problem even if it remains fixed.

  Further, the recording medium 200 or 210 may be connected to the image processing apparatus 100 in any number of single or plural. In the above description, the recording media 200 and 210 are mounted on the image processing apparatus 100. However, the recording medium may have any combination of single or plural recording media.

  In order to realize the present invention, a storage medium in which a program code (computer program) of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments may be used. In this case, the object of the present invention is achieved by supplying the storage medium to the system or apparatus, and the computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or apparatus reads and executes the program code stored in the storage medium.

  In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and the storage medium storing the program code constitute the present invention.

  As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a CD-R, a magnetic tape, a nonvolatile memory card, a ROM, or the like can be used.

  Needless to say, the OS (basic system or operating system) running on the computer performs part or all of the actual processing based on the instruction of the program code.

  Further, the program code read from the storage medium may be written in a memory provided in a function expansion board inserted into the computer or a function expansion unit connected to the computer. In this case, based on the instruction of the written program code, the CPU or the like provided in the function expansion board or function expansion unit may perform part or all of the actual processing.

It is a block diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the main routine of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the main routine of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the main routine of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the photometry and ranging process of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the imaging | photography process of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the dark taking-in process of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. 6 is a flowchart of development processing of the imaging apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a flowchart of the finalization confirmation process of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the example of the finalization confirmation screen displayed in the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data which the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention records on a write-once recording medium. It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the data after the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention performs finalization processing on a write-once recording medium. It is a flowchart of the battery remaining capacity determination process of the imaging device which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Shooting lens 12 Shutter 14 Image pick-up element 16 A / D converter 18 Timing generation circuit 20 Image processing circuit 22 Memory control circuit 24 Image display memory 26 D / A converter 28 Image display part 30 Memory 32 Compression / decompression circuit 40 Exposure control Unit 42 distance measurement control unit 44 zoom control unit 46 barrier control unit 48 connector (accessory shoe)
50 System control circuit 52 Memory 54 Display unit 56 Non-volatile memory 60 Mode dial switch 62 Shutter switch SW1
64 Shutter switch SW2
66 Image display ON / OFF switch 68 Single / continuous shooting switch 70 Operation unit 80 Power control unit 82, 84 Connector 86 Power supply means 90, 94 Interface 92, 96 Connector 98 Recording medium attachment / detachment detection unit 100 Image processing apparatus 102 Protection unit 104 Optical viewfinder 106 Image display unit open / close detection unit 111 Communication unit 112 Connector 113 Communication unit 114 Antenna 115 Recording destination selection switch 116 Connection / disconnection switch 200, 210 Recording medium 202, 212 Recording unit 204, 214 Interface 206, 216 Connector 400 Flash Device 402 Connector 404 Flash

Claims (6)

An imaging apparatus capable of mounting a record medium,
The shooting image information recording means for recording on the Symbol recording medium,
Finalizing means for executing a finalizing process for writing dummy data in an unrecorded area of the write-once recording medium when a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium ;
Voltage detection means for detecting the battery voltage;
In the shooting mode when a rewritable recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, if the battery voltage detected by the voltage detection unit falls below a first threshold, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated, and the recording medium If the battery voltage detected by the voltage detection means falls below a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value in the shooting mode when a write-once recording medium is mounted, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated. Control means for causing
Free space detecting means for detecting the free space of the recording medium,
When the write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, the free space detection is detected at the end of the shooting mode, rather than the first free space detected by the free space detection means at the start of the shooting mode. An imaging apparatus characterized by executing a finalizing process by the finalizing means when the second free space detected by the means is small .   The imaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the finalizing unit writes dummy data in all unrecorded areas of the file management information recording area of the write-once recording medium. When the write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, the free space detection is detected at the end of the shooting mode, rather than the first free space detected by the free space detection means at the start of the shooting mode. 3. The imaging according to claim 1 , further comprising a selection unit configured to select whether or not to execute the finalizing process by the finalizing unit when the second free space detected by the unit is small. apparatus. The imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the selection unit displays a selection screen as to whether or not to perform finalization processing by the finalization unit on the display unit. The record medium an image recording method in wearable imaging device,
A recording step of the shadow image information is recorded on the recording medium shooting,
When a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, a finalize processing step of writing dummy data in an unrecorded area of the write-once recording medium ;
A voltage detection step for detecting the battery voltage;
In the shooting mode when a rewritable recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, if the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below a first threshold, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated, and the recording medium If the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below a second threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value in the shooting mode when a write-once recording medium is mounted, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated. Control steps to cause
A free space detecting step for detecting a free space of the recording medium,
When the write-once type recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, the empty space is detected when the shooting mode is ended, compared to the first free space detected in the free space detection step at the start of the shooting mode. An image recording method , wherein a finalizing process is executed by the finalizing process step when the second free capacity detected in the capacity detecting step is small . The record medium a program for running the image recording method in wearable imaging device,
And the shooting image information recording step of recording the Symbol recording medium,
When a write-once recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, a finalize processing step of writing dummy data in an unrecorded area of the write-once recording medium ;
A voltage detection step for detecting the battery voltage;
In the shooting mode when a rewritable recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, if the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below a first threshold, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated, and the recording medium If the battery voltage detected in the voltage detection step falls below a second threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value in the shooting mode when a write-once recording medium is mounted, the shooting mode is forcibly terminated. Control steps to cause
Causing the computer to execute a free space detecting step of detecting the free space of the recording medium;
When the write-once type recording medium is mounted as the recording medium, the empty space is detected when the shooting mode is ended, compared to the first free space detected in the free space detection step at the start of the shooting mode. A program for executing a finalizing process in the finalizing process step when the second free capacity detected in the capacity detecting step is small .

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