JPH11317922A - Electronic image pickup device and image record medium - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To specify the operation of recording and reproducing an image in response to the user and the device. SOLUTION: Image data are written in a memory card 3 that is applied at photographing and image data are read from the memory card 3 in the case of reproducing the image. Then a password code is applied to the applied memory card 3 by a collation circuit 12. Furthermore, image data are recorded in a RAM 21 as the memory card 3, a preset password code is stored in a register REG, furthermore, a password code fed from the collation circuit 12 is compared with a password code stored in the register REG by a comparator COM. Then in the case of reproducing an image from the prescribed memory card 3, the propriety of the access to the memory card 3 is controlled by a control circuit 11 depending on the comparison result of the memory card 3 at the comparator COM.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electronic image pickup apparatus and an image recording medium.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, an electronic still camera system has been developed as a new video device and is being generally used.

In this electronic still camera system, a solid-state image pickup device picks up an image, photoelectrically converts the image, writes the information on a recording medium, reads out the information written on the recording medium at the time of reproduction, and outputs it as video information. The image can be reproduced using this video information. The electronic still camera system is composed of a camera (recording device), a reproducing device, and a recording medium in terms of hardware, and the reproducing device may be provided independently of the camera, or may have a reproducing function integrated with the camera. It may be provided as a camera with a tag.

[0004] However, the electronic still camera system can be used for a wide range of applications like conventional silver halide film cameras. Can also be used when storing the state as an image. A new problem arises as the use expands. One of the requirements is as follows. That is, in normal recording and reproduction using the electronic camera system, anyone can freely perform recording and reproduction using an arbitrary device without specifying the user and the device. However, depending on the purpose of recording and reproduction, it may be necessary that only a specific person can reproduce the recorded image and that other persons cannot reproduce the image. For example, when an electronic still camera system is used for medical purposes, when an image of a patient is recorded, the image is played back only to the doctor, the patient, and his / her family, while others are protected from the standpoint of protecting patient privacy. Sometimes it is necessary to prohibit the reproduction of images.

[0005] However, in response to this demand, in the conventional silver halide film camera, anyone can view the image photographed on the film, and the camera system itself cannot identify the person who views the image. The technology of the silver halide film camera cannot be applied to the electronic still camera system.

[0006]

As described above, with an electronic imaging apparatus such as an electronic still camera system at present, it is impossible to reproduce a recorded image and specify a viewer, and it is possible to respond to such a demand. Therefore, it has been a major problem in further developing the electronic still camera system.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide an electronic image pickup apparatus and an image recording medium capable of specifying an operation of recording and reproducing an image according to a user or an apparatus.

[0008]

That is, according to the present invention, there is provided a means for writing image data to a recording medium applied at the time of photographing, reading image data from the recording medium at the time of reproducing an image, and recording the applied security code at the applied recording medium. Security code supply means for supplying a medium, an image data recording unit for recording image data as the recording medium, a security code storage unit for storing a preset security code, and the security code supply means When a predetermined recording medium provided with a comparison unit that compares the security code supplied from the storage device with the security code stored in the security code storage unit is applied, an image is reproduced from the applied recording medium. Control means for controlling whether or not the recording medium can be accessed in accordance with the comparison result of the recording medium by the comparison unit. .

Further, the present invention is applicable to an apparatus capable of recording or reproducing an image, and includes an image data recording unit for recording image data, a secret code storage unit for storing a secret code, and A comparison unit that is applied to the device when reproducing an image, and compares a security code supplied from the device with a security code stored in the security code storage unit in advance, according to a comparison result of the comparison unit. Data output permission means for permitting output of the image data recorded in the image data recording section to the apparatus.

In the electronic image pickup apparatus of the present invention, image data is written to the applied recording medium at the time of photographing, and image data is read from the recording medium at the time of image reproduction. Then, the security code is supplied to the applied recording medium by the security code supply unit. Further, as the recording medium, image data is recorded in an image data recording unit, a preset secret code is stored in a secret code storage unit, and a secret code supplied from the secret code supply unit and the secret code are stored. The comparison code is compared with the personal identification code stored in the code storage unit. When a predetermined recording medium provided with the image data recording unit, the password code storage unit, and the comparison unit is applied, when an image is reproduced from the applied recording medium, the comparison unit of the recording medium uses According to the result of the comparison, the control means controls whether or not the recording medium can be accessed.

In the image recording medium of the present invention,
The present invention is applicable to an apparatus capable of recording or reproducing an image, in which image data is recorded by an image data recording unit, and a secret code is stored in a secret code storage unit. Further, when reproducing an image, the password is applied to the device, and the password supplied from the device is compared with the password stored in the password storage unit in advance by the comparison unit. Then, the image data recorded in the image data recording unit is permitted to be output to the device by the data output permitting unit according to the comparison result of the comparison unit.

[0012]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

An electronic still camera system according to each of the embodiments described below has a configuration in which a camera as a recording device and a reproducing device are separated from each other and uses a memory card as a recording medium.

FIG. 1 shows a state where the memory card 3 is set in the reproducing apparatus 2.

In the memory card 3, a bidirectional bus buffer G is provided on an address line connecting an address memory of the RAM 21 provided on the card 3 and a memory address of the control circuit 11 provided on the reproducing apparatus 2. The memory card 3 has a register REG for storing a personal identification code,
A comparator COM is provided for comparing the stored personal identification code with an externally input personal identification code. The output of the comparator COM is output to the output gate of the bidirectional bus buffer G. On the other hand, the reproducing apparatus 2 is provided with a control circuit 11 for handling image data and a matching circuit 12 for outputting a personal identification code to the memory card 3. The matching circuit 12
Can clear the contents of the RAM 21 of the memory card 3.

When the memory card 3 is used, first, the reproducing device 2 sets a password. When the memory card 3 is set in the playback device 2 as shown in FIG. 1, the register REG and the comparator COM in the card 3 are connected to the matching circuit 12 of the playback device 2. The collating circuit 12 gives an instruction for initialization to the register REG, and inputs a personal identification code, specifically, a personal identification number, to the register REG and writes it. As the password, data peculiar to the reproducing apparatus 2 for initializing the memory card 3, for example, a code obtained by encoding a serial number is used.

At the time of recording, the memory card 3 is set in the camera 1 for recording, and the image data is stored in the memory card 3.
Write to RAM.

At the time of reproduction, the memory card 3 is set in the reproduction device 2 as shown in FIG. Then, the control device of the reproducing device 2 gives an instruction to the register REG, and the register R
The security code written in the EG is compared with the comparator COM.
Output. Also, the control circuit 11 sends the comparator C
Enter the password into the OM. The comparator COM is
The two input security codes are compared, and when they match, a gate control signal is output to the output gate of the bus buffer G provided on the address line. As a result, the gate on the output side of the bus buffer G opens, and the RAM 21
Can be read out, and the control circuit of the reproducing apparatus 2 reads out the image signal from the RAM 21 and reproduces it.

However, if the security code input to the memory card 3 is different from the security code 2 stored in the register REG, no output is made from the comparator COM.
Therefore, the output side gate of the bidirectional bus buffer G does not open,
The image signal cannot be read from the RAM 21 of the memory card 3.

As described above, reproduction can be performed only when a specific password is input. Therefore, only a person who knows the specific password can perform the reproducing operation.

As a means for inputting a personal identification code, that is, a personal identification number, in the reproducing apparatus 2, for example, a keyboard provided in the reproducing apparatus 2 or a keyboard connected to the reproducing apparatus 2 is used.

A third embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

In this embodiment, the camera writes a security code together with image data on a memory card during recording, and the playback device compares the security code of the memory card with the security code input to the device during playback, and only when they match. It is something to play.

The operation at the time of recording is described in the block diagram of FIG.
This will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

First, the memory card 3 is set in the camera 1. Set the camera's operation mode to protect mode,
A state is entered in which a password can be input (S1). Next, a predetermined password is input by operating the keyboard 5 connected to the camera 1 and written into the RAM 21 of the memory card 3 (S2, S3).

Next, an image is recorded by the camera 1 and the image data is written into the RAM 21 of the memory card 3. That is, the personal identification code is written before the image data.
Thereafter, an image is recorded (S4).

The operation at the time of reproduction will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

The memory card 3 is set in the reproducing device 2. The player operates the playback device 2 to check whether or not a security code is recorded before the image data on the memory card 3. If the security code is recorded, the playback device 2 is checked.
Reads the password. If it is determined that the password is not recorded, normal reproduction is performed (S
11, S12).

When it is determined that the password is recorded, the reproducing device 2 requests the input of the password,
By operating the keyboard 6 connected to the playback device 2, a password is input to the playback device 2 (S13, S15). Here, when the password is not input, the image reproduction is prohibited (S14).

Then, the reproducing apparatus 1 compares the input personal identification code with the personal identification code recorded on the memory card 3 at the time of the previous recording, and judges whether or not they coincide with each other. Memory card 3 allowing image playback operation
The image data written in the RAM is read out to reproduce the image (S16, S18). If they do not match, the operation of image reproduction is prohibited (S17). Therefore, only a person who knows the password stored in the memory card 3 at the time of recording can perform the reproducing operation.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented with various modifications.

[0032]

As described above, according to the present invention, a secret function is provided when accessing image information on a recording medium, so that a specific user or a specific device can reproduce the image information. Only the reproduction can be performed. Therefore, it is very effective when it is necessary to reproduce the image only for a specific person,
For example, it is suitable for use in medical applications.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 camera, 2 playback device, 3 memory card, 11 control circuit, 12 collation circuit, 21 RAM.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for writing image data to an applied recording medium at the time of photographing, reading image data from the recording medium at the time of image reproduction, and supplying a secret code for supplying a secret code to the applied recording medium. Means, as the recording medium, an image data recording unit for recording image data, a secret code storage unit for storing a preset secret code, a secret code supplied from the secret code supply means, and the secret code. When a predetermined recording medium provided with a comparing unit for comparing with a password stored in the code storage unit is applied, when reproducing an image from the applied recording medium, the comparing unit of the recording medium is used. A control unit for controlling whether or not to access the recording medium in accordance with the comparison result in the electronic imaging device. 2. An image data recording unit for recording image data, a secret code storage unit for storing a secret code, and an image reproducing unit. When applied to the device, a comparison code supplied from the device, and a comparison unit that compares the security code stored in advance in the security code storage unit, according to the comparison result in the comparison unit, An image recording medium, comprising: data output permission means for permitting output of image data recorded in the image data recording unit to the device.