Digital still camera and method of controlling operation of same

Abstract

If a telop-character recording mode is selected, then, in response to depression of a shutter-release button, the image of a subject is sensed and voice enters from a microphone for a fixed period of time so that data representing voice is obtained. Character data for indicating the content of voice by characters is generated from the data representing voice. Image data representing the image of a subject, the voice data and the character data is recorded on a memory card. When an image is reproduced, the character data is combined with the image data and the characters represented by the character data are combined with the image and displayed together with the image. The content of voice can be ascertained by telop characters even with a playback device that is incapable of outputting voice.

1 - 9 . (canceled)  
     
     
         10 . A digital still camera having an image sensing device for sensing an image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject, and an image recording controller for recording image data output from the image sensing device, on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a mode selection unit for selecting a voice recording mode or a character recording mode;    a voice input unit for inputting a voice and outputting voice data representing the voice;    a voice recording controller for recording the voice data output from said voice input unit on the recording medium in response to a selection of the voice recording mode by said mode selection unit;    a character data generating unit for generating character data representing the voice data output from said voice input unit; and    a character recording controller for recording the character data generated by said character data generating unit on the recording medium in response to a selection of the character recording mode by said mode selection unit.    
     
     
         11 . The camera according to  claim 10 , wherein said voice input unit inputs the voice during the sensing of the image of a subject by the image sensing device, and said camera further comprising: 
 a first control unit for controlling said image recording controller, said voice recording controller and said character recording controller in such a manner that at least two of the image data, the voice data and the character data will be recorded on the recording medium in a form linked to each other.    
     
     
         12 . The camera according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a first reading unit for reading the image data and the character data that have been recorded on the recording medium;    a first combining unit for combining characters represented by the character data with an image represented by the image data that has been read by said first reading unit into a combined image data; and    a first display unit for displaying a combined image corresponding to the combined image data from said first combining unit.    
     
     
         13 . The camera according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a second reading unit for reading the character data that has been recorded on the recording medium;    a second display unit for displaying characters represented by the character data that has been read by said second reading unit; and    an erasure control unit responsive to an erase command for erasing the voice data corresponding to the characters being displayed on said second display unit from the recording medium.    
     
     
         14 . The camera according to  claim 10 , wherein said image recording controller records the image data output by said image sensing device in response to input of a predetermined voice to said voice input unit.  
     
     
         15 . The camera according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 a second combining unit for combining characters represented by the character data that has been generated by said character data generating unit with the image data output from said image sensing device into a combined image data; and    a fourth control unit for controlling said image recording controller and said character recording controller in such a manner that the combined image data will be recorded on the recording medium.    
     
     
         16 . The camera according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 a third reading unit for reading the combined image data from the recording medium; and    a second display unit for displaying a combined image represented by the combined image data that has been read by said third reading unit.    
     
     
         17 . A method of controlling an operation of a digital still camera having an image sensing device for sensing an image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject, and an image recording controller for recording the image data output from the image sensing device on a recording medium, comprising the steps of: 
 selecting a voice recording mode or a character recording mode;    inputting voice and obtaining voice data representing the voice;    recording the obtained voice data on the recording medium in response a selection of the voice recording mode in said step of selecting the voice recording mode or the character recording mode;    generating character data representing the obtained voice data; and    recording the generated character data on the recording medium in response to a selection of the character recording mode in said step of selecting the voice recording mode or the character recording mode.    
     
     
         18 . The camera according to  claim 10 , wherein said voice input unit inputs the voice in response to a shutter release.  
     
     
         19 . The camera according to  claim 10 , further comprising a shutter release button, wherein said voice input unit inputs the voice in response to pressing of said shutter release button.  
     
     
         20 . The camera according to  claim 10 , wherein said voice input unit inputs the voice during the sensing of the image of the subject by the image sensing device, and said camera further comprising: 
 a fifth control unit for controlling said image recording controller, said voice recording controller, and said character recording controller in such a manner that    the image data, the voice data, and the character data will be recorded on the recording medium in a form linked to each other in response to the character recording mode being set by said mode selection unit, and    the image data and the voice data will be recorded on the recording medium in a form linked to each other and the character data will not be recorded on the recording medium in response to the character recording mode not being set by said mode selection unit.    
     
     
         21 . The camera according to  claim 10 , wherein said image sensing device, said image recording controller, said voice input unit, said voice recording controller, said character generating unit, and said character recording controller are integrated into a single physical device.  
     
     
         22 . The digital camera of  claim 10 , wherein the image data, the voice data, and the character data are recorded in a single file on the recording medium.  
     
     
         23 . The digital camera of  claim 10 , wherein the voice data and a combined image data representing a combination of the image data and the character data are recorded in a single file on the recording medium.  
     
     
         24 . A digital camera, comprising: 
 a mode selection unit for selecting a voice recording mode or a text data recording mode;    an image sensing unit configured for sensing an image and outputting image data corresponding to the image;    a voice sensing unit configured for sensing a voice and outputting voice data corresponding to the voice in response to a selection of the voice recording mode by said mode selection unit;    a text data generating unit configured for generating text data corresponding to the voice data in response to a selection of the text data recording mode by said mode selection unit; and    a memory control unit configured to store the image data, the voice data, and the text data to a recording medium,    wherein a particular text data and the corresponding voice data are related to only one particular image data.    
     
     
         25 . The digital camera of  claim 24 , wherein the memory control unit is configured to store the particular image data and the related text data and voice data as a single file in the recording medium.  
     
     
         26 . The digital camera of  claim 25 , wherein the memory control unit is configured to read from the recording medium the image data and the related text data, the camera further comprising: 
 a combining unit configured for generating a combined image data by combining the image data and visual representations of the text data read from the recording medium; and    a display unit configured for displaying a combined image corresponding to the combined image data.    
     
     
         27 . The digital camera of  claim 26 , wherein the memory control unit is configured to read from the recording medium the related voice data, the camera further comprising: 
 a voice output unit configured for outputting the voice corresponding to the related voice data read from the recording medium.    
     
     
         28 . A digital camera, comprising: 
 an image sensing unit configured for sensing an image and outputting image data corresponding to the image;    a voice sensing unit configured for sensing a voice and outputting voice data corresponding to the voice;    a text data generating unit configured for generating text data corresponding to the voice data;    a combining unit configured for generating a combined image data by combining the image data and a visual representation of the text data; and    a memory control unit configured to store the combined image data and the voice data a recording medium,    wherein a particular voice data is related to only one particular combined image data.    
     
     
         29 . The digital camera of  claim 28 , wherein the memory control unit is configured to store the particular combined image data and the related voice data as a single file in the recording medium.  
     
     
         30 . The digital camera of  claim 29 , wherein the memory control unit is configured to read from the recording medium the combined image data, the camera further comprising: 
 a display unit configured for displaying a combined image corresponding to the combined image data.    
     
     
         31 . The digital camera of  claim 30 , wherein the memory control unit is further configured to read from the recording medium the related voice data, the camera further comprising: 
 a voice output unit configured for outputting the voice corresponding to the related voice data read from the recording medium.    
     
     
         32 . A method of recording data related to image data, comprising: 
 recording voice data related the image data;    converting the voice data to text data;    converting the text data to character data, wherein the character data is a visual representation of the text data; and    recording the image data, the voice data, and the character data to a storage medium.    
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein a file structure for recording includes an image data recording area, a character data recording area, and a voice data recording area and wherein the recording step comprises: 
 recording the image data in the image data recording area;    recording the character data in the character data recording area; and    recording the voice data in the voice data recording area.    
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein a file structure for recording includes a combined image data recording area and a voice data recording and wherein the recording step comprises: 
 combining the image data and the character data into combined image data;    recording the combined image data in the combined image data recording area; and    recording the voice data in the voice data recording area.    
     
     
         35 . A digital still camera having an image sensing device for sensing an image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject, and an image recording controller for recording image data output from the image sensing device, on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a voice input unit to enable input of voice and to enable output of voice data representing the voice;    a voice recording controller to enable recording the voice data output from said voice input unit on the recording medium;    a character data generating unit to enable generating character data representing the voice data output from said voice input unit, wherein the character data are expressed in image form; and    a character recording controller to enable recording the character data generated by said character data generating unit on the recording medium.    
     
     
         36 . A method of controlling an operation of a digital still camera having an image sensing device for sensing an image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject, and an image recording controller for recording the image data output from the image sensing device on a recording medium, comprising the steps of: 
 inputting voice and obtaining voice data representing the voice;    recording the obtained voice data on the recording medium;    generating character data representing the obtained voice data, wherein the character data are expressed in image form; and    recording the generated character data on the recording medium.    
     
     
         37 . A digital still camera having an image sensing device for sensing an image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject, and an image recording controller for recording image data output from the image sensing device, on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a voice input unit to enable input of voice and to enable output of voice data representing the voice;    a voice recording controller to enable recording the voice data output from said voice input unit on the recording medium;    a character data generating unit to enable generating character data representing the voice data output from said voice input unit;    a character recording controller to enable recording the character data generated by said character data generating unit on the recording medium;    a reading unit for reading the character data that has been recorded on the recording medium;    a display unit to enable displaying characters represented by the character data that has been read by said second reading unit; and    an erasure control unit responsive to an erase command for erasing the voice data corresponding to the characters being displayed on said display unit from the recording medium.    
     
     
         38 . A digital still camera having an image sensing device for sensing an image of a subject and outputting image data representing the image of the subject, and an image recording controller for recording image data output from the image sensing device, on a recording medium, comprising: 
 a voice input unit to enable input of voice and to enable output of voice data representing the voice;    a voice recording controller to enable recording the voice data output from said voice input unit on the recording medium;    a character data generating unit to enable generating character data representing the voice data output from said voice input unit; and    a character recording controller to enable recording the character data generated by said character data generating unit on the recording medium,    wherein said image recording controller records the image data output by said image sensing device in response to input of a predetermined voice to said voice input unit.    
     
     
         39 . The camera according to  claim 10 , wherein the voice data output from said voice input unit is recorded on the recording medium by the voice recording controller in response to the selection of the character recording mode, and wherein the character data is not recorded on the recording medium in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising recording the obtained voice data on the recording medium in response the selection of the character recording mode, wherein the character data is not recorded on the recording medium in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.  
     
     
         41 . The digital camera of  claim 24 , wherein said voice sensing unit is configured to sense the voice and output the voice data corresponding to the voice in response to the selection of the text data recording mode, and wherein the text data is not stored in the recording medium by the memory control unit in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.  
     
     
         42 . The digital camera of  claim 28 , further comprising: 
 a mode selection unit for selecting one of a voice recording mode or a telop recording mode,    wherein the memory control unit is configured to store the combined image data and the voice data on the recording medium in response to the selection of the telop recording mode, and    wherein the memory control unit is configured to store the image data and the voice data, but not the combined image data, on the recording medium in response to the voice recording mode.    
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 selecting one of a voice recording mode or a telop recording mode; and    recording the image data and the voice data, but not the character data, to the storage medium in response to a selection of the voice recording mode,    wherein the step of recording the image data, the voice data and the character data to the storage medium is performed in response to a selection of the telop recording mode.    
     
     
         44 . The digital camera of  claim 35 , further comprising: 
 a mode selection unit for selecting one of a voice recording mode or a telop recording mode,    wherein the voice recording controller enables the recording of the voice data on the recording medium in response to a selection of either the voice recording mode or the telop recording mode, and    wherein the character recording controller enables the recording of the character data on the recording medium in response to the selection of the telop recording mode but not in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.    
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 36 , further comprising: 
 selecting one of a voice recording mode or a telop recording mode,    wherein the step of recording the obtained voice data on the recording medium is performed in response to a selection of either the voice recording mode or the telop recording mode, and    wherein the step of recording the character data on the recording medium is performed in response to the selection of the telop recording mode but not performed in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.    
     
     
         46 . The digital camera of  claim 37 , further comprising: 
 a mode selection unit for selecting one of a voice recording mode or a telop recording mode,    wherein the voice recording controller enables the recording of the voice data on the recording medium in response to a selection of either the voice recording mode or the telop recording mode, and    wherein the character recording controller enables the recording of the character data on the recording medium in response to the selection of the telop recording mode but not in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.    
     
     
         47 . The digital camera of  claim 38 , further comprising: 
 a mode selection unit for selecting one of a voice recording mode or a telop recording mode,    wherein the voice recording controller enables the recording of the voice data on the recording medium in response to a selection of either the voice recording mode or the telop recording mode, and    wherein the character recording controller enables the recording of the character data on the recording medium in response to the selection of the telop recording mode but not in response to the selection of the voice recording mode.