JP2001298702A - File management system for digital camera and storage device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a file management system for a digital camera by which, for example, sorting work in a computer can be facilitated and a file can be stored. SOLUTION: When the digital camera records image data or audio data, the digital camera stores the data to a storage place under a name decided by file attribute information that is selected from information stored in a memory 102, an auxiliary storage device 106 in the inside of the digital camera or a secondary storage device 108 or entered from a camera operation section 105, or file attribute information entered from an external device 109 such as a computer as a file under a name decided by the file attribute information that is selected from information stored in the memory 102, the auxiliary storage device 106 in the inside of the digital camera or the secondary storage device 108 or entered from the camera operation section 105, or file attribute information entered from the external device 109, or the digital camera can record the image data or the audio data as other file than the image data file or audio data file in cross-reference with the name of the file storing the image data or the audio data.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a recording device such as a digital camera and a recording method for digitizing and recording images and sounds, an electronic device used with the recording device, and a control method therefor.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, with the spread of digital cameras, it has become increasingly common to obtain information outdoors and then manage data using a personal computer or the like. In the past, especially when shooting video with a digital camera, the secondary storage device in the camera was small, so all files were stored in one file storage location. The camera also automatically named the file. for that reason,
If you have multiple cameras, it may be difficult for your computer to identify which camera file it is. To solve this problem, for example, a method of assigning an ID number to a camera (Kodak DC40) and a method of setting a part of characters of a file name by a user for each camera or storage medium (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. -269120) has been devised.

However, in this method, when repeatedly photographing with a digital camera, the number indicating the file number constituting the file name given to the file is repeatedly set to 1 each time the file in the secondary storage device is moved to the computer. Since files are distinguished by incrementing from, many files with the same name can be created. In recent years, when the capacity of the secondary storage device in the camera has expanded and the digital camera can acquire and store a large number of files, when the computer manages the files of the digital camera, the contents of the files are identified. Is becoming more difficult to do. To solve this problem, a method has been devised for managing images by adding new file names when working on images with a computer software.

[0004]

However, according to the above-described method, when an image is downloaded from a digital camera to a computer in order to manage the file on the computer, the user can visually check the file to be stored and store the file in the computer. It is necessary to download the information to the user (hand-handling work). If the file names overlap, it will be necessary to re-name and manage them in order to recognize those files. for that reason,
I intend to improve work efficiency by digitizing photographic information, but rather increase the amount of work.

[0005] The present invention is intended to enable a user to easily perform a manual division operation when downloading a digital camera file to a computer and to manage the file on the computer.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a data file which has been stored in one place until now can be stored in a place designated by a user for each data file. The storage location may be a normal storage location (root portion) of the secondary storage medium, or may be a storage location provided hierarchically. The storage location provided in a hierarchy may be a secondary storage medium prepared internally in advance,
A new file may be created when the user stores the data file. The names of the storage locations hierarchically provided may be those prepared by the digital camera, or those stored by the user on the digital camera may be used. If the user himself uses the data stored in the digital camera, save multiple files as candidates in advance using the input device built into the digital camera or an externally connected device, and save the file. You can select it every time, or you can create a name each time you acquire data using an input device built into the digital camera or an externally connected device.

In addition, a file name which has been automatically given by a digital camera in a form including a number indicating a photographing order and the like can be given by a user himself by letters and numbers representing the contents of photographing and the like. And
At this time, a file name may be created by adding shooting information such as the order of shooting by the camera to the name given by the user.

If the user does not particularly specify the storage location, the file may be automatically stored in the root portion of the secondary storage medium. May be stored.

If the user does not specify a file name, the camera automatically gives the file name as before. In this case,
The number part of the file name that identifies the file in the order of shooting is incremented for the entire data file or for each storage location.

In the present invention, even if the file is not actually stored in the hierarchical structure, when the computer downloads the data file, the camera generates information for designating the storage location of the data file. hand,
It may be stored as a data file. In addition, the data file may be given a name that includes a character string indicating the location where it is stored when downloaded to a computer. In these cases, for example, a user can use a dedicated download program to automatically download data files from a digital camera to a file storage location on a computer.

[0011]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system including a digital camera and an external device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Note that an optical system input unit not directly related to the present embodiment, such as a lens, an aperture, a shutter,
A CD, an A / D converter, a color signal processing circuit, and the like are indicated by 101 in a simplified manner. Also, the auxiliary storage device 106
Represents a device that is built into a digital camera, such as RAM, ROM, or non-volatile memory, and temporarily or continuously retains shooting information and the like.

The digital camera according to the present embodiment has an optical system input unit and a compression encoding unit 101, a primary storage device (memory).
102, a medium recording I / F 103, a CPU 104, an operation unit 105, an auxiliary storage device (ROM, RAM, nonvolatile memory, etc.) 106, and an external communication I / F 107.

The above-mentioned optical system input unit and compression encoding unit 101
And the image data processed by the memory 102 are stored in the medium recording I
/ F103 to the removable secondary storage medium 108. At this time, one image data file is generated for each image.

The medium recording I / F 106 is, for example, a PCMC as an interface for the secondary recording medium 108.
It has a memory card interface specified by IA and JEIDA. That is, the image data received from the optical system input unit and the compression / encoding unit 101 is removably attached to the secondary storage medium 1 according to the interface protocol.
It has a logic circuit and an interface connector for reading and writing from and to the 08. As the secondary storage medium 108, a memory card, a hard disk, or the like compatible with the secondary storage medium 108 can be used. On the secondary storage medium 108, for example, D
The file is described in accordance with the file system rules of the OS and Windows (registered trademark).

The CPU 104 controls such photographing recording and communication operations described later. The program for photographing record and communication is stored in the auxiliary storage device 106, and is called and used at any time.

The digital camera according to the present embodiment is configured so that a user can set a location where a file is stored and a name given to the file. The user can use the operation unit 105 to call the data group in the file stored in the auxiliary storage device 106 or the secondary storage medium 108 into the memory 102 by using the operation unit 105 and select an appropriate file storage location and file name. It can be so. The location where the files are stored may form a hierarchical structure at the discretion of the user. For example, on the operation unit of the camera as shown in FIG.
, And the user uses the selection SW 202 to make a selection each time a picture is taken.

If the user does not determine the name of the storage location and / or the file name, the camera automatically changes the storage location (often the root of the secondary storage medium) and the file name as in the prior art. Is determined.
Of course, by combining the storage method of the present invention and the conventional storage method, it is also possible to store data with a file name determined by the camera, for example, in a storage location specified by the user.

The camera may previously store the file storage location or file name candidate data in the memory 102, the auxiliary storage device 106, or the secondary storage medium 108. The data may be written in the device 106 and the secondary storage medium 108.

When the user writes, the operation unit 105
Or by using the external device 109. When the external device 109 is used, data can be written using a GUI provided by digital camera image file management software. At this time, instead of the user inputting individual data, it is also possible to collectively copy data from a prepared database.

Even in the case of the storage method according to the present invention, there is a case where the user repeatedly uses one file name. Therefore, even in the case of the storage method according to the present invention, a number indicating the order of photographing may be added to the file name. In this case, the numbering may be increased, for example, when the same file name is present in the same storage location, or by increasing the number one by one only for the same file name throughout all data regardless of the storage location. Even if the file name is different throughout the entire data regardless of the storage location, the number may be increased by one.

With the above apparatus, image data stored in the digital camera is stored in a hierarchical storage location 30 as shown in FIG.
1 are stored as file names 302 each having a characteristic.

In another embodiment according to the present invention, when storing a data file in a digital camera, a hierarchical storage location is not created and managed, but a name of a location to be stored in a computer as shown in FIG. (A: $ DIR1 or the like) is associated with a file name (DS001. JPEG or the like) automatically given by the digital camera.
NFO. 4 in the attribute data recording file named DAT
Record and manage as in 04. The attribute data recording file and the digital camera data file may be stored in the same location on the secondary storage medium, or may be stored in different locations.

In this embodiment, a method of converting so-called attribute information into image data and recording the image data instead of the attribute data recording file (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-331499)
You can write directly to the data file using, and then download it to a storage location on your computer based on it.

In these embodiments, downloading from the secondary storage medium 401 or the like to the computer can be automatically performed at the hierarchical storage location 402 in the computer by using dedicated software 403. .

In another embodiment of the present invention, a data file is recorded by a file name construction method using the name of a place to be stored in a computer. In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, a name indicating a hierarchical storage location using the character & is incorporated into the name of the data file.

Even in the case of such an embodiment, the download from the secondary storage medium 501 or the like to the computer is
If the dedicated software 503 is used, it can be automatically performed at the storage location 502 of the hierarchical data in the computer. In the case of this embodiment, since the data file names already have a hierarchical structure, the data may be managed by the data file name with only one storage location in the computer. Good.

[0027]

According to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth aspects of the present invention, data of a digital camera can be managed while being grouped for each content. Will be able to recognize.
In addition, since the user has to perform the work of classifying the data at the stage of importing the data, the user has already completed the sorting work when downloading the file of the digital camera to the computer, and the user has traced past memories. This reduces the effort required to separate files and rename files. This makes it easier to manage files on a computer.

[0028]

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a system including a digital camera, which is an embodiment of a recording apparatus of the present invention, and external devices.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of an operation unit of the digital camera which is an embodiment of the storage device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the first embodiment (an example of a configuration in which data files are hierarchically stored in a storage device of a digital camera according to the present invention).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a second embodiment (a relationship between a data file and an attribute data recording file stored in a storage device of a digital camera according to the present invention and a file storage location of a computer).

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a third embodiment (a relationship between a data file stored in a storage device of a digital camera according to the present invention and a file storage location of a computer).

[Explanation of symbols]

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 digital camera 101 optical system input unit and compression encoding unit 102 temporary storage device (memory) 103 medium recording I / F 104 CPU 105 operation unit 106 auxiliary storage device (ROM, RAM, nonvolatile memory, etc.) 107 external communication I / F F 108 Secondary storage medium 109 External device (computer) 110 Storage medium I / F 111 Secondary storage medium 112 Communication path 200 Operation unit 201 Display screen 202 Selection SW 301 File storage location 302 Data file 401 Digital camera data storage unit 402 Data storage unit of computer 403 Download operation or program 404 Example of description contents of attribute data recording file 501 Data storage unit of digital camera 502 Data storage unit of computer 503 Download operation or program

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H04N 5/765 H04N 101: 00 5/781 5/91 J 5/907 5/781 510L 5/92 5 / 92H // H04N 101: 00 F term (reference) 5B082 EA01 EA07 EA09 5C022 AA13 AC00 5C052 AA01 AA16 AC08 GA02 GA09 GB09 GE08 5C053 FA08 FA14 FA23 FA27 GB05 JA21 LA01 LA11 5D110 AA13 AA29 DA03 DA04 DB03 DC15

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. A file management system for recording data in a hierarchically stored file storage location when a digital camera stores data in a secondary storage device. 2. A file management method in which a digital camera records data in a secondary storage device by using a file name given by a user to recognize the contents of the file. 3. A file management system for recording data while attaching additional information for classifying files when a digital camera stores data in a secondary storage device. 4. A recording apparatus comprising means for determining a path name for storing a data file of data acquired by a digital camera and a function for storing the data file. 5. A recording apparatus comprising means for determining a file name of data acquired by a digital camera. 6. A recording apparatus comprising means for determining additional information of data acquired by a digital camera.