Imaging device

Abstract

An imaging device includes an imaging sensor that outputs an imaging signal representing a sequence of frame images of a photographic subject. A buffer memory temporarily stores data of the sequence of frame images from the imaging signal. A release switch is actuated by a user to output an image-taking signal. A controller, upon receipt of the image-taking signal from the release switch: (i) generates moving image data from at least some of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, (ii) generates at least one piece of still image data based on at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, and (iii) associates the moving image data with the still image data and records the moving image data and the still image data in a recording medium.

1 . An imaging device comprising:
 an imaging sensor that outputs an imaging signal representing a sequence of frame images of a photographic subject;   a buffer memory that temporarily stores data of the sequence of frame images from the imaging signal;   a release switch that is actuated by a user to output an image-taking signal; and   a controller that is coupled to the release switch and the buffer memory, and that, upon receipt of the image-taking signal from the release switch:
 (i) generates slow motion moving image data from at least some of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, the slow motion moving image data to be played at a second frame rate lower than a first frame rate at which the frame images were output per unit time by the imaging sensor, 
 (ii) generates at least one piece of still image data based on at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, and 
 (iii) associates the slow motion moving image data with the still image data and records the slow motion moving image data and the still image data in a recording medium. 
   
     
     
         2 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the slow motion moving image data has a predetermined time duration. 
     
     
         3 . The imaging device according to  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined time duration is set in advance of outputting the imaging signal by the imaging sensor. 
     
     
         4 . The imaging device according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images from which the at least one still image data is generated is neither a first frame image nor a last frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory during the predetermined time duration. 
     
     
         5 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein a single actuation of the release switch causes the controller to generate the slow motion moving image data and the still image data, and record the slow motion moving image data and the still image data in the recording medium. 
     
     
         6 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising the recording medium, which is removably attachable to the imaging device. 
     
     
         7 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a display by which the slow motion moving image data and the still image data can be played back for viewing,   wherein the controller generates display image data to be displayed on the display from the slow motion moving image data and the still image data associated with the slow motion moving image data, the controller generating the display image data so that a still image generated from the at least one piece of still image data is displayed after a moving image generated from the slow motion moving image data is displayed.   
     
     
         8 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the imaging device is an electronic camera. 
     
     
         9 . The imaging device according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a display by which the slow motion moving image data and the still image data can be played back for viewing,   wherein the controller generates display image data to be displayed on the display from the slow motion moving image data and the still image data associated with the slow motion moving image data, the controller generating the display image data so that a still image generated from the at least one piece of still image data is displayed after a moving image generated from the slow motion moving image data is displayed.   
     
     
         10 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the controller generates the slow motion moving image data based on the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory during a first predetermined time that ends when the image-taking signal is output by the release switch, and based on the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory until an end of a second predetermined time that starts when the image-taking signal is output by the release switch, and   the controller generates the still image data based on the frame image stored in the buffer memory when the image-taking signal is output by the release switch, or during one of the first and second predetermined times.   
     
     
         11 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the frame images stored in the buffer memory has a number of pixels that is equal to or larger than an HDTV standard in number of pixels. 
     
     
         12 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the still image data is equal to or larger than the slow motion moving image data in number of pixels. 
     
     
         13 . The imaging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the second frame rate is 0.4 of the first frame rate. 
     
     
         14 . An imaging device that includes a playback mode, the imaging device comprising:
 a memory that stores moving image data and still image data associated with the moving image data, the moving image data including a plurality of frame images based on an imaging signal from an imaging sensor that images light from a subject, the still image data including a piece of still image data based on a frame image of the plurality of frame images; and   a controller that generates display image data to be displayed from the moving image data and the still image data associated with the moving image data, the controller generating the display image data so that a still image generated from the piece of still image data is displayed after a moving image generated from the moving image data is displayed.   
     
     
         15 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein the moving image data is slow motion moving image data that is displayed at a second frame rate lower than a first frame rate that represents the number of the frame images output per unit time by the imaging sensor. 
     
     
         16 . The imaging device according to  claim 15 , wherein the second frame rate is 0.4 of the first frame rate. 
     
     
         17 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein the moving image data has a predetermined time duration. 
     
     
         18 . The imaging device according to  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined time duration is set in advance of outputting the imaging signal by the imaging sensor. 
     
     
         19 . The imaging device according to  claim 17 , wherein the frame image of the plurality of frame images from which the still image data is generated is neither a first frame image nor a last frame image of the plurality of frame images included in the moving image data during the predetermined time duration. 
     
     
         20 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein the memory is removably attachable to the imaging device. 
     
     
         21 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , further comprising:
 a display by which the display image data is displayed.   
     
     
         22 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein the imaging device is an electronic camera. 
     
     
         23 . The imaging device according to  claim 22 , further comprising:
 a display by which the display image data is displayed.   
     
     
         24 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein each of the frame images stored in the memory has a number of pixels that is equal to or larger than an HDTV standard in number of pixels. 
     
     
         25 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein the still image data is equal to or larger than the moving image data in number of pixels. 
     
     
         26 . The imaging device according to  claim 14 , wherein:
 the controller generates the moving image data based on the plurality of frame images stored in a buffer memory during a first predetermined time that ends when an image-taking signal is output by a release switch of the imaging device, and based on the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory until an end of a second predetermined time that starts when the image-taking signal is output by the release switch, and   the controller generates the still image data based on the frame image stored in the buffer memory when the image-taking signal is output by the release switch, or during one of the first and second predetermined times.   
     
     
         27 . An imaging device comprising:
 an imaging sensor that outputs an imaging signal representing a sequence of frame images of a photographic subject;   a buffer memory that temporarily stores data of the sequence of frame images from the imaging signal;   a release switch that is actuated by a user to output an image-taking signal; and   a controller that is coupled to the release switch and the buffer memory, and that, upon receipt of the image-taking signal from the release switch:
 (i) generates moving image data from at least some of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer memory, 
 (ii) generates at least one piece of still image data based on at least one frame image of the plurality of frame images stored in the buffer-memory, and 
 (iii) associates the moving image data with the still image data and records the moving image data and the still image data in a recording medium.