Image analysis – Image compression or coding
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2001-09-11
Couso, Jose L. (Department: 2724)
Image analysis
Image compression or coding
C345S440000, C348S231900
Reexamination Certificate
active
06289127
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method of allowing various devices to reproduce information stored in a unique file format.
2. Related Background Art
Conventionally, a digital still camera which photoelectrically converts sensed optical image data into electrical image data using an image pickup device (photoelectric conversion device) and records the image data in a recording medium (memory) is known.
In this digital still camera, since the electrical image data after photoelectric conversion has a large quantity of digital data, the image data is generally compressed and encoded to reduce the data amount, and stored in a memory incorporated in the digital still camera as a compressed image file.
For the compressed image file, a compression scheme unique to the digital still camera is often used. For this reason, a compressed image file having a unique file format in place of a general-purpose file format is stored in the memory.
Even when JPEG (Joint Photographic coding Experts Group) format, a standard scheme of coding a still image, is used, a file format different from the normal JPEG file format is often employed by, e.g., omitting the header. This is equivalent to the use of a compression scheme that is unique to each digital still camera.
As described above, the conventional digital still camera stores the picked up image in the memory as a compressed image file in a unique file format. To reproduce the compressed image file stored in the memory, the decoder side needs to expand the compressed image file using an expansion (decoding) scheme corresponding to the compressed image file.
More specifically, unless the compressed image file is expanded by image processing software allowing expansion of a compressed image file in a unique file format, the image cannot be displayed on a screen. For this reason, a picked up image cannot be immediately reproduced.
The compressed image file in the unique file format cannot be expanded using general image processing software, so image processing software (image processing program) exclusively used for the digital still camera must be prepared.
More specifically, when the image is to be displayed on an external device to reproduce the compressed image file stored in the memory of the digital still camera, the compressed image file cannot be expanded and displayed unless the external device has installed the dedicated image processing software in advance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide an information processing apparatus and method capable of easily expanding an information file in any file format without preparing information processing software dedicated to expanding the information file, thereby reproducing the information.
In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there are provided an information processing apparatus and method of inputting encoded information, storing the input information in detachable information storage means as an information file, reading out, from program storage means, an information processing program having a function of expanding the information file and reproducing the information using an arbitrary external device, and storing the information processing program in the information storage means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there are provided an information processing apparatus and method of inputting encoded information, storing the input information in detachable information storage means as an information file, reading out, from program storage means, an information processing program having a function of expanding the information file and reproducing the information using an arbitrary external device, and transferring the information processing program to the external device.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5587977 (1996-12-01), Murata
patent: 5659675 (1997-08-01), Kurokawa et al.
patent: 5729350 (1998-03-01), Ozaki
patent: 5751857 (1998-05-01), Kobayashi et al.
patent: 5761480 (1998-06-01), Fukada et al.
patent: 5852467 (1998-12-01), Ogino
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
Couso Jose L.
Do Anh Hong
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
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