Abstract: A digital electronic still-video camera is capable of performing rapid-sequence photography at high speeds. When a rapid-sequence photographic mode has been set, each of a plurality of frames of image data obtained by such photography is compressed. Image data which forms a single multiple-frame picture is constructed by a set of image data composed of the compressed plurality of frames. Thinning out is performed in order to compress the image data. The image data is successively stored, while being thinned out, at corresponding addresses of an image memory in such a manner that a multiple-frame picture is constructed in the image memory. After photography in the rapid-sequence mode ends, the image data in the image memory is subjected to data compression and then recorded on a memory card.

Abstract: A device for coding picture data by compression, and a method thereof. By preprocessing, the device calculates a picture activity of one frame of picture data. A quantizing table circuit selects a particular quantizing step matching the picture activity and sets it in a quantizing circuit 32. On a first path, one frame of picture data is fed to a discrete cosine transform (DCT) circuit to be thereby subjected to orthogonal transform. The quantizing circuit sequentially quantizes DC components, low frequency components and high frequency components of the resulting output of the DCT circuit in ascending order of frequency block by block according to a quantizing step set therein. The picture data from the quantizing circuit are coded by Huffman coding while a code counter counts the coded data. The quantizing step set in the quantizing circuit is updated on the basis of the amount of coded data and a target amount of codes.

Abstract: A digital electronic still-video camera is capable of performing rapid-sequence photography at high speeds. When a rapid-sequence photographic mode has been set, each of a plurality of frames of image data obtained by such photography is compressed. Image data which forms a single multiple-frame picture is constructed by a set of image data composed of the compressed plurality of frames. Thinning out is performed in order to compress the image data. The image data is successively stored, while being thinned out, at corresponding addresses of an image memory in such a manner that a multiple-frame picture is constructed in the image memory. After photography in the rapid-sequence mode ends, the image data in the image memory is subjected to data compression and then recorded on a memory card.

Abstract: An electronic still-video camera is provided capable of preserving image data having a quantity which is greater than the storage capacity of a memory cartridge (memory card) loaded in the camera. Besides being capable of receiving an external memory in a memory cartridge loaded in the camera, the camera incorporates an internal memory. Image data obtained as a result of photography is stored in either the internal memory or the external memory, depending upon which memory has been selected by a memory selection switch.

Abstract: A device for coding picture data by compression, and a method thereof are provided. By preprocessing, the device calculates a picture activity of one frame of picture data. A quantizing table circuit selects a particular quantizing step matching the picture activity and sets the picture activity in a quantizing circuit. On a first path, one frame of picture data is fed to a discrete cosine transform (DCT) circuit to be thereby subjected to orthogonal transform. The quantizing circuit sequentially quantizes DC components, low frequency components and high frequency components of the resulting output of the DCT circuit in ascending order of frequency block by block according to a quantizing step set therein. The picture data from the quantizing circuit are coded by Huffman coding while a code counter counts the coded data. The quantizing step set in the quantizing circuit is updated on the basis of the amount of coded data and a target amount of codes.

Abstract: A device for coding picture data by compression, and a method thereof. By preprocessing, the device calculates a picture activity of one frame of picture data. A quantizing table circuit selects a particular quantizing step matching the picture activity and sets it in a quantizing circuit 32. On a first path, one frame of picture data is fed to a discrete cosine transform (DCT) circuit to be thereby subjected to orthogonal transform. The quantizing circuit sequentially quantizes DC components, low frequency components and high frequency components of the resulting output of the DCT circuit in ascending order of frequency block by block according to a quantizing step set therein. The picture data from the quantizing circuit are coded by Huffman coding while a code counter counts the coded data. The quantizing step set in the quantizing circuit is updated on the basis of the amount of coded data and a target amount of codes.

Abstract: A picture recording apparatus includes a first storage having storing units, or clusters, each of which has a predetermined capacity for accommodating video data, and thereby writing video data in the first storage on a cluster basis. An inputting section receives video data to be stored in the first storage. A second storage stores in a predetermined order address data each designating, from among the clusters of the first storage, a particular unoccupied cluster. A controller searches, before writing video data in the first storage, for unoccupied clusters and writes in the second storage first address data which designate clusters necessary for accommodating the video data.

Abstract: An electronic still-video camera is provided capable of preserving image data having a quantity which is greater than the storage capacity of a memory cartridge (memory card) loaded in the camera. Besides being capable of receiving an external memory in a memory cartridge loaded in the camera, the camera incorporates an internal memory. Image data obtained as a result of photography is stored in either the internal memory or the external memory, depending upon which memory has been selected by a memory selection switch.

Abstract: An audio/video data reproducing apparatus reads out data from a first storage, which has its storage area equally divided into clusters and stores audio/video data on a cluster-by-cluster basis, to transfer the data read out to utility equipment over a communication path. A second storage stores address data designating clusters of the first storage. Clusters including data to be read out are searched for, and the address data designating the clusters thus searched for is stored in the second storage in a predetermined order. The address data is then sequentially read out from the second storage to generate a real address addressing a storage location of the storage area, which is in turn provided with the real address to develop the stored data in the predetermined order. In response to an error occurring during the transmission on the communication path, the second storage is interrupted from developing the address data therefrom.

Abstract: A device for decoding digital picture data coded by compression to thereby regenerate original picture data has a decoding section for decoding the digital picture data. A reverse normalizing section reversely normalizes picture data outputted by the decoding section. A reverse orthogonal transforming section executes two-dimensional reverse orthogonal transform with picture data outputted by the reverse normalizing section. A data counting section counts coded data existing in a plurality of blocks constituting the digital picture data block by block. A filter selecting section selects an interblock filter and an edge filter on the basis of the amount of coded data determined by the data counting section block by block. A correcting section corrects a distortion between nearby blocks by using the interblock filter selected, while an edge enhancing section executes edge enhancement by using the edge filter.

Abstract: A storage management system for a memory card, which has a storage area divided into a plurality of storage units that have a predetermined storage capacity, manages storage of information on a storage unit basis. The storage area includes a MAT for indicating a relationship of ones of the storage units in which a group of mutually associated information is to be stored in the form of a packet, and directory for indicating one of the storage units in which a beginning portion of the packet is to be stored. Stored in one of the storage units is, as a header, management data representative of at least either one of the number of occupied ones of the storage units and the number of idle ones thereof, the header including an error check code for use in detecting an error of the management data.

Abstract: A device for coding a picture signal by compression produces, when detected that the amplitude of data which has undergone two-dimensional orthogonal transform and then normalized has overflown, data specifying the normalized data in addition to coded data of the normalized data. A decoding device, therefore, is capable of accurately decoding original picture data despite the overflow. When a block of picture data lies in a predetermined range which occurs with relatively low probability, the picture data is transformed into coded data which includes a predetermined code. When the block of picture data does not lie in such a range, the picture data is converted into Huffman-coded data. This reduces the required capacity of a look-up table for coding.

Abstract: A picture data compression coding device sets a normalizing coefficient which matches a block of picture data and normalizes the picture data by the normalizing coefficient, whereby an adequate compression ratio is selected on a block-by-block basis. The coding device sets a normalizing coefficient in response to the sum of activities of individual blocks and normalizes picture data by the normalizing coefficient, thereby maintaining the amount of coded data constant at all times. Further, the coding device normalizes picture data by multiplying them by a reciprocal of the normalizing coefficient so as to eliminate the need for a divider. A decoding device decodes the data having been coded by the coding device.

Abstract: A device for coding color picture data by compression maintains compressed data in a predetermined length and prevents the amount of DC signal component data to be allocated from becoming short. A luminance signal and chrominance signals Cr and Cb are compressed independently of each other and recorded as discrete DC components and AC components. When the amount of data of DC components of the chrominance signal Cr or Cb is greater than the total amount of data assigned to the signal Cr or Cb, the amount of data assigned to the signal Cr or Cb is increased to equal the amount of data of DC components of the signal Cr or Cb while the shortage is subtracted from the allocation of AC component data of the luminance signal Y. This insures the allocation of a sufficient amount of data to the coded data of DC components at all times.

Abstract: A picture signal compression coding device is disclosed which divides digital picture data constituting a single picture into a plurality of blocks and codes the picture data block by block by two-dimensional orthogonal transformation. An orthogonal transforming section transforms the digital picture data divided into the plurality of blocks by two-dimensional orthogonal transformation. A normalizing section normalizes the transformed data, while a coding section codes the normalized data. A block activity calculating section calculates an activity of the picture data block by block. An activity summing section sums the block-by-block activities to produce a total activity. A coded data distributing section calculates an amount of coded data to be distributed to each of the blocks on the basis of the ratio of the block-by-block activity to the total activity.

Abstract: A picture signal compression coding device divides picture data into a plurality blocks and subjects the individual blocks of picture data to an orthogonal transform, a normalization, and a coding. The amounts of data to be allocated to the individual blocks are determined on the basis of the ratios of the activities of the individual blocks to a sum of the block-by-block activities, whereby the output of the individual blocks of coded data is restricted. The amount of coded data is allocated in matching relation to the frequency components of the individual blocks, so that more data are distributed to those blocks in which high frequency components are predominant. Further, the number of bits to be assigned to the entire picture is maintained constant.