Abstract: Operation situations of a plurality of functions of the camera can be checked from a front of the camera without adding any new hardware. A self-timer LED which is previously provided on a front of the camera is also used as an indicating device which indicates operation situations of other functions of the camera. That is, operation situations such as charging a rechargeable battery or communicating with a personal computer are indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED. Especially, when a digital camera is mounted to a cradle used in charging the battery or communicating with the personal computer, the operation situations such as charging or communicating can be effectively checked from the front of the camera. Further, for a digital camera which has a moving image-capturing function or a voice recording function, moving image recording or voice recording is indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED.

Abstract: Operations when connected to a personal computer and when charging a battery in a camera are made simple and easy to understand, and also a camera operation mode can be automatically changed to a communication mode. A digital camera has on its bottom a camera connector having a USB terminal, a DC input terminal and so on, and a cradle to have the digital camera mounted thereon has a cradle connector to be connected to the camera connector in synchronization with an operation of mounting the camera provided. The cradle has a power supply switch, a USB jack, a DC jack and so on provided thereon, and they are connected to the cradle connector. If the power supply switch is turned on with the digital camera mounted on the cradle, the digital camera starts up in a USB mode.

Abstract: Operation situations of a plurality of functions of the camera can be checked from a front of the camera without adding any new hardware. A self-timer LED which is previously provided on a front of the camera is also used as an indicating device which indicates operation situations of other functions of the camera. That is, operation situations such as charging a rechargeable battery or communicating with a personal computer are indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED. Especially, when a digital camera is mounted to a cradle used in charging the battery or communicating with the personal computer, the operation situations such as charging or communicating can be effectively checked from the front of the camera. Further, for a digital camera which has a moving image-capturing function or a voice recording function, moving image recording or voice recording is indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED.

Abstract: An information recording device capable of preventing a deterioration of quality of a display image. Pixel counts in each of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of an image represented by digital image data generated by a CCD, are greater than in an image for which electronic zoom has been implemented. A zoom rate of the electronic zoom to be applied to the image during execution of dubbing of an image file and/or display by an LCD of an image represented by the image file, is limited to not more than a magnification rate upper limit value, which is determined on the basis of the horizontal and vertical direction pixel counts of the image represented by the digital image data generated by the CCD and pixel counts in the horizontal and vertical directions of the image for which the electron zoom has been implemented.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus for recording external information of the present invention including an input unit for transmitting a user's instruction to the information recording apparatus. The input unit includes a cross key and a dot matrix display arranged to be wedged in the crossing of the cross key.

Abstract: A digital camera including a focus control mechanism for focusing the camera on a subject of the present invention includes a first and a second selector. The first selector selects either one of a first and a second pickup mode assigned to a still picture and a movie, respectively. The second selector selects either one of a first focus range advantageous for normal-range pickup and a second focus range assigned to a subject positioned in a range shorter than the first focus range. A controller causes, in the first pickup mode, the focus control mechanism to operate in the focus range selected by the second selector or causes, in the second pickup mode, the above mechanism to operated in a range including the first focus range without regard to the focus range selected by the second selector.

Abstract: An information recording device capable of preventing a deterioration of quality of a display image. Pixel counts in each of a horizontal direction and a vertical direction of an image represented by digital image data generated by a CCD, are greater than in an image for which electronic zoom has been implemented. A zoom rate of the electronic zoom to be applied to the image during execution of dubbing of an image file and/or display by an LCD of an image represented by the image file, is limited to not more than a magnification rate upper limit value, which is determined on the basis of the horizontal and vertical direction pixel counts of the image represented by the digital image data generated by the CCD and pixel counts in the horizontal and vertical directions of the image for which the electron zoom has been implemented.

Abstract: A desired template image is selected, and a subject image is synthesized at a predetermined position on the selected template image. Template image data, mask image data corresponding to the template image data, and image information are pre-stored in an image synthesizer. When a user selects a desired template image by the screen of a display, mask image data representing a mask image corresponding to the selected template image and synthesis information are obtained. A subject image which a user has also selected on the screen is then synthesized at a predetermined position on the template image using the template image data, the mask image data and the synthesis information, and a resultant composite image is displayed and printed.

Abstract: Operation situations of a plurality of functions of the camera can be checked from a front of the camera without adding any new hardware. A self-timer LED which is previously provided on a front of the camera is also used as an indicating device which indicates operation situations of other functions of the camera. That is, operation situations such as charging a rechargeable battery or communicating with a personal computer are indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED. Especially, when a digital camera is mounted to a cradle used in charging the battery or communicating with the personal computer, the operation situations such as charging or communicating can be effectively checked from the front of the camera. Further, for a digital camera which has a moving image-capturing function or a voice recording function, moving image recording or voice recording is indicated by lighting, blinking, or the like of the self-timer LED.

Abstract: Operations when connected to a personal computer and when charging a battery in a camera are made simple and easy to understand, and also a camera operation mode can be automatically changed to a communication mode. A digital camera has on its bottom a camera connector having a USB terminal, a DC input terminal and so on, and a cradle to have the digital camera mounted thereon has a cradle connector to be connected to the camera connector in synchronization with an operation of mounting the camera provided. The cradle has a power supply switch, a USB jack, a DC jack and so on provided thereon, and they are connected to the cradle connector. If the power supply switch is turned on with the digital camera mounted on the cradle, the digital camera starts up in a USB mode.

Abstract: A desired template image is selected, and a subject image is synthesized in a predetermined position of the selected template image. Template image data, mask image data corresponding to the template image data, and image information are previously stored in an image synthesizer. When a user selects a desired template image, mask image data representing a mask image corresponding to the selected template image and synthesis information are obtained. A subject image which a user has is synthesized in a predetermined position on the template image using the template image data, the mask image data and the synthesis information, and is displayed and printed.

Abstract: An information recording apparatus for recording external information of the present invention including an input unit for transmitting a user's instruction to the information recording apparatus. The input unit includes a cross key and a dot matrix display arranged to be wedged in the crossing of the cross key.

Abstract: An image synthesizer where desired template image is selected, and a subject image is synthesized at a predetermined position on the selected template image. Template image data, mask image data corresponding to the template image data, and image information are pre-stored in an image synthesizer. When a user selects a desired template image by touching the screen of a display, mask image data representing a mask image corresponding to the selected template image and synthesis information are obtained. A subject image which a user has also selected on the screen is then synthesized at a predetermined position on the template image using the template image data, the mask image data and the synthesis information, and a resultant composite image is displayed and printed.

Abstract: A magnetic recording apparatus includes a control circuit and a switch which is provided between a recording amplifier and a secondary coil of a transformer for coupling the recording amplifier with a magnetic head, the control circuit stops a flow of a transient current into the magnetic head by controlling an ON/OFF timing of the switch.

Abstract: A still picture recording device is provided which uses a PG signal, generated in a yoke in accordance with the rotation of a magnetic disc using a PG yoke, as a timing signal for recording video signals. A second PG signal is produced from a first signal obtained by waveform-shaping a detection signal of the PG sensor. The recording of a video signal is initiated in response to the first PG signal, and the recording of the video signal on a recording track is completed responsive to the second PG signal.

Abstract: A color video signal recording and reproducing apparatus comprises a first circuit for delaying by a time period T a reproduced time-compressed line-sequential color difference signal in which time-compressed first and second color difference signals are alternately transmitted in time sequence for every time period T, a second circuit for delaying a reproduced luminance signal by a time period 2nT+.alpha., where n=1 or 2 and 0.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.

Abstract: A recording and/or reproducing system for a 4-head type recording and/or reproducing apparatus, comprises a circuit for recording a head discriminating information signal of each of the four heads during the recording, a circuit for reproducing this head discriminating information signal during the reproduction, and a circuit for controlling the rotational phase of the heads so that the recorded tracks on the magnetic tape are reproduced by the same heads which recorded these tracks at the time of the recording. In addition, a magnetic tape having such a discriminating signal recorded thereon, can be played in a conventional 2-head recording and/or reproducing apparatus.