1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recording medium management devices for managing a recording medium with cluster units, each of which comprises a plurality of sectors, and digital cameras incorporating the recording medium management device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, when data recording/playback devices such as digital cameras record image file data, etc. on recording media including memory cards, the number of sectors providing one cluster, i.e., cluster size is written in the region referred to as PBR (Partition Boot Record) of the recording medium, and the recording medium is managed with use of the two recording units of the cluster and the sector. The cluster size is set to the power of 2 of the number of sectors.
For the recording medium, the image file data and the like are arranged for the cluster units. Even though the data has 1 byte, one cluster is used for the record of the data. Accordingly, as the cluster size becomes larger, more space is wasted. However, as the cluster size becomes larger, one data file can be recorded with less number of clusters, whereby access speed becomes high.
Accordingly, the cluster size is approximately inversely proportional to the access speed. The larger cluster size makes it possible to realize high-speed access. This wastes, however, more space in recording a small sized file. Conversely, whereas the smaller cluster size decreases wasted space, the access speed is reduced.
However, with the recording/playback devices of portable type such as digital cameras, because the recording medium is formatted for a predetermined cluster size corresponding to the capacity of the recording medium, there arises the problem of not considering the user's request, in the case where the user gives greater priority to high speed in access than recordable capacity of the recording medium, or conversely the user gives greater priority to recordable capacity of the recording medium than high speed in access.
An object of the present invention is to provide a recording medium management device and digital camera wherein formatting can be performed in response to the request of the user, who gives priority to high speed in access to the recording medium, or to the recordable capacity of the medium.
The recording medium management device of the present invention comprises a graphical user interface displayer for displaying on a screen a graphical user interface having a first display portion for inputting priority ratio of high speed in access to the recording medium to recordable capacity of the recording medium in formatting the recording medium, a second display portion for displaying a cluster size representing the number of sectors providing one cluster, and a third display portion for displaying the number of data files recordable to the recording medium; a cluster size determiner/displayer for determining the cluster size in response to the user's inputting manipulation to the first display portion of the graphical user interface shown on the screen, and displaying the determined cluster size on the second display portion of the graphical user interface; a calculator/displayer for calculating the number of data files recordable to the recording medium in response to the determined cluster size, and displaying the calculated number of the files on the third display portion of the graphical user interface; and a formatter for formatting the recording medium with the cluster size displayed on the second display portion of the graphical user interface in response to the user's determining manipulation.
Furthermore, the digital camera embodying the present invention comprises the recording medium management device of the present invention and a display for showing various items of information.
With the recording medium and the digital camera of the present invention, the screen has shown thereon the graphical user interface in formatting the recording medium. The user manipulates the first display portion to input a desired priority ratio of high-speed in access to recordable capacity, determining the cluster size in response to the input ratio. As the high speed in access is given greater priority, the cluster size is set larger. As the recordable capacity of the medium is given greater priority, the cluster size is set smaller. The set cluster size is shown on the second display portion. Further the number of data files recordable to the recording medium is calculated based on the cluster size, having the calculated number of the files shown on the third display portion.
Accordingly, the user can confirm the cluster size and the number of the recordable data files obtained by the format of the recording medium by referring to the presentation of the graphical user interface. If the user is content with the cluster size and the number of the files presented, the user performs a determining manipulation. On the other hand, if the user is not content with the cluster size and the number of the files, the user reinputs the priority ratio of high-speed in access to recordable capacity to change the cluster size and the number of recordable files.
When the user performs the determining manipulation, the recording medium is formatted with the cluster size shown at the moment on the second display portion of the graphical user interface.
As described above, the recording medium management device of the present invention and digital camera incorporating same are adapted to perform formatting for satisfying the user's request in high-speed in access and recordable capacity of the recording medium.
a), (b), (c) are diagrams exemplifying graphical user interfaces shown on a display of the digital camera of the present invention, respectively.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention as applied to a digital camera will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. As shown in
The external memory card 11 of the digital camera 1 is managed by the FAT file system. The external memory card 11 inserted into the card interface 10 is initialized (reformatted) for a predetermined format in accordance with the user's formatting manipulation.
In picking up an image, image data obtained from the CCD 2 is thereafter fed to the signal processor 3, the data is given a required signal processing, and is then compressed as image data for storage in the image compression processor 5. The image data for storage is written to the external memory card 11 with the external memory card 11 inserted into the card interface 10 under control of the card interface 10.
The remaining capacity X of the external memory card is calculated from the following mathematical expression 1 wherein the total number of sectors of the partition in the FAT file system is TS, the number of sectors of each of the FAT is NF, the number of directory entries in the root directory is RD, and the number of sectors per cluster (cluster size) is SP.
X=(((((TS−(NF×2+RD×32÷512))÷SP)×SP×512))÷512) (Mathematical Expression 1)
For example, the number Y of pictures to be taken is calculated from the following mathematical expression 2 when the resolution is 1024×768 pixels, and the compression rate is 50%.
Y=((X÷SP)×SP)÷(1024×768×0.5÷512) (Mathematical Expression 2)
Thereafter, in step S4 the display 9 shows thereon the high-speed/capacity selection menu as the user graphical interface as shown in
Subsequently step S5 judges whether the cursor of the first display portion moves to the high-speed side or to the capacity side by the user's manipulation, as shown in
As shown in
Furthermore, as shown in
For example, when the cursor shown in
Thereafter, step S8 shown in
When it is judged that the user performs the determining manipulation in step S8, step S9 follows to write the cluster size shown on the second display portion to PBR of the external memory card, to thereby format the external memory card according to the written cluster size.
With the digital camera of the present invention described above, the user can confirm the cluster size and the number of pictures to be taken obtained by the format of the external memory card by referring to the presentation of high-speed/capacity selecting menu shown in
When the inquiry is answered in the affirmative, step S14 follows to record the image file to the external memory card having a larger cluster size. When the inquiry is answered in the negative, step S15 follows to record the image file to the external memory card having a smaller cluster size.
With the digital camera described, one of the external memory cards is automatically selected according to the size of the image file to be recorded on the external memory card, and the image file having a larger size is recorded on the external memory card having a larger cluster size while the image file having a smaller size is recorded on the external memory card having a smaller cluster size, whereby the recording operation is realized so as to strike a balance between high-speed in access and recordable capacity.
Furthermore, with digital cameras, the most suitable cluster size may be determined based on a file size calculated from the resolution and compression rate of the image, and the external memory card can also be formatted for the determined cluster size. For example, it is possible that when the file size is not greater than 512 bytes, the cluster size is 1, or when the file size is not greater than 1,024 bytes, the cluster size is 2, and so on, or when the file size is not greater than 32,768 bytes, the cluster size is 64.
The digital cameras of the present invention are not limited to the foregoing embodiments in construction but can be modified variously by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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2002-238790 | Aug 2002 | JP | national |
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