Recording/reproducing apparatus and power supply method

A recording/reproducing apparatus which records and reproduces sound and which records a subject image, comprising:

• a sound recording/reproducing section which converts sound to sound data to record the sound data in a recording medium and which reproduces sound data recorded in the recording medium;
• a camera section which photographs a subject and which records still image data of the subject in the recording medium;
• an operation section including various buttons which operates the sound recording/reproducing section and camera section;
• a mode setting section which partially stops a power supply to the recording/reproducing apparatus and sets the operation mode of the apparatus to a standby mode, when the stop state continues for a predetermined time;
• a first power supply section which supplies a power to at least the operation section and mode setting section regardless of the operation mode determined by the mode setting section;
• a detection section which detects that any button of the operation section has been operated in the standby mode;
• a second power supply section which restarts the power supply stopped in the standby mode, when the detection section detects that any button of the operation section has been operated;
• and
• an execution section which uses one of the sound recording/reproducing section and camera section to execute a process corresponding to the button operated in the standby mode.

A sound recording/reproducing device in a recording/reproducing system which comprises the sound recording/reproducing device and a camera section connected to the sound recording/reproducing device to photograph a subject and in which the sound recording/reproducing device and the camera section are separated in structure from each other, the sound recording/reproducing device comprising:

• a sound recording/reproducing section which converts sound to sound data to record the sound data in a recording medium and which reproduces the sound data recorded in a recording medium;
• an operation section which includes various buttons to operate the recording/reproducing apparatus;
• a judgment section to judge whether an operation of the sound recording/reproducing device and camera section stops and a stop state continues for a predetermined time;
• a mode setting section which sets an operation mode of the recording/reproducing apparatus in response to the button operated in the operation section and which partially stops a power supply to the recording/reproducing apparatus and sets the operation mode of the apparatus to a standby mode, when the stop state continues for the predetermined time;
• a first power supply section which supplies a power to at least the operation section and mode setting section regardless of the operation mode determined by the mode setting section;
• a detection section which detects that any button of the operation section has been operated in the standby mode;
• a second power supply section which restarts the power supply stopped in the standby mode, when the detection section detects that any button of the operation section has been operated;
• and
• an execution section which uses one of the sound recording/reproducing device and camera section to execute a process corresponding to the button operated in the standby mode.

A camera section in a recording/reproducing system which comprises a sound recording/reproducing section and the camera section connected to the sound recording/reproducing section to photograph a subject and in which the sound recording/reproducing section and the camera section are separated in structure from each other, the camera section comprising:

• a photographing section which photographs the subject to provide still image data of the subject;
• a first power supply line which supplies a power to the photographing section in accordance with an operation mode of the recording/reproducing system;
• a still image recording button which determines a photographing timing of the subject;
• and
• a second power supply line which supplies the power to the still image recording button regardless of the operation mode of the recording/reproducing system.

A recording/reproducing method in a recording/reproducing apparatus comprising a sound recording/reproducing section and a camera section which records a still image of a subject, the method comprising:

• determining an operation mode of the recording/reproducing apparatus in response to a button operated in an operation section comprising various operation buttons including a still image recording button of the camera section;
• judging whether an operation of the sound recording/reproducing section and camera section stops and a stop state continues for a predetermined time;
• partially stopping a power supply to the recording/reproducing apparatus and setting the operation mode of the apparatus to a standby mode, when the stop state continues for the predetermined time;
• detecting that any button of the operation section has been operated in the standby mode;
• restarting the power supply stopped in the standby mode, when any button of the operation section is operated;
• and
• executing a process corresponding to the button operated in the standby mode.