US 2010/0134657 A1 · INFORMATION RECORDING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF

Abstract

This invention has as its object to allow information recording by maximally utilizing the size of a storage medium while maintaining compatibility to an electronic device which can handle only a storage medium initialized by the first file system to some extent. To this end, on a storage medium, two storage areas, i.e., a partition A initialized by the FAT16 file system to be accessed by a normal digital still camera, and a partition B initialized by the FAT32 file system that allows a still larger address space, are assured. A main image sensed by a camera unit is stored in the partition B, and a thumbnail image as its derivative information is stored in the partition A. Even when this memory card is attached to the conventional digital still camera, the thumbnail image can be browsed. Also, information indicating correspondence between the main image and corresponding thumbnail image is stored in the partition B as management information. As a result, even when a thumbnail image is detected by the conventional digital still camera, whether the main image is to be deleted or the deleted thumbnail image is to be restored can be selected based on the correspondence with the main image.

Claims11

Dependent claims

1-21. (canceled)

An information recording apparatus for recording information in a rewritable storage medium which has a storage size exceeding a maximum allowable size of a first file system, comprising:

a first information recording unit that, when externally input information is stored in a single storage medium having a first storage area initialized by the first file system, and a second storage area initialized by a second file system which can access an area that exceeds the maximum allowable size of the first file system, stores the externally input information in the second area, and information derived from the externally input information in the first area;
a management information recording unit that records link information between the information stored in the second area and the derivative information stored in the first area, in the second area as management information;
a determination unit that determines whether or not the derivative information corresponding to the information stored in the second storage area of the storage medium exists in the first storage area;
a selection unit that, when said determination unit determines that the derivative information corresponding to the information stored in the second storage area does not exist in the first storage area, selects whether to restore the derivative information in the first storage area or to delete the information stored in the second storage area;
and
a consistency unit that, when said selection unit selects that the derivative information is to be restored in the first storage area, generates derivative information from the corresponding information stored in the second storage area, and saves the derivative information in the first storage area, and, when said selection unit selects that the information stored in the second storage area is to be deleted, deletes the information in the second storage area, and updates the management information so as to maintain consistency of information in the first and second storage areas.

3 more elements

A method of controlling an information recording apparatus for recording information in a rewritable storage medium which has a storage size exceeding a maximum allowable size of a first file system, comprising:

a first information recording step of storing, when externally input information is stored in a single storage medium having a first storage area initialized by the first file system, and a second storage area initialized by a second file system which can access an area that exceeds the maximum allowable size of the first file system, the externally input information in the second area, and information derived from the externally input information in the first area;
a management information recording step of recording link information between the information stored in the second area and the derivative information stored in the first area, in the second area as management information;
a determining step of determining whether or not the derivative information corresponding to the information stored in the second storage area of the storage medium exists in the first storage area;
a selecting step of, when it is determined in the determining step that the derivative information corresponding to the information stored in the second storage area does not exist in the first storage area, selecting whether to restore the derivative information in the first storage area or to delete the information stored in the second storage area;
and
a consistency step of, when it is selected in the selecting step that the derivative information is to be restored in the first storage area, generating derivative information from the corresponding information stored in the second storage area, and saving the derivative information in the first storage area, and of, when it is selected in the selecting step that the information stored in the second storage area is to be deleted, deleting the information in the second storage area, and updating the management information so as to maintain consistency of information in the first and second storage areas.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Information recording apparatus and control method thereof

Life of this patent

Information recording apparatus and control method thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11