Electronic still camera providing multi-format storage of full and reduced resolution images

Electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals acquired from a plurality of still images and storage of the processed image signals in a removable digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an area image sensor having a two-dimensional array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of an image and means for exposing said sensor to image light so that analog image information is generated in respective photosites for each acquired image, said imaging apparatus comprising:

• means for converting the analog image information into digital image signals corresponding to respective picture elements;
• an image buffer for storing digital image signals corresponding to blocks of picture elements;
• digital processing means for transforming blocks of stored digital image signals into corresponding sets of transform coefficient signals and for encoding the transform coefficient signals into a stream of compressed signals;
• means responsive to said stored digital image signals for generating reduced resolution image signals corresponding to a reduced resolution version of each image;
• means for forming a multi-format image file representative of plural versions of each acquired image, each image file including the reduced resolution image signals and the compressed signals for a particular still image;
• and
• means for downloading said image file for each acquired image to said removable digital memory.

Electronic image processing apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to picture elements of a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a digital memory, said image processing apparatus comprising:

• an image buffer for storing digital image signals corresponding to blocks of picture elements;
• digital processing means for transforming blocks of stored digital image signals into corresponding sets of transform coefficient signals and for encoding the transform coefficient signals into a stream of compressed image signals, said digital processing means further generating reduced resolution image signals from said stored digital image signals;
• means for generating a multi-format image file representative of plural resolutions of the still image, said image file including the reduced resolution image signals and the compressed image signals;
• and
• means responsive to said digital processing means for downloading the image file to said digital memory.

An electronic image processing system employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to picture elements of a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a digital memory, said image processing system comprising:

• an image buffer for storing digital image signals corresponding to blocks of picture elements;
• digital processing means for transforming blocks of stored digital image signals into corresponding sets of transform coefficient signals and for encoding the transform coefficient signals into a stream of compressed image signals, said digital processing means further generating reduced resolution image signals from said stored digital image signals;
• means for generating a multi-format image file representative of plural resolutions of the still image, said image file including the reduced resolution image signals and the compressed image signals;
• means responsive to said digital processing means for downloading the image file to said digital memory;
• means for selecting an image file stored in said digital memory;
• and
• playback means for operating on the selected image file and generating a reduced resolution image display from said reduced resolution image signals.

Electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an image sensor having an array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the still image and means for exposing said sensor to image light so that analog image information is generated in respective photosites, said imaging apparatus comprising:

• means for converting the analog image information into digital image signals corresponding to a predetermined picture resolution;
• means for averaging said digital image signals over local areas of the still image to generate reduced resolution image signals corresponding to a picture resolution lower than said predetermined resolution;
• means for generating a multi-format image file representative of plural resolutions of the still image from the combination of said digital image signals and said reduced resolution image signals, said combination forming a singular file structure in which said reduced resolution image signals occupy a defined file area in relation to said digital image signals and are commonly accessible therewith for display and processing;
• and
• means for storing the image file in said digital memory.

Electronic still imaging apparatus employing digital processing of image signals corresponding to a still image and storage of the processed image signals in a digital memory, said imaging apparatus including an image sensor having an array of photosites corresponding to picture elements of the still image and means for exposing said sensor to image light so that analog image information is generated in respective photosites, said imaging apparatus comprising:

• means for converting the analog image information into digital image signals corresponding to a predetermined picture resolution;
• means operating on blocks of digital image signals for compressing said digital image signals and generating averages over said blocks;
• means responsive to said averages produced by said compressing means for generating reduced resolution image signals corresponding to a picture resolution lower than said predetermined resolution;
• means for generating a multi-format image file representative of plural resolutions of the still image from the combination of said compressed digital image signals and said reduced resolution image signals, said combination forming a singular file structure in which said reduced resolution image signals occupy a defined file area in relation to said compressed digital image signals and are commonly accessible therewith for display and processing;
• and
• means for storing the image file in said digital memory.