Video printer including a data deletion feature involving mute data

A video printer for making a hard copy of an image based on an analog video signal input to said video printer, comprising:

• a conversion device for converting said analog video signal into digital video data;
• a memory for storing said digital video data;
• an operation device for generating a write command for writing said digital video data in said memory;
• a control device for checking for a presence of said analog video signal each time said operation device is operated, for executing said generated write command upon detecting input of said analog video signal to said video printer, and for writing mute data in said memory in response to said generated write command upon failing to detect input of said analog video signal to said video printer, said mute data representing a mute image.

A video printer for making a hard copy of an image based on an analog video signal input to said video printer, comprising:

• a conversion device for converting said analog video signal into digital video data;
• a first memory for storing said digital video data;
• a memory key for generating a command to write said digital video data in said first memory;
• a memory delete key for generating a memory delete command;
• a group of conditioning keys for generating condition data to set various print conditions in said video printer;
• a second memory for storing said generated condition data;
• a mode selection key for setting said video printer in one of a conditioning mode, permitting said condition data to be written in said second memory, and a video input mode, permitting said digital video data to be written in said first memory;
• and
• a control device for cancelling the writing of said condition data in said second memory in response to said memory delete command being generated subsequent to setting of said conditioning mode, and for writing mute data in said first memory to delete at least a part of said digital video data stored therein, in response to said memory delete command being generated subsequent to setting of said video input mode.

A method of making a hard copy of an image input to a video printer having a memory for storing digital video data corresponding to the image, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a memory delete command through a key operation;
• storing mute data in at least a part of said memory in response to said generated memory delete command;
• displaying an image containing a mute image in at least a part of the image in correspondence with the mute data and digital video data stored in said memory;
• and
• printing a hard copy of said displayed image based on said mute data and digital video data stored in said memory.

A method of making a hard copy of an image based on an analog video signal input to a video printer having an A/D converter for converting said analog video signal into digital video data and a memory for storing said video data, said method comprising the steps of:

• generating a write command for writing said digital video data in said memory;
• checking for a presence of said analog video signal, determined by detecting synchronizing signals contained in said analog video signal, each time said write command is generated;
• executing said generated write command upon detecting input of said analog video signal to said video printer;
• and
• writing mute data in said memory in response to said generated write command, upon failing to detect input of said analog video signal to said video printer, said mute data representing a mute image.

A method of making a hard copy of an image based on an analog video signal input to a video printer having an A/D converter for converting said analog video signal into digital video data, a first memory for storing the digital video data, a group of conditioning keys for generating condition data to set various print conditions in the video printer, and a second memory for storing the generated condition data, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a memory delete key for generating a memory delete command;
• providing a conditioning mode wherein said generated condition data is permitted to be written in said second memory, and providing a video input mode wherein said digital video data is permitted to be written in said first memory;
• selecting one of said video input mode and said conditioning mode;
• canceling the writing of said condition data in said second memory in response to said memory delete command being generated subsequent to selection of said conditioning mode;
• and
• writing mute data in said first memory to delete at least a part of said digital video data stored therein, in response to said memory delete command being generated subsequent to selection of said video input mode.

An apparatus for storing an image, comprising:

• a memory for storing digital data corresponding to the image;
• input means for inputting a memory delete command, used to delete at least portion of the stored digital data;
• control means for writing mute data in response to the input memory delete command in at least a portion of said memory to delete at least a portion of the digital data stored in the memory, thereby replacing at least a portion of the image by a mute image;
• and
• output means for outputting the digital data and mute data stored in the memory,
• wherein the output means includes a printer for printing a hard copy of the image containing the mute image.

An apparatus for storing an image, comprising:

• a memory for storing digital data corresponding to the image;
• input means for inputting a memory delete command, used to delete at least portion of the stored digital data;
• control means for writing mute data in response to the input memory delete command in at least a portion of said memory to delete at least a portion of the digital data stored in the memory, thereby replacing at least a portion of the image by a mute image,
• mode selecting means for selecting one of a single-frame mode wherein a frame of the digital data is stored in said memory and a multi-frame mode wherein a plurality of frames of the digital data are stored in said memory as a matrix of sub-frames;
• sub-frame designating means for designating at least one of the sub-frames to be replaced by a mute image, wherein the control means writes mute data in a location of the memory corresponding to the designated at least one sub-frame;
• and
• output means for outputting a frame of the digital data and mute data stored in the memory upon selection of the single-frame mode, and for outputting a plurality of frames, as a matrix of sub-frames, of the digital data and mute data stored in the memory upon selection of the multi-frame mode,
• wherein the output means includes a printer for printing a hard copy of one of a frame and a matrix of sub-frames of a corresponding image containing the mute image.