Digital image recording and/or reproducing apparatus using a plurality of compression methods

A digital image recording and reproducing apparatus comprising:

• (a) data compressing means, including at least block-encoding means for compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions of said block-encoding means;
• (b) control means for manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided by said data compression means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image;
• (c) means for recording on a recording medium (1) the digital image data selected by said control means and (2) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected by said control means;
• and
• (d) means for reproducing the image data in accordance with (1) the recorded digital image data compressed with a predetermined compression rate, and (2) the recorded data representing the compression rate.

A digital image reproducing apparatus comprising:

• (a) reproducing means, including block-decoding means for reproducing digital image data which is compressed with a different compression rate according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from input digital image data on a unit basis of a block by a block encoding means, for reproducing digital image data recorded on a recording medium, the digital image data being manually selected from compressed digital image data of different compression rates provided in different operating conditions of said block-encoding means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image and recorded on said recording medium;
• (b) detecting means for detecting information associated with the selected compression rate of the recorded digital data, said information representing the operation condition of said block-encoding means applied to said recorded digital data;
• and
• (c) reconstructing means for reconstructing the digital image data reproduced by said reproducing means, according to the information detected by said detecting means.

A digital image transmitting apparatus comprising:

• (a) data compressing means, including at least block-encoding means for compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, for providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions of said block-encoding means;
• (b) control means for manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided by said data compression means, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image;
• and
• (c) means for transmitting (i) the digital image data selected by said control means and (ii) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected by said control means.

A digital image recording apparatus comprising:

• (a) image pickup means for converting an optical image into an electrical signal;
• (b) analog to digital converting means for converting said electrical signal into a digital image signal;
• (c) block-coding means for compressing, with different compression rates, said digital image signal based on a correlation between signals within each block;
• (d) selection means for selecting a compressed digital image signal of a different compression rate corresponding to different operating conditions of said block-coding means;
• (e) storing means for storing information on whether said block coding means is operated;
• and
• (f) control means for manually controlling said selection means to provide the compressed digital image signals of the different compression rates, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image.

A digital image recording method comprising the steps of:

• (a) a data compressing step, including at least a block-encoding step of compressing input digital image data according to a correlation between signals within each block divided from said input digital image data on a unit basis of a block, of providing digital image data compressed with different compression rates according to different operating conditions in said block-encoding steps;
• (b) a control step of manually selecting digital image data from the compressed digital image data of the different compression rates provided in said data compression step, on a unit basis of one frame of a picture image;
• and
• (c) a step of recording (i) the digital image data selected in said control step and (ii) data associated with the compression rate of said digital image data selected in said control step.