Image sensing and transfer apparatus and method

An image input apparatus comprising:

• image signal generating means for sensing the image of a subject and generating an image signal indicative thereof;
• data transfer means for transferring the image signal generated by said image signal generating means to an external device via a prescribed communications interface, said data transfer means having a first transfer mode in which there can be assured a fixed transfer rate but with no guarantee of data, and a second transfer mode in which data is guaranteed but transfer rate is not;
• control means for controlling said data transfer means so as to perform image transfer in the first transfer mode in a case where said image signal generating means generates a low-resolution image signal and in the second transfer mode in a case where said image signal generating means generates a high-resolution image signal;
• and
• sensing means for sensing a high-resolution image input instruction from an operator,
• wherein in a case where said sensing means senses the high-resolution image input instruction generated during low-resolution image data transfer by said data transfer means in the first transfer mode, said control means performs control so as to cause said image signal generating means to generate a high-resolution image and performs control so as to change over the transfer mode, and
• wherein sensing of the high-resolution image is performed by synthesis of a plurality of images by shifting of pixels performed by said image signal generating means.

A method for inputting an image and transferring the image to an external device, comprising:

• an image signal generating step of sensing the image of a subject and generating an image signal indicative thereof;
• and
• an image transfer step of transferring the image signal generated at said image signal generating step to the external device via a prescribed communications interface, wherein said image transfer step performs image transfer in a first transfer mode, in which there can be assured a fixed transfer rate but with no guarantee of data, in a case where a low-resolution image signal is generated at said image signal generating step, and in a second transfer mode, in which data is guaranteed but transfer rate is not, in a case where a high-resolution image signal is generated at said image signal generating step,
• wherein sensing of the high-resolution image is performed by synthesis of a plurality of images by shifting pixels.

A method for inputting an image and transferring the image to an external device, comprising:

• an image signal generating step of sensing the image of a subject and generating an image signal indicative thereof;
• an image transfer step of transferring the image signal generated at said image signal generating step to the external device via a prescribed communications interface, wherein said image transfer step performs image transfer in a first transfer mode, in which there can be assured a fixed transfer rate but with no guarantee of data, in a case where a low-resolution image signal is generated at said image signal generating step, and in a second transfer mode, in which data is guaranteed but transfer rate is not, in a case where a high-resolution image signal is generated at said image signal generating step;
• and
• a changeover step of generating a high-resolution image signal and changing over the transfer mode to the second transfer mode in a case where an operator issues a high-resolution image input instruction during low-resolution image data transfer in the first transfer mode,
• wherein sensing of the high-resolution image is performed by synthesis of a plurality of images by shifting pixels.