Image file generating apparatus and method, and image file reproducing apparatus and method

An image file generating method comprising:

• generating first header data regarding first image data applied;
• appending generated first header data to a beginning of the first image data;
• generating second header data regarding second image data applied, the second image data including a format which is different than a format of the first image data;
• appending generated second header data to a beginning of the second image data;
• connecting the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended by appending the second header data to follow an end of the first image data, the first image data to which the first header data has been appended having a data structure which is independent of a data structure of the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• writing the connected data including the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended, to a recording medium in such a manner that one image file is generated from the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• and
• recording data, which represents an extension decided based upon the first image data, on the recording medium as data representing an extension of the image file,
• wherein the first header data appending means appends to the first image data at least one of:
• data indicating an address of the second header data in the image file;
• and
• image-type identification data indicating whether the image represented by the second image data is a moving picture or a still picture and
• wherein one of:
• the second image data comprises a compression format which is different than a compression format of the first image data;
• one of the first and second image data comprises compressed image data and the other of the first and second image data comprises uncompressed image data;
• and
• one of the first and second image data comprises image data representing a 3D image and the other of the first and second image data comprises image data representing other than a 3D image.

An image file reproducing method comprising:

• reading first image data, first header data and extension data from a recording medium on which have been recorded one image file and the extension data, which corresponds to the first image data and serves as data representing an extension of the image file, wherein the image file includes a first recording area and a second recording area, which have been specified in such a manner that the second recording area follows an end of the first recording area, each having a header recording area and an image data recording area, respectively, the first header data is recorded in the header recording area of the first recording area, the first image data is recorded in the image data recording area of the first recording area, second header data is recorded in the header recording area of the second recording area and second image data is recorded in the image data recording area of the second recording area, the first image data has a data structure which is independent of the data structure of the second image data, and the second image data includes a format which is different than a format of the first image data;
• reproducing the read first image data based upon the first header data and the red extension data;
• displaying a first image, which is represented by the first image data reproduced, on a display unit;
• determining whether the second header data and the second image data have been recorded in the header recording area and image data recording area, respectively, of the second recording area;
• in response to a determination that the second header data and the second image data have been recorded in the header recording area and image data recording area, respectively, of the second recording area, reading the second header data that has been recorded in the header recording area of the second recording area and the second image data that have been recorded in image data recording area of the second recording area;
• reproducing the read second image data based upon the second header data;
• and
• displaying a second image, which is represented by the second image data reproduced, on the display unit wherein one of:
• the second image data comprises a compression format which is different than a compression format of the first image data;
• one of the first and second image data comprises compressed image data and the other of the first and second image data comprises uncompressed image data;
• and
• one of the first and second image data comprises image data representing a 3D image and the other of the first and second image data comprises image data representing other than a 3D image.

An image file generating apparatus comprising:

• a first header generating device for generating first header data regarding first image data applied thereto;
• a first header data appending device for appending first header data, which has been generated by said first header data generating device, to a beginning of the first image data;
• a second header generating device for generating second header data regarding second image data applied thereto, the second image data including a format which is different than a format of the first image data;
• a second header data appending device for appending second header data, which has been generated by said second header data generating device, to a beginning of the second image data;
• a connecting device for connecting the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended by appending the second header data to follow the end of the first image data, the first image data to which the first header data has been appended having a data structure which is independent of a data structure of the second image data, to which the second header data has been appended;
• an image file writing device for writing the data connected by said connecting device, including the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended, to a recording medium in such a manner that one image file is generated from the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• and
• an extension recording control device for recording data, which represents an extension decided based upon the first image data, on the recording medium as data representing an extension of the image file,
• wherein the first header darn appending means appends to the first image data at least one of:
• data indicating an address of the second header data in the image file;
• and
• image-type identification data indicating whether the image represented by the second image data is a moving picture or a still picture, and
• wherein one of:
• the second image data comprises a compression format which is different than a compression format of the first image data;
• one of the first and second image data comprises compressed image data and the other of the first and second image data comprises uncompressed image data;
• and
• one of the first and second image data comprises image data representing a 3D image and the other of the first and second image data comprises image data representing other than a 3D image.

An image file reproducing apparatus comprising:

• a first reading device for reading first image data, first header data and extension data from a recording medium on which have been recorded one image file and the extension data, which corresponds to the first image data and serves as data representing an extension of the image file, wherein the image file includes a first recording area and a second recording area, which have been specified in such a manner that the second recording area follows the end of the first recording area, each having a header recording area and an image data recording area, respectively, the first header data is recorded in the header recording area of the first recording area, the first image data is recorded in the image data recording area of the first recording area, second header data is recorded in the header recording area of the second recording area and second image data is recorded in the image data recording area of the second recording area, the first image database a data structure which is independent of a data structure of the second image data, and the second image data includes a format which is different than a format of the first image data;
• a first reproducing device for reproducing the first image data, which has been read by said first reading device, based upon the first header data and the extension data;
• a first display control device for controlling a display unit so as to display a first image represented by the first image data reproduced by said first reproducing device;
• a determination device for determining whether the second header data and the second image data have been recorded in the header recording area and image data recording area, respectively, of the second recording area;
• a second reading device, responsive to a determination by said determination device that the second header data and the second image data have been recorded in the header recording area and image data recording area, respectively, of the second recording area, for reading the second header data that has been recorded in the header recording area of the second recording area and the second image data that has been recorded in the image data recording area of the second recording area;
• a second reproducing device for reproducing the second image data, which has been read by said second reading device, based upon the second header data;
• and
• a second display control device for controlling the display unit so as to display the second image represented by the second image data reproduced by said second reproducing devices
• wherein one of:
• the second image data comprises a compression format which is different than a compression format of the first image data;
• one of the first and second image data comprises compressed image data and the other of the first and second image data comprises uncompressed image data;
• and
• one of the first and second image data comprises image data representing a 3D image and the other of the first and second image data comprises image data representing other than a 3D image.

An image file generating apparatus comprising:

• first header generating means for generating first header data regarding first image data applied thereto;
• first header data appending means for appending first header data, which has been generated by said first header data generating means, to a beginning of the first image data;
• second header generating means for generating second header data regarding second image data applied thereto, the second image data including a format which is different than a format of the first image data;
• second header data appending means for appending second header data, which has been generated by said second header data generating means, to a beginning of the second image data;
• connecting means for connecting the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended by appending the second header data to follow an end of the first image data, the first image data to which the first header data has been appended having a data structure which is independent of a data structure of the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• image file writing means for writing the data connected by said connecting means, including the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended, to a recording medium in such a manner that one image file is generated from the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• and
• extension recording control means for recording data, which represents an extension decided based upon the first image data, on the recording medium as data representing an extension of the image file,
• wherein the first header data appending means appends to the first image data at least one of:
• data indicating an address of the second header data in the image file;
• and
• image-type identification data indicating whether the image represented by the second image data is a moving picture or a still picture, and
• wherein one of:
• the second image data comprises a compression format which is different than a compression format of the first image data;
• one of the first and second image data comprises compressed image data and the other of the first and second image data comprises uncompressed image data;
• and
• one of the first and second image data comprises image data representing a 3D image and the other of the first and second image data comprises image data representing other than a 3D image.

An image file generating apparatus comprising:

• first header generating means for generating first header data regarding first image data applied thereto;
• first header data appending means for appending first header data, which has been generated by said first header data generating means, to a beginning of the first image data;
• second header generating means for generating second header data regarding second image data applied thereto, the second image data including a format which is different than a format of the first image data;
• second header data appending means for appending second header data, which has been generated by said second header data generating means, to a beginning of the second image data;
• connecting means for connecting the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended by appending the second header data to follow an end of the first image data, the first image data to which the first header data has been appended having a data structure which is independent of a data structure of the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• image file writing means for writing the data connected by said connecting means, including the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended, to a recording medium in such a manner that one image file is generated from the first image data to which the first header data has been appended and the second image data to which the second header data has been appended;
• and
• extension recording control means for recording data, which represents an extension decided based upon the first image data, and the recording medium as data representing an extension of the image file,
• wherein the first header data appending means appends to the first image data at least one of:
• data indicating an address of the second header data in the image file;
• and
• image-type identification data indicating whether the image represented by the second image data is a moving picture or a still picture, and
• wherein the apparatus further comprises:
• mode determining means for determining a compression/non-compression mode of the image file generating apparatus after the first header data appending means appends the first header data to the first image data.