Image recording apparatus and method, and image playback apparatus and method

An image recording method of an image recording apparatus having an imaging unit and a particular operation member, the method comprising:

• setting one of a plurality of operation modes including a first recording mode and a second recording mode, wherein at least one function associated with operating the particular operation member is changed when the operation mode is changed by the setting unit between the first and second recording modes;
• and
• controlling so as to start or to stop, in a case where the first recording mode is set, in accordance with an operation on the particular operation member, a recording to a recording medium of a moving image captured by the imaging unit, and to control so as to record, in a case where the second recording mode is set, in accordance with an operation on the particular operation member, while continuing recording to the recording medium of a moving image captured by the imaging unit, information indicating a start of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded, or information indicating an end of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded, and
• wherein the particular operation member is a single operation key that a user is able to operate with a finger of a hand holding the image recording apparatus.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an image recording method of an image recording apparatus having an imaging unit and a particular operation member, the method comprising:

• setting one of a plurality of operation modes including a first recording mode and a second recording mode, wherein at least one function associated with operating the particular operation member is changed when the operation mode is changed by the setting unit between the first and second recording modes;
• and
• controlling so as to start or to stop, in a case where the first recording mode is set, in accordance with an operation on the particular operation member, a recording to a recording medium of a moving image captured by the imaging unit, and to control so as to record, in a case where the second recording mode is set, in accordance with an operation on the particular operation member, while continuing recording to the recording medium of a moving image captured by the imaging unit, information indicating a start of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded, or information indicating an end of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded, and
• wherein the particular operation member is a single operation key that a user is able to operate with a finger of a hand holding the image recording apparatus.

An image recording apparatus comprising:

• a moving image recording unit configured to control controls so that a moving image is recorded on a recording medium;
• an information recording unit configured to controls so as to, while continuing the recording of the moving image, record information indicating a start and an end of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded in association with the moving image being recorded;
• and
• a display control unit configured to control so that, during recording of the moving image by the moving image recording unit, a total time of a plurality of scenes corresponding to the information recorded in association with the moving image being recorded is displayed, wherein, in a case where the moving image recorded by the moving image recording unit includes the plurality of scenes and one or more portions of the moving image not corresponding to any of the scenes, the total time of the plurality of scenes does not include a duration of a time period of the one or more portions of the moving image not corresponding to any of the scenes in the moving image recorded by the moving image recording unit.

An image recording method performed by an image recording apparatus, the method comprising:

• recording a moving image on a recording medium;
• recording, while continuing the recording of the moving image, information indicating a start and an end of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded in association with the moving image being recorded;
• and
• displaying, during recording of the moving image on the recording medium, a total time of a plurality of scenes corresponding to the information recorded in association with the moving image being recorded,
• wherein, in a case where the moving image recorded by the moving image recording unit includes the plurality of scenes and one or more portions of the moving image not corresponding to any of the scenes, the total time of the plurality of scenes does not include a duration of a time period of the one or more portions of the moving image not corresponding to any of the scenes in the recorded moving image.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an image recording method comprising:

• recording a moving image on a recording medium;
• recording, while continuing the recording of the moving image, information indicating a start and an end of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded in association with the moving image being recorded;
• and
• displaying, during recording of the moving image in the moving image recording step, a total time of a plurality of scenes corresponding to the information recorded in association with the moving image being recorded,
• wherein, in a case where the moving image recorded by the moving image recording unit includes the plurality of scenes and one or more portions of the moving image not corresponding to any of the scenes, the total time of the plurality of scenes does not include a duration of a time period of the one or more portions of the moving image not corresponding to any of the scenes in the recorded moving image.

An image playback apparatus comprising:

• a moving image recording unit configured to control so that a moving image is recorded on a recording medium;
• an information recording unit configured to control so as to, while continuing the recording of the moving image, record information indicating a start of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded and information indicating an end of the scene which is the portion of the moving image being recorded in association with the moving image being recorded;
• a setting unit configured to set a recording mode from out of a plurality recording modes including a first recording mode in which a recording of the information is not performed by the information recording unit during recording of a moving image by the moving image recording unit, and a second recording mode in which a recording of the information can be performed by the information recording unit during recording of a moving image by the moving image recording unit;
• a switch unit configured to switch between a recording mode and a playback mode;
• and
• a control unit configured to control, when the switch unit switches from the recording mode to the playback mode, displaying of one of a first playback screen and a second playback screen different from the first playback screen, in accordance with the recoding mode from which the switching unit switches to the playback mode, wherein:
• in a case where switching from the first recording mode to the playback mode is performed by the switching unit, the first playback screen is displayed, for performing a display treating a moving image, recorded from a recording start of the moving image until a recording end of the moving image by the moving image recording unit, as a single unit, and
• in a case where switching from the second recording mode to the playback mode is performed by the switching unit, the second playback screen is displayed, for performing a display treating the scene as a single unit based on the information recorded by the information recording unit, and
• wherein:
• the first playback screen is a list screen of a representative image of the moving image recorded from the recording start of moving image until the recording end of moving image by the moving image recording unit, and the second playback screen is a list screen of representative images of a plurality of scenes for at least one moving image recorded from a recording start of moving image to a recording end of moving image by the moving image recording unit.

An image playback method performed by an image playback apparatus, the method comprising:

• recording a moving image on a recording medium;
• recording, while continuing the recording of the moving image, information indicating a start of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded and information indicating an end of the scene which is the portion of the moving image being recorded in association with the moving image being recorded;
• setting a recording mode from out of a plurality recording modes including a first recording mode in which a recording of the information is not performed during recording of a moving image on the recording medium, and a second recording mode in which a recording of the information can be performed during recording of a moving image on the recording medium;
• switching between a recording mode and a playback mode;
• and
• displaying, when the recording mode is switched to the playback mode, one of a first playback screen and a second playback screen different from the first playback screen, in accordance with the recoding mode from which the switching to the playback mode is performed, wherein:
• in a case where switching from the first recording mode to the playback mode is performed, the first playback screen, for performing a display treating a moving image, recorded from a recording start of the moving image until a recording end of the moving image, as a single unit, is displayed, and
• in a case where switching from the second recording mode to the playback mode is performed, the second playback screen, for performing a display treating the scene as a single unit based on the information, is displayed, and
• wherein:
• the first playback screen is a list screen of a representative image of the moving image recorded from the recording start of moving image until the recording end of moving image by the moving image recording unit, and the second playback screen is a list screen of representative images of a plurality of scenes for at least one moving image recorded from a recording start of moving image to a recording end of moving image by the moving image recording unit.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute an image playback method comprising:

• recording a moving image on a recording medium;
• recording, while continuing the recording of the moving image, information indicating a start of a scene which is a portion of the moving image being recorded and information indicating an end of the scene which is the portion of the moving image being recorded in association with the moving image being recorded;
• setting a recording mode from out of a plurality recording modes including a first recording mode in which a recording of the information is not performed during recording of a moving image on the recording medium, and a second recording mode in which a recording of the information can be performed during recording of a moving image on the recording medium;
• switching between a recording mode and a playback mode;
• and
• displaying, when the recording mode is switched to the playback mode, one of a first playback screen and a second playback screen different from the first playback screen, in accordance with the recoding mode from which the switching to the playback mode is performed, wherein:
• in a case where switching from the first recording mode to the playback mode is performed, the first playback screen, for performing a display treating a moving image, recorded from a recording start of the moving image until a recording end of the moving image, as a single unit, is displayed, and
• in a case where switching from the second recording mode to the playback mode is performed, second playback screen, for performing a display treating the scene as a single unit based on the information, is displayed, and
• wherein:
• the first playback screen is a list screen of a representative image of the moving image recorded from the recording start of moving image until the recording end of moving image by the moving image recording unit, and the second playback screen is a list screen of representative images of a plurality of scenes for at least one moving image recorded from a recording start of moving image to a recording end of moving image by the moving image recording unit.