Electronic digital still camera for separately storing component video signals in memory

Claim 1

A digital electronic still camera device to which a semiconductor memory module adapted to store digital data therein is detachably connected, comprising: connecting means for detachably and electrically connecting said semiconductor memory module to said camera; imaging means including a color imaging device having a color filter for imaging a scene through the color filter and producing video signals representative of a scene in the form of image signals associated with filter segments of the color filter; signal processing means for converting the video signals produced by said imaging means into color component signals and delivering the color component signals to said connecting means in the form of digital signals; and control means for controlling said imaging means to image the scene, and for controlling said signal processing means to convert the resultant video signals into the color components signals; said signal processing means comprising color separator means for receiving the video signals produced from said imaging means and for separating the video signals into the color component signals associated with the video signals, producing the color component signals in parallel to each other; said control means supplying to said connector means, control signals allowing the color component signals to be stored in said semiconductor memory module independently of each other.

Claim 10

A method of storing digital data in a detachably connected semiconductor memory module of a digital electronic still camera, comprising the steps of: detachably and electrically connecting said semiconductor memory module to said camera by use of a connecting means; detachably and electrically connected said semiconductor memory module to said camera by use of a connecting means; imaging a scene through a color filter of said digital electronic still camera and producing video signals representative of the scene in the form of dot-sequential, color-separated image signals associated with filter segments of the color filter; separating said video signals into color component signals associated with the video signals, said color component signals being produced in parallel with each other; delivering the color component signals to said connecting means in the form of digital signals; and storing said color component signals, independent of each other, in said detachably connected semiconductor memory.

Claim 11

A method of storing digital data in a detachably connected semiconductor memory module of a digital electronic still camera, comprising the steps of: detachably and electrically connecting said semiconductor memory module to said camera by use of a connecting means; detachably and electrically connected said semiconductor memory module to said camera by use of a connecting means; imaging a scene through a color filter of said digital electronic still camera and producing video signals representative of the scene in the form of dot-sequential, color-separated image signals associated with filter segments of the color filter; separating said video signals into color component signals associated with the video signals, said color component signals being produced in parallel with each other; delivering the color component signals to said connecting means in the form of digital signals; and storing said color component signals, independent of each other, in said detachably connected semiconductor memory.