Imaging apparatus with selective allocation of first and second image data based on operation instruction

Claim 2

An imaging apparatus comprising: image pickup means; recording means for recording image data obtained by the image pickup means onto a recording medium; operation instructing means capable of arbitrary operations; and controlling means for allocating a first image data picked up by said image pickup means, and a second image data picked up by said image pickup means immediately before the first image data, to a same group in case that an instruction from said operation instructing means is issued between photographing of the second image data and photographing of the first image data, and for generating group information indicating the image data of the group, said controlling means inhibiting to allocate the first image data and the second image data to the same group in case that the instruction from said operation instructing means is absent between photographing of the second image data and photographing of the first image data.

Claim 3

An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controlling means allocates the first image data and the second image data to the same group in case that there is an instruction from the operation instructing means before pick up of the first image data.

Claim 4

An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said controlling means determines a representative image data from a plurality of image data of the same group, and adds representative image information that indicates the representative image data to the group information.

Claim 5

An imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said controlling means changes the representative image to another image data of the same group in response to a representative image change instruction.

Claim 6

An imaging apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said controlling means sets image data picked up lastly within the same group as the representative image data.

Claim 7

An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: display means for displaying images relating to image data obtained by said image pickup means, wherein said display means superimposes and displays one image relating to image data output from said image pickup means and an another image relating to image data picked up immediately before the one image, in response to an instruction from the operation instructing means.

Claim 8

An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said recording means generates thumbnail image data of the image data, and records the thumbnail image data onto the recording medium.

Claim 9

An imaging apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising: reproducing means for reproducing the image data and the thumbnail image data from the recording medium; and display means for displaying images relating to the reproduced image data, wherein said controlling means controls said display means so as to display only a thumbnail image of a designated representative image data from among a plurality of image data within the same group.

Claim 10

An imaging apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said controlling means controls said display means so as to display, from among a plurality of image data recorded in the recording medium, thumbnail images of image data which is not allocated to any group, and the thumbnail image of the representative image data of the group, on the same screen.

Claim 11

An imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said controlling moans controls said display means so as to add and display information indicating that the thumbnail image of the representative image data is a representative of the group.

Claim 12

An imaging apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein said controlling means controls said display moans so as to display the thumbnail images of the plurality of image data of the group on the same screen in response to an instruction for displaying a list of the image data of the group.

Claim 13

An imaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said operation instructing means is constructed with a single operation key.

Claim 14

An imaging apparatus comprising: image pickup means; recording means for recording image data obtained by said image pickup means onto a recording medium; operation instructing means for arbitrarily instructing that image data photographed by said image pickup means be grouped; and controlling means for allocating image data recorded by the recording means during a period from an instruction from the instructing moans to the next instruction, to a same group, and for generating management information that indicates the image data of the group and a representative image among a plurality of images of the group, said controlling means generating a new group different from each of the groups to which the image data already recorded onto the recording medium are allocated, at every operation of said operation instruction means.

Claim 15

An imaging apparatus comprising: image pickup means; recording means for recording image data obtained by said image pickup means onto a recording medium; operation instructing means for arbitrarily instructing that image data photographed by said image pickup means be grouped; and controlling means for allocating image data recorded by the recording means during a period from an instruction from the instructing moans to the next instruction, to a same group, and for generating management information that indicates the image data of the group and a representative image among a plurality of images of the group, said controlling means generating a new group different from each of the groups to which the image data already recorded onto the recording medium are allocated, at every operation of said operation instruction means.

Claim 16

An imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said recording moans records the image data together with thumbnail image data that indicates a thumbnail image of the image data onto the recording medium.

Claim 17

An imaging apparatus according to claim 14 , further comprising: reproducing means for reproducing the image data and the thumbnail image data from the recording medium; and display means for displaying images relating to the reproduced image data, wherein said controlling means controls said display means so as to display a list of only thumbnail images of designated representative images, from among the image data of a plurality of groups recorded on the recording medium.

Claim 18

An imaging apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein said controlling means specifies image data picked up first, from among the plurality of image data of the same group, as a representative image data.

Claim 19

An imaging apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said continuing means changes the representative image data to another image data within the same group in response to a representative image change instruction.

Claim 20

An imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising: recording instructing means for instructing that the image data be recorded by the recording means, wherein said operation instructing means is constructed with an operation key different from said recording instructing means.

Claim 21

An imaging apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said operation instructing means is constructed with a single operation key.

Claim 22

A signal processing method tat is a method of recording image data obtained by an image pickup means onto a recording medium, comprising: allocating a first image data picked up by said image pickup means and a second image data picked up by said image pickup means immediately before the first image data to a same group, so as to allocate the first image data to the same group as the image data picked up immediately before the first image data, in case that an arbitrary instruction from an instructing operating means capable of operation is issued between photographing of the second image data and photographing of the first image data, and generating management information containing group information indicating the image data of the group, wherein said allocating and generating includes inhibiting to allocate the first image data and the second image data to the same group in case that the instruction from said operation instructing means is absent between photographing of the second image data and photographing of the first image data.

Claim 23

A signal processing method tat is a method of recording image data obtained by an image pickup means onto a recording medium, comprising: allocating a first image data picked up by said image pickup means and a second image data picked up by said image pickup means immediately before the first image data to a same group, so as to allocate the first image data to the same group as the image data picked up immediately before the first image data, in case that an arbitrary instruction from an instructing operating means capable of operation is issued between photographing of the second image data and photographing of the first image data, and generating management information containing group information indicating the image data of the group, wherein said allocating and generating includes inhibiting to allocate the first image data and the second image data to the same group in case that the instruction from said operation instructing means is absent between photographing of the second image data and photographing of the first image data.

Claim 24

A signal processing method that is a method of recording image data obtained by an image pickup means onto a recording medium, comprising: allocating image data recorded by the recording means to a same group during a period from an instruction by an operation instructing means to arbitrarily instructing tat the image data picked up by said image pickup means be grouped, until the next instruction, and generating management information containing group information that indicates the image data of the group and a representative image among a plurality of images of the group, wherein said allocating and generating includes generating a new group different from each of the groups to which the image data already recorded onto the recording medium are allocated at every operation of said operation instruction means.

Claim 25

A signal processing method that is a method of recording image data obtained by an image pickup means onto a recording medium, comprising: allocating image data recorded by the recording means to a same group during a period from an instruction by an operation instructing means to arbitrarily instructing tat the image data picked up by said image pickup means be grouped, until the next instruction, and generating management information containing group information that indicates the image data of the group and a representative image among a plurality of images of the group, wherein said allocating and generating includes generating a new group different from each of the groups to which the image data already recorded onto the recording medium are allocated at every operation of said operation instruction means.