Electronic camera apparatus and file management method

Claim 2

An electronic camera apparatus intended for recording picture data obtained by picture taking in a recording medium having a file management structure complying with a DCF Standard, the electronic camera apparatus comprising: input means for inputting and setting a virtual directory name, with a form not specified in the DCF Standard, in a directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; and recording means for recording a virtual directory management file in said recording medium, said virtual directory management file being generated so that the virtual directory name and the directory name complying with the DCF Standard correspond to each other, said virtual directory name being used as a recording name, wherein said input means is able to input and set a virtual file name, with a form not specified in the DCF Standard, as a file in the directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure, wherein said recording means records a virtual file management file produced by the corresponding the virtual file name inputted and set by said input means to the virtual directory name of said virtual directory management file corresponding to said virtual file name in said recording medium with a file name that is able to exist in the directory recorded in the DCF-compliant file management structure and, wherein said virtual directory management file records the file name that corresponds to said virtual file name and is able to exist in the directory recorded in said recording medium in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 3

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the file having a file name inputted and set with a form not defined by the DCF Standard and other files existing in the same directory as that of said file are recorded in said recording medium with a file name complying with the DCF Standard and differing only in an extension and are erased when an erasure is required with reference to the file name.

Claim 4

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual directory management file defines a virtual directory in which files associated therein contain reference information identifying files in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 5

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the reference information of the files associated with the virtual directory management file includes information regarding a number of pictures, directory location of pictures in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and/or identity of files corresponding to the pictures in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 6

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual directory management file is associated with a vfm extension.

Claim 7

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual file management file includes the virtual file name and the identity of at least one virtual directory management file that refers to the virtual file management file.

Claim 8

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the virtual file management file is associated with a vlm extension.

Claim 9

An electronic camera apparatus intended for recording picture data obtained by picture taking in a recording medium having a file management structure complying with a DCF Standard, the electronic camera apparatus comprising: an input section intended for inputting and setting a virtual directory name with a form not specified in the DCF Standard in a directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; and a recording section configured to record a virtual directory management file in said recording medium, said virtual directory management file being generated so that the virtual directory name and the directory name complying with the DCF Standard correspond to each other, said virtual directory name being used as a recording name, wherein said input section is able to input and set a virtual file name, with a form not specified on the DCF Standard, as a file in the directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure, wherein said recording section records a virtual file management file produced by the corresponding the virtual file name inputted and set by said input section to the virtual directory name of said virtual directory management file corresponding to said virtual file name in said recording medium with a file name that is able to exist in the directory recorded in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and wherein said virtual directory management file records the file name that corresponds to said virtual file name and is able to exist in the directory recorded in said recording medium in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 10

An electronic camera apparatus intended for recording picture data obtained by picture taking in a recording medium having a file management structure complying with a DCF Standard, the electronic camera apparatus comprising: an input section intended for inputting and setting a virtual directory name with a form not specified in the DCF Standard in a directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; and a recording section configured to record a virtual directory management file in said recording medium, said virtual directory management file being generated so that the virtual directory name and the directory name complying with the DCF Standard correspond to each other, said virtual directory name being used as a recording name, wherein said input section is able to input and set a virtual file name, with a form not specified on the DCF Standard, as a file in the directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure, wherein said recording section records a virtual file management file produced by the corresponding the virtual file name inputted and set by said input section to the virtual directory name of said virtual directory management file corresponding to said virtual file name in said recording medium with a file name that is able to exist in the directory recorded in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and wherein said virtual directory management file records the file name that corresponds to said virtual file name and is able to exist in the directory recorded in said recording medium in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 11

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the file having a file name inputted and set with a form not defined by the DCF Standard and other files existing in the same directory as that of said file are recorded in said recording medium with a file name complying with the DCF Standard and differing only in an extension and are erased when an erasure is required with reference to file name.

Claim 12

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the virtual directory management file defines a virtual directory in which files associated therein contain reference information identifying files in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 13

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the reference information of the files associated with the virtual directory management file includes information regarding a number of pictures, directory location of pictures in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and/or identity of files corresponding to the pictures in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 14

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the virtual directory management file is associated with a vfm extension.

Claim 15

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the virtual file management file includes the virtual file name and the identity of at least one virtual directory management file that refers to the virtual file management file.

Claim 16

The electronic camera apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the virtual file management file is associated with a vlm extension.

Claim 17

A file management method for recording picture data in a file management structure complying with a DCF Standard, the method comprising: inputting and setting a virtual directory name with a form not specified in the DCF Standard in a directory recorded in a recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; inputting and setting a virtual file name with a form not specified on the DCF Standard as a file in a directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; and using said virtual directory name, and recording a virtual directory management file in said recording medium, said virtual directory management file being generated so that the virtual directory name and the directory name complying with the DCF Standard correspond to each other, wherein the virtual file management file produced by the corresponding virtual file name inputted and set by said input means to the virtual directory name of said virtual directory management file corresponding to said virtual file name in said recording medium is recorded with a file name that is able to exist in the directory recorded in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and wherein said virtual directory management file records the file name and is able to exist in the directory recorded in said recording medium in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 18

A file management method for recording picture data in a file management structure complying with a DCF Standard, the method comprising: inputting and setting a virtual directory name with a form not specified in the DCF Standard in a directory recorded in a recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; inputting and setting a virtual file name with a form not specified on the DCF Standard as a file in a directory recorded in the recording medium having the DCF-compliant file management structure; and using said virtual directory name, and recording a virtual directory management file in said recording medium, said virtual directory management file being generated so that the virtual directory name and the directory name complying with the DCF Standard correspond to each other, wherein the virtual file management file produced by the corresponding virtual file name inputted and set by said input means to the virtual directory name of said virtual directory management file corresponding to said virtual file name in said recording medium is recorded with a file name that is able to exist in the directory recorded in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and wherein said virtual directory management file records the file name and is able to exist in the directory recorded in said recording medium in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 19

The file management method according to claim 15 , wherein the file having a file name inputted and set with a form not defined by the DCF Standard and other files existing in the same directory as that of said file are recorded in said recording medium with a file name complying with the DCF Standard and differing only in an extension and are erased when an erasure is required with reference to the file name.

Claim 20

The file management method according to claim 15 , wherein the virtual directory management file defines a virtual directory in which files associated therein contain reference information identifying files in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 21

The file management method according to claim 17 , wherein the reference information of the files associated with the virtual directory management file includes information regarding a number of pictures, directory location of pictures in the DCF-compliant file management structure, and/or identity of files corresponding to the pictures in the DCF-compliant file management structure.

Claim 22

The file management method according to claim 15 , wherein the virtual directory management file is associated with a vfm extension.

Claim 23

The file management method according to claim 15 , wherein the virtual file management file includes the virtual file name and the identity of at least one virtual directory management file that refers to the virtual file management file.

Claim 24

The file management method according to claim 15 , wherein the virtual file management file is associated with a vlm extension.