Title: Imaging sensing apparatus
Abstract: An image sensing apparatus capable of separately performing image processing on odd-numbered fields and even-numbered fields for each of the image data from the left lens and right lens when a 3-D (stereoscopic) compatible lens is mounted, and when a normal lens is mounted, recording image data while correlating fields and reducing redundant data. When 3-D compatible lens 1 is mounted to image sensing apparatus main body 12, the mounting of the lens is informed to the image sensing apparatus main body 12. In response, the image sensing apparatus main body 12 performs image processing separately on the left and right images for each field. For instance, the image compression mode is switched from an every-field structure to an alternate-field structure.
Patent Number: 6,888,563 Issued on 05/03/2005 to Suzuki, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Suzuki; Katsushi (Tokyo, JP);
Kazama; Yoichi (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Assignee:
|
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Tokyo, JP)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
876553 |
| Filed:
|
June 7, 2001 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Jun 07, 2000[JP] | 2000-170630 |
| Jun 01, 2001[JP] | 2001-166663 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
348/42; 348/51; 348/222.1 |
| Intern'l Class: |
H04N 013/00 |
| Field of Search: |
348/42,43,51,53,75,65,48,56,220.1,222.1
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Philippe; Gims
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Morgan & Finnegan, LLP
Claims
1. An image sensing apparatus comprising:
a detection unit for detecting whether or not a stereoscopic compatible optical
unit for stereoscopically sensing an optical image is mounted;
a signal processing unit for performing signal processing on an image, sensed
by an image sensing device, by employing a first signal processing method or a
second signal processing method compatible to stereoscopic image sensing, which
is different from the first signal processing method; and
a control unit for switching from the first signal processing method to the second
signal processing method for said signal processing unit when said detection unit
detects that the stereoscopic compatible optical unit is mounted.
2. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stereoscopic
compatible optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses for alternately
inputting left and right optical images field by field to the image sensing device.
3. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein in the second signal
processing method, said signal processing unit performs signal processing based
on the image obtained in every other field.
4. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said stereoscopic
compatible optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses, and
in the second signal processing method of said signal processing unit, signal
processing is performed separately for an image from the left optical lens and
an image from the right optical lens.
5. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein in the first signal
processing method, said signal processing unit performs signal processing based
on a temporally adjacent image.
6. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing
unit includes a compression processing unit for performing compression processing
on an image.
7. The image sensing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said signal processing
unit includes a cyclic-type noise reduction processing unit for reducing noise
of an image.
8. An image sensing system comprising:
a stereoscopic compatible optical unit, capable of being mounted to or removed
from an image sensing apparatus main body, for stereoscopically sensing an optical
image;
a detection unit for detecting whether or not said stereoscopic compatible optical
unit is mounted;
a signal processing unit for performing signal processing on an image, sensed
by an image sensing device, by employing a first signal processing method or a
second signal processing method compatible to stereoscopic image sensing, which
is different from the first signal processing method; and
a control unit for switching from the first signal processing method to the second
signal processing method for said signal processing unit when said detection unit
detects that the stereoscopic compatible optical unit is mounted.
9. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein said stereoscopic compatible
optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses for alternately inputting
left and right optical images field by field to the image sensing device.
10. The image sensing system according to claim 9, wherein in the second signal
processing method, said signal processing unit performs signal processing based
on the image obtained in every other field.
11. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein said stereoscopic
compatible optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses, and
in the second signal processing method of said signal processing unit, signal
processing is performed separately for an image from the left optical lens and
an image from the right optical lens.
12. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein the first signal processing
method, said signal processing unit performs signal processing based on a temporally
adjacent image.
13. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein said signal processing
unit includes a compression processing unit for performing compression processing
on an image.
14. The image sensing system according to claim 8, wherein said signal processing
unit includes a cyclic-type noise reduction processing unit for reducing noise
of an image.
15. A signal processing method comprising the steps of:
detecting whether or not a stereoscopic compatible optical unit for stereoscopic
sensing an optical image is mounted;
when a detection unit detects that the stereoscopic compatible unit is mounted,
switching from a first signal processing method to a second signal processing method
for processing an image sensed by an image sensing device; and
performing signal processing on an image, sensed by an image sensing device,
by employing the second signal processing method.
16. The signal processing method according to claim 15, wherein the stereoscopic
compatible optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses for alternately
inputting left and right optical images field by field to the image sensing device.
17. The signal processing method according to claim 16, wherein in the second
signal processing method, signal processing is performed based on the image obtained
in every other field.
18. The signal processing method according to claim 15, wherein the stereoscopic
compatible optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses, and
in the second signal processing method, signal processing is performed separately
for an image from the left optical lens and an image from the right optical lens.
19. The signal processing method according to claim 15, wherein in the first
signal processing method, signal processing is performed based on a temporally
adjacent image.
20. The signal processing method according to claim 15, wherein the signal processing
method includes an image compression processing method.
21. The signal processing method according to claim 15, wherein said signal processing
method includes a cyclic-type noise reduction processing method for reducing noise
of an image.
22. A storage medium storing a signal processing method for executing the steps of:
detecting whether or not a stereoscopic compatible optical unit for stereoscopic
sensing an optical image is mounted;
when a detection unit detects that the stereoscopic compatible unit is mounted,
switching from a first signal processing method to a second signal processing method
for processing an image sensed by an image sensing device; and
performing signal processing on an image, sensed by an image sensing device,
by employing the second signal processing method.
23. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein the stereoscopic compatible
optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses for alternately inputting
left and right optical images field by field to the image sensing device.
24. The storage medium according to claim 23, wherein in the second signal processing
method, signal processing is performed based on the image obtained in every other field.
25. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein the stereoscopic compatible
optical unit comprises left and right optical lenses, and
in the second signal processing method, signal processing is performed separately
for an image from the left optical lens and an image from the right optical lens.
26. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein in the first signal processing
method, signal processing is performed based on a temporally adjacent image.
27. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein the signal processing method
includes an image compression processing method.
28. The storage medium according to claim 22, wherein the signal processing method
includes a cyclic-type noise reduction processing method for reducing noise of
an image.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an image sensing apparatus preferable to a case
where a 3-D (stereoscopic) compatible lens is mounted.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
An image sensing apparatus capable of interchanging a lens has conventionally
been available. The image sensing apparatus of this type can make communication
between the lens and image sensing apparatus main body to receive information about
characteristics of the lens or a present state and so on. For instance, the image
sensing apparatus main body can identify by communication that a manual-focus-type
lens is mounted.
The conventional 3-D (stereoscopic) compatible image sensing apparatus records
images picked up by lenses for left and right images respectively. When the image
is reproduced, the direction of a polarizing screen provided in the front surface
of a television monitor is changed field by field. A viewer wears a pair of polarizing
glasses having different configurations for the left and right so as to recognize
left and right images separately.
However, the aforementioned conventional art has the following problem.
More specifically, when an image is compressed by, for instance, the MPEG (Motion
Picture Expert Group) method, correlations between the fields or frames are identified
to ensure reduction of redundant data. Three data: I field having no data for preceding
or succeeding frames, P field representing difference data between the preceding
frame and present frame, and B field representing difference data between the preceding
frame and succeeding frame, constitute one frame.
However, in the 3-D compatible image sensing apparatus, since left and right
images are processed field by field as separate images, correlating consecutive
fields decreases the effect of redundant data reduction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been proposed in view of the aforementioned problem,
and has as its object to provide an image sensing apparatus capable of separately
processing odd-numbered fields and even-numbered fields for each of the image data
from the left lens and right lens when a 3-D (stereoscopic) compatible lens is
mounted, and when a normal lens is mounted, recording image data while correlating
fields and reducing redundant data.
According to the present invention, the foregoing object is attained by
providing an image sensing apparatus comprising: a detection unit for detecting
whether or not a stereoscopic compatible optical unit for stereoscopically sensing
an optical image is mounted; a signal processing unit for performing signal processing
on an image, sensed by an image sensing device, by employing a first signal processing
method or a second signal processing method compatible to stereoscopic image sensing,
which is different from the first signal processing method; and a control unit
for switching from the first signal processing method to the second signal processing
method for said signal processing unit when said detection unit detects that the
stereoscopic compatible optical unit is mounted.
Furthermore, the present invention provides an image sensing system
comprising: a stereoscopic compatible optical unit, capable of being mounted to
or removed from an image sensing apparatus main body, for stereoscopically sensing
an optical image; a detection unit for detecting whether or not said stereoscopic
compatible optical unit is mounted; a signal processing unit for performing signal
processing on an image, sensed by an image sensing device, by employing a first
signal processing method or a second signal processing method compatible to stereoscopic
image sensing, which is different from the first signal processing method; and
a control unit for switching from the first signal processing method to the second
signal processing method for said signal processing unit when said detection unit
detects that the stereoscopic compatible optical unit is mounted.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a signal processing method
comprising the steps of: detecting whether or not a stereoscopic compatible optical
unit for stereoscopically sensing an optical image is mounted; when a detection
unit detects that the stereoscopic compatible optical unit is mounted, switching
from a first signal processing method to a second signal processing method for
processing an image sensed by an image sensing device; and performing signal processing
on the image, sensed by the image sensing device, by employing the second signal
processing method.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a storage medium storing
a signal processing method for executing the steps of: detecting whether or not
a stereoscopic compatible optical unit for stereoscopically sensing an optical
image is mounted; when a detection unit detects that the stereoscopic compatible
optical unit is mounted, switching from a first signal processing method to a second
signal processing method for processing an image sensed by an image sensing device;
and performing signal processing on the image, sensed by the image sensing device,
by employing the second signal processing method.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from
the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings,
in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout
the figures thereof.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of
the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the
description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an entire construction of an interchangeable-lens-type
image sensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a structure of a mount unit of the interchangeable-lens-type
image sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is an explanatory view showing a structure of a normal lens, which is
not a 3-D compatible lens, according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing field numbers of an image signal in the
interchangeable-lens-type image sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of
the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart explaining operation processing of a controller 72
according to the embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a detailed construction of a camera signal
processor 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing a construction of the main part of the interchangeable-lens-type
image sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in
detail in accordance with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an entire construction of an interchangeable-lens-type
image sensing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The
interchangeable-lens-type apparatus according to the embodiment of the present
invention is roughly constructed with a 3-D compatible lens
1 and an image
sensing apparatus main body
12. The 3-D compatible lens
1 comprises
a left lens
2, a right lens
3, a movable mirror
4, lenses
5, a lens-side mount
8, and mirrors
22 and
23. The
image sensing apparatus main body
12 comprises a main-body-side mount
7,
an image sensing device (CCD)
9, a camera signal processor
10, and
a recording signal processor
11. FIG. 1 shows the state where the 3-D compatible
lens is mounted.
The aforementioned construction is now described along with their operations.
The 3-D compatible lens
1 has a configuration where light transmitted through
the left lens
2 and right lens
3 is switched by the movable mirror
4. This is one of the methods adopted by 3-D compatible lenses. The incident
light from the left lens
2 and right lens
3 is alternately selected
field by field by the movable mirror
4, and transmits through the lenses
5. The movable mirror
4 receives a vertical synchronizing (VD) signal
6 from the image sensing apparatus main body
12 through the connection
terminals (
13 of FIG. 2) of the main-body-side mount
7 and lens-side
mount
8, thereby switching the signal field by field. The light transmitted
through the lenses
5 is converted to an electric signal by the image sensing
device (CCD)
9, then subjected to camera signal processing by the camera
signal processor
10 and image signal processing by the recording signal
processor
11, and recorded in a recording medium (not shown). A recording
tape, disk, semiconductor memory may be used for the recording medium.
Furthermore, the image sensing apparatus according to the present embodiment
is constructed such that mounting of the 3-D compatible lens
1 to the image
sensing apparatus main body
12 is notified from the 3-D compatible lens
1 to the image sensing apparatus main body
12, and in response, the
image sensing apparatus main body
12 commands 3-D compatible display to
a display unit (FIG.
7).
FIG. 7 shows a construction of the main part of the interchangeable-lens-type
image sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown
in FIG.
1. The interchangeable-lens-type image sensing apparatus according
to the embodiment of the present invention comprises the camera signal processor
10, recording signal processor
11, a communication unit
71
(each of the connection terminals of the main-body-side mount
7 and lens-side
mount
8), a controller
72, and a display unit
73.
The camera signal processor
10 performs camera signal processing, which
will be described later, based on the control of the controller
72. The
recording signal processor
11 performs recording signal processing based
on the control of the controller
72. The communication unit
71 notifies
the image sensing apparatus main body when a 3-D compatible lens is mounted to
the main body. The controller
72 performs controlling such that the image
sensing apparatus main body alternately records left and right images field by
field, and that a frame is changed from an every-field structure to an alternate-field
structure. Also, the controller
72 performs controlling such that recording
is performed while correlating fields and reducing redundant data, when a normal
lens is mounted to the image sensing apparatus main body. The display unit
73
performs displaying when a 3-D compatible lens is mounted to the image sensing
apparatus main body based on the control of the controller
72.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a detailed construction of the camera signal
processor
10.
As shown in FIG. 6, the camera signal processor
10 comprises a switch
60,
noise reduction circuits
61a and
61b, field memories
62a and
62b, and compression circuits
63a
and
63b.
When it is detected that a normal lens such as that shown in FIG. 3 is mounted
to the image sensing apparatus main body
12, the switch
60 is switched
to contact a according to the control signal from the controller
72. On
the other hand, when it is detected that a 3-D compatible lens is mounted to the
image sensing apparatus main body
12, the switch
60 is alternately
switched between contacts a and b for each field in synchronization with the vertical
synchronizing signal
6 according to the control signal from the controller
72. In other words, the switch operation of the switch
60 is in synchronization
with switching operation of the movable mirror
4 of the 3-D interchangeable lens.
The noise reduction circuits
61a and
61b are cyclic-type
noise reduction-circuits provided respectively for reducing noise of image signals
outputted from the filed memories
62a and
62b and an
image signal outputted from the image sensing device
9.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing a structure of the mount unit (main-body-side
mount
7 and lens-side mount
8) of the interchangeable-lens-type image
sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown in
FIG.
1. The mount unit
14 comprises A, B, C, D, E and F connection
terminals
13. The power source terminal A supplies power from the image
sensing apparatus main body
12 to the 3-D compatible lens
1. The
vertical synchronizing signal terminal B serves as a terminal for a switch signal
of the movable mirror
4 or a chip select terminal for a microcomputer (not
shown) of the 3-D compatible lens
1. The clock terminal C serves as a terminal
useful for communication. The terminal D serves as a data line from the image sensing
apparatus main body
12 to the 3-D compatible lens
1. The terminal
E serves as a data line from the 3-D compatible lens
1 to the image sensing
apparatus main body
12. The terminal F serves as a ground terminal.
The aforementioned power source terminal A supplies power to a motor or microcomputer
of the 3-D compatible lens
1. It is assumed herein that communication is
performed in serial communication, and becomes an active state by a chip select
signal based on the VD signal
6. A serial clock signal is supplied from
the image sensing apparatus main body
12, and communication is performed
once every field in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal (VD)
6. Communication from the image sensing apparatus main body
12 to
the 3-D compatible lens
1 or communication from the 3-D compatible lens
1 to the image sensing apparatus main body
12 both include initial
communication and control communication.
In the initial communication immediately after a lens is mounted, focal length
information or information related to lens characteristics, e.g., a focus function,
zoom function, vibration isolation function, existence or absence of an ND filter
and so on, is generally sent from the lens
1 to the image sensing apparatus
main body
12. On the other hand, information identifying NTSC (National
Television System Committee) or PAL (Phase Alternating by Line), or initial data
for automatic focusing and so on is sent from the image sensing apparatus main
body
12 to the 3-D compatible lens
1.
In the control communication for image sensing operation, information related
to a current focal length, zooming direction, a value of an iris diaphragm, a value
of the ND filter and so on is generally sent from the lens
1 to the image
sensing apparatus main body
12. On the other hand, information related to
current automatic exposure (AE) data, automatic focus data, data instructing a
change in a value of focus, iris, or zoom and so on is sent from the image sensing
apparatus main body
12 to the lens
1.
Generally communication is performed after the VD signal
6 of each
field, and about 40 words are communicated in 1 to 2 msec. Information regarding
a normal lens or 3-D compatible lens
1 is communicated from the lens
1
to the image sensing apparatus main body
12 as one of the initial data.
FIG. 3 is a brief view of a normal lens, which is not a 3-D compatible lens,
according to the embodiment of the present invention. The normal lens does not
include left and right lenses or a movable mirror for switching light transmitted
through the lens. Furthermore, in the drawing, driving mechanisms such as focus,
iris or zoom functions are omitted. When a normal lens of this type is mounted,
initial communication and control communication are performed similarly to the
case of 3-D compatible lens
1.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart explaining operation processing of the controller
72.
In step S
1, it is detected whether or not a lens is mounted to the main-body-side
mount
7. When lens mount is detected, the control proceeds to step S
2
where initial communication is made with the mounted lens through the communication
unit
71 for obtaining aforementioned information about the lens.
In step S
3, determination is made as to whether or not the mounted lens
is the 3-D compatible lens
1 or a normal lens shown in FIG. 3 based on the
information obtained in the initial communication in step S
2. When it is
determined that the normal lens shown in FIG. 3 is mounted, the control proceeds
to step S
4 for executing normal image signal processing by the camera signal
processor
10. Meanwhile, when it is determined that the 3-D compatible lens
1 is mounted, the control proceeds to step S
5 for executing 3-D image
signal processing, which will be described later, by the camera signal processor
10.
FIG. 4 is a view showing field numbers of an image signal in the interchangeable-lens-type
image sensing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention shown
in FIG.
1. Processing of the camera signal processor
10 is described
with reference to FIG.
4. First, step S
4 in FIG. 5 is described.
When a normal lens is mounted, interlace scanning (a scanning method employed in
a raster-scan-type display) is performed in the combination of n
1 and n
2,
n
3 and n
4, and n
5 and n
6, and each combination constructs
one frame of image. Since the switch
60 (FIG. 6) is connected to the contact
a, the noise reduction circuit
61a performs noise reduction processing
by using an image signal of the n(k)th field outputted from the image sensing device
(CCD)
9 and an image signal of the n(k-1)th field (preceding field of n(k)th
field) outputted from the field memory
62a. The compression circuit
63a performs predictive coding among the fields and reduces redundant data.
An example of predictive coding is given for a case where a normal lens, not a
3-D compatible lens, is mounted.
- first frame: data for n1
- second frame: difference data between n2 and n1
- third frame: difference data between n3 and n1, n3
and n2, n3 and n5, and n3 and n6
- fourth frame: difference data between n4 and n1, n4
and n2, n4 and n5, and n4 and n6
- fifth frame: difference data between n5 and n1, and n5
and n2
- sixth frame: difference data between n6 and n2, and n6
and n5
Compression processing is performed in the foregoing manner.
Next, a description is provided on the processing of the camera signal processor
10 in a case where mounting of a 3-D compatible lens
1 is detected.
In the 3-D compatible lens
1, image data from the left and right lenses
is alternately inputted field by field to the image sensing device (CCD)
9.
As mentioned above, when mounting of a 3-D compatible lens
1 is detected,
the switch
60 is alternately switched between contacts a and b for each
field in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal
6. Therefore,
for instance, when image data inputted from the left lens is image data for odd-numbered
fields (n
1, n
3, n
5), the image data from the left lens is
processed by the noise reduction circuit
61a and compression circuit
63a. On the other hand, when image data inputted from the right lens
is image data for even-numbered fields (n
2, n
4, n
6), the image
data from the right lens is processed by the noise reduction circuit
61b
and compression circuit
63b.
More specifically, the noise reduction circuit
61a performs noise
reduction processing by using an image signal of the n(2k)th field outputted from
the image sensing device
9 and an image signal of the n(2k-2)th field outputted
from the field memory
62a. Meanwhile, the noise reduction circuit
61b performs noise reduction processing by using an image signal
of the n(2k+1)th field outputted from the image sensing device
9 and an
image signal of the n(2k-1)th field outputted from the field memory
62b.
An example of predictive coding is given below for a case where a 3-D compatible
lens
1 is mounted.
- first frame: data for n1
- second frame: data for n2
- third frame: difference data between n3 and n1, and n3
and n5
- fourth frame: difference data between n4 and n2, and n4
and n6
- fifth frame: difference data between n5 and n1
- sixth frame: difference data between n6 and n2
The processing for the first, third and fifth frames is performed by the compression
circuit
63a while processing for the second, fourth and sixth frames
is performed by the compression circuit
63b.
As described above, since data from the left lens and right lens is separately
subjected to compression processing, redundant data reduction can efficiently be performed.
As has been set forth above, according to the embodiment of the present invention,
the interchangeable-lens-type image sensing apparatus is constructed such that
the 3-D compatible lens
1 informs the image sensing apparatus main body
12 when a 3-D (stereoscopic) compatible lens is mounted. In response, the
image sensing apparatus main body
12 switches the image compression mode
from the every-field structure to the alternate-field structure. Accordingly, when
the 3-D compatible lens
1 is mounted to the image sensing apparatus main
body
12, left and right images can be processed appropriately as separate
images in alternate fields.
In other words, the embodiment of the present invention is effective in a way
that data from the left lens and data from the right lens can be processed separately
for the odd-numbered fields and even-numbered fields. Furthermore, the present
embodiment is effective in that processing can be performed while correlating fields
and reducing redundant data, when a normal lens is mounted to the image sensing
apparatus main body.
Furthermore, when mounting of the 3-D compatible lens
1 to the
image sensing apparatus main body
12 is communicated from the 3-D compatible
lens
1 to the image sensing apparatus main body
12, the image sensing
apparatus main body
12 commands the display unit
73 to perform 3-D
displaying. By virtue of this, an operator can easily distinguish a 3-D compatible
lens from a normal lens without misconception.
[Other Embodiments]
Although the above-described embodiment of the present invention provides
an example of an interchangeable-lens-type image sensing apparatus as a single
unit, the present invention is not limited to this. For instance, the present invention
is applicable to a system where an interchangeable-lens-type image sensing apparatus
is connected to a personal computer or the like.
Note in the above-described embodiment, the description has been provided assuming
that the scanning method employed by the CCD
9 is an interlace scanning
method. However, the present invention is applicable also to a progressive scanning
method where data for all pixels is read at once. In this case, the switch
60
of the camera signal processor
10 is switched for each frame.
The present invention can be applied to a system constituted by a plurality of
devices or to an apparatus comprising a single device. Further, the object of the
present invention can also be achieved by providing a storage medium storing program
codes of a software for realizing the aforesaid functions to a computer system
or apparatus, reading the program codes, by a CPU or MPU of the computer system
or apparatus, from the storage medium, then executing the program.
In this case, the program codes read from the storage medium realize the functions
according to the embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program codes constitutes
the invention. For providing the program codes, a storage medium, such as a floppy
disk, a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, CD-R, a magnetic
tape, a non-volatile type memory card, and ROM can be used, or downloading can
be performed.
Furthermore, besides aforesaid functions according to the above embodiment
are realized by executing the program codes which are read by a computer, the present
invention includes a case where an OS (operating system) or the like working on
the computer performs a part or the entire processes in accordance with designations
of the program codes and realizes functions according to the above embodiment.
Furthermore, the present invention also includes a case where, after
the program codes read from the storage medium are written in a function expansion
card which is inserted into the computer or in a memory provided in a function
expansion unit which is connected to the computer, CPU or the like contained in
the function expansion card or unit performs a part or the entire process in accordance
with designations of the program codes and realizes functions of the above embodiment.
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and various changes
and modifications can be made within the spirit and scope of the present invention.
Therefore, to apprise the public of the scope of the present invention, the following
claims are made.
*
