Electronic still-video camera, and playback apparatus thereof being capable of storing image data when the storage capacity of a memory card is exceeded

Claim 1

An electronic still-video camera comprising: image pick-up means for picking up an image of a subject and outputting a video signal representing the image of the subject obtained; recording signal processing means for converting the video signal outputted by said image pick-up means into digital image data suited for storage in a memory device, and for compressing the digital image data; buffer memory means, used in the recording signal processing by said recording signal processing means, for temporarily storing the image data; an internal memory for storing the compressed image data; a connector for loading and unloading a memory cartridge at will, said memory cartridge incorporating an external memory for storing the compressed image data; a shutter-release button; mode selecting means for selecting one of recording, copy and copy-all modes; memory selecting means for selecting one of the internal memory and the external memory; frame number designating means for designating a frame number to be transferred; transfer direction designating means for designating one of a first transfer direction from the internal memory to the external memory and a second transfer direction from the external memory to the internal memory; transfer triggering means for instructing the start of transfer of the image data; recording control means, in response to a signal from said shutter-release button when the recording mode is selected by said mode selecting means, for writing the compressed image data outputted by said recording signal processing means in the selected one of the internal memory and the external memory selected by said memory selecting means; first transfer means, in response to a signal from said transfer triggering means when the copy mode is selected by said mode selecting means, for transferring one frame of the compressed image data having the frame number designated by said frame number designating means in the one of the first and second transfer directions designated by said transfer direction designating means; and second transfer means, in response to a signal from said transfer triggering means when the copy-all mode is selected by said mode selecting means, for transferring all compressed image data in the one of the first and second transfer directions designated by said transfer direction designating means.