Patent ID: 8605170
Filing Date: 2013-12-10
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An imaging device, comprising: image signal acquisition means for acquiring an image signal in an electrical form by converting input image-bearing light into the image signal; data generation means for generating successively image data containing a still image by inputting successively the image signal corresponding to one still image unit; record control means for recording, on a recording medium, the image data of a predetermined number of units successively acquired during a first image capturing period prior to a timing of a shutter release operation and the image data of a predetermined number of units successively acquired during a second image capturing period subsequent to the timing of the shutter release operation; operation means for enabling a user to perform an operation to select a desired pixel count of pixels of the image data from among three different pixel counts, the image data containing a two-dimensional set of pixels, wherein an interval of successive imaging is changed based on the selected pixel count; pixel count setting control means for controlling setting of the pixel count so that the pixel count of the image data to be recorded by the record control means reaches the selected pixel count; capturing period control means for controlling, for a pixel count mode corresponding to the selected pixel count, setting of a length of the first image capturing period to be different than a length of the second image capturing period; data storage control means for storing, on a predetermined memory thereof, the image data of the predetermined number of units successively acquired during the first image capturing period prior to the timing of the shutter release operation at a first time and the image data of the predetermined number of units successively acquired during the second image capturing period subsequent to the timing of the shutter release operation at a second time different from the first time, wherein the data storage control means is for emptying the predetermined memory before the image data of the predetermined number of units successively acquired during the second image capturing period subsequent to the timing of the shutter release operation is stored on the predetermined memory at the second time, such that at the second time the image data of the predetermined number of units successively acquired during the first image capturing period prior to the timing of the shutter release operation is not on the predetermined memory, wherein the record control means (i) records onto the recording medium at a first recording timing the image data of the predetermined number of units successively acquired during the first image capturing period prior to the timing of the shutter release operation stored on the predetermined memory and (ii) records onto the recording medium at a second recording timing which is different from the first recording timing the image data of the predetermined number of units successively acquired during the second image capturing period subsequent to the timing of the shutter release operation stored on the predetermined memory.