Abstract:
A data recording apparatus can be attached thereto with a recording medium having a first communication part and a second communication part. The data recording apparatus comprises a third communication part adapted to communicate with the first communication part, and a fourth communication part adapted to communicate with the second communication part. The data recording apparatus takes control to stop communication of the fourth communication part with the second communication part if the third communication part can communicate with the first communication part in a case where the detection part detects the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a data recording apparatus that performs communication in a plurality of different communication modes and a method for controlling the same, and a data recording medium that performs communication in a plurality of different communication modes and a method for controlling the same. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    As a method for performing contactless communication between a data recording apparatus and an IC card, there is known a method for performing communication between a data recording apparatus and an IC card by supplying power from the data recording apparatus to the IC card through electromagnetic induction, and transmits a carrier to the IC card from the data recording apparatus with the carrier modulated. This contactless type IC card has excellent convenience in that the IC card is not in physical contact with the data recording apparatus during the reading and writing of IC card data, unlike a contact type IC card. 
         [0005]    However, the contactless type IC card is not suited to applications with large power consumption and has problems, such as being affected by electromagnetic wave noises. 
         [0006]    Therefore, a hybrid IC card comprising two types of communication parts, a contactless communication part and a contact communication part, has been considered. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2003-036428 proposes a technique of selecting the optimal communication part among the contactless communication part and the contact communication part according to the environment of use and the application to suitably utilize the characteristics of the communication parts of a hybrid IC card. Also, in recent years, in addition to such hybrid IC cards, cellular phones and digital cameras having a contactless communication part, and the like have also been considered. 
         [0007]      FIG. 6A  is a view which is useful in explaining a conventional hybrid IC card. 
         [0008]    In  FIG. 6A , a hybrid IC card  200  has a contact communication part  201  for performing contact communication, and a contactless communication part  202  for performing contactless communication. 
         [0009]    Here, the contact communication refers to transmitting and receiving data with apparatuses being in contact with each other. Examples of the contact communication include, for example, communication between a digital camera and the so-called memory card, such as an SD card. A general digital camera has a terminal for communicating with a memory card, and performs communication by the terminal of the memory card being in contact with the terminal of the digital camera. 
         [0010]    On the other hand, the contactless communication refers to transmitting and receiving data without apparatuses being in contact with each other (at a relatively short communication distance in various kinds of wireless communication). For example, the communication distance of contactless communication is several cm to ten-odd cm and is shorter than that of short-range wireless communication, such as Bluetooth with a communication distance of about 10 m. Examples of the contactless communication include, for example, communication using an induction electric field caused by apparatuses coming closer to each other, and communication using radio waves. 
         [0011]      FIG. 6B  is a view showing a case in which the hybrid IC card  200  is mounted in a digital video camera. 
         [0012]    In  FIG. 6B , it is assumed that a digital video camera (hereinafter simply abbreviated as “the DVC”)  100  comprises a contactless communication part  107  for performing contactless communication, and a contact communication part  105  for performing contact communication. 
         [0013]    When the hybrid IC card (hereinafter simply abbreviated as “the IC card”)  200  is mounted in the DVC  100 , communication can be performed between the contact communication part  105  of the DVC  100  and the contact communication part  201  of the IC card  200 . In this case, the contactless communication part  107  of the DVC  100  and the contactless communication part  202  of the IC card  200  are likely to be located within a communication range, which enables the DVC  100  and the IC card  200  to also communicate with each other by contactless communication. 
         [0014]    Therefore, it is preferable to make it possible to set, when the DVC  100  communicates with the IC card  200 , which of contact communication and contactless communication is used. 
         [0015]    For example, when the IC card  200  is mounted in the DVC  100 , the contactless communication does not need to be performed, thereby making it possible to invalidate communication between the contactless communication part  202  and the contactless communication part  107 , which provides, however, the following problems. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 6C , with the IC card  200  being mounted in the DVC  100 , the contactless communication part  107  of the DVC  100  can perform contactless communication with a hybrid IC card  300  different from the IC card  200  via a contactless communication part  302 . However, in such a case, invalidating the contactless communication part  107  of the DVC  100 , due to the fact that the IC card  200  being mounted in the DVC  100  is detected, makes it impossible to perform contactless communication between the DVC  100  and the hybrid IC card  300 . 
         [0017]    On the contrary, always validating the contactless communication part  107  may decrease the quality of communication between the contactless communication part  107  and the contactless communication part  302 , due to the interference of radio waves generated by the contactless communication part  202  with the hybrid IC card  300 . 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0018]    The present invention provides a data recording apparatus that can suitably perform communication with a data recording medium via a plurality of communication parts and a method for controlling the same, and a data recording medium that can suitably perform communication with a data recording apparatus via a communication parts and a method for controlling the same. 
         [0019]    According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided with a data recording apparatus to which a data recording medium having a first communication part and a second communication part can be attached, comprising a third communication part adapted to communicate with the first communication part, and a fourth communication part adapted to communicate with the second communication part, the data recording apparatus comprising: a detection part adapted to detect the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus; and a control part adapted to take control to stop communication of the fourth communication part with the second communication part if the third communication part can communicate with the first communication part in a case where the detection part detects the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus. 
         [0020]    According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided a data recording medium comprising a first communication part and a second communication part, and being able to be attached to a data recording apparatus, wherein the data recording apparatus comprising a third communication part adapted to communicate with the first communication part, and a fourth communication part adapted to communicate with the second communication part, the data recording medium comprising: a detection part adapted to detect the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus; and a control part adapted to take control to stop communication of the second communication part with the fourth communication part if the first communication part can communicate with the third communication part in a case where the detection part detects the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus. 
         [0021]    As a third aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for controlling a data recording apparatus to which a data recording medium having a first communication part and a second communication part can be attach, comprising a third communication part adapted to communicate with the first communication part, and a fourth communication part adapted to communicate with the second communication part, the method comprising the steps of: detecting the data recording medium being mounted in the data recording apparatus; and taking control to stop communication of the fourth communication part with the second communication part when the third communication part can communicate with the first communication part in a case where the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus is detected at the detection step. 
         [0022]    As a fourth aspect of the invention, there is provided a method of controlling a data recording medium comprising a first communication part and a second communication part, and being able to be attached to a data recording apparatus comprising a third communication part adapted to communicate with the first communication part, and a fourth communication part adapted to communicate with the second communication part, the method comprising the step of: detecting the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus; and taking control to stop communication of the second communication part with the fourth communication part if the first communication part can communicate with the third communication part in a case where the data recording medium being attached to the data recording apparatus is detected at the detection step. 
         [0023]    Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0024]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram which is useful in explaining a data recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and a data recording medium that can be attached to or detached from the data recording apparatus. 
           [0025]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing a communication mode selecting process carried out by the data recording apparatus in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0026]      FIG. 3  is a conceptual view showing a communication state between the data recording apparatus and the data recording medium in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0027]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram which is useful in explaining a data recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and a data recording medium that can be attached to or detached from the data recording apparatus. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing a communication mode selecting process carried out by the data recording medium in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 6A  is a view useful in explaining a conventional hybrid IC card,  FIG. 6B  is a view showing a case where the hybrid IC card  200  is mounted in a digital video camera, and  FIG. 6C  is a view showing a case where with the hybrid IC card  200  being mounted in the DVC  100 , the contactless communication part  107  of the DVC  100  performs contactless communication with the hybrid IC card  300  different from the hybrid IC card  200  via the contactless communication part  302 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0030]    The invention will now be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings showing preferred embodiment thereof. 
         [0031]      FIG. 1  is a block diagram which is useful in explaining a data recording apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention, and a recording medium that can be attached to or detached from the data recording apparatus. 
         [0032]    In this embodiment, the data recording apparatus comprises a digital video camera (hereinafter simply abbreviated as “the DVC”)  100 , and the recording medium comprises a hybrid IC card (hereinafter simply abbreviated as “the IC card”)  200 . 
         [0033]    In  FIG. 1 , the DVC  100  and the IC card  200  can transmit or receive data with each other via two types of communication parts, contact communication parts and contactless communication parts. 
         [0034]      FIG. 1  shows a state in which the IC card  200  is mounted in the DVC  100 . A contact communication part  105  and a contact communication part  201  are in contact with each other so as to communicate with each other. Also, it is assumed that a contactless communication part  107  and a contactless communication part  202  are located within a communication range. The DVC  100  is largely comprised of a control mechanism, a shooting mechanism, and a recording mechanism. 
         [0035]    The control mechanism has a system control part  104  which controls the entire system, and this system control part  104  is comprised of a CPU, a ROM, and the like. In  FIG. 1 , a system bus  108  is used as a path for control signals output from the system control part  104 , control signals between respective nodes, and data. 
         [0036]    The shooting mechanism is comprised of a lens  101 , a sensor  102 , an image processing part  103 , and the like. An image condensed by the lens  101  is photoelectrically converted by the sensor  102  and coded to digital image data by the image processing part  103 . 
         [0037]    The recording mechanism is comprised of the contact communication part  105 , the contactless communication part  107 , and a card mounting detecting part  106 , and the like. 
         [0038]    The system control part  104  selects which of the contact communication and the contactless communication is used to record the coded digital image data in the IC card  200 . 
         [0039]    When the system control part  104  selects the contactless communication, the coded digital image data is recorded in the IC card  200  via the system bus  108  and the contactless communication part  107 . 
         [0040]    When the system control part  104  selects the contact communication, the coded digital image data is recorded in the IC card  200  via the system bus  108  and the contact communication part  105 . 
         [0041]    The DVC  100  comprises, in addition, a display part  109  used for the user to check reproduced images and the state of the system, and an operation part for performing the operation, and the like. 
         [0042]    The IC card  200  comprises the contact communication part  201 , the contactless communication part  202 , and a communication mode selecting part  203  used for the user to select which of the contact communication and the contactless communication to be used. 
         [0043]    Also, the IC card  200  comprises a card control part  204  for controlling the system of the IC card  200 , a memory  206  as a storage element, and a memory interface  205  as an interface between the memory  206  and the card control part  204 . 
         [0044]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart showing a communication mode selecting process carried out by the data recording apparatus in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0045]    This process is carried out under the control of the system control part  104  of the DVC  100  in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0046]    In  FIG. 2 , when the card mounting detecting part  106  detects the IC card  200  being mounted (YES in a step S 2001 ), the DVC  100  determines whether or not a mount processing is completed that analyzes the file structure of the IC card  200  to realize a readable and writable state (a step S 2002 ). 
         [0047]    When the mount processing is not completed (NO in the step S 2002 ), the DVC  100  obtains data on the IC card  200  from the IC card  200  currently mounted, and decides the type of the IC card  200  to determine whether or not the IC card  200  has the contactless communication part (a step S 2003 ). When the IC card  200  has the contactless communication part, the program proceeds to a step S 2004 , whereas when the IC card  200  does not have the contactless communication part, the program proceeds to a step S 2006 . The IC card  200  in  FIG. 1  has the contactless communication part  202 , so that the program proceeds to the step S 2004 . 
         [0048]    Moreover, an IC card that is determined as not having the contactless communication part in the step S 2003  includes not only an IC card having only a contact communication part, but also an IC card having a wireless communication part, e.g. a wireless LAN, other than the contactless communication, because it is considered to be general that an IC card which is larger in a communication range than contactless communication generally communicates with an external apparatus (for example, a personal computer or a server apparatus) other than the DVC. 
         [0049]    As a result of the determination in the step S 2003 , when the mounted IC card  200  has the contactless communication part, the DVC  100  transmits a request for invalidating the contactless communication with the IC card via the respective contact communication parts on a side of the main body (DVC) and a side of the IC card (a step S 2004 ). The IC card terminates, on receiving this request, the contactless communication part  202  on a side of the IC card from operating to invalidate an access from external equipment. 
         [0050]    When the DVC  100  receives a response from the IC card that the contactless communication part  202  ceases to function (YES in a step S 2005 ), the DVC  100  carries out the mounting process (the step S 2006 ) and displays in the display part  109  a notice indicating that the image data recording preparation is completed (a step S 2007 ), followed by terminating the program. 
         [0051]    According to such a manner, it becomes possible to realize communication between the contact communication part  105  and the contact communication part  201 , whereas it becomes impossible to realize communication between the contactless communication part  107  and the contactless communication part  202 . Therefore, the DVC  100  can communicate with another apparatus different from the IC card  200 , using the contactless communication part  107 . 
         [0052]    As a result of the determination in the step S 2002 , when the mounting process is completed, the program proceeds to the step S 2007 . When the card mounting is not detected in the step S 2001 , it is determined whether or not the contactless communication is available (a step S 2008 ). 
         [0053]    When the contactless communication is available (YES in the step S 2008 ), it is determined whether or not the mounting process is completed (a step S 2009 ). This is for determining whether or not the mounting process is performed in the contactless communication part  202 , as is distinct from the step S 2002 . 
         [0054]    As a result of the determination in the step S 2009 , when the mounting process is not yet completed, the mounting process is performed so that the contactless communication part  107  and the contactless communication part  202  can exchange data therebetween (a step S 2010 ), followed by the program proceeding to the step S 2007 . 
         [0055]    As a result of the determination in the step S 2008 , when contactless communication is not available, it is determined whether or not an unmounting process is completed that records the unrecorded data in the card and closing the file (a step S 2011 ). 
         [0056]    As a result of the determination in the step S 2011 , when the unmounting processing is not available, the DVC  100  carries out the unmounting process (a step S 2012 ), and displays in the display part  109  a notice indicating the image data recording being impossible (a step S 2013 ), followed by terminating the program. 
         [0057]      FIG. 3  is a conceptual view showing a communication state between the data recording apparatus and the data recording medium in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0058]    The DVC  100  has mounted therein the IC card  200 , so that the contactless communication part  202  in the IC card  200  ceases to function. The DVC  100  and the IC card  200  perform communication via the contact communication part  201  and the contact communication part  105 . 
         [0059]    Here, when an IC card  300  is brought near the DVC  100 , the DVC  100  can communicate with the IC card  300  (a contactless communication part  302 ) via the contactless communication part  202 . 
         [0060]    At this time, the contactless communication part  202  of the IC card  200  ceases to function, which reduces the possibility that the contactless communication between the DVC  100  and the IC card  300  is subjected to radio wave interference from the contactless communication part  202  of the IC card  200  can be lowered. 
         [0061]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram which is useful in explaining a data recording apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and a data recording medium that can be attached to or detached from the data recording apparatus. 
         [0062]    The data recording apparatus and the data recording medium in this embodiment are basically the same as the DVC  100  and the IC card  200  in  FIG. 1 , respectively. 
         [0063]    In the first embodiment of the present invention, the card mounting detecting part  106  is provided on a side of the DVC  100 , whereas in this embodiment, a card mounting detecting part  207  is provided on a side of the IC card  200 . 
         [0064]      FIG. 5  is a flowchart showing a communication mode selecting process carried out by the data recording medium in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0065]    The processing is carried out under the control of the card control part  204  of the IC card  200  in  FIG. 4 . 
         [0066]    In  FIG. 5 , the IC card  200  determines whether or not the IC card  200  being mounted in the DVC  100  is detected by the card mounting detecting part  207  (a step S 5001 ). When the IC card  200  being mounted in the DVC  100  is detected, it is determined whether or not the contact communication is started (a step S 5002 ). When the contact communication is not started, the program is terminated. 
         [0067]    As a result of the determination in the step S 5002 , when communication by the contact communication part  202  is started, it is determined whether or not the contactless communication part  202  is validated to be operable (a step S 5003 ). When the communication by the contactless communication part  202  is validated, the IC card  200  terminates the contactless communication part  202  from operating, to stop communication with external equipment (steps S 5004  and S 5005 ), followed by terminating the program. 
         [0068]    As a result of the determination in the step S 5001 , when the card mounting is not detected, a process for starting communication by the contactless communication part  202  is started. 
         [0069]    In other words, it is determined whether or not the contactless communication part  202  is validated to be operable (a step S 5006 ). When the communication by the contactless communication part  202  is validated, the IC card  202  continues the contactless communication (a step S 5007 ). 
         [0070]    As a result of the determination in the step S 5006 , when the communication by the contactless communication part is not validated, it is determined whether or not the contactless communication is available (a step S 5008 ). When the contactless communication is available, the communication of the contactless communication part  202  is started (steps S 5009  and S 5010 ), followed by terminating the program. 
         [0071]    While the present invention has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. The scope of the following claims is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to encompass all modifications, equivalent structures and functions. 
         [0072]    This application claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2008-150811, filed Jun. 9, 2008, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.