Patent ID: 8405735

Claim:
An imaging apparatus comprising: an imaging block configured to output an imaging result; a memory configured to store said imaging result outputted from said imaging block; an image recognition block configured to image-recognize said imaging result and output an image recognition result; and a control block configured to control an operation of each block; wherein said control block, in a standard operation mode, outputs said imaging result from said imaging block at a first field frequency or a first frame frequency to record said imaging result to a recording medium and, in a slow-motion taking mode, outputs said imaging result from said imaging block at a second field frequency or a second frame frequency higher than said first field frequency or said first frame frequency to sequentially cyclically store said imaging result to said memory, and on the basis of said image recognition result, ends storing of said imaging result into said memory with reference to a timing with which a particular pattern in said imaging result is detected in a predetermined sequence, and reads said imaging result stored in said memory at a third field frequency or a third frame frequency lower than said second field frequency or said second frame frequency to record said imaging result to said recording medium, wherein said control block detects said particular pattern in said imaging result by matching a pattern area in said imaging result with one or more predetermined pixel values stored in a dictionary, and wherein said control block selects said matching area of said imaging result and the one or more predetermined pixel values in said dictionary based on whether the slow-motion taking mode is a first user-selectable slow-motion taking mode or a second user-selectable slow-motion taking mode.