Apparatus and method for enhancing image quality of a mobile communication terminal

• US 20060146366A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 07/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Jang, Sung-Bong
• Application Number:
  US11/319,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20060146366A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.150
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/262 Studio circuits, e.g. for mixing, switching-over, change of character of image, other special effects ; Cameras specially adapted for the electronic generation of special effects

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided for enhancing image quality of a mobile communication terminal. The mobile communication terminal includes an image sensor that converts image data captured by a camera lens into first image data. The image sensor outputs the converted first image data. The mobile communication terminal also includes a graphic acceleration chip that converts the outputted first image data into second image data of an image suitable to be displayed on a preview screen. The mobile communication terminal further includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that converts the outputted first image data into second image data of an image suitable to be displayed on a video screen.

Claims

1. An apparatus for enhancing image quality of a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

an image sensor that converts image data into first image data;

a graphic acceleration chip that receives and converts the first image data into second image data of an image for display on a preview screen; and

a central processor that receives and converts the first image data into second image data of an image for display on a video screen.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the preview screen is a screen on which an image is displayed before a still image or a video image is captured.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphic acceleration chip processes still image data.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the graphic acceleration chip includes a memory that stores the processed still image data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the graphic acceleration chip controls the image sensor through an inter IC bus interface.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first image data is YUV image data and the second image data is RGB image data.

7. A method for enhancing image quality of a mobile communication, comprising:

converting image data captured by a camera lens into first image data and outputting the converted first image data; and

converting the outputted first image data into second image data of an image suitable for display on a preview screen through a graphic acceleration chip.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

initializing units to process the image data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the initializing said units comprises:

initializing the graphic acceleration chip;

initializing a I2C (Inter IC Bus) interface; and

initializing an image sensor.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the preview screen is a screen which is displayed before a still image or a video image is captured.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first image data is YUV image data and the second image data is RGB image data.

12. A graphic acceleration chip for enhancing image quality of a mobile communication terminal, said graphic acceleration chip being commonly housed in said mobile communication terminal with an image sensor and a central processor, said graphic acceleration chip receiving first image data from an image sensor that converts image data into the first image data, said graphic acceleration chip converting the received first image data into second image data of an image to be displayed on a preview screen and the central processor unit converting the first image data into second image data of an image to be displayed on a video screen.

13. The graphic acceleration chip of claim 12, wherein the preview screen is a screen on which an image is displayed before a still image or a video image is captured.

14. The graphic acceleration chip of claim 12, wherein the graphic acceleration chip processes still image data.

15. The graphic acceleration chip of claim 14, wherein the graphic acceleration chip includes a memory that stores the processed still image data.

16. The graphic acceleration chip of claim 12, wherein the graphic acceleration chip controls the image sensor through an inter IC bus interface.

17. The graphic acceleration chip of claim 12, wherein the first image data is YUV image data and the second image data is RGB image data.