METHOD FOR PROCESSING IMAGE AND PORTABLE TERMINAL HAVING CAMERA THEREOF

• US 20100271500A1
• Filed: 11/20/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Original Assignee: LG Electronics, Inc. (LG Corporation)
• Inventors: Byun, Seong Chan, Ryu, In Kyung, Choi, Kyoo Sung, PARK, Woon Ki, Kim, Sang Won
• Granted Patent: US 8,264,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2141 in a multi-frame buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/212 Selecting different recording or reproducing modes, e.g. high or low resolution, field or frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/64 Computer-aided capture of images, e.g. transfer from script file into camera, check of taken image quality, advice or proposal for image composition or decision on when to take image

Abstract

Disclosed is an apparatus and method for processing image data in a portable terminal including obtaining a first image having a first resolution for display from an image obtaining unit of the portable terminal, receiving a semi-shutter signal during display of the first image on a display unit of the portable terminal, obtaining a second image having a second resolution from the image obtaining unit in response to the semi-shutter signal prior to receiving a full-shutter signal, and capturing a still image from the second image when the full-shutter signal is received.

Claims

1. A method for processing image data in a portable terminal, the method comprising:

obtaining a first image having a first resolution for display from an image obtaining unit of the portable terminal;

receiving a semi-shutter signal during display of the first image on a display unit of the portable terminal;

obtaining a second image having a second resolution from the image obtaining unit in response to the semi-shutter signal prior to receiving a full-shutter signal; and

capturing a still image from the second image when the full-shutter signal is received.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second resolution is greater than the first resolution.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second images are a series of buffered images.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting an encoding parameter on the second image in response to the semi-shutter signal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising obtaining a third image having a same resolution as that of the first image by re-sizing the second image, and displaying the third image on the display unit.

6. The method of the claim 1, wherein the capturing of a still image from the second image comprises:

transmitting a re-sync signal to the image obtaining unit once the full-shutter signal is received;

re-syncing the image obtaining unit in response to the re-sync signal; and

obtaining the still image from the re-synced image obtaining unit.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting a taking mode of the still image; and

determining the second resolution based on the selected taking mode.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the selecting of a taking mode of the still image comprises using a jog wheel of the portable terminal to select the taking mode of the still image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing an encoded second image which is generated in response to the semi-shutter signal, and generating a preview image for the second image.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a preset fourth image on the display unit while the first resolution is changed to the second resolution in the image obtaining unit in response to the semi-shutter signal.

11. A portable terminal, comprising:

a camera which includes an image obtaining unit to obtain a first image having a first resolution and a second image having a second resolution;

a shutter which selectively generates a semi-shutter signal and a full-shutter signal;

a display unit which displays the first image; and

a controller which controls display of the first image on the display unit when the camera is activated, and controls the image obtaining unit to obtain the second image when the semi-shutter signal is generated from the shutter during the display of the first image on the display unit and prior to generation of the full-shutter signal.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the second resolution is greater than the first resolution.

13. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the first and second images are a series of buffered images.

14. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller controls to set up an encoding parameter on the second image in response to the semi-shutter signal.

15. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller controls to obtain a third image having a same resolution as that of the first image by re-sizing the second image, and to display the third image on the display unit.

16. The portable terminal of claim 11, further comprising a memory, wherein the controller controls to capture a still image from the second image and to store the still image in the memory when the full-shutter signal is received.

17. The portable terminal of claim 11, further comprising a memory, wherein the controller controls to re-sync the image obtaining unit by transmitting a re-sync signal to the image obtaining unit, and to capture the still image from the second image to store the still image in the memory.

18. The portable terminal of claim 17, further comprising a memory, wherein the controller controls to display a preset forth image which is stored in the memory on the display unit while the first resolution is changed to the second resolution in the image obtaining unit in response to the semi-shutter signal.

19. The portable terminal of the claim 17, further comprising a memory, wherein the controller controls to store an encoded second image which is generated in response to the semi-shutter signal, to generate a preview image from the second image, and to display the preview image on the display unit.

20. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller determines the second resolution based on a selected taking mode, when the selected taking mode of the still image is determined.

21. The portable terminal of claim 20, further comprising a jog wheel used to select the taking mode of the still image.