Image processing apparatus and method and computer readable memory storing the method

• US 6,426,771 B1
• Filed: 07/21/1997
• Issued: 07/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kosugi, Masato
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/897,551
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231, 348/232, 348/233, 348/390, 348/391, 348/396, 348/399, 348/405, 358/530, 345/530, 345/545, 345/546, 345/547, 345/549, 345/555, 386/1, 386/33, 386/34, 386/38, 386/109, 386/117, 707/100, 707/101, 707/200
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/77 between a recording apparatus and a television camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/85 on discs or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation

Abstract

A color image signal input from a CCD or the like is processed to generate a color image signal containing a color subimage portion or a monochrome image signal containing a monochrome subimage portion and to record the image signals directly or after the image signals are JPEG compressed. For JPEG color recording, a color image signal supplied from a CCD and A/D converter is input to a selector, and to a 10/16 converting circuit and a first FIFO, and thereafter a color image and its color subimage are generated by a video processing circuit and compressed by a JPEG circuit, and output from a second FIFO and bus I/F to be recorded. For JPEG monochrome recording, an input color image signal is supplied to the 10/16 converting circuit and clamp circuit, multiplied at the first FIFO by a predetermined coefficient to generate a monochrome image containing a subimage. For RAW color or monochrome recording, JPEG compression is not performed.

Claims

1. An image processing method comprising:

an input step of inputting an image signal;

a selecting step of selecting a precessing method of said image signal input in said input step, said selecting step selecting one of at least a first image processing step of obtaining a color image signal and a second image processing step of obtaining a monochrome image signal; and

a compressing step of compressing said image signal input in said input step according to the image processing step selected at said selecting step, said compressing step compressing said image signal using a JPEG method and being able to perform compression with a quantization table all data of which are set to one.

2. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein said compressing step compresses said image signal by setting all the data of the quantization table to one, when the second image reprocessing step is selected in said selecting step.

3. An image processing method according to claim 1, wherein the input image signal is an image signal supplied from image pickup means for picking up a subject image.

4. An image processing method according to claim 3, wherein said image pickup means includes a CCD device with a color filter disposed at each pixel.

5. An image processing method according to claim 1, further comprising a generating step of generating a color subimage signal from the color image signal when said selection step selects said first image processing step, and generating a monochrome subimage signal from the monochrome image signal when said selecting step selects said second image processing step.

6. An image processing method according to claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

selecting either the input image signal or the image signal compressed by said compressing step; and

selectively setting either a first mode or a second mode, the first mode outputting the compressed image signal and the subimage signal and the second mode outputting the input image signal and the subimage signal.

7. An image processing method according to claim 6, further comprising the step of recording each image signal output during the first or second mode in a recording medium.

8. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

preparing a plurality of image processing steps each processing an input image signal, said input image signal being a color image signal;

selecting one of the plurality of image processing steps, the plurality of image processing steps including a first image processing step for obtaining a color image signal and a second image processing step for obtaining a monochrome image signal;

compressing an image signal compressed by the image processing step selected at said selecting step;

controlling a compression factor used at said compressing step in accordance with a selection by said selecting step;

generating a color subimage signal from the color image signal or a monochrome subimage signal from the monochrome image signal, in accordance with a selection by said selecting step;

selecting either the input image signal or the image signal compressed by said compressing step; and

selecting setting either a first mode or a second mode, the first mode outputting the compressed image signal and the subimage signal and the second mode outputting the input image signal and the subimage signal.

9. An image processing method comprising the steps of:

preparing a plurality of image processing steps each processing an input image signal, said input image signal being a color image signal;

selecting one of the plurality of image processing steps, the plurality of image processing steps including a first image processing step for obtaining a color image signal and a second image processing step for obtaining a monochrome image signal;

compressing an image signal compressed by the processing step selected at said selecting step;

controlling a compression factor used at said compressing step in accordance with a selection by said selecting step;

generating a color subimage signal from the color image signal or a monochrome subimage signal from the monochrome image signal, in accordance with a selection by selecting step;

selecting either the input image signal or the compressed by said compressing step; and

selectively setting either a first or a second mode, the first mode outputting the compressed image signal and the subimage signal and the second mode outputting the input image signal and the subimage signal; and

recording each image signal output during the first or second mode on a recording medium.

10. An image processing apparatus comprising:

preparing means for preparing a plurality of image processing steps each processing an input image signal, said input image signal being a color image signal;

selecting means for selecting one of the plurality image processing steps, the plurality of image processing steps, including a first image processing step for obtaining a color image signal and a second image processing step for obtaining a monochrome image signal;

compressing means for processed by an image signal processed by the image processing step selected by said selecting means;

control means for controlling a compression factor used by said compressing means in accordance with a selection by said selecting means;

generating means for generating a color subimage signal from the color image signal or a monochrome subimage signal from the monochrome image signal, in accordance with a selection by said selecting means;

means for selecting either the input image signal or the image signal compressed by said compressing means; and

setting means selectively setting either a first mode or a second mode, the first mode outputting the compressed image signal and the subimage signal and the second mode outputting the input image signal and the subimage signal.

11. An image processing apparatus comprising:

preparing means for preparing a plurality of image processing steps each processing an input image signal, said input image signal being a color image signal;

selecting means for selecting one of the plurality of image processing steps, the plurality of image processing steps including a first image processing step for obtaining a color image signal and a second image processing step for obtaining a monochrome image signal;

compressing means for compressing an image signal processed by the image processing step selected by said selecting means;

controlling means for controlling a compression or used by said compressing means in accordance with a selection by said selecting means;

generating means for generating a color subimage signal from the color image signal or a monochrome subimage signal from the monochrome image signal, in accordance with a selection by said selecting means;

means for selecting either the input image signal or the image signal compressed by said compressing means;

setting means for selectively setting either a first mode or a second mode, the first mode outputting the compressed image signal and the subimage signal and the second mode outputting the input image signal and the subimage signal; and

recording means for recording each image signal output during the first or second mode on a recording medium.

12. An image processing apparatus comprising:

input means for Inputting an image signal;

selecting means for selecting a processing method of said image signal input by said input means, said selecting means for selecting one of at least a first image processing step of obtaining a color image signal and a second image processing step of obtaining a monochrome image signal; and

compressing means for compressing said image signal input by said input means according to the image signal input by said input means according to the image processing step selected by said selecting means, said compressing means for compressing said image signal using a JPEG method, wherein said compressing means can perform compression with a quantization table, all data of which are set to one.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said compressing means compresses said image signal by setting all the data of the quantization table to one, when the second image processing step is selected by said selecting means.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the input image signal is an image signal supplied from image pickup means for picking up a subject image.

15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein said pickup means includes a CCD device with a color filter disposed at each pixel.

16. An apparatus according to claim 12, further comprising generating means for generating a color subimage signal from the color image signal when said selecting means selects said first image processing step, and generating a monochrome subimage signal from the monochrome image signal when said selecting means selects said second image processing step.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for selecting either the input image signal or the image signal compressed by said compressing means; and

setting means for selectively setting either a first mode or a second mode, the first mode outputting the compressed image signal and the subimage signal and the second mode outputting the input image signal and the subimage signal.

18. An apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising recording means for recording each image signal output during the first or second mode on a recording medium.