Image input apparatus with high-speed, high-quality still image successive capturing capability and still image successive capturing method using the same

• US 9,167,199 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Jeong, Young-hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): CUTLER, ALBERT H
• Application Number:
  US14/019,851
• Publication Number:
  US 20140009642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 348/231.6, 348/333.02, 348/333.05, 348/333.11, 348/231.9
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/9261 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

An apparatus and a method of successively capturing high quality image data at high speed are provided. The image input apparatus includes an image sensor for capturing image data from a subject; an image signal processor encoding the image data transmitted from the image sensor to produce digital image data; and a memory for storing the digital image data. The image signal processor decodes the digital image data according to an operating signal from a user and provides the user with the decoded digital image data. Therefore, the high quality image data can be obtained at high speed, and the lifespan of an external memory can be increased.

Claims

1. An image capturing apparatus comprising:

an internal memory;

an image sensor configured to capture still image data of a plurality of image frames, from a subject in a successive still image capturing mode;

an image processor configured to inter-frame encode the captured still image data of the plurality of image frames using a predetermined moving picture codec to generate digital image data, to decode the generated digital image data in order to produce a plurality of images, and to store the decoded generated digital image data in the internal memory; and

a display unit configured to display the plurality of images of the generated digital image data decoded by the image processor,

wherein, after a still image is selected from the displayed images of the generated digital image data, the image processor is configured to encode the selected still image using a predetermined still image codec prior to storing the selected still image in an external memory.

2. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the image processor stores the encoded digital image data or the decoded digital image data primarily in the internal memory.

3. The image capturing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the image processor stores the encoded digital image data or the decoded digital image data in the external memory if there is no storage space in the internal memory.

4. The image capturing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the external memory is a memory complying with a standard selected from the group consisting of standard definition (SD), Multimedia Card (MMC), Compact Flash (CF), mini standard definition (miniSD), Memory Stick (MS), xD-Picture, T-flash, and Micro Drive (MD).

5. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a successive capturing mode selection unit that is independently formed in order to select the successive capturing function.

6. The image capturing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the successive capturing mode selection unit is one of a jog dial, an independent button, and a user interface.

7. The image capturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the external memory comprises a flash memory, an optical storage device or a server which communicates with the image capturing apparatus via the Internet.

8. A method for capturing an image comprising:

capturing still image data of a plurality of image frames, from a subject in a successive still image capturing mode;

inter-frame encoding the captured still image data of the plurality of image frames using a predetermined moving picture codec to generate digital image data and storing the generated digital image data in an internal memory;

decoding the generated digital image data to produce a plurality of images;

displaying the plurality of images of the decoded digital image data; and

after a still image is selected from the displayed images of the digital image data, encoding the selected still image using a predetermined still image codec prior to storing the selected still image in an external memory.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing the encoded digital image data or the decoded digital image data primarily in the internal memory.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the encoded digital image data or the decoded digital image data in the external memory if there is no storage space in the internal memory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the external memory is a memory complying with a standard selected from the group consisting of standard definition (SD), Multimedia Card (MMC), Compact Flash (CF), mini standard definition (miniSD), Memory Stick (MS), xD-Picture, T-flash, and Micro Drive (MD).

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting a successive capturing function via a successive capturing mode selection unit that is independently formed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the successive capturing mode selection unit is one of a jog dial, an independent button, and a user interface.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the external memory comprises a flash memory, an optical storage device or a server which communicates with a portable image capturing apparatus via the Internet.