Image capturing apparatus and method thereof

Abstract

An image capturing apparatus and an image capturing method. The apparatus captures and compresses a preview image, and judges an image complexity and determines a preview compressed setting value according to at least one of a set of factors consisting of a compressed setting, a resolution of the preview image and a size of a compressed preview image. Next, the apparatus captures a to-be-captured image, and determines an initial compressed setting value according to at least one of a set of factors consisting of the image complexity, and the resolution of the to-be-captured image and a compressed image target size, which is a new compressed initial value. Then, the apparatus compresses the image according to the initial compressed setting value to obtain a compressed image approaching a predetermined size or speed up a converging speed of an image compressing loop.

1 . An image capturing method, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) capturing a preview image;    (b) compressing the preview image into a compressed preview image;    (c) determining an image complexity according to at least one of a set of factors consisting of a compressed setting, a resolution of the preview image and a size of the compressed preview image;    (d) capturing a to-be-captured image;    (e) determining an initial compressed setting value according to at least one of a set of factors consisting of the image complexity, a resolution of the to-be-captured image and an image compression target; and    (f) compressing the to-be-captured image according to the initial compressed setting value.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises: 
 (b- 1 ) processing the preview image to obtain preview image data; and    (b- 2 ) compressing the preview image data to obtain the compressed preview image.    
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (e) comprises: 
 (e- 1 ) processing the to-be-captured image to obtain to-be-captured image data; and    (e- 2 ) determining the initial compressed setting value according to the set of factors consisting of the image complexity, the resolution of the to-be-captured image and the image compression target, and compressing the to-be-captured image data according to the initial compressed setting value to obtain an output image.    
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein step (e- 1 ) comprises: 
 (e- 1 - 1 ) converting the to-be-captured image into a plurality of to-be-captured image signals, which is temporarily stored; and    (e- 1 - 2 ) processing the temporarily stored to-be-captured image signals to obtain the to-be-captured image data.    
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 3 , wherein step (e- 1 ) comprises: 
 (e- 1 - 1 ′) converting the to-be-captured image into a to-be-captured image signal; and    (e- 1 - 2 ′) processing the to-be-captured image signal to obtain the to-be-captured image data, which is temporarily stored.    
   
   
       6 . An image capturing apparatus, comprising: 
 an image sensing unit for capturing a preview image and a to-be-captured image, and outputting a preview image signal and a to-be-captured image signal;    an image processing unit for processing the preview image signal and the to-be-captured image signal and outputting preview image data and to-be-captured image data;    an image compressing unit for compressing the preview image data and the to-be-captured image data; and    a control unit for controlling an image compressing operation of the image compressing unit and performing image analysis to determine a compressed setting, wherein:    the control unit controls the image compressing unit to compress the preview image data and output a compressed preview image, and determines an image complexity according to at least one of a set of factors consisting of the compressed setting, a resolution of the preview image and a size of the compressed preview image;    the control unit determines an initial compressed setting value according to at least one of a set of factors consisting of the image complexity, a resolution of the to-be-captured image and an image compression target; and    the control unit controls the image compressing unit to compress the to-be-captured image data according to the initial compressed setting value.    
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising an image storing unit for storing the to-be-captured image signal.