KR20060037547A - Mobile communication terminal with camera function and image storage method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal and a method of storing an image using the same, which has a camera function capable of maximally securing a space for storing captured or photographed image data using a RAM area of a mobile communication terminal.

An image storing method of a mobile communication terminal with a camera function according to the present invention is a method of storing an image of a mobile communication terminal with a camera function including a first memory unit which is a volatile memory and a second memory unit which is a nonvolatile memory. Photographing an image of a subject, determining whether a free storage area of the second memory unit exists, and if a free storage area of the second memory unit does not exist, among the data variable areas of the first memory unit; Searching whether the available buffer area exists, changing the available buffer area to an image storage mode when the available buffer area exists in the first memory unit, and converting image data into the available buffer area. Characterized in that it comprises a step of storing.

Camera, memory, buffer

Description

Mobile communication terminal with camera function and image saving method using the same {Mobile telecommunication with camera and method for image saving using the same}

1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication terminal with a camera function for implementing an image storage method according to the present invention.

2 is a flowchart illustrating an image storing method in a mobile communication terminal with a camera function according to the present invention.

Description of the main parts of the drawing

101: terminal control unit 102: image sensor

103: luminance-color difference signal conversion unit 104: first memory unit

105: second memory unit 106: available buffer search module

107: buffer release module 108: display window

109: user interface

The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal with a camera function and an image storage method using the same, and more particularly, to maximize the space for storing captured or photographed image data by utilizing a RAM area of the mobile communication terminal. The present invention relates to a mobile communication terminal to which a camera function is added and an image storing method using the same.

Due to the development of the telecommunications industry and the rapid expansion of mobile communication services, many people are carrying mobile communication terminals, and in order to meet the various needs of users to improve their functions, play music files, use of wireless Internet, and electronics in addition to mobile wireless telecommunication functions. Functions such as mail are added to mobile communication terminals. Recently, a mobile communication terminal equipped with a digital camera has been released to capture a specific subject or video and store it in the terminal. The photographed or photographed information may be wirelessly transmitted to other mobile communication terminals, and may be connected to a computer and output to a computer screen and stored in a computer. As a technique related to a mobile communication terminal having such a camera function, there is a method of transmitting a captured image from a camera phone described in Korean Patent Application No. 1999-60177.

On the other hand, in the mobile communication terminal to which the camera function is added, a brief description will be given of the processing of an image input through imaging or photographing. First, when an image of a subject is input through a lens by a user's imaging or capturing operation, the image is transferred to a charge coupled device (CCD) or a CMOS image sensor (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). At this time, the input image signal is an analog signal, and the analog signal is converted into a digital signal having brightness and color values of red, green, and blue, that is, a luminance-color difference signal. The luminance-color difference signal is finally converted into an RGB signal under the control of the terminal controller of the mobile communication terminal and stored in a flash memory which is a storage means of the terminal, that is, a non-volatile memory. Here, the flash memory is provided separately from a random access memory (RAM) provided in a general mobile communication terminal, and is configured to be detachable from a memory card slot provided on one side of the mobile communication terminal. The captured or photographed image data is not stored in a RAM provided in the conventional mobile communication terminal.

In a mobile communication terminal to which a conventional camera function is added, image information, etc. of a photographed or photographed subject is finally stored in a flash memory or the like which is a nonvolatile memory after a predetermined processing process. However, since the flash memory has a limited storage space, only the image data having a limited capacity is stored. As a result, when there is insufficient storage space in the flash memory or the like, the inconvenience of deleting previously stored image data or storing it in another storage means such as a hard disk of a computer is accompanied.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, a mobile communication terminal with a camera function to maximize the space for storing the image data taken or photographed by utilizing the RAM area of the mobile communication terminal and The purpose is to provide an image storage method using the same.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of storing an image in a mobile communication terminal having a camera function. The mobile communication terminal includes a camera function including a first memory unit that is a volatile memory and a second memory unit that is a nonvolatile memory. An image storage method of a terminal, the method comprising: photographing an image of a subject, determining whether an extra storage area of the second memory unit exists, and if the extra storage area of the second memory unit does not exist, Searching whether there is an available buffer area among the data variable areas of the first memory unit; changing the available buffer area to an image storage mode when the available buffer area exists in the first memory unit; Storing image data in an available buffer region. It is done.

Preferably, the step of changing the available buffer area to the image storage mode includes determining whether the corresponding available buffer area is in use, and if the data present in the available buffer area can be deleted if in use. Determining the data, and if possible to delete the data in the available buffer area to change to the image storage mode.

The mobile communication terminal with a camera function according to the present invention is a mobile communication terminal with a camera function comprising a first memory unit which is a volatile memory and a second memory unit which is a nonvolatile memory, and the overall operation of the mobile communication terminal. A terminal control unit for controlling performance, an available buffer search module for searching whether an available buffer area exists in a data variable area of the first memory unit under the control of the terminal control unit, and determining whether or not the available buffer area is in use The method may include a buffer release module that determines whether data existing in the available buffer area can be deleted.

According to an aspect of the present invention, in the case of using a flash memory for storing image data such as a picture or a video, that is, a random access memory (RAM) that is a volatile memory when the free storage space is insufficient, the first memory unit may be used. By selecting an available buffer region among the data variable regions of the first memory unit, it is possible to store image data such as a photo or a video in the available buffer region of the first memory unit, thereby maximizing utilization of the storage space of the image data. In addition, it is possible to increase the ease of use by allowing the image data stored in the available buffer area of the first memory unit to be moved to the hard disk of the second memory unit or the PC.

Hereinafter, a mobile communication terminal with a camera function and an image storing method using the same according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 is a block diagram of a mobile communication terminal to which a camera function is added to implement an image storage method according to the present invention, and FIG. This is a flowchart for explanation.

First, as illustrated in FIG. 1, a mobile communication terminal having a camera function for implementing an image storing method according to the present invention is largely an image sensor 102, a luminance-color difference signal conversion unit 103, and a first memory unit. And a combination of the second memory unit 105 and the terminal control unit 101.

The image sensor 102 is configured to include a lens to receive an optical signal of a subject, and the image sensor 102 includes a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or a CMOS (Complementary) including a plurality of pixels. Metal Oxide Semiconductor) device or the like. The luminance-color difference signal converter 103 converts an analog image signal input from the image sensor 102 into a digital signal, for example, a YCbCr signal.

The first memory unit 104 basically stores a program for performing the operation of the mobile communication terminal and various data generated by the operation of the mobile communication terminal. The first memory unit 104 is divided into a plurality of areas, among which a storage area in use waiting, that is, an available buffer area exists. This first memory is composed of random access memory (RAM), which is a volatile memory. The second memory unit 105 stores image data of a subject converted by the luminance-color difference signal converter 103, that is, photo and video information. The second memory unit 105 is configured as a flash memory that is a nonvolatile memory to enable the storage and deletion of the image data.                     

The terminal controller 101 controls the overall operation of the mobile communication terminal, and the luminance-color difference signal converter 103, the first memory unit 104, the second memory unit 105, and the predetermined memory unit 105 are predetermined. Make a signal connection relationship with

In addition to the above components, the mobile communication terminal further includes an available buffer searching module 106 and a buffer releasing module 107. The available buffer searching module 106 and the buffer releasing module 107 may be configured to store the free space in the second memory unit 105 when storing the image data such as pictures and videos. In order to utilize the available storage space, the available buffer search module 106 searches for the unused buffer area of the first memory unit 104 described above. Here, the unused buffer area means an unused buffer among the buffers allocated to the data variable area, and ultimately, the available buffer area is used to store image data such as a picture and a video.

The buffer release module removes data stored in the buffer area when the available buffer area searched by the available buffer search module 106 is in use. Of course, this means that the data to be removed is removable data.

The mobile communication terminal according to the present invention is composed of a combination of the above components, but in addition, the display window 108 for displaying the operating state of the mobile communication terminal and the captured or photographed image, a plurality of numeric keys and various functions And a user interface 109 that can be configured as a key. In addition, an essential component required for wireless communication provided in a conventional mobile communication terminal, that is, a duplex, a wireless transceiver, a frequency converter, and the like, but a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In the state having such a configuration, a method of storing an image in a mobile communication terminal to which a camera function according to the present invention is added will be described in detail.

First, as shown in FIG. 2, a predetermined subject is captured by a mobile communication terminal to which a camera function according to the present invention is added (S201). The captured image is input through the lens and image sensor 102. At this time, the image signal of the subject input from the CCD or CMOS image sensor 102 is an analog signal. The analog signal input from the image sensor 102 is converted into a luminance-color difference signal which is a digital signal by the luminance-color difference signal converter 103.

When the storage event of the captured image data occurs by the user in such a state, the terminal controller 101 checks the storage space of the second memory unit 105 (S202) (S203). If there is free storage space in the second memory unit 105, a normal image storing process for storing the second memory unit 105, for example, in a flash memory, is performed (S204) (S205). On the other hand, when there is no free storage space in the second memory unit 105, the available buffer search module 106 is a data variable region of the first memory unit 104 under the control of the terminal controller 101. It is searched whether the available buffer area exists (S206).

After the available buffer area of the first memory unit 104 is confirmed by the available buffer search module 106, the buffer release module 107 currently uses the available buffer area under the control of the terminal control unit 101. It is checked whether or not (S207). If the available buffer area is in use, the buffer release module 107 determines whether data existing in the available buffer area is erasable data (S208). If the data can be deleted, the storage mode is changed to delete the data to store image data such as a picture or a video in the available buffer area. On the other hand, if the data present in the available buffer area is not erasable data, the available buffer area cannot be used as the image data storage area. In addition, when the available buffer area is not in use, the storage mode is automatically changed to the image data storage space.

In this state, the photographed image or image data is stored in the available buffer area of the secured first memory unit 104 under the control of the terminal control unit 101 (S209). Meanwhile, the image data stored in the available buffer area of the first memory unit 104 may be moved to the second memory unit 105 in the future (S210). That is, when predetermined data stored in the second memory unit 105 is deleted or moved to a hard disk of a PC under the control of the terminal controller 101, a predetermined free storage space is provided in the corresponding second memory unit 105. In this case, the image data stored in the available buffer area of the first memory unit 104 can be moved to the free storage space of the corresponding second memory unit 105.

An image storing method in a mobile communication terminal with a camera function according to the present invention has the following effects.                     

Flash memory for storing image data such as a picture or a video, that is, random access memory (RAM) which is a volatile memory when there is not enough free storage space, that is, data variable of the first memory part in utilizing the first memory part By selecting an available buffer area among the areas, image data such as a photo or a video may be stored in the available buffer area of the first memory unit, thereby maximizing utilization of the storage space of the image data.

In addition, it is possible to increase the ease of use by allowing the image data stored in the available buffer area of the first memory unit to be moved to the hard disk of the second memory unit or the PC.

Claims (3)

In the image storage method of a mobile communication terminal with a camera function comprising a first memory portion of the volatile memory and a second memory portion of the nonvolatile memory, Photographing an image of the subject; Determining whether a free storage area of the second memory unit exists; Searching whether there is an available buffer area among data variable areas of the first memory part when there is no free storage area of the second memory part; Changing the available buffer area to an image storage mode when an available buffer area exists in the first memory unit; And storing the image data in the available buffer area. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing of the available buffer area to an image storage mode comprises: Determining whether the corresponding available buffer area is in use; Determining whether data existing in the available buffer area can be deleted if in use; And deleting the data present in the available buffer area and changing the image data to a recordable mode if the data can be deleted. In the mobile communication terminal with a camera function comprising a first memory portion volatile memory and a second memory portion non-volatile memory, A terminal control unit controlling overall operation of the mobile communication terminal; An available buffer search module for searching whether an available buffer area exists in a data variable area of the first memory unit under the control of the terminal controller; And a buffer release module configured to determine whether the available buffer area is in use and to determine whether data available in the available buffer area can be deleted.

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