Digital image capturing method and apparatus

1. A method for capturing a moving image and a still image by a digital image capturing apparatus, the method comprising the steps of:

setting still-image capturing operation parameters in an image sensor to establish a still-image capturing mode, when a still image-capturing request is generated during a moving-image capturing mode;

exposing the image sensor according to a full-pixel scheme for the still-image capturing to generate still-image data when the still-image capturing mode is established;

setting moving-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor to re-establish the moving-image capturing mode, when generation of the still-image data is complete;

exposing the image sensor according to a partial-pixel scheme for the moving-image capturing to generate the moving-image data and resume the moving-image capturing, when the moving-image capturing mode is established, wherein the partial-pixel scheme uses a sub-sampling scheme that includes using image sensor values of partial pixels at predetermined positions among full pixels of the image sensor;

generating still-image frame data corresponding to the still-image capturing and a moving-image stream corresponding to adjusting the moving-image data;

generating virtual moving-image frame data having a same view angle and a same number of pixels as the moving-image frame data by using the still-image frame data; and

inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into a loss section of the moving-image stream corresponding to a period in which the moving-image capturing is ceased for the still-image capturing when the loss section is longer than a time corresponding to the virtual moving-image frame data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein establishing the still-image capturing mode comprises:

resetting the image sensor or switching the image sensor into a standby mode, when the output of the moving-image data from the image sensor is complete; and

setting the still-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor, wherein exposure of the image sensor for the still-image capturing begins immediately upon completion of the setting of the still-image capturing operation parameters.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein re-establishing the moving-image capturing mode comprises:

resetting the image sensor or switching the image sensor into a standby mode, when the generation of the still-image data is complete; and

setting the moving-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein exposure according to a partial-pixel scheme of the image sensor for the moving-image capturing begins immediately upon completion of the setting of the moving-image capturing operation parameters.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein exposure according to a partial-pixel scheme of the image sensor for the moving-image capturing begins after a time greater than that required for inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream, when the setting of the moving-image capturing operation parameters is completed.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises

inserting a plurality of the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section, when the loss section is longer than a time corresponding to the virtual moving-image frame data.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises

inserting a plurality of the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section, when a frame rate of the still-image data is less than ½ of a frame rate of the moving-image data.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises:

generating first additional moving-image frame data based on a motion vector detected between first moving-image frame data generated last prior to the generation of the still-image data and the virtual moving-image frame data, when the loss section is longer than a time corresponding to the virtual moving-image frame data;

generating second additional moving-image frame data based on a motion vector detected between second moving-image frame data generated first after the generation of the still-image data and the virtual moving-image frame data; and

sequentially inserting the first additional moving-image frame data, the virtual moving-image frame data, and the second additional moving-image frame data into the loss section.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises

sequentially inserting first moving-image frame data generated last prior to the generation of the still-image data, the virtual moving-image frame data, and second moving-image frame data generated first after the generation of the still-image data into the loss section, when the loss section is longer than a time corresponding to the virtual moving-image frame data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises:

generating, by an Image Signal Processor (ISP), an interleave frame by combining the still-image frame data and the virtual moving-image frame data, and outputting the interleave frame to a controller; and

decomposing, by the controller, the interleave frame to insert the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream and to store the still-image frame data in a storing unit.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises

storing, by an ISP, the still-image data in an internal frame buffer of the ISP and outputting the virtual moving-image frame data to insert the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream, wherein the ISP processes the still-image data stored in the frame buffer and outputs the still-image frame data, when the moving-image capturing is complete.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the loss section of the moving-image stream comprises

storing, by an ISP, the still-image data in a storing unit, and inserting, by a controller, the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream, wherein the ISP quality-processes and compresses the still-image data stored in the storing unit to generate the still-image frame data and stores the still-image frame data in the storing unit, when the moving-image capturing is complete.

13. A digital image capturing apparatus comprising:

an image sensor; and

an Image Signal Processor (ISP) for setting still-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor to establish a still-image capturing mode when a still-image capturing request is generated during the moving-image capturing mode, exposing the image sensor according to a full-pixel scheme for the still-image capturing mode to generate still-image data when the still-image capturing mode is established, setting moving-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor to re-establish a moving-image capturing mode when generation of the still-image data is complete, exposing the image sensor according to a partial-pixel scheme for the moving-image capturing to generate the moving-image data and resume the moving-image capturing when the moving-image capturing mode is established, wherein the partial-pixel scheme uses a sub-sampling scheme that includes using image sensor values of partial pixels at predetermined positions among full pixels of the image sensor, generating still-image frame data corresponding to the still-image capturing and a moving-image stream corresponding to adjusting the moving-image data, and generating virtual moving-image frame data having a same view angle and a same number of pixels as the moving-image frame data by using the still-image frame data and inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into a loss section of the moving-image stream corresponding to a period in which the moving-image capturing is ceased for the still-image capturing when the loss section is longer than a time corresponding to the virtual moving-image frame data.

14. The digital image capturing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the ISP, for establishing the still-image capturing mode, resets the image sensor or switches the image sensor into a standby mode when the output of the moving-image data from the image sensor is complete, sets the still-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor, and immediately begins exposure of the image sensor for the still-image capturing upon completion of the setting of the still-image capturing operation parameters.

15. The digital image capturing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the ISP, for re-establishing the moving-image capturing mode, resets the image sensor or switches the image sensor into a standby mode when the generation of the still-image data is complete, and sets the moving-image capturing operation parameters in the image sensor.

16. The digital image capturing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the ISP immediately begins exposure according to a partial-pixel scheme of the image sensor for the moving-image capturing upon completion of the setting of the moving-image capturing operation parameters.

17. The digital image capturing apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the ISP begins exposure according to a partial-pixel scheme of the image sensor for the moving-image capturing after a time greater than that required for inserting the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream, when the setting of the moving-image capturing operation parameters is completed.

18. The digital image capturing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the ISP generates an interleave frame by combining the still-image frame data and the virtual moving-image frame data and outputs the interleave frame to a controller, and the controller decomposes the interleave frame to insert the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream and to store the still-image frame data in a storing unit.

19. The digital image capturing apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the ISP stores the still-image data in an internal frame buffer of the ISP and outputs the virtual moving-image frame data, and processes the still-image data stored in the frame buffer and outputs the still-image frame data upon completion of the moving-image capturing, and the controller inserts the virtual moving-image frame data into the moving-image stream.