Abstract:
A method of executing an image processing procedure is disclosed. The method is used in a digital image capturing device. The image processing procedure comprises a readout period and a sweep period. The method comprises the steps of: dividing an image of a frame into a plurality of regions; choosing at least one region for the readout period; choosing at least one region for the sweep period; and executing the image processing procedure.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to an image processing procedure, and more particularly, to a method of partially executing an image processing procedure. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    In today&#39;s technology, digital image capturing devices are extremely popular devices, and users are demanding increasingly better performance from digital image capturing devices. When the digital image capturing device performs an auto exposure, an auto focusing or an auto white-balancing procedure, a complete image must be downloaded for analysis. However, this method requires a relatively long processing time. In some types of prior art technology, although certain digital image capturing devices do not need to download an entire image, they cannot randomly download a non-continuous image. For example, the upper half or middle portions of the downloaded image are fixed regions with a continuous range. 
         [0005]    In the prior art technology, the digital image capturing device may utilize an additional timing generator to increase the image analysis speed. However, this increased speed results from the timing generator itself, and cannot be changed. As a result, such a processing procedure requires a relatively longer time and requires more resources. 
         [0006]    Therefore, it is desirable to provide a method of accelerating the image processing procedure for a digital image capturing device to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0007]    A main objective of the present invention is to provide a method of partially executing an image processing procedure for a digital image capturing device. 
         [0008]    In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, the digital image capturing device comprises a processor, a timing generator, and a digital image capturing module. The processor is used for executing the various procedures of the digital image capturing device. The digital image capturing module comprises a plurality of photo diodes for performing an exposure procedure. The timing generator is used for controlling an image capturing procedure of the digital image capturing module. 
         [0009]    The method of executing an image processing procedure of the present invention comprises: dividing an image of a frame into a plurality of regions; dividing a charge transfer period, a sweep period, and a readout period into these regions; and setting a processing time schedule for the timing generator. 
         [0010]    The timing generator executes the image processing procedure. The timing generator calculates the total number of regions processed in the charge transfer period, the sweep period and the readout period to determine whether this total value equals the number of the regions used to divide the image. The timing generator immediately ends the frame to perform the image processing procedure for the next frame. 
         [0011]    The method of the present invention may therefore reduce the analysis time required by the digital image capturing device, which increases the image processing speed. 
         [0012]    These and other novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0013]      FIG. 1  illustrates the hardware of a digital image capturing device according to the present invention. 
           [0014]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a digital image capturing device executing an image processing procedure according to the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIGS. 3A˜3D  show a sectional image processing procedure of a digital image capturing device according to the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0016]    Please refer to  FIG. 1 .  FIG. 1  shows the hardware of a digital image capturing device according to the present invention. A digital image capturing device  10  may be a digital camera, a digital video camera or another equivalent device. The digital image capturing device  10  of the present invention comprises a processor  21 , a timing generator  22 , a digital image capturing module  23 , and other associated components. All of the elements are electrically connected to each other. The processor  21  is used to provide all of the processing-related functionality of the digital image capturing device  10 . The digital image capturing module  23  may include CCD elements or CMOS elements for capturing images; in this embodiment, CCD elements are utilized. The digital image capturing module  23  comprises a plurality of photo diodes  231  for performing an exposure procedure. 
         [0017]    The timing generator  22  is used for flexibly controlling an image capturing procedure  30  of the digital image capturing module  23 . In general, the image capturing procedure  30  of the digital image capturing module  23  comprises a charge transfer period  31 , a sweep period  32  and a readout period  33 , with each period controlled by the timing generator  22 . 
         [0018]    The charge transfer period  31  of the digital image capturing module  23  is used for transferring charges from the exposed photo diodes  231 . The sweep phase  32  is used to clear data remaining from a previous frame in the image processing procedure  30 . The assigned to the charge transfer period  31 , while the readout period  33  uses the fourth region  44  and the fifth region  45 . Other regions are assigned to the sweep period  32 . Comparing the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3B  to the embodiment shown in  FIG. 3C , fewer regions used for the readout period  33 . Consequently, the processor  21  subsequently requires less analysis time, which can increase the processing speed of the processor  21 . 
         [0019]    Another embodiment is shown in  FIG. 3D . In  FIG. 3D , the sweep period  32  and the readout period  33  are not assigned continuous regions. The second region  42 , the fourth region  44 , the sixth region  46  and the eighth region  48  are assigned to the sweep period  32 . The third region  43 , the fifth region  45  and the seventh region  47  are assigned to the readout period  33 . Although the total number of regions is the same, the selected regions can be continuous or non-continuous images. Moreover, various arrangements are possible when assigning regions to the sweep period  32  and the readout period  33 . 
         [0020]    After the regions are assigned, the timing generator  22  is used to set a processing time schedule for the image processing procedure  30 . That is, the timing generator  22  is used to decide when to execute the sweep period  32  or the readout period  33 . 
         [0021]    Step  203 : performing the image processing procedure  30 . 
         [0022]    The timing generator  22  executes the image processing procedure  30 . According to the processing time scheduled in step  202 , the timing generator  22  controls the digital image capturing module  23  to perform the image processing procedure  30 . 
         [0023]    Step  204 : determining whether the procedure has finished. 
         [0024]    The timing generator  22  checks if the image processing procedure  30  has finished. The timing generator  22  calculates the total number of regions processed in the charge transfer period  31 , the sweep period  32  and the readout period  33  to determine whether this total value equals the number of the regions used to divide the image. If it is not, step  203  is executed until the image processing procedure  30  has finished. If it is, the image processing procedure  30  for the frame  40  is finished, and step  205  is executed. readout phase  33  is used for reading image data values for the processor  21  to subsequently perform other procedures, such as an auto exposure, an auto focusing or an auto white-balancing procedure, etc. 
         [0025]    Please refer to  FIG. 2  and  FIGS. 3A˜3D .  FIG. 2  is a flowchart of a digital image capturing device executing an image processing procedure according to the present invention.  FIGS. 3A˜3D  show a sectional image processing procedure of a digital image capturing device according to the present invention. 
         [0026]    The digital image capturing device  10  first executes step  201 : dividing an image from a frame  40 . 
         [0027]    First, the digital image capturing device  10  divides an image from a frame  40 , as shown in  FIG. 3A . In this embodiment, the image from the frame  40  is divided into eight regions, which are a first region  41  to an eighth region  48  that are used for subsequent image processing. However, it will be appreciated that the present invention may use other numbers of regions. 
         [0028]    In step  202 : setting the regions for the charge transfer period  31 , the sweep period  32  and the readout period  33 . 
         [0029]    As shown in  FIG. 3B , the charge transfer period  31 , the sweep period  32  and the readout period  33  are divided into these eight regions. The first region  41  is selected for the charge transfer period  31 . The second region  42  through the eighth region  48  may be assigned to the sweep period  32  or the readout period  33 . In  FIG. 3B , the second region  42 , the third region  43 , the seventh region  47  and the eighth region  48  are assigned to the sweep period  32 , while the fourth region  44  through sixth region  46  are assigned to the readout period  33 . As a result, there is no need to read all images in the frame  40 , which speeds up the image processing speed. 
         [0030]    The assigning method shown in  FIG. 3B  is not the only assigning method that may be used; another assigning method is shown in  FIG. 3C . In  FIG. 3C , the first region  41  is still 
         [0031]    Step  205 : moving to a next frame. 
         [0032]    The timing generator  22  immediately ends the frame  40  to perform the image processing procedure  30  for the next frame. The image processing procedure  30  of the next frame may also utilize step  202  to assign regions. 
         [0033]    The method of the present invention may therefore reduce the analysis time required by the digital image capturing device  10 , which increases the image processing speed. 
         [0034]    Although the present invention has been explained in relation to its preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that many other possible modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.