Patent ID: 7142235

Claim:
A method for processing images in a digital camera wherein the digital camera includes an image storage device having primary and secondary storage areas, comprising the steps of: inputting a raw image; generating from the raw image, including employing a first quantizing step, a first compressed image data set suitable for reproducing substantially the entire image at a first quality level, the first compressed image data set being stored in the primary storage area; and generating from the raw image, including employing a second quantizing step independent of the first quantizing step, a second compressed image data set which supplies at least a least significant bit missing in the first compressed image data set for combination with the first compressed image data set to reproduce substantially the entire image at a second, higher quality level, the second compressed image data set being stored in the secondary storage area; and releasing space used to store the second compressed image data set associated with the raw image in the secondary storage area of the image storage device to store a first compressed image data set associated with another raw image when insufficient space is available in the primary storage area of the image storage device to store the first compressed image data set associated with another raw image.