Patent ID: 7889934

Claim:
An image processing apparatus, comprising: an image input device, capturing pictures; an external memory, coupled to the image input device, storing the pictures; an encoder, compressing the pictures retrieved from the external memory, further comprising: a moving picture compression unit, capable of compressing the pictures into compressed moving pictures; a still picture compression unit, capable of compressing the pictures into compressed still pictures; and a recording unit, coupled to the moving picture compression unit and the still picture compression unit, recording the compressed pictures; a first image signal processor coupled to the image input device and the external memory, applying signal processing to pictures before compression; a buffer coupled to the external memory, storing data required for the moving and still picture compression units during compression; and a second image signal processor coupled to the buffer and the still picture compression unit, applying special photo effects to the data retrieved from the buffer; wherein, when the pictures captured by the image input device require both moving and still picture compression, the encoder compresses the pictures simultaneously, and wherein the first image signal processor applies signal processing for both compressed moving and still pictures, and the second image signal processor applies signal processing for only the compressed still pictures.