Image Processing Apparatus

Abstract

An image processing apparatus encodes an input motion image signal, records encoded motion image data on a recording medium, detects complexity of a motion image according to the input motion image data, detects a remaining recording capacity of the recording medium, and has a first mode for controlling the encoding unit based on information of the detected complexity of the motion image so as to adjust a code amount of the encoded motion image data and has a second mode for controlling the encoding without using the information of the detected complexity of the motion image so as to adjust the code amount of the encoded motion image data, wherein the first mode and the second mode are determined based on the remaining recording capacity.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . An image processing apparatus comprising at least a computer processor and memory, said computer processor and memory configured to function as:
 an encoding unit that encodes an input motion image signal to generate encoded motion image data;   a recording unit that records the encoded motion image data on a recording medium;   a complexity detection unit that detects complexity of a motion image according to the input motion image data;   a rate setting unit that arbitrarily sets a target data rate of the encoded motion image data output from said encoding unit; and   a control unit that controls said encoding unit so that a data rate of the encoded motion image data comes to be the target data rate set by said rate setting unit,   wherein said control unit has a first mode of controlling said encoding unit on the basis of information of the complexity detected by said complexity detection unit so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output from said encoding unit, and a second mode of controlling said encoding unit without using the information of the complexity detected by said complexity detection unit so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output from said encoding unit, and switches over the first mode and the second mode according to the target data rate set by said rate setting unit.   
     
     
         7 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein said rate setting unit is capable of setting the target data rate between a first data rate and a second data rate, which is lower than the first data rate, and   wherein said control unit selects the first mode when the first data rate is set, and selects the second mode when the second data rate is set.   
     
     
         8 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 said control unit selects the first mode when the target data rate is larger than a predetermined rate, and selects the second mode when the target data rate is equal to or less than the predetermined rate.   
     
     
         9 . An apparatus according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein said encoding unit includes a quantization unit quantizing the motion image data by using a set quantization step, and a variable length encoding unit performing variable length encoding of data output from said quantization unit; and   wherein said control unit includes a quantization step setting unit setting the quantization step on the basis of the code amount of the encoded image data output from said variable length encoding unit, and an adjustment unit adjusting the quantization step set by said quantization step setting unit on the basis of the information of the complexity, and said control unit outputs the quantization step adjusted by said adjustment unit to said quantization unit in the first mode, and outputs the quantization step set by said quantization step setting unit to said quantization unit in the second mode.   
     
     
         10 . An image processing apparatus comprising at least a computer processor and memory, said computer processor and memory configured to function as:
 an encoding unit that encodes an input motion image signal to generate encoded motion image data;   a unit that records the encoded motion image data on a recording medium;   a complexity detection unit that detects complexity of a motion image according to the input motion image data;   a code amount detection unit that detects a code amount of the encoded motion image data output from said encoding unit per unit time; and   a control unit that controls said encoding unit to adjust a data rate of the encoded motion image data,   wherein said control unit has a first mode of controlling said encoding unit on the basis of information of the complexity detected by said complexity detection unit so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output from said encoding unit, and a second mode of controlling said encoding unit without using the information of the complexity detected by said complexity detection unit so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output from said encoding unit, and switches over the first mode and the second mode according to the code amount detected by said code amount detection unit.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said control unit adjusts the data rate of the encoded motion image data on the basis of the code amount per unit time, detected by said code amount detection unit.   
     
     
         12 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said control unit selects the first mode when the detected code amount is larger than a predetermined threshold value, and selects the second mode when the detected code amount is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold value.   
     
     
         13 . An apparatus according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein said encoding unit includes a quantization unit quantizing the motion image data by using a set quantization step, and a variable length encoding unit performing variable length encoding of data output from said quantization unit; and   wherein said control unit includes a quantization step setting unit setting the quantization step on the basis of the code amount of the encoded image data output from said variable length encoding unit, and an adjustment unit adjusting the quantization step set by said quantization step setting unit on the basis of the information of the complexity, and said control unit outputs the quantization step adjusted by said adjustment unit to said quantization unit in the first mode, and outputs the quantization step set by said quantization step setting unit to said quantization unit in the second mode.   
     
     
         14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . An image processing method comprising:
 an encoding step of encoding an input motion image signal to generate encoded motion image data;   a recording step of recording the encoded motion image data on a recording medium;   a complexity detection step of detecting complexity of a motion image according to the input motion image data;   a rate setting step of arbitrarily setting a target data rate of the encoded motion image data output at said encoding step; and   a control step of controlling said encoding step so that a data rate of the encoded motion image data comes to be the target data rate set at said rate setting step,   wherein said control step has a first mode of controlling said encoding step on the basis of information of the complexity detected at said complexity detection step so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output at said encoding step, and a second mode of controlling said encoding step without using the information of the complexity detected at said complexity detection step so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output at said encoding step, and switches over the first mode and the second mode according to the target data rate set at said rate setting step.   
     
     
         16 . An image processing method comprising:
 an encoding step of encoding an input motion image signal to generate encoded motion image data;   a recording step of recording the encoded motion image data on a recording medium;   a complexity detection step of detecting complexity of a motion image according to the input motion image data;   a code amount detection step of detecting a code amount of the encoded motion image data output at said encoding step per unit time; and   a control step of controlling said encoding step to adjust a data rate of the encoded motion image data,   wherein said control step has a first mode of controlling said encoding step on the basis of information of the complexity detected at said complexity detection step so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output at said encoding step, and a second mode of controlling said encoding step without using the information of the complexity detected at said complexity detection step so as to adjust the data rate of the encoded motion image data output at said encoding step, and includes a step of switching over the first mode and the second mode according to the code amount detected at said code amount detection step.