US Patent 7120304 Image data compressing apparatus

When an nth frame of encoded data is stored in a compressed-data storage area that stores 15 frames of encoded data, a target amount of code of the nth frame is decided so as to become a value that is the result of dividing the residual capacity of an area remaining in the compressed-data storage area by the number of remaining images to be stored in this remaining area. This makes it possible to prevent the target amount of code from becoming very large or very small. Even if there is a change in a photographic scene, therefore, a drastic change in image quality from frame to frame can be prevented.