Imaging device

• US 20040051793A1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Published: 03/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tecu, Kirk S., Haas, William R., Boll, David W.
• Application Number:
  US10/245,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20040051793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/782 on tape
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/7921 for more than one processing mode
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 involving data reduction

Abstract

A digital imaging device includes an electronic image sensor for producing a first signal. A processor connected to the electronic image sensor output produces a lower resolution second signal from the first higher resolution signal. The first higher resolution signal is temporarily stored in a memory buffer connected to the electronic image sensor.

Claims

1. A digital imaging device, comprising:

an electronic image sensor for producing a first signal at a first resolution;

a processor connected to said electronic image sensor output for producing a second signal at a second resolution based on said first signal, wherein said second resolution is lower than said first resolution; and

a memory buffer connected to said electronic image sensor output for temporarily storing said first signal.

2. The digital imaging device of claim 1, further comprising a storage device connected to said memory buffer for storing at least a portion of said first signal.

3. The digital imaging device of claim 2, wherein said storage device is also connected to said processor for storing at least a portion of said second signal.

4. The digital imaging device of claim 1, further comprising a second storage device connected to said processor for storing at least a portion of said second signal.

5. The digital imaging device of claim 2, further comprising a first resolution storage controller connected to said storage device for copying at least a portion of data contained in said memory buffer to said storage device.

6. The digital imaging device of claim 1, further comprising a filter connected between said electronic image sensor and said memory buffer for filtering out a portion of said first signal before it reaches said memory buffer.

7. The digital imaging device of claim 1, wherein said electronic image sensor comprises a charge coupled device.

8. The digital imaging device of claim 1, wherein said processor comprises a downsampling video processor.

9. The digital imaging device of claim 1, wherein said processor produces said second signal in real-time based on said first signal.

10. The digital imaging device of claim 2, wherein said storage device comprises a solid state memory.

11. The digital imaging device of claim 4, wherein said second storage device comprises a magnetic tape.

12. The digital imaging device of claim 1, wherein said processor is connected to said electronic image sensor through said memory buffer so that said second signal is produced from a buffered first signal.

13. A method of capturing images, the method comprising:

generating a stream of electronic images;

storing at least a portion of said stream of electronic images in a buffer; and

generating a second stream of electronic images based on said stream, wherein said second stream has

a lower resolution than said stream.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said storing at least said portion of said stream of electronic images in said buffer comprises removing an oldest electronic image from said buffer and adding a new electronic image from said stream to said buffer.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein said storing at least said portion of said stream of electronic images in said buffer comprises selecting a fraction of said electronic images from said stream for storage and discarding a remainder of said electronic images from said stream.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising storing said second stream in a storage device.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein said generating a second stream comprises dropping pixels from images in said stream to produce lower resolution images for said second stream.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein said generating a second stream comprises reading images directly from said stream to produce lower resolution images for said second stream.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said generating a second stream comprises reading buffered images from said stream through said buffer to produce lower resolution images for said second stream.

20. The method of claim 13, further comprising copying images from said buffer to a removable storage device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising copying a number of next images from said stream of electronic images to a removable storage device after said images are copied from said buffer.

22. The method of claim 13, further comprising copying at least one image from said stream of electronic images to a removable storage device.

23. A digital imaging apparatus, comprising:

an electronic image sensor;

a real-time downsampling processor connected to said electronic image sensor having a lower resolution output than said electronic image sensor; and

at least one storage device connected to said lower resolution output and said electronic image sensor.

24. An imaging device, comprising:

means for capturing a series of digital images;

means for temporarily storing a portion of said series of digital images;

means for generating a lower resolution series of digital images from said series of digital images;

means for storing said lower resolution series of digital images; and

means for copying at least part of said portion of said series of digital images to a removable storage device.