Imaging module, interface, and method handling multiple simultaneous data types

• US 20060232808A1
• Filed: 04/13/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Rai, Barinder Singh, Lyons, George
• Granted Patent: US 7,589,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 358/1.130
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/2112 using still video cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/33307 prior to start of transmission, input or output of the picture signal only

Abstract

A method is provided for transmitting image data in a plurality of formats simultaneously over a data path. Successive data blocks, each comprising compressed image data representing a block of pixels of a first image are transmitted over a data path. During intervals between transmission of the successive data blocks, image data representing at least a portion of a second image is transmitted along the data path. An imaging module and imaging device capable of transmitting high resolution compressed data and lo resolution uncompressed data simultaneously over a data path are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting image data in a plurality of formats simultaneously over a data path, the method comprising:

transmitting along the data path, successive data blocks each comprising compressed image data representing a block of pixels of a first image; and

transmitting image data representing at least a portion of a second image along the data path during intervals between data block transmissions of the successive data blocks.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the image data representing the at least a portion of the second image is of an uncompressed image.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

signaling transmission of the first image using a vertical reference signal;

signaling transmission of a row of the blocks of pixels using an horizontal reference signal; and

inverting the vertical reference signal to indicate transmission of the image data for the second image.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising transitioning a control signal to indicate transmission of the second image.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the control signal is a vertical reference signal.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the data blocks are generated using a blocked-based image compression encoder.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the block-based image compression encoder is selected from a group consisting of an MPEG, a JPEG, and JPEG2000.

8. An imaging module comprising:

an image sensor;

a block-based image compression encoder for receiving uncompressed image data representing a first image captured by the image sensor and providing in series a plurality of data blocks each comprising compressed image data representing a block of pixels of the image; and

a data multiplexer transmitting along the data path, successive ones of the data blocks and image data representing at least a portion of an uncompressed second image along the data path during intervals between data block transmissions of the successive data blocks.

9. The imaging module of claim 8 further comprising an image format converter for formatting the image data to a YUV format, the block-based image compression encoder receiving the YUV formatted data.

10. The imaging module of claim 9 wherein the second image is received from the image format converter so that the data representing the uncompressed second image is formatted in YUV format.

11. The imaging module of claim 8 further comprising a storage buffer for storing the first image in an uncompressed format, the block-based image compression encoder reading the uncompressed data representing the first image from the storage buffer.

12. The imaging module of claim 8 further comprising a resizer for reducing a size of the second image prior to transmitting the second image along the data path.

13. The imaging module of claim 8 wherein the first image and the second image originate from a common frame of raw data generated by the image sensor.

14. An imaging device comprising:

an imaging module;

a data path; and

a graphics controller, the imaging device being operable in at least a preview mode and an image capture mode, wherein in the preview mode, the imaging module transmits successive preview images in an uncompressed format along the data path to the graphics controller, and in the image capture mode, the imaging module performs a block-based image compression on a capture image, and transmits along the data path successive data blocks, each data block containing compressed data representing a block of pixels from the first image, the imaging module transmitting along the data path at least a portion of one of the preview images during intervals of time between the successive blocks.

15. The imaging device of claim 14 wherein the graphics controller stores the capture image in memory.

16. The imaging device of claim 14 further comprising a display, the graphics controller passing preview images to the display in real time.

17. The image device of claim 14 wherein each preview image is a low resolution image and, in the image capture mode, the preview image is transmitted in its entirety during one of the intervals.

18. The image device of claim 14 wherein the image device is a hand held battery operated device.

19. The image device of claim 18 wherein the image device is one of a cell phone or personal digital assistant.