SENSOR DATA PROCESSING USING DSP AND FPGA

• US 20080177507A1
• Filed: 10/10/2007
• Published: 07/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Original Assignee: International Electronic Machines Corp.
• Inventors: Hayes, Peter, VonAchen, William, Mian, Zahid F.
• Application Number:
  US11/869,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/189
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/7867 with reconfigurable architecture

Abstract

A system for managing sensor data, such as video data, includes a processing component for generating processed data based on the sensor data. The processing component can include a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP including a computer usable medium for storing the processed data, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and an external memory interface for transferring data between the DSP and the FPGA.

Claims

1. A system for managing sensor data, the system comprising:

a processing component for generating processed data based on the sensor data, the processing component including;

a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP including a computer usable medium for storing the processed data;

a field programmable gate array (FPGA); and

an external memory interface for transferring data between the DSP and the FPGA.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor device for acquiring the sensor data.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the sensor device comprises a video source.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor data acquisition device for receiving the sensor data, converting the sensor data to a processing format, and forwarding the converted sensor data to the processing component.

5. The system of claim 1, the processing component further including an output data encoder for converting the processed data to an output format and writing the converted processed data to a computer usable medium.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising a display device for displaying the converted processed data.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second processing component for generating processed data based on the sensor data; and

a high-speed data bus for enabling direct memory sharing between the processing components using the external memory interface.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the processing components perform at least one of:

image fusion, scene reconstruction, stereo presentation, or multispectral fusion.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a host program executing on a general purpose computer system in communication with the processing component, wherein the host program provides instructions on at least one of:

the sensor data to process or a process to perform on the sensor data to the processing component and wherein the processing component provides the processed data for use by the host program.

10. A system for managing sensor data, the system comprising:

a host computing device; and

a sensor data processing device in communication with the host computing device, the sensor data processing device including a processing component for generating processed data based on the sensor data, the processing component including;

a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP including a computer usable medium for storing the processed data;

a field programmable gate array (FPGA); and

an external memory interface for transferring data between the DSP and the FPGA.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a sensor device for acquiring the sensor data.

12. The system of claim 10, the sensor data processing device further including a sensor data acquisition device for receiving the sensor data, converting the sensor data to a processing format, and forwarding the converted sensor data to the processing component.

13. The system of claim 10, the processing component further including an output data encoder for converting the processed data to an output format and writing the converted processed data to a computer usable medium.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a display device for displaying the converted processed data.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a second sensor data processing device for generating processed data based on the sensor data; and

a high-speed data bus for enabling direct memory sharing between the sensor data processing devices using the external memory interface.

16. The system of claim 10, further comprising a host program executing on the host computing device, wherein the host program provides instructions on at least one of:

the sensor data to process or a process to perform on the sensor data to the sensor data processing device.

17. A wearable system for managing sensor data, the system comprising:

at least one sensor device for generating sensor data;

a processing component for generating processed data based on the sensor data, the processing component including;

a digital signal processor (DSP), the DSP including a computer usable medium for storing the processed data;

a field programmable gate array (FPGA); and

an external memory interface for transferring data between the DSP and the FPGA; and

an output device for displaying data to a user based on the processed data.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a sensor data acquisition device for receiving the sensor data, converting the sensor data to a processing format, and forwarding the converted sensor data to the processing component.

19. The system of claim 17, further comprising a host program executing on a general purpose computer system in communication with the processing component, wherein the host program provides instructions on at least one of:

the sensor data to process or a process to perform on the sensor data to the processing component and wherein the processing component provides the processed data for use by the host program.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising a user input device for enabling the user to configure operation of the processing component.