HIGHLY MINIATURIZED, BATTERY OPERATED, DIGITAL WIRELESS CAMERA USING PROGRAMMABLE SINGLE CHIP ACTIVE PIXEL SENSOR (APS) DIGITAL CAMERA CHIP
First Claim
1. A single-chip wireless camera comprising:
- a receiving element;
an active pixel sensor having a plurality of addressable units, each said unit associated with a pixel processing element;
active pixel sensor control circuitry, including circuiting that addresses and controls reading operation of the active pixel sensor;
a power management element, which allows an operating state in which circuitry of the chip is powered and a sleep state in which most circuitry is unpowered; and
control logic coupled to the receiving element and the active pixel sensor, operating to command the active pixel sensor from said sleep state to said operating state in response to command signals received via the receiving antenna.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A miniaturized camera which is programmable and provides low power consumption. An active pixel image sensor used in the highly miniaturized camera provides improved imaging functionality as well as reduced power consumption, extending the possible life time of the camera system. The spread spectrum nature of transmission and reception improves data integrity as well as data security. The ability of the highly miniaturized wireless camera to receive commands as well as transmit image data provides improved functionality and a variable rate of power consumption to be set according to the application and needs of the situation.
-
Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A single-chip wireless camera comprising:
-
a receiving element; an active pixel sensor having a plurality of addressable units, each said unit associated with a pixel processing element; active pixel sensor control circuitry, including circuiting that addresses and controls reading operation of the active pixel sensor; a power management element, which allows an operating state in which circuitry of the chip is powered and a sleep state in which most circuitry is unpowered; and control logic coupled to the receiving element and the active pixel sensor, operating to command the active pixel sensor from said sleep state to said operating state in response to command signals received via the receiving antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A camera comprising:
-
a casing; a lens mounted in the casing; an electrical connection for a battery, inside the casing; a transmitting antenna mounted on the casing; a receiving antenna mounted on the casing; an active pixel sensor having a plurality of addressable units, each said unit associated with a photogate-type photosensitive element, inside the casing, optically coupled to the lens and electrically coupled to the battery; and control logic inside the casing and coupled to the transmitting antenna, the receiving antenna, the active pixel sensor, and the electrical connection, said control logic controlling operation of the camera. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A highly miniaturized wireless camera comprising:
-
a casing having an opening; a lens mounted in the opening in the casing; a transmitting antenna mounted coupled to the casing; a receiving antenna mounted coupled to the casing; a semiconductor substrate, having; a) an active pixel sensor optically coupled to the lens inside the casing, including a pixel matrix of photosensitive elements, where each photosensitive element is associated with a unit of the pixel matrix; b) at least one decoder, coupled to the pixel matrix, and addressing units of said pixel matrix; c) a control interface, adapted to receive a serial control; d) a serial digital to analog converter coupled to receive data from said serial control, and produce an analog value therefrom; e) a plurality of analog to digital converters coupled to the pixel matrix and associated with units of the pixel matrix to produce digital outputs based on outputs of the pixel matrix using said analog value; f) a control and timing circuit coupled to the row driver and decoder, the column decoder, the analog to digital converter, and the digital to analog converter; g) an electrical connection for a source of power; h) a plurality of clock circuits; and i) control logic coupled to the active pixel sensor image sensor; transmitting circuits coupled between the control logic and the transmitting antenna, inside the casing; receiving circuits coupled between the control logic and the receiving antenna, inside the casing; and a power control circuit coupled to the electrical connection and at least one clock circuit, where all other components of the camera which consume power are coupled to the power control circuit.
-
Specification