DIGITAL IMAGE PROCESSOR FOR A DIGITAL CAMERA

• US 20100295964A1
• Filed: 08/05/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Mohammad A. Safai
• Inventors: Safai, Mohammad A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,466,978 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/046 Colour interpolation to calculate the missing colour values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/617 Upgrading or updating of programs or applications for camera control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/631 Graphical user interfaces [GUI] specially adapted for controlling image capture or setting capture parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/88 for colour balance, e.g. white-balance circuits or colour temperature control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/67 applied to fixed-pattern noise, e.g. non-uniformity of response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/765 Interface circuits between an apparatus for recording and another apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/772 the recording apparatus and the television camera being placed in the same enclosure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/775 between a recording apparatus and a television receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/907 using static stores, e.g. storage tubes or semiconductor memories H04N5/91 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8047 using transform coding

Abstract

There is provided a digital image processor. An exemplary digital image processor comprises a pre-processor arranged to pre-process received digital images having a first resolution into a lower resolution to form pre-processed digital images. The pre-processor may be arranged to output the pre-processed digital images to a display independently from the received digital images being stored for subsequent post-processing. The exemplary digital image processor may also comprise a post-processor arranged to post-process received digital images that have been stored for post-processing.

Claims

1. A digital image processor, comprising:

a pre-processor arranged to pre-process received digital images having a first resolution into a lower resolution to form pre-processed digital images, the pre-processor being arranged to output the pre-processed digital images to a display independently from the received digital images being stored for subsequent post-processing; and

a post-processor arranged to post-process received digital images that have been stored for post-processing.

2. The digital image processor recited in claim 1, wherein the pre-processed digital images are outputted to the display in a cineview operating mode.

3. The digital image processor recited in claim 1, wherein the digital image processor and the display comprise components of a digital camera.

4. The digital image processor recited in claim 1, wherein the display comprises an on-camera display of a digital camera.

5. The digital image processor recited in claim 1, wherein the received digital images are stored in the first resolution for subsequent post-processing.

6. The digital image processor recited in claim 1, wherein the post-processor is connected via a system bus to the pre-processor.

7. The digital image processor recited in claim 1, comprising a sampling filter that is adapted to reduce the received digital images into the lower resolution.

8. An apparatus, comprising:

a pre-processing portion of a processor to, in a first operating mode, pre-process a digital image to form a pre-processed digital image, the processor being configured to transmit the pre-processed digital image from the processor without post-processing; and

a post-processing portion of the processor to, in a second operating mode, post-process the pre-processed digital image to form a post-processed digital image, wherein the post-processed digital image is different from the pre-processed digital image.

9. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the first operating mode and/or the second operating mode are user-actuated modes.

10. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the post-processed digital image is stored separately from the pre-processed digital image.

11. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the pre-processed digital image is not in a viewable format.

12. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the post-processed digital image is in a viewable format.

13. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein the pre-processed digital image is stored external to the processor for subsequent post-processing.

14. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein pre-processing the digital image comprises correcting non-uniformities in the digital image.

15. The apparatus recited in claim 8, wherein post-processing the digital image comprises performing color correction on the pre-processed digital image.

16. A method of operating a digital image processor, comprising:

pre-processing received digital images having a first resolution into a lower resolution to form pre-processed digital images;

displaying the pre-processed digital images; and

storing, independent of displaying the pre-processed digital images, the received digital images for subsequent post-processing.

17. The method recited in claim 16, comprising transferring the pre-processed digital images to a post-processing unit for subsequent post-processing via a system bus.

18. The method recited in claim 16, comprising post-processing the received digital images that have been stored for subsequent post-processing.

19. The method recited in claim 16, wherein the received digital images are stored in the first resolution for subsequent post-processing.

20. The method recited in claim 16, comprising applying a sampling filter to reduce the received digital images into the lower resolution.