Automatic channel gain and offset balance for video cameras employing multi-channel sensors
First Claim
Patent Images
1. Imaging apparatus comprising:
- a multi-channel area sensor which produces 1-n parallel analog image signals representative of a sensed image, where n is a whole number;
1-n parallel image processing channels for respectively processing said 1-n parallel analog image signals;
each of said image processing channels including (a) an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting said analog image signal to a digital image signal, wherein each said ADC has a fine gain parameter which is a function of a top ladder potential and also has a fine offset parameter which is a function of a bottom ladder potential; and
(b) a video amplifier coupled between said area sensor and said ADC, wherein each said video amplifier has coarse gain and coarse offset parameters;
a serial input-output loop serially connecting each of said 1-n ADCs and each of said 1-n video amplifiers; and
a control for sending digital fine gain, fine offset control signals over said serial input-output loop to control the fine gain and fine offset of each of said 1-n ADCs and digital coarse gain and coarse offset signals over said serial input-output loop to control the coarse gain and coarse output of each of said 1-n video amplifiers in order to produce a combined digital image signal having a uniform tonal range over the entire image when reproduced in a visual form.
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Abstract
A high frame rate camera includes;
a multi-channel sensor array for producing a plurality of parallel analog image signals representative of a sensed image;
a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADC) for converting each of the parallel analog image signals to parallel digital image signals, wherein each of the ADCs has a fine gain parameter which is a function of a top ladder potential and also has a fine offset parameter which is a function of a bottom ladder potential; and
a control for controlling the fine gain and offset parameters of each of the ADCs by means of fine gain and offset control signals which are a function of desired average output black and gray levels of the image signal.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. Imaging apparatus comprising:
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a multi-channel area sensor which produces 1-n parallel analog image signals representative of a sensed image, where n is a whole number; 1-n parallel image processing channels for respectively processing said 1-n parallel analog image signals;
each of said image processing channels including (a) an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting said analog image signal to a digital image signal, wherein each said ADC has a fine gain parameter which is a function of a top ladder potential and also has a fine offset parameter which is a function of a bottom ladder potential; and
(b) a video amplifier coupled between said area sensor and said ADC, wherein each said video amplifier has coarse gain and coarse offset parameters;a serial input-output loop serially connecting each of said 1-n ADCs and each of said 1-n video amplifiers; and a control for sending digital fine gain, fine offset control signals over said serial input-output loop to control the fine gain and fine offset of each of said 1-n ADCs and digital coarse gain and coarse offset signals over said serial input-output loop to control the coarse gain and coarse output of each of said 1-n video amplifiers in order to produce a combined digital image signal having a uniform tonal range over the entire image when reproduced in a visual form. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification