Method and apparatus for high speed image acquisition
First Claim
1. A system for forming an image from a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, the system comprisingA. a host device that includes a host memory having a plurality of addressable storage locations in which the image is to be stored, the host device specifying respective locations of the host memory into which successive rows received from the stream are to be stored,B. image acquisition logic that is coupled to the host device, the image acquisition logic including a controller for at least initiating a plurality of memory transfers, each memory transfer for storing a respective row of pixels in a respective location in the memory specified by the host device, andC. the controller initiating the transfers such that(i) the rows of pixels are transferred to the host memory substantially in an order in which they are received from the stream, and(ii) the rows of pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in the host memory corresponding to relative positions of those rows in the image.
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Abstract
The invention provides methods and systems for forming and image from a stream of non-interleaved image date, e.g., a stream of non-contiguous rows of pixels. Such a system includes a memory, in which the image is to be formed (and stored), and a controller, for initiating memory transfers that move rows of pixels from the stream to their (the rows'"'"') respective locations in memory. The controller initiates those transfers such that (i) the rows of pixels are transferred to the memory in the order in which they are received from the stream, and (ii) each row of pixels is transferred directly to the location in memory corresponding to that row'"'"'s respective position in the image.
211 Citations
40 Claims
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1. A system for forming an image from a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, the system comprising
A. a host device that includes a host memory having a plurality of addressable storage locations in which the image is to be stored, the host device specifying respective locations of the host memory into which successive rows received from the stream are to be stored, B. image acquisition logic that is coupled to the host device, the image acquisition logic including a controller for at least initiating a plurality of memory transfers, each memory transfer for storing a respective row of pixels in a respective location in the memory specified by the host device, and C. the controller initiating the transfers such that (i) the rows of pixels are transferred to the host memory substantially in an order in which they are received from the stream, and (ii) the rows of pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in the host memory corresponding to relative positions of those rows in the image.
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9. In an image acquisition system, the improvement for forming an image received as a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, comprising
A. a host device comprising a first memory having a plurality of addressable storage locations in which the image is to be stored, the host device specifying respective locations of the host memory into which successive rows received from the stream are to be stored, B. image acquisition logic coupled to the host device, the image acquisition logic including a second memory for storing pixels substantially in an order they are received from the stream, C. a bus coupled to the first and second memories for carrying pixels therebetween, D. the image acquisition including a controller for at least initiating a plurality of memory transfers over the bus, each transfer moving a pixels from the second memory to a respective location in the first memory specified by the host device, such that (i) the pixels are transferred from the second memory to the first memory substantially in an order in which the pixels are received from the stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, and (ii) the pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in the first memory corresponding to their relative positions in the image.
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16. A frame grabber for storing to an addressable memory in a host device an image received by the frame grabber as a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, the frame grabber comprising:
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A. a first FIFO memory for at least temporarily storing pixels as they are received from the stream, B. a second FIFO memory for at least temporarily storing pointers specifying locations in the host device memory to which successive rows of pixels are to be transferred from the first FIFO memory, C. a controller, coupled to the first and second FIFO memories, for at least initiating a plurality of memory transfers from the first FIFO memory to locations in the host device memory specified by successive pointers in the second FIFO memory, D. the controller initiating the transfers such that; (i) the pixels are transferred from the first FIFO memory to the host device memory in an order in which the pixels are received from the stream, and (ii) the pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in the host device memory corresponding to their respective positions in the image. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method for transferring an image from an image acquisition device to a host memory of a host device to which the image acquisition device is coupled, the image being represented by a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels received by the image acquisition device, the method comprising the steps of
specifying with the host device respective locations in the host memory into which successive rows received from the stream are to be stored, initiating with the image acquisition device a plurality of memory transfers, each memory transfer storing a respective row of pixels from the stream in a respective location specified by the host device in the host memory, such that (i) the rows of pixels are transferred substantially in an order in which they are received from the stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, and (ii) the rows of pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in host memory corresponding to their relative positions in the image.
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32. An image acquisition method for transferring an image received by an image acquisition device as a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels to a host device to which the image acquisition device is coupled, the method comprising:
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A. storing in a first memory in the image acquisition device pixels substantially in an order that they are received from the stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, B. specifying with the host device respective locations in the host memory into which successive rows received from the stream are to be stored, C. initiating a plurality of memory transfers, each memory transfer for moving a respective row of pixels from the first memory to a respective location specified by the host device in a second memory in the host, such that (i) the pixels are transferred from the first memory to the second memory substantially in an order that they are received from the stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels; and (ii) the pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in the second memory corresponding to their respective locations in the image. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of operating a frame grabber for storing an image, received as a stream of non-interleaved rows of pixels, to a host computer, the method comprising the steps of:
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A. storing a first FIFO memory pixels substantially in an order which they are received from the stream, B. storing to a second FIFO memory pointers specifying locations in the host computer memory to which successive rows of pixels are to be transferred from the first FIFO memory, C. initiating a plurality of memory transfers from the first FIFO memory to locations in the host computer memory specified by successive pointers in the second FIFO memory, such that (i) the pixels are transferred from the first FIFO memory to the host computer memory substantially in an order in which they are received from the stream, (ii) the pixels are transferred substantially directly to locations in the host computer memory corresponding to their respective positions in the image. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40)
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Specification