Embedded CMOS camera in a laptop computer

• US 6,496,361 B2
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Wistron Corporation
• Original Assignee: Acer, Inc.
• Inventors: Hsu, Richard T., Kim, Jason S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schuberg, Darren
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHANG, YEAN HSI
• Application Number:
  US09/192,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20010014006A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,492 Days
• Field of Search: 361/683, 361/686, 361/705.01, 395/893, 348/376
• US Class Current: 361/679.55
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1686 the I/O peripheral being an integrated camera

Abstract

A laptop computer includes a video camera mounted to the lid, preferably embedded into the bezel above the display. The camera includes a CMOS imaging array, video data from which is communicated along a dedicated path from the camera to a graphics controller for output to the display, thereby bypassing the system bus. This makes it possible to display full frame, full data rate video with minimum impact on the overall system performance. Panning and zooming are implemented by software that controls the addresses in the pixel array from which data are transferred to the graphics controller'"'"'s associated display memory.

Claims

1. A laptop computer system comprising:

a system bus;

a CPU coupled to said system bus;

a memory device in communication with said CPU;

a graphics controller in communication with said CPU;

a display in communication with said graphics controller;

a lid portion having a display housing holding said display in a normally vertical orientation during use; and

a video camera fixedly mounted to said display housing at a position above said display, said video camera having a fixed focal length lens and an imaging array;

said video camera being coupled to said graphics controller through a dedicated port so as to provide pixel data for output to said display without traveling over said system bus;

program code stored in said memory device for execution by said CPU, said program code operable to control the transfer of pixel data from said video camera to said display so as to implement digital panning and zooming.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said imaging array is a CMOS sensor array.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said dedicated port is a zoomed video port.

4. A laptop computer system comprising:

a CPU;

a memory subsystem;

a peripheral bus;

a controller providing communication paths among said CPU, said memory subsystem, and said peripheral bus;

a graphics controller coupled to said peripheral bus;

a display in communication with said graphics controller;

a lid portion having a display housing holding said display in a normally vertical orientation during use;

a video camera fixedly mounted to said display housing at a position above said display, said video camera having a fixed focal length lens and a CMOS sensor imaging array;

said video camera coupled to said graphics controller through a dedicated port so as to provide pixel data for output on said display without traveling over said peripheral bus; and

program code stored in said memory subsystem for execution by said CPU, said program code operable to control the transfer of pixel data from said video camera to said display so as to implement digital panning and zooming.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein said peripheral bus is a PCI bus.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein said dedicated port is a zoomed video (ZV) port.

7. The system of claim 4 wherein said graphics controller and said controller additionally communicate via a path that is distinct from said peripheral bus.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said path is an advanced graphic port (AGP).

9. The system of claim 4 wherein said video camera has a lens that provides a field of view on the order of 65-70 degrees.

10. The system of claim 4 wherein said program code provides a control panel on said display, said control panel including a graphical slider to receive user input to effect digital zooming.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein said program code provides a control panel on said display, said control panel including a graphical frame-in-frame locator to receive user input to effect digital panning.

12. A laptop computer system comprising:

a CPU;

a memory subsystem coupled to said CPU;

a peripheral bus;

a controller providing communication paths among said CPU, said memory subsystem, and said peripheral bus;

a media processor coupled to said peripheral bus;

said media processor also being coupled to said controller on a bypass path that avoids said peripheral bus;

a display coupled to said media processor;

a lid portion having a display housing holding said display in a normally vertical orientation during use;

a video camera fixedly mounted to said display housing at a position above said display, said video camera coupled to said media processor through a dedicated port so as to provide pixel data for output to said display without traveling over said peripheral bus; and

program code stored in said memory device for execution by said CPU, said program code operable to control the transfer of pixel data from said video camera to said display so as to implement digital panning zooming.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein:

said bypass path uses an advanced graphics port (AGP);

said peripheral bus is a PCI bus; and

said dedicated port is a zoomed video (ZV) port.

14. The system of claim 12 wherein said program code provides a control panel on said display, said control panel including a graphical slider to receive user input to effect digital zooming.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein said program code provides a control panel on said display, said control panel including a graphical frame-in-frame locator to receive user input to effect digital panning.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said video camera includes a CMOS sensor imaging array.