Mobile device equipped with digital image sensor

• US 7,038,716 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 05/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pixim, Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Pixim, Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Monti, John Mario, Klein, Vernon Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Thai
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/798,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20010009437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,888 Days
• Field of Search: 348/207.1, 348/211.2, 348/211.1, 348/211.14, 348/211.99, 348/211.3, 348/376, 348/375, 348/373, 348/552, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/575.3, 382/237
• US Class Current: 348/211.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00307 with a mobile telephone apparatus constructional features of portable telephone sets H04M1/0202; mobile radio systems H04W84/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0068 Converting from still picture data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display

Abstract

A mobile device with the capability of imaging a natural scene or a document and transmitting the image over a network is presented. The mobile device includes a digital pixel sensor so that over-sampling of an image of a target is possible. The target may be a scene or a document and output images can be set for the appropriate target.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

an image sensor producing digital signals representing a target when the image sensor is activated, the image sensor including an array of pixel elements, each of the pixel elements including a photodetector and an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, the photodetector producing an analog signal, the analog signal being converted to one of the digital signals;

a data memory to receive and store the digital signals, wherein memory cells in the data memory can be accessed randomly through a readout mechanism so that the digital signals can be selectively read out of the data memory;

a switching mechanism, the switching mechanism controlling the readout mechanism so that the digital signals is read out of the data memory in one of a plurality of predefined ways, a first one of the plurality of predefined ways comprising reading out only one or a few of the bit planes representing the digital signals so that a resultant image is a density reduced image and a second one of the plurality of predefined ways comprising reading the digital signals out in a decimation fashion so that a resultant image is a spatially reduced image; and

a data transmission circuit coupled to the data memory and receiving the digital signals therefrom, the digital signals being converted to data that are transmitted over a network.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the switching mechanism is externally integrated so that it is accessible by a user of the mobile device.

3. The mobile device of claim 2 further comprising a keypad including a plurality of keys, one of the keys being configured to act as the switching mechanism.

4. The mobile device of claim 2 further comprising a display displaying a plurality of icons or soft keys, one of the icons or soft keys being configured to act as the switching mechanism.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a compression circuit coupled to the data memory, the compression circuit compressing the digital signals to produce compressed data.

6. The mobile device of claim 5 wherein the data transmission circuit includes a network interface that converts the compressed data into packets for transmission over the network.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is selected from a group consisting of a cellular phone, a PDA, and a handheld computing device.

8. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising a display screen that can display the digital signals when a user of the mobile device desires.

9. The mobile device of claim 1 further comprising a light source to illuminate a target being imaged.

10. The mobile device of claim 9 wherein the light source projects a structured light so that a user sees if the target is aimed or focused properly.

11. A mobile device comprising:

an image sensor including digital pixel elements and a data memory, the digital pixel elements coupled to the data memory and producing a predefined number of frames of digital signals when the image sensor is activated to expose to a target for a predefined time;

wherein each of the frames is read out of the digital pixel elements respectively and pixel values in each of the frames are selectively written into the data memory;

a switching mechanism, the switching mechanism controlling the read out operation of the data memory so that the digital signals is read out of the data memory in one of a plurality of predefined ways, a first one of the plurality of predefined ways comprising reading out only one or a few of the bit planes representing the digital signals so That a resultant image is a density reduced image, and a second one of the plurality of predefined ways comprising reading the digital signals out in a decimation fashion so that a resultant image is a spatially reduced image; and

a data transmission circuit coupled to the data memory and converting the pixel values in the data memory to data packets for data transmission transmitted over a network.

12. The mobile device of claim 11 wherein the data transmission circuit includes a network interface executing at least one data communication protocol.

13. The mobile device of claim 12 wherein the at least one data communication protocol is TCP/IP or UDP/IP.

14. The mobile device of claim 12 further comprising a compression circuit coupled to the data memory, the pixel values in the data memory are compressed before being converted to data packets in the network interface.

15. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the mobile device is capable of communicating wirelessly in the network.