Video-frame data receiver with low frame capture rate

• US 9,992,386 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2015
• Issued: 06/05/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alverix, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Original Assignee: Alverix, Inc. (Becton, Dickinson & Co)
• Inventors: Hengstler, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Bengzon, Greg C
• Application Number:
  US14/968,749
• Publication Number:
  US 20160261776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/20 for electronic clinical trials or questionnaires
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/40 for data related to laboratory analysis, e.g. patient specimen analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/00 Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/04 Synchronising for television systems using pulse code modulation H04N7/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/2625 for obtaining an image which is composed of images from a temporal image sequence, e.g. for a stroboscopic effect sequence generated by event triggered capturing H04N7/188

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to a video frame data receiver that is capable of image acquisition at low frame rates. Such video frame data receivers may be used to capture images from diagnostic tests or assays in which lower frame capture rates are sufficient including, for example, lateral flow test strips.

Claims

1. A process for capturing images from a diagnostic test or assay at a low capture rate, the process comprising:

receiving a first synchronizing signal from an image sensor in signal communication with the at least one microprocessor, the image sensor configured to store data indicative of a video frame, the first synchronizing signal indicating at least whether the image sensor is storing data indicative of an end of a video frame;

receiving a second synchronizing signal from the image sensor, the second synchronizing signal indicating at least whether the image sensor is storing data indicative of an end of one of a plurality of lines of the video frame;

receiving a clock signal from the image sensor, the clock signal indicating whether the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame;

at a first point in time, determining;

whether the first synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of at least the portion of the video frame, and

whether the second synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of one of the plurality of lines of the video frame; and

in response to determining both that the first synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of the video frame and that the second synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of one of the plurality of lines of the video frame;

polling the clock signal until the clock signal indicates that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame, and

when the clock signal indicates that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame, reading and storing the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame from the image sensor during a current data-valid half-period, the video frame representing an outcome of the diagnostic test or assay.

2. The process of claim 1, further comprising polling the clock signal until the clock signal indicates that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame.

3. The process of claim 2, further comprising:

detecting at least one of a rising edge of the clock signal and falling edge of the clock signal; and

determining, based on the detected rising edge or falling edge, that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame.

4. The process of claim 1, further comprising storing, via a general purpose input/output peripheral or an external memory, the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame from the image sensor.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the process is repeated a number of times.

6. A process for capturing images from a diagnostic test or assay at a low capture rate, the process comprising:

receiving a first synchronizing signal from an image sensor in signal communication with the at least one microprocessor, the image sensor configured to store data indicative of a video frame, the first synchronizing signal indicating at least whether the image sensor is storing data indicative of an end of a video frame;

receiving a second synchronizing signal from the image sensor, the second synchronizing signal indicating at least whether the image sensor is storing data indicative of an end of one of a plurality of lines of the video frame;

receiving a clock signal from the image sensor, the clock signal indicating whether the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame;

detecting an interrupt based on the clock signal, the interrupt indicating that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame;

upon detection of the interrupt;

determining whether the first synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of the video frame, and

determining whether the second synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of one of the plurality of lines of the video frame; and

in response to determining that both the first synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of the video frame and the second synchronizing signal indicates that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of one of the plurality of lines of the video frame, reading and storing the then-stored data indicative of the video frame from the image sensor during a current data-valid half-period, the video frame representing an outcome of the diagnostic test or assay.

7. The process of claim 6, further comprising detecting the interrupt based on the clock signal by determining a feature of the clock signal, wherein the feature is one of a rising edge and a falling edge of the clock signal.

8. The process of claim 6, further comprising storing, via a general purpose input/output peripheral, the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame from the image sensor.

9. The process of claim 6, further comprising storing, via an external memory interface, the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame from the image sensor.

10. The process of claim 6, wherein the process is repeated a number of times.

11. A process for capturing images from a diagnostic test or assay at a low capture rate, the process comprising:

receiving a first synchronizing signal from an image sensor in signal communication with the at least one microprocessor, the image sensor configured to store data indicative of a video frame, the first synchronizing signal indicating at least whether the image sensor is storing data indicative of an end of a video frame;

receiving a clock signal from the image sensor, the clock signal indicating whether the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame;

detecting an interrupt based on the first synchronizing signal, the interrupt indicating that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of one of the plurality of lines of the video frame; and

in response to detecting the interrupt;

determining whether the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame, and

in response to determining that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame, reading and storing the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame from the image sensor during a current data-valid half-period, the video frame representing an outcome of the diagnostic test or assay.

12. The process of claim 11, further comprising detecting the interrupt based on the clock signal by determining a feature of the clock signal, wherein the feature is one of a rising edge and a falling edge of the first synchronizing signal.

13. The process of claim 11, further comprising:

polling the clock signal to determine a data-valid edge of the clock signal; and

determining, based on the determined data-valid edge, that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame.

14. The process of claim 13, wherein the data-valid edge of the clock signal comprises one of a rising edge of the clock signal and a falling edge of the clock signal.

15. The process of claim 11, further comprising, in response to determining that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of the video frame, reading the then-stored data indicative of the video frame from the image sensor within a time period equal to less than one-half of the period of the clock signal.

16. The process of claim 11, further comprising determining whether the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of the video frame based on whether the clock signal is currently in a data-valid half-period.

17. The process of claim 16, further comprising, in response to determining that the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of the video frame:

reading the then-stored data indicative of the video frame only during the current data-valid half-period, and

reading and storing the then-stored data indicative of the video within a full period of the clock signal.

18. The process of claim 11, wherein the process is repeated a number of times.

19. A process for capturing images from a diagnostic test or assay at a low capture rate, the process comprising:

receiving a first synchronizing signal from an image sensor in signal communication with the at least one microprocessor, the image sensor configured to store data indicative of a video frame, the first synchronizing signal indicating at least whether the image sensor is storing data indicative of an end of one of a plurality of lines of the video frame,

receiving a clock signal from the image sensor, the clock signal indicating whether the image sensor is currently storing valid data indicative of at least a portion of the video frame,

detecting an interrupt based on the first synchronizing signal, the interrupt indicating that the image sensor is storing data indicative of the end of one of the plurality of lines of the video frame, and

in response to detecting the interrupt;

reading the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame from the image sensor only during the current data-valid half-period due to an alignment of the execution of the instructions with the clock signal, and

storing the then-stored data indicative of at least the portion of the video frame, during a current data-valid half-period, the video frame representing an outcome of the diagnostic test or assay.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the process is repeated a number of times.