Video imaging system including a digital image sensor and a digital signal processor
First Claim
1. A video imaging system, comprising:
- a digital image sensor for performing image capture operations, comprising;
a sensor array comprising a two-dimensional array of digital pixels, each digital pixel outputting digital signals as pixel data representing an image of a scene;
an image buffer, in communication with said sensor array, for storing said pixel data;
a first processor, in communication with said image buffer and said sensor array, for controlling image capture and pixel data processing operations; and
a first interface circuit, in communication with said image buffer, for transferring said pixel data onto a pixel bus; and
a digital image processor for performing image processing operations, comprising;
a second interface circuit coupled to receive said pixel data from said pixel bus;
a frame buffer, in communication with said second interface circuit, coupled to store said pixel data;
an image processing pipeline for processing said pixel data stored in said frame buffer into video data corresponding to a video format selected from a group of video formats; and
a second processor, in communication with said frame buffer and said image processing pipeline, for directing said image processing pipeline to process said pixel data stored in said frame buffer;
wherein said digital image sensor and said digital image processor transfer control information over a control interface bus coupled between said first interface circuit and said second interface circuit and separate from said pixel bus and said digital image sensor performs said image capture operations independent of said image processing operations performed by said digital image processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A video imaging system includes a digital image sensor for performing image capture operations and a digital image processor for performing image processing operations. The digital image sensor includes a sensor array outputting digital pixel data, an image buffer for storing the pixel data, a first processor and a first interface circuit for transferring the pixel data onto a pixel bus. The digital image processor includes a second interface circuit coupled to receive the pixel data from the pixel bus, a frame buffer coupled to store the pixel data, an image processing pipeline for processing the pixel data stored in the frame buffer into video data, and a second processor. The digital image sensor and the digital image processor transfer control information over a control interface bus and the digital image sensor performs the image capture operations independent of the image processing operations performed by the digital image processor.
117 Citations
31 Claims
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1. A video imaging system, comprising:
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a digital image sensor for performing image capture operations, comprising; a sensor array comprising a two-dimensional array of digital pixels, each digital pixel outputting digital signals as pixel data representing an image of a scene; an image buffer, in communication with said sensor array, for storing said pixel data; a first processor, in communication with said image buffer and said sensor array, for controlling image capture and pixel data processing operations; and a first interface circuit, in communication with said image buffer, for transferring said pixel data onto a pixel bus; and a digital image processor for performing image processing operations, comprising; a second interface circuit coupled to receive said pixel data from said pixel bus; a frame buffer, in communication with said second interface circuit, coupled to store said pixel data; an image processing pipeline for processing said pixel data stored in said frame buffer into video data corresponding to a video format selected from a group of video formats; and a second processor, in communication with said frame buffer and said image processing pipeline, for directing said image processing pipeline to process said pixel data stored in said frame buffer; wherein said digital image sensor and said digital image processor transfer control information over a control interface bus coupled between said first interface circuit and said second interface circuit and separate from said pixel bus and said digital image sensor performs said image capture operations independent of said image processing operations performed by said digital image processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification