Video imaging system including a digital image sensor and a digital signal processor

Patent 7483058 Issued on January 27, 2009. Estimated Expiration Date:

August 4, 2023. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

CMOS image sensor with pixel level A/D conversion
Patent #: 5461425
Issued on: 10/24/1995
Inventor: Fowler, et al.

Image pickup apparatus
Patent #: 5995137
Issued on: 11/30/1999
Inventor: Yamada, et al.

Information transmission method and apparatus Patent #: 6573931
Issued on: 06/03/2003
Inventor: Horii, et al.

Inventors

Assignee

Pixim, Inc.

Application

No. 10634302 filed on 08/04/2003

US Classes:

348/222.1Combined image signal generator and general image signal processing

Examiners

Primary: Ometz, David L
Assistant: Giles, Nicholas G

Attorney, Agent or Firm

International Class

H04N 5/228

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.

Other References

Xinqiao Liu and Abbas El Gamal, “Photocurrent Estimation from Multiple Non-destructive Samples in a CMOS Image Sensor”, Proceedings of the SPIE Electronic Imaging 2001 Conference, vol. 4306, San Jose, CA (Jan. 2001), 9 pages.