Method, apparatus, and system for processing digital images

An image pre-processing apparatus comprising:

• an image data receiver configured to receive an image frame from an image sensor, the image frame having a frame pixel resolution substantially equal to a sensor pixel resolution of the image sensor;
• a data interface and an imager data interface;
• a direct memory access (DMA) controller in communication with the image data receiver, the data interface and the imager data interface, the DMA controller being configured to:
• store the image frame to a buffer memory via the data interface;
• receive first and second image subframes being generated from the image frame by dividing the image frame into the first and second image subframes to be processed by an image signal processor, each of the first and the second image subframes having a subframe pixel resolution smaller than the sensor pixel resolution and a region in which the first and second image subframes overlap with each other, the subframe pixel resolution being predetermined by a processing capacity of the image signal processor;
• and
• consecutively transmit the first and second subframes to the image signal processor via the imager data interface.

A camera system for processing digital images, the system comprising:

• an image sensor;
• an image pre-processing apparatus in communication with the image sensor;
• an image processing apparatus in communication with the pre-processing apparatus and including a buffer memory and an image signal processor;
• and
• a display connected to the image processing apparatus;
• the image pre-processing apparatus comprising:
• an image data receiver configured to receive an image frame from the image sensor, the image frame having a frame pixel resolution substantially equal to a sensor pixel resolution of the image sensor;
• a data interface and an imager data interface;
• a direct memory access (DMA) controller in communication with the image data receiver, the data interface and the imager data interface, the DMA controller being configured to:
• store the image frame to the buffer memory via the data interface;
• receive first and second subframes being generated from the image frame;
• and
• consecutively transmit the first and second subframes to the image signal processor via the imager data interface.