Image sensors with variable resolution image format
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorAnthony Richard HUGGETT
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system is provided that is configured to encode an image in accordance with a variable resolution image format. The variable resolution image format allows the specification of a number of windows in terms of their location and resolution. The image can be decomposed into a minimum number of square superpixels such that all specified windows are at the assigned resolution or better. By encoding one image where only critical portions are at the high resolution while less critical portions are at intermediate or lower resolutions, the number of bits that need to be transmitted from the system to a remote host subsystem can be dramatically reduced.
Claims20
An imaging system comprising:
- an image sensor configured to capture an image;
- and
- an encoding circuit configured to:
- receive unbinned pixel data generated based on the image from the image sensor;
- and
- encode the unbinned pixel data in accordance with a variable resolution image format that specifies one or more attributes of windows in the image.
A method of operating an imaging system, comprising:
- using an image sensor to capture an image;
- using an encoder to receive unbinned pixel data generated based on the image captured by the image sensor;
- using the encoder to bin the unbinned pixel data into superpixels corresponding to at least a first resolution and a second resolution different than the first resolution;
- and
- transmitting a variable resolution image represented by the superpixels to an external system.
An apparatus comprising:
- a downsampling logic circuit configured to receive a source image and to generate a plurality of superpixel values by binning pixels into lower resolution regions of the source image;
- memory circuits configured to store binned values that are used to generate the plurality of superpixel values;
- and
- a binning level selection circuit configured to construct a variable resolution image based on at least the superpixel values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.