Processing circuit for capturing event in digital camera system
AssigneeTektronix, Inc.
InventorsStephen F. Blazo, Gail W. Marshall
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A processing circuit for a digital camera system enables capture of a visual event which falls within some user-defined range. A digital camera converts a target image into a set of digital data signals, each signal representing the brightness level of a pixel in a matrix. A memory stores a mask also comprising a matrix of pixels. As the digital camera scans the target image, each data pixel from the camera is compared to a corresponding pixel in the mask and differences in brightness between the two are counted. When the count reaches some predetermined valve, the current frame of video data is saved for further analysis and/or display.
Claims10
A processing circuit in a digital camera adapted to be coupled to a visual display screen and providing a video output representing a photographic image, comprising:
- (a) analog-to-digital converter means associated with said digital camera for converting said video output into video digital signals;
- (b) video memory means for storing a mask comprising a set of digital signals representing a predetermined visual image;
- (c) comparator means for comparing said video digital signals with said mask and for providing an indication when said video digital signals vary with respect to said mask by a predetermined amount;
- and
- (d) means for storing said video digital signals in a memory when said indication is provided by said comparator means.
A digital camera for converting visual images to a digital signal, comprising:
- (a) means for capturing a visual event and for converting said event to an electrical signal at a predetermined frame repetition rate;
- (b) analog-to-digital converter means for converting said electrical signal to a digital representation comprising a data matrix of pixels, each pixel in said data matrix being represented by a digital word;
- (c) memory means for storing a mask comprising a matrix of user defined pixels;
- and
- (d) means for comparing each pixel in said data matrix with each corresponding pixel in said user-defined matrix, and for providing an output indication when said data matrix varies from said user defined matrix by a predetermined amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.