Electronic camera incorporating a computer-compatible bus interface
AssigneeEastman Kodak Company
InventorsKenneth Parulski, Raymond J. Bouvy, David A. Smith, John J. Acello
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic camera is provided as a module that attaches to the signal bus of a PC-compatible computer. The camera includes a minimum of components, particularly an image sensor and an A/D converter, and a PC-compatible interface connector for mating with a bus extension connector on the computer. By directly presenting digitized data from the camera to the signal bus of the computer through the bus connector, the camera can be kept relatively simple and the computer can be relied upon to perform image processing, storage, and display.
Claims26
An electronic camera for use with a portable computer, wherein the portable computer includes a plurality of digital devices coupled to a central processing unit (CPU) by a standardized, industry-compatible, internal signal bus having a plurality of signal lines, said camera comprising:
- an image sensor for generating image data representative of scene to be imaged;
- timing means for driving said image sensor to produce lines of image data;
- digitizing means for digitizing the lines image data produced by the image sensor;
- means for mechanically attaching the camera to the portable computer;
- bus-compatible connector means for transferring the digitized image data from the digitizing means to the internal signal bus of the portable computer without altering the digitized image data in accordance with a communication protocol, wherein the bus-compatible connector means includes a plurality of signal lines that directly correspond to the signal lines of the internal signal bus.
An electronic camera for use with a computer, wherein the computer includes a digital processing device, a data entry device, a data storage device, a data display device, and an internal signal bus for conveying data, address, and control signals between the devices, said signal bus including a bus connector for connecting said signal bus to additional devices, said camera comprising:
- a camera module including an image sensor and an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing image data output from the sensor;
- connective means, externally accessible from said camera module, for connecting said camera module to the bus connector;
- and
- data transfer means included within said camera module for presenting the digitized image data directly to the signal bus through the bus connector without using a communication interface that alters the digitized image data in accordance with a communication protocol.
An electronic camera for use with a PC compatible computer, wherein the PC compatible computer includes a digital processing device, a data entry device, a data storage device, a data display device, and a signal bus for conveying data, address, and control signals between the devices, said signal bus including a bus connector for connecting said signal bus to additional devices, said camera comprising:
- a camera module including an image sensor and an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing image data output from the sensor;
- bus-compatible means presented externally from the camera module for connecting said camera module to the bus connector of the computer;
- and
- data transfer means for controlling the transfer of image data from said sensor directly to the data storage device via the signal bus without utilizing an intermediate communication interface that alters the image data in accordance with a communication protocol.
A portable PC-compatible computer system including a digital processing device, a data entry device, a data storage device, a data display device, and an internal signal bus for conveying data, address, and control signals between the devices, the improvement wherein said computer system further includes:
- an image sensor;
- an optical system for directing image light upon said image sensor;
- an analog-to-digital converter for digitizing image data output from said sensor;
- connecting means for connecting the output of said analog-to-digital converter to the signal bus;
- and
- data transfer means for controlling the transfer of digitized image data from said sensor directly to the data storage device via the signal bus without using an intermediate communication interface that alters the digitized image data in accordance with a communication protocol.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.