System and method for using a unified memory architecture to implement a digital camera device
AssigneeApple Computer, Inc.
InventorEric C. Anderson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method for using a unified memory architecture to implement a digital camera device comprises a dynamic random-access memory for storing captured image data during processing and compression, a memory manager routine for allocating storage space within the dynamic random-access memory, a power management system for protecting the stored image data in case of a power failure, and an input/output interface for allowing an external host computer system to access the dynamic random-access memory.
Claims16
A digital camera device comprising:
- a CPU capable of concurrently processing multiple unprocessed images into processed images;
- a memory device, coupled to said CPU, for storing sets of image data, comprising frame buffers for storing unprocessed image data and a random-access memory disk for storing unprocessed image data and processed image data;
- a memory manager for allocating storage locations to store said sets of image data within said memory device;
- a power management system, for monitoring a power supply to detect a power failure, configured to protect said sets of image data if said power failure is detected;
- and
- an interface coupled to said memory device whereby an external host computer can access said sets of image data stored in said memory device.
A method of implementing a digital camera device, comprising the steps of:
- using a CPU to concurrently process multiple unprocessed images into processed images;
- using a memory manager to allocate storage locations within a memory device comprising frame buffers for storing unprocessed image data and a random-access memory disk for storing unprocessed image data and processed image data;
- storing sets of image data into said allocated storage locations;
- using a power management system to monitor a power supply and detect a power failure;
- using said power management system to protect said sets of image data from said power failure;
- and
- communicating with said memory device via an interface whereby an external host computer can access said sets of image data.
A computer-readable medium comprising program instructions for causing a computer system to perform the steps of:
- using a CPU to concurrently process multiple unprocessed images into processed images;
- using a memory manager to allocate storage locations within a memory device comprising frame buffers for storing unprocessed image data and a random-access memory disk for storing unprocessed image data and processed image data;
- storing sets of image data into said allocated storage locations;
- using a power management system to monitor a power supply and detect a power failure;
- using said power management system to protect said sets of image data from said power failure;
- and
- communicating with said memory device via an interface whereby an external host computer can access said sets of image data.
A digital camera device comprising:
- CPU means for concurrently processing multiple unprocessed images into processed images;
- memory manager means for allocating storage locations within a memory device comprising frame buffers for storing unprocessed image data and a random-access memory disk for storing unprocessed image data and processed image data;
- means for storing sets of image data into said allocated storage locations;
- and
- means for communicating with said memory device via an interface whereby an external host computer can access said sets of image data.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.