# US 7,609,297 B2 · Configurable hardware based digital imaging apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,609,297 B2 - Document ID: US7609297B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/606,031 - Filed: 2003-06-25 - Published: 2004-12-30 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2003-06-25 - Assignees: QST Holdings, LLC - Inventors: Paul L. Master; John Watson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7609297B2 ## CPC - G06F 7/5443: {Sum of products (for applications thereof, see the relevant places, e.g. G06F17/10, H03H17/00)} - G06F 9/3001: {Arithmetic instructions} - G06F 9/3885: {using a plurality of independent parallel functional units} - G06F 9/3897: {with adaptable data path} - H03H 17/0294: {Variable filters; Programmable filters} - G06F 7/4806: {Computations with complex numbers} - G06F 2207/4814: Non-logic devices, e.g. operational amplifiers - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H03H: IMPEDANCE NETWORKS, e.g. RESONANT CIRCUITS; RESONATORS (waveguides, resonators, lines or other devices of the waveguide type H01P) ## Abstract The present invention provides a digital imaging apparatus having an optical sensor, an analog-to-digital converter, a plurality of computational elements, and an interconnection network. The optical sensor converts an object image into a detected image, which is then converted to digital image information by the analog-to-digital converter. The plurality of computational elements includes a first computational element having a first fixed architecture and a second computational element having a second, different fixed architecture. The interconnection network is capable of providing a processed digital image from the digital image information by configuring and reconfiguring the plurality of computational elements for performance of a plurality of different imaging functions. The invention may be embodied, for example, as a digital camera, a scanner, a printer, or a dry copier. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A digital imaging apparatus, comprising: an optical sensor converting an object image into a detected image; an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the optical sensor, the analog-to-digital converter converting the detected image to digital image information; a plurality of heterogeneous computational units processing the digital image information to produce a processed digital image, the plurality of heterogeneous computational units including a first computational unit having a first architecture of a first plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for simple computations, a data input and a data output, and a second computational unit having a second digital signal processing architecture of a second plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for digital signal processing, a data input and a data output; and an interconnection network coupled to the plurality of heterogeneous computational units and to the analog-to-digital converter, the interconnection network providing the digital image information to the plurality of heterogeneous computational units, configuring the plurality of heterogeneous computational units for performance of a first imaging function on the digital imaging information in response to configuration information that configures interconnections between at least the first plurality of computational elements and simultaneously in response to different configuration information to configure interconnections between the second plurality of computational elements, and reconfiguring the plurality of heterogeneous computational units for performance of a second imaging function on the digital image information in response to configuration information that reconfigures the interconnections between at least the first plurality of computational elements, the first imaging function being different than the second imaging function. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: focusing means providing the object image to the optical sensor. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 2, wherein the focusing means comprises a focusing assembly, the focusing assembly further comprising: a lens; a shutter; an aperture; and a focusing motor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor is at least one of a charge coupled device (CCD), a charge injection device (CID), an optical complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) array, an optical bipolar junction transistor (BJT) array, a photogate array, or a photodiode array. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an analog output interface coupled to the interconnection network, the analog output interface converting the processed digital image to an analog form; and a viewfinder screen coupled to the analog output interface, the viewfinder screen visually displaying the analog form of the processed digital image. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: an analog output interface coupled to the interconnection network, the analog output interface converting the processed digital image to an analog form; and an analog output port coupled to the analog output interface, the analog output port outputting the analog form of the processed digital image. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a first memory couplable to the interconnection network, the first memory storing the processed digital image. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first memory is selectively removable flash memory. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a second memory coupled to the interconnection network, the second memory storing the first configuration information and the second configuration information. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second memory is synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM). ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first memory and the second memory are at least one of flash memory, DRAM, SRAM, SDRAM, FeRAM, MRAM, ROM, EPROM and E2PROM. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a digital output port coupled to the interconnection network, the digital output port outputting the processed digital image. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processed digital image is provided as a plurality of processed digital image data packets. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 13, further comprising: a digital output interface coupled to the interconnection network, the digital output interface selecting a plurality of processed digital image data words from the plurality of processed digital image data packets and assembling the plurality of processed digital image data words to form the processed digital image. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital image information is provided as a plurality of digital image information data packets. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a light source providing light for reflection from an object to form the object image. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a printer coupled to the interconnection network, the printer printing the processed digital image on a tangible medium. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a dry copier coupled to the interconnection network, the dry copier transferring the processed digital image to a tangible medium. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, further comprising: a data transmitter coupled to the interconnection network, the data transmitter transmitting the processed digital image to a remote location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 19, wherein the data transmitter is at least one of an analog (voice band) modem; a digital modem; a digital subscriber line modem; and a cable modem. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of imaging functions comprises at least two of linear filtering; nonlinear filtering; morphological filtering; median filtering; local weighted median filtering; center weighted median filtering; vector weighted median filtering; multichannel image recovery; multiframe image restoration; iterative image restoration; motion detection; motion estimation; low pass filtering; multirate filtering; wavelet-based multirate filtering; autofocusing; contrast enhancement; and blur removal. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the algorithmic logic of the first and second plurality of computational elements each perform different functions including at least two of linear filtering, non-linear filtering, memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, synchronization, queuing, over sampling, under sampling, adaptation, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detected image comprises an electrical signal corresponding to brightness and color variations of the object image. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital imaging apparatus is embodied as at least one integrated circuit. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital imaging apparatus is embodied as a digital camera. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 1, wherein the digital imaging apparatus is embodied as one or more of a scanner, a printer, or a dry copier. ### Claim 27 A digital imaging apparatus, comprising: an optical sensor converting an object image into a detected image; an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the optical sensor, the analog-to-digital converter convening the detected image to a plurality of digital image information data packets; a plurality of heterogeneous computational units including a first computational unit having a first architecture of a first plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for simple computations, a data input and a data output, and a second computational unit having a second digital signal processing architecture of a second plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for digital signal processing, a data input and a data output; an interconnection network coupled to the plurality of heterogeneous computational units and to the analog-to-digital converter, the interconnection network providing the plurality of digital image information data packets, configuring the plurality of heterogeneous computational units for performance of a first imaging function in response to configuration information that configures the interconnections between at least the first plurality of computational elements and simultaneously in response to different configuration information to configure interconnections between the second plurality of computational elements, and by reconfiguring the plurality of heterogeneous computational units for performance of a second imaging function in response to configuration information that reconfigures interconnections between at least the first plurality of computational elements, the first imaging function being different than the second imaging function thereby providing a plurality of processed digital image data packets based on at least the first or second imaging function; and a digital output interface coupled to the interconnection network, the digital output interface selecting a plurality of processed digital image data words from the plurality of processed digital image data packets and assembling the plurality of processed digital image data words to form a processed digital image. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 27, wherein the optical sensor is at least one of a charge coupled device (CCD), a charge injection device (CID), an optical complementary metal oxide silicon (CMOS) array, an optical bipolar junction transistor (BJT) array, a photogate array, or a photodiode array. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 27, further comprising: an analog output interface coupled to the interconnection network, the analog output interface convening the processed digital image to an analog form; a viewfinder screen coupled to the analog output interface, the viewfinder screen visually displaying the analog form of the processed digital image; an analog output port coupled to the analog output interface, the analog output port outputting the analog form of the processed digital image; and a digital output port coupled to the interconnection network, the digital output port outputting the processed digital image. ### Claim 30 (depends on 27) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 27, wherein the plurality of imaging functions comprises linear filtering; nonlinear filtering; morphological filtering; median filtering; local weighted median filtering; center weighted median filtering; vector weighted median filtering; multichannel image recovery; multiframe image restoration; iterative image restoration; motion detection; motion estimation; low pass filtering; multirate filtering; wavelet-based multirate filtering; autofocusing; contrast enhancement; and blur removal. ### Claim 31 (depends on 27) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 27, wherein the algorithmic logic of the first and second plurality of computational elements each perform different functions including at least two of: linear filtering, non-linear filtering, memory, addition, multiplication, complex multiplication, subtraction, synchronization, queuing, over sampling, under sampling, adaptation, configuration, reconfiguration, control, input, output, and field programmability. ### Claim 32 (depends on 27) The digital imaging apparatus of claim 27, wherein the digital imaging apparatus is embodied as a digital camera. ### Claim 33 A method of processing a digital image comprising: convening an object image into a detected image via an analog-to-digital converter; convening the detected image to digital image information; providing a plurality of heterogeneous computational units including a first simple computational unit having a first architecture of a first plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for simple computations, a data input and a data output, and a second digital signal processing computational unit having a second architecture of a second plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for digital signal processing, a data input and a data output; providing an interconnection network coupled to each of the plurality of computational elements and to the analog-to-digital converter; configuring the plurality of computational units via the interconnections between at least the first plurality of computational elements and simultaneously in response to different configuration information to configure interconnections between the second plurality of computational elements for performance of a first imaging function; and reconfiguring the plurality of computational units for performance of a second imaging function in response to second configuration information by changing the interconnections between at least the first plurality of computational elements, the first imaging function being different than the second imaging function. ### Claim 34 A digital imaging apparatus, comprising: a digital image information input; a plurality of heterogeneous computational units to process digital image information to produce a processed digital image, the plurality of heterogeneous computational units including a first simple computational unit having a first architecture of a first plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for simple computations, a data input and a data output, and a second computational unit having a second digital signal processing architecture of a second plurality of computational elements each including algorithmic logic for digital signal processing, a data input and a data output; and an interconnection network coupled to the plurality of heterogeneous computational units, the interconnection network providing the digital image information to the plurality of heterogeneous computational elements and configuring the plurality of heterogeneous computational units to perform a first imaging function by simultaneous providing different configuration information to interconnections between the first plurality of computational elements and the interconnections between the second plurality of computational elements, and reconfiguring the plurality of heterogeneous computational units for performance of a second imaging function in response to providing configuration information that reconfigures the interconnections between at least some of the first plurality of heterogeneous computational elements. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The image apparatus of claim 34, further comprising: an optical sensor converting an object image into a detected image; and an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the optical sensor, the analog-to-digital converter converting the detected image to the digital image information, the converter coupled to the digital image input.