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US 8,803,995 B2Granted
Integrated camera image signal processor and video encoder
AssigneeGeo Semiconductor Inc.
InventorsJose R. Alvarez, Guy Cote
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus including a first circuit and a second circuit. The first circuit may be configured to perform image signal processing using encoding related information. The second circuit may be configured to encode image data using image signal processing related information, wherein said first circuit is further configured to pass said image signal processing related information to said second circuit and said second circuit is further configured to pass said encoding related information to said first circuit.
Claims15
A camera image signal processor and video encoder apparatus comprising:
- an image signal processor that modifies an image signal relative to a limitation of a camera that generated the image signal, the limitation of the camera being associated with at least one characteristic selected from finite dynamic ranges and temporal response of the camera, inherent distortions in camera lenses, inherent noise in a camera capture process, and errors and inconsistencies in transducers used to control exposure, focus, and color representation;
- a video encoder, coupled directly to the image signal processor, to (i) receive the modified image signal and encode the modified image signal using image signal processing related information, and (ii) transmit encoding related information to the image signal processor;
- and
- a bi-directional communication path coupled between the image signal processor and the video encoder that allows information, including the image signal processing related information, to be transmitted between the image signal processor and the video encoder, wherein said image signal processing related information comprises global picture and region-related statistics comprising one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of size and strengths of regions, texture information, edge information, motion information, color information and statistics derived from an analysis of an encoding process, wherein said statistics derived from analysis of said encoding process comprise one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of motion vector information and block distortion information.
1 more element
An image signal processing and video encoding apparatus comprising:
- an image signal processing module, coupled to receive an image signal from a camera, wherein the image signal processing module processes the image signal and generates a picture data signal such that a characteristic of the image signal is modified, the first characteristic of the image signal is related to a limitation of the camera;
- a codec, coupled to the image signal processing module, to receive the picture data signal, the codec encodes the picture data signal into an encoded signal, said codec further transmitting encoded data and codec related information to the image signal processing module;
- wherein the limitation of the camera is associated with at least one characteristic selected from finite dynamic ranges and temporal response of the camera, inherent distortions in camera lenses, inherent noise in a camera capture process, and errors and inconsistencies in transducers used to control exposure, focus, and color representation, wherein said image signal processing module generates image signal processing related information comprising global picture and region-related statistics comprising one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of size and strengths of regions, texture information, edge information, motion information, color information and statistics derived from an analysis of an encoding process, wherein said statistics derived from analysis of said encoding process comprise one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of motion vector information and block distortion information.
A method for processing and encoding image data comprising the steps of:
- receiving an image signal from a camera on a handset;
- modifying a characteristic of the image signal by a processor, related to a limitation of the camera, the limitation of the camera being associated with at least one characteristic selected from finite dynamic ranges and temporal response of the camera, inherent distortions in camera lenses, inherent noise in a camera capture process, and errors and inconsistencies in transducers used to control exposure, focus, and color representation;
- generating image signal processing related information based on the modified characteristic of the image signal;
- transmitting the modified image signal and the image signal processing related information to a video codec;
- and
- encoding the modified image signal pursuant to an encoding standard and using the image signal processing related information, wherein the video codec further transmits encoded data and codec related information to the processor, wherein the image signal processing related information comprises global picture and region-related statistics, and generating the image signal processing related information comprises selecting one or more types of data from a group consisting of size and strengths of regions, texture information, edge information, motion information, color information and statistics derived from analysis of an encoding process, wherein said statistics derived from analysis of said encoding process comprise one or more type of data selected from the group consisting of motion vector information and block distortion information.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.