IP Library Granted Patent US 7,499,081
Granted Patent B2
US 7,499,081 · App. 10/427,597 · Granted Mar 3, 2009

Digital video imaging devices and methods of processing image data of different moments in time

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,499,081
App. No.
10/427,597
Granted
Mar 3, 2009
Kind
B2
Abstract

Digital video image data processing methods, digital video imaging devices, and articles of manufacture are described. According to one aspect, a digital video image data processing method includes providing a digital video imaging device configured to obtain image data, reading image data for a plurality of rolling frames from an image sensor of the digital video imaging device, wherein the reading for an individual one of the rolling frames comprises reading a plurality of different portions of the image sensor at a plurality of respective different moments in time, and forming a plurality of desired frames comprising image data at a plurality of respective common moments in time, wherein the forming comprises forming an individual one of the desired frames using image data from a plurality of the rolling frames.

Claims (54)

1. A digital video image data processing method comprising:

reading image data for a plurality of rolling frames from an image sensor of a digital video imaging device, wherein the reading for an individual one of the rolling frames comprises reading a plurality of different portions of the image sensor at a plurality of respective different moments in time;

forming a plurality of desired frames comprising image data at a plurality of respective common moments in time, wherein the forming comprises forming an individual one of the desired frames using image data from a plurality of the rolling frames; and

wherein an entirety of the image data of an individual one of the desired frames corresponds to a single one of the common moments in time.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming an individual one of the desired frames comprises interpolating the image data from the rolling frames.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the interpolating comprises interpolating using the rolling frames immediately adjacent in time to the individual desired frame being formed.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the interpolating comprises interpolating using a weighted average of the image data of the rolling frames.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming comprises determining motion data intermediate the rolling frames, and translating the image data of at least one of the rolling frames using the motion data.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reading comprises sequentially reading a plurality of rows of the image sensor.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

counting a delay period at a plurality of moments in time after the reading of the respective portions, and

resetting the portions of the image sensor after the respective countings of the delay period.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forming the desired frames comprises using the image data of respective ones of all of the rolling frames generated by the image sensor of the digital video imaging device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein an entirety of the image data of one of the desired frames corresponds to image data of a scene at the respective common moment in time comprising a single moment in time.

10. A digital video imaging device comprising:

an image sensor configured to generate digital video image data responsive to received light of a subject image and wherein the image sensor comprises a plurality of independently accessible portions;

processing circuitry coupled with the image sensor, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to read image data from different portions of the image sensor for the subject image at a plurality of different moments in time for a rolling frame, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to utilize image data from a given portion of the image sensor at a plurality of different moments in time to create a respective portion of a desired frame to be outputted and corresponding to the subject image; and

wherein the processing circuitry is configured to create an entirety of the desired frame comprising image data for a respective single moment in time.

11. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to implement an electronic rolling shutter to read the image data from the different portions of the image sensor.

12. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to utilize image data from remaining portions of the image sensor at different moments in time to create respective individual remaining portions of the desired frame to be outputted.

13. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to interpolate the image data read at the different moments in time to create the respective portion of the desired frame.

14. The device of claim 10 , wherein the respective portion of the desired frame corresponds to a given moment in time, and the processing circuitry is configured to interpolate image data obtained from the given portion of the image sensor at moments in time immediately adjacent to the given moment in time to create the respective portion of the desired frame.

15. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to obtain motion data intermediate the different moments in time, and to use the motion data to create the respective portion of the desired frame.

16. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control resetting of the different portions of the image sensor after the image data from the respective portions is read.

17. The device of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to delay the resetting of the different portions to avoid overexposure.

18. The device of claim 10 , wherein the rolling frame comprises an initial rolling frame, and the desired frame comprises an initial desired frame, and the image sensor is configured to generate the digital video image data of a video comprising the initial rolling frame and a plurality of additional rolling frames, and the processing circuitry is configured to utilize image data of all of the rolling frames of the video to generate the initial desired frame and a plurality of additional desired frames.

19. The device of claim 10 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to utilize a weighted average of the image data from the given portion of the image sensor at the different moments in time to create the respective portion of the desired frame.

20. A digital video imaging device comprising:

image sensing means for providing digital video image data responsive to received light of a subject image, wherein the sensing means comprises means for providing image data of a plurality of portions of the subject image; and

processing means for reading the image data of the portions of the sensing means at a plurality of different moments in time, for translating the image data of the portions of the sensing means to a common moment in time, and for outputting a desired frame comprising the translated image data after the translating.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the image sensing means and the processing means comprise means for implementing electronic rolling shutter operations for providing the digital video image data.

22. The device of claim 20 , wherein the outputting the desired frame comprises outputting the desired frame corresponding to the common moment in time, and wherein the processing means comprises means for reading the image data for a plurality of rolling frames, and the translating comprises, for an individual portion of the desired frame, using image data of the respective portion of the sensing means from a plurality of the rolling frames.

23. The device of claim 22 , wherein the translating comprises translating using the image data from the plurality of rolling frames immediately adjacent to the common moment in time.

24. The device of claim 23 , wherein the translating comprises interpolating the image data of the rolling frames.

25. The device of claim 20 , further comprising determining motion data intermediate a plurality of rolling frames and the translating comprises translating using the motion data.

26. The device of claim 20 , wherein the processing means comprises means for resetting portions of the image sensing means after reading image data from the respective portions.

27. The device of claim 26 , wherein the processing means comprises means for delaying the resetting to avoid overexposure.

28. An article of manufacture comprising:

a processor-usable medium comprising processor-usable code configured to cause processing circuitry to perform processing comprising:

accessing image data of a plurality of rolling frames, wherein individual rolling frames comprise image data accessed at a plurality of moments in time;

defining a common moment in time corresponding to a desired frame to be generated;

translating image data from a plurality of the rolling frames obtained at different moments in time to the common moment in time; and

outputting the desired frame comprising the translated image data.

29. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable code is configured to cause the processing circuitry to access the image data for a given rolling frame in a plurality of portions at the plurality of moments in time.

30. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable code is configured to cause the processing circuitry to operate as electronic rolling shutter in conjunction with an image sensor.

31. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable code is configured to cause the processing circuitry to interpolate the image data of the rolling frames to provide the translated image data.

32. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable code is configured to cause the processing circuitry to interpolate the image data of the rolling frames comprising the rolling frames immediately adjacent to the common moment in time.

33. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable code is configured to cause the processing circuitry to determine motion data intermediate the rolling frames, and to translate the image data using the motion data.

34. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable code is configured to cause the processing circuitry to count a delay period at the plurality of moments in time after accessing the image data of individual ones of the rolling frames, and to reset respective portions of an image sensor after the countings of the delay period.

35. The device of claim 20 , wherein the processing means comprises means for providing the desired frame comprising the translated image data corresponding to the common moment in time comprising a single moment in time.

36. The device of claim 20 , wherein the image sensing means comprises means for providing the digital video image data of a video comprising a plurality of rolling frames, wherein the desired frame comprises an initial desired frame, and wherein the processing means comprises means for using image data of all of the rolling frames of the video to generate the initial desired frame and a plurality of additional desired frames.

37. The article of claim 28 , wherein the image data of the desired frame corresponds to the common moment in time comprising a single moment in time.

38. The article of claim 28 , wherein the desired frame comprises an initial desired frame and the processor-usable medium comprises processor-usable code configured to cause the processing circuitry to use image data of all of the rolling frames of the video to generate the initial desired frame and a plurality of additional desired frames.

39. The article of claim 28 , wherein the processor-usable medium comprises a computer readable medium having encoded thereon a computer program comprising the processor-usable code comprising a set of instructions when executed by the processing circuitry of a computer cause the computer to perform the accessing, the defining, the translating and the outputting.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 23, 2013
From: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.; HEWLETT-PACKARD COMPANY
To: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 030473/0035 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 27, 2003
From: SILVERSTEIN, D. AMNON; SETTON, ERIC
To: HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.
Reel/Frame 014077/0570 →