Digital video camera non-integer-ratio Bayer domain scaler

1. A method for processing a digital image, comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving said digital image, said digital image having (i) a Bayer color representation and (ii) two initial dimensions in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction respectively; and

(B) generating a resample image by down-sampling said digital image in said Bayer color representation using a circuit such that (i) said resample image has two resample dimensions, (ii) at least one of said resample dimensions is smaller than a respective at least one of said initial dimensions and (iii) said respective at least one initial dimension is a non-integer multiple of said at least one resample dimension.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein (i) said digital image further has a first sample rate greater than a maximum sample rate of a demosaicing operation and (ii) said resample image further has a second sample rate no greater than said maximum sample rate of said demosaicing operation.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

generating a demosaic image by demosaicing said resample image.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further comprising the step of:

generating a scaled image by down-scaling said demosaic image.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one resample dimension is in said horizontal direction.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one resample dimension is in said vertical direction.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generation of said resample image comprises the sub-steps of:

generating a red sub-image of said resample image by down-sampling a red sub-image of said digital image;

generating a blue sub-image of said resample image by down-sampling a blue sub-image of said digital image;

generating a first green sub-image of said resample image by down-sampling a first green sub-image of said digital image; and

generating a second green sub-image of said resample image by down-sampling a second green sub-image of said digital image.

8. A method for processing a digital image, comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving said digital image, said digital image having (i) a Bayer color representation and (ii) two initial dimensions in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction respectively; and

(B) generating a resample image by down-sampling said digital image in said Bayer color representation using a circuit such that (i) said resample image has two resample dimensions, (ii) at least one of said resample dimensions is smaller than a respective at least one of said initial dimensions and (iii) a first sample in said digital image is used to generate both a second sample in said resample image and a third sample in said resample image.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising the step of:

generating a demosaic image by demosaicing said resample image.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising the step of:

generating a scaled image by down-scaling said demosaic image.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein (i) said resample image further has a first sample rate greater than a maximum sample rate of a video encoding operation and (ii) said scaled image has a second sample rate no greater than said maximum sample rate of said video encoding operation.

12. The method according to claim 10 , further comprising the step of:

generating a video stream by compressing said scaled image.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of two demosaic dimensions of said demosaic image is a non-integer multiple of a respective at least one of two scaled dimensions of said scaled image.

14. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said respective at least one initial dimension is a non-integer multiple of said at least one resample dimension.

15. A method for processing a digital image, comprising the steps of:

(A) receiving said digital image, said digital image having (i) a Bayer color representation and (ii) two initial dimensions in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction respectively; and

(B) generating a resample image by down-sampling said digital image in said Bayer color representation using a circuit such that (i) said resample image has two resample dimensions, (ii) at least one of said resample dimensions is smaller than a respective at least one of said initial dimensions and (iii) a first sample of said resample image is calculated as a non-averaging combination of a plurality of second samples in said digital image.

16. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

generating a demosaic image by demosaicing said resample image.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein a third sample of said resample image is calculated as an average of a plurality of fourth samples in said digital image.

18. The method according to claim 15 , wherein one of said second samples in said digital image is used to generate both said first sample in said resample image and a third sample in said resample image.

19. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising the step of:

generating said digital image by sensing an optical image absent both binning and skipping.

20. The method according to claim 15 , wherein said respective at least one initial dimension is a non-integer multiple of said at least one resample dimension.