DIGITAL SIGNAL PROCESSOR BUFFER MANAGEMENT
A camera image sensor captures image data at a first rate, and stores the captured image data at a DSP buffer until it is processed by a DSP image processor. In response to the available capacity at the DSP buffer falling below a first threshold, the DSP buffer notifies the image sensor of the buffer's status, and the image sensor is configured to capture image data at a second rate. The second rate can be associated with a frame rate lower than the frame rate associated with the first rate, and/or can be associated with a resolution less than the resolution associated with the first rate. When the available capacity of the DSP increases, for instance, above a second threshold, the image sensor can be re-configured to capture image data at the first rate, or at a third rate different from the second rate and first rate.
1 . A camera system for capturing images, the camera system including an image sensor, a digital signal processor (DSP) buffer, and a DSP image processor, the camera system configured to perform camera operations comprising:
capturing, by the image sensor, frames of video according to a first capture mode, the first capture mode comprising a first resolution and a first frame rate;
outputting the frames of video captured according to the first capture mode from the image sensor to the DSP buffer;
in response to an available DSP buffer capacity falling below a first threshold, prompting a user of the camera system via a camera system interface to select a second capture mode; and
capturing, by the image sensor, frames of video according to the selected second capture mode.
2 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the second capture mode comprises a second resolution and a second frame rate, and wherein the second resolution is less than the first resolution and/or the second frame rate is lower than the second frame rate
3 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the camera system is further configured to perform camera operations comprising:
in response to an available DSP buffer capacity exceeding a second threshold, prompting the user of the camera system via the camera system interface to select a third capture mode; and
capturing, by the image sensor, frames of video according to the selected third capture mode.
4 . The camera system of claim 3 , wherein the third capture mode comprises a third resolution and a third frame rate, and wherein the third resolution is greater than one or more of the first resolution and the second resolution, and/or wherein the third frame rate is greater than one or more of the first frame rate and the second frame rate.
5 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein the first capture mode comprises a resolution of 1080P and a frame rate of 240 fps, and wherein the second capture mode comprises a resolution of 1080P and a frame rate of 120 fps.
6 . The camera system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first capture mode and the second capture mode are user-defined.
7 . A method for capturing images with a camera, the method comprising:
capturing, by an image sensor, image data at a first rate;
outputting the image data captured at the first rate to a DSP buffer, the DSP buffer configured to buffer received image data for processing by a DSP image processor;
receiving a buffer status from the DSP buffer indicating that the available storage capacity at the DSP buffer falls below a first threshold;
in response to the received buffer status, capturing, by the image sensor, image data at a second rate, the second rate lower than the first rate; and
outputting the image data captured at the second rate to the DSP buffer.
8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
receiving a second buffer status from the DSP buffer indicating that the available storage capacity at the DSP buffer exceeds a second threshold; and
in response to the received buffer status, capturing, by the image sensor, image data at a third rate, the third rate higher than the second rate.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the third rate is equal to the first rate.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein capturing image data at a first rate comprises capturing images at a first resolution and at a first frame rate, and wherein capturing image data at a second rate comprises capturing images at a second resolution and at a second frame rate.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the second resolution is less than the first resolution and/or wherein the second frame rate is lower than the first frame rate.
12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
processing, by the DSP image processor, image data buffered by the DSP buffer;
compressing the processed image data into one or more images; and
storing the one or more images in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
13 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the captured image data comprises captured frames of video.
14 . A system for compressing image data, the system comprising:
a DSP buffer, the DSP buffer comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and coupled to a DSP image processor, and configured to:
buffer received image data;
output a first buffer status in response to the available capacity of the DSP buffer falling below a first threshold;
output buffered data to the DSP image processor; and
an image sensor configured to:
capture image data at a first rate;
output the image data captured at the first rate to the DSP buffer for buffering;
in response to receiving the first buffer status from the DSP buffer:
capture image data at a second rate lower than the first rate; and
output the image data captured at the second rate to the DSP buffer for buffering.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the DSP buffer is further configured to output a second buffer status in response to the available capacity of the DSP buffer exceeding a second threshold, and wherein the image sensor is further configured to, in response to receiving the second buffer status from the DSP buffer:
capture image data at a second rate higher than the third rate; and
output the image data captured at the third rate to the DSP buffer for buffering.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the third rate is equal to the first rate.
17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein capturing image data at a first rate comprises capturing images at a first resolution and at a first frame rate, and wherein capturing image data at a second rate comprises capturing images at a second resolution and at a second frame rate.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the second resolution is less than the first resolution and/or wherein the second frame rate is lower than the first frame rate.
19 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the DSP image processor is configured to:
process image data buffered by the DSP buffer;
compress the processed image data into one or more images; and
store the one or more images in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.
20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the captured image data comprises captured frames of video.