Image-processing microprocessor for supporting an application processor
An image-processing unit for an electronic device is disclosed. The image-processing unit may include a digital signal processor (DSP), a first control interface configured for receiving an AP-instruction from an application processor (AP) external to the image-processing unit, and a second control interface configured for transmitting an intermediary-instruction generated by DSP based on the AP-instruction. The image-processing unit may further include a first data interface configured for receiving sensor-data generated in response to the intermediary-instruction by a sensor external to the image-processing unit, and a second data interface configured for transmitting to the AP intermediary-data generated by the DSP based on the sensor-data.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
a first camera;
an application processor (AP); and
an image-processing unit coupled with the first camera and the AP, wherein the image-processing unit is configured to
receive a first AP-instruction from the AP for controlling the camera, generate a first intermediary-instruction based on the first AP-instruction,
transmit the first intermediary-instruction to the first camera,
receive a first camera-data from the first camera in response to the first intermediary-instruction,
generate a first intermediary-data based on the first camera-data and the first AP-instruction, and
transmit the first intermediary-data to the AP in response to the first AP-instruction,
and the AP is configured to transmit the first AP-instruction directly to the first camera without utilizing the image-processing unit.
2. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the AP is not configured to simultaneously transmit the first AP-instruction to the first camera and to the image-processing unit.
3. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the AP is configured to transmit a second AP-instruction directly to the first camera simultaneous to the transmitting of the first AP-instruction to the image-processing unit.
4. The electronic device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the second AP-instruction is different from the first AP-instruction.
5. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the AP is configured to receive the first camera-data directly from the first camera without the image-processing unit.
6. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the AP is configured to receive the first camera-data directly from the first camera simultaneous to the receiving of the first intermediary-data from the image-processing unit.
7. The electronic device as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
a second camera coupled with the image-processing unit, wherein the image-processing unit is further configured to:
generate a second intermediary-instruction based on the first AP-instruction,
transmit the second intermediary-instruction to the second camera simultaneous to the transmitting of the first intermediary-instruction to the first camera,
receive a second camera-data from the second camera in response to the second intermediary-instruction,
generate a second intermediary-data based on the second camera-data and the first AP-instruction, and
transmit the second intermediary-data to the AP in response to the first AP-instruction.
8. The electronic device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the AP is not configured to simultaneously transmit the first AP-instruction to the first camera and to the second camera.
9. The electronic device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first AP-instruction is different from the second AP-instruction.
10. The electronic device as recited in claim 7 , wherein the image-processing unit further generates the second intermediary-data based on the first intermediary-data.
11. An electronic device, comprising:
a first camera;
an application processor (AP); and
an image-processing unit coupled with the first camera and the AP, wherein the image-processing unit is configured to
receive a first AP-instruction from the AP for controlling the camera, generate a first intermediary-instruction based on the first AP-instruction,
transmit the first intermediary-instruction to the first camera,
receive a first camera-data from the first camera in response to the first intermediary-instruction,
generate a first intermediary-data based on the first camera-data and the first AP-instruction, and
transmit the first intermediary-data to the AP in response to the first AP-instruction,
and the AP is configured to transmit a second AP-instruction directly to the first camera simultaneous to the transmitting of the first AP-instruction to the image-processing unit.
12. The electronic device as recited in claim 11 , wherein the second AP-instruction is different from the first AP-instruction.