Device and method for digitizing a serialized scanner output signal

1. An image-capture circuit, comprising:

a digitizer operable to receive a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the digitizer having:

a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal and to process a respective color component; and

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components; and

a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to couple each of the channels to the analog to digital converter in the predetermined sequence.

2. The image-capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the digitizer further includes a multiplexer disposed between the channels and the analog-to-digital converter, and the controller is further operable to cause the multiplexer to couple the channels to the analog-to-digital converter in the predetermined sequence.

3. The image-capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein each input channel is operable to modify the a respective color component that it processes.

4. The image-capture circuit of clam 3 , wherein each input channel is further operable to amplify the respective color component.

5. The image-capture circuit of claim 3 , wherein each input channel is further operable to offset the respective color component.

6. The image-capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to control the digitizer such that the first input channel processes a first color component of the received analog-color signal, the second input channel processes a second color component of the received analog-color signal, and continuing until each color component is individually processed.

7. The image-capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the digitizer is operable to receive the serial analog color signal in the plurality of channels.

8. The image-capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the digitizer is further operable to receive a parallel analog-color signal having color components, each channel of the digitizer being operable to receive a respective color component.

9. The image-capture circuit of claim 1 , wherein the controller and the digitizer are formed on a single chip.

10. An image-capture circuit, comprising:

a digitizer operable to receive a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, the digitizer having:

a plurality of signal modification channels, one of the channels operable to sequentially modify each of the color components according to a corresponding modification parameter; and

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the modified color components from the one of the channels; and

a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to sequentially update the modification parameter to correspond to the color component that the channel is modifying.

11. The image-capture circuit of claim 10 , wherein the modification parameter includes an amplification.

12. The image-capture circuit of claim 10 , wherein the modification parameter includes an offset.

13. A scanner, comprising:

a sensor head operable to generate a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components responsive to a scan of an image, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color; and

an image-capture circuit, including:

a digitizer operable to receive the serial analog color signal and having:

a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal and to process a respective color component;

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components; and

a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to couple each of the channels to the analog to digital converter in the predetermined sequence.

14. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein each input channel is coupled to the serial analog-color signal.

15. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further operable to synchronize generation of a first color component by the sensor head with the processing of the first color component by a first channel, generation of a second color component by the sensor head with the processing of the second color by a second channel, and continuing until each color component has been generated and processed by a different channel.

16. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein the color components include red, green, and blue.

17. The scanner of claim 13 , wherein the scan sensor head is a CIS type.

18. A scanner comprising:

a sensor head operable to generate a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components responsive to a scan of an image; and

an image-capture circuit, including:

a digitizer operable to receive the serial analog color signal and having:

a plurality of signal modification channels, one of the channels operable to sequentially modify each of the color components according to a corresponding modification parameter;

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize

the modified color components from the one of the channels; and

a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to sequentially update the modification parameter to correspond to the color component that the channel is modifying.

19. A method for digitizing a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the method comprising:

receiving the serial analog color signal on a single input node;

modifying a first one of the color components with a first channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified color component during a first time period; and

modifying a second one of the color components with a second channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified color component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.

20. A method for digitizing a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, the method comprising:

setting a modification parameter of a selected one of a plurality of channels to a first predetermined level, modifying a first one of the color components with the channel, and digitizing the modified first component during a first time period; and

setting the modification parameter of the channel to a second predetermined level, modifying a second one of the color components with the channel, and digitizing the modified second component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.

21. An image-capture circuit, comprising:

a plurality of channels each operable to receive a serial analog color signal including a predetermined sequence of color components and to process a respective one of the color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels; and

a controller operable to couple the channels to the analog-to-digital converter in the predetermined sequence.

22. A scanner, comprising:

a sensor head operable to scan an image and to generate a serial analog color signal that represents the image, the signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color;

a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal from the sensor head and to process a respective one of the color components;

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels; and

a controller operable to couple the channels to the analog-to-digital converter in the predetermined sequence.

23. A method for digitizing a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the method comprising:

receiving the serial analog color signal on each of a first and a second channel;

modifying a first one of the color components with the first channel and digitizing the modified first component during a first time period; and

modifying a second one of the color components with the second channel and digitizing the modified second component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.

24. The method of claim 23 , further comprising:

receiving the serial analog color signal on a third channel; and

modifying a third one of the color components with the third channel and digitizing the modified third component during a third time period that is separate from the first and second time periods.

25. The image-capture circuit of claim 10, further comprising:

a sensor head operable to generate a serial analog-color signal having the predetermined sequence of color components responsive to a scan of an image.

26. The image-capture circuit of claim 10, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the modified color components from the one of the channels.

27. The scanner of claim 13, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein the first level is a first predetermined level and the second level is a second predetermined level.

29. The image-capture circuit of claim 21, further comprising:

a sensor head operable to scan an image and to generate a serial analog color signal that represents the image, the signal having the predetermined sequence of color.

30. The image-capture circuit of claim 21, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels.

31. The scanner of claim 22, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels.

32. An image capture circuit comprising:

means for receiving on a single input node a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;

means for modifying a first one of the color components with a first channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified first one of the color component during a first time period; and

means for modifying a second one of the color components with a second channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified second one of the color component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.

33. An image capture circuit comprising:

means for receiving on a single input node a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;

means for modifying a first one of the color components with a first channel coupled to the input node during a first time period;

means for modifying a second one of the color components with a second channel coupled to the input node during a second time period that is separate from the first time period; and

means coupled to the means for modifying a first one of the color components and the means for modifying a second one of the color components for digitizing modified color components during respective time periods.

34. An image capture circuit comprising:

means for receiving, on each of a first and a second channel, a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;

means for modifying a first one of the color components with the first channel and digitizing the modified first component during a first time period; and

means for modifying a second one of the color components with the second channel and digitizing the modified second component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.

35. An image capture circuit comprising:

means for receiving, on each of a first and a second channel, a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;

means for modifying a first one of the color components with the first channel during a first time period;

means for modifying a second one of the color components with the second channel during a second time period; and

means coupled to the means for modifying a first one of the color components and the means for modifying a second one of the color components for digitizing modified color components during respective time periods.

36. An image-capture circuit comprising:

an analog signal source;

a digitizer operable to receive a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the digitizer having:

a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal and to process a respective color component; and

an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components;

a switch coupled between the analog signal source and the digitizer and operable to switch between the analog signal source and one of

a plurality of parallel digitizer inputs, with each parallel digitizer input of the plurality of digitizer inputs being coupled to one channel of the plurality of channels,

a first serial digitizer input coupled to all channels of the plurality of channels, and

a second serial digitizer input coupled to a single channel of the plurality of channels; and

a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to couple each of the channels to the analog to digital converter in the predetermined sequence.

37. An image-capture circuit comprising:

an analog signal source;

digitizer means for receiving a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;

processing means including a plurality of channels for receiving the serial analog color signal and for processing one or more color component; and

converter means coupled to the processing means for sequentially receiving and digitizing the processed color components;

switch means coupled between the analog signal source and the digitizer means for switching between the analog signal source and one of

a plurality of parallel digitizer inputs, with each parallel digitizer input of the plurality of parallel digitizer inputs being coupled to one channel of the plurality of channels,

a first serial digitizer input coupled to all channels of the plurality of channels, and

a second serial digitizer input coupled to a single channel of the plurality of channels; and

controller means coupled to the processing means for coupling each of the channels to converter means in the predetermined sequence.

38. A method for digitizing a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the method comprising:

receiving the serial analog color signal on a single input node;

switching between the input node and one of

a plurality of parallel digitizer inputs, with each digitizer input of the plurality of parallel digitizer inputs being coupled to one channel of a plurality of channels,

a first serial digitizer input coupled to all channels of the plurality of channels, and

a second serial digitizer input coupled to a single channel of the plurality of channels;

based on the switching, processing the serial analog color signal and modifying one or more color components in the plurality of channels or the single channel; and

receiving and digitizing the modified color components.