Bayer Array Image Encoding Spatial Correlation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image signal transmission methods in imaging apparatuses fail to optimize coding efficiency when reading multiple lines from a pixel array, as they do not adequately consider spatial correlation, leading to impaired coding efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An image encoding apparatus that generates two new lines of pixel data by interchanging data from adjacent lines in a Bayer array, allowing for improved spatial correlation and encoding efficiency by configuring each new line with either a single color component, thereby enhancing coding efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If encoding processing is performed simply on each line as a one-dimensional array during multiple line readout, then the circuit configuration remains simple, but coding efficiency is impaired due to insufficient consideration of spatial correlation
Solution Approach 1:
The pixel array readout is segmented into multiple independent line buffers, where each buffer processes one line of pixel data. This segmentation allows parallel processing of multiple lines while maintaining the simplicity of individual line encoding circuits, thus improving coding efficiency without significantly increasing circuit complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from one-dimensional line-by-line encoding to two-dimensional block-based encoding by combining multiple lines into blocks. This dimensional change enables exploitation of spatial correlation across lines, improving coding efficiency while the block structure keeps the circuit configuration manageable.
2Measurement precision
If the number of pixels and framerates are increased in imaging apparatuses, then image quality and temporal resolution are improved, but image signal transmission amounts increase, requiring expanded transmission path bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple pixel lines are merged into blocks for joint encoding processing. This merging exploits the spatial correlation between adjacent lines, allowing more efficient compression of the overall image signal, thereby reducing transmission amounts while maintaining high pixel counts and framerates.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the encoding parameters by transitioning from simple one-dimensional DPCM encoding to two-dimensional block-based encoding that considers spatial correlation across multiple lines. This parameter change improves compression ratios, reducing the transmission amount of image signals from high-resolution, high-framerate imaging.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention can generate lines whose spatial correlation is high from a Bayer array imaging element, and can raise the coding efficiency of a captured image thereby. A read out controller reads two lines of pixel data from the Bayer array imaging element, generates two new lines by sorting, in accordance with a rule set in advance, pixel data included in the two lines that are read out, and outputs the result; a first encoder that inputs and encodes one of the two new lines obtained by the read out controller; and a second encoder that inputs and encodes the other of the two new lines obtained by the read out controller. Then, the read out controller generates a line configured by pixels of a single color component as at least one of the two new lines.