Continuous Burst Mode Digital Camera Pipeline Architecture

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional digital cameras experience delays in burst mode due to RAM buffer limitations, preventing continuous capture of high-resolution images as the buffer fills up, leading to missed moments in critical events.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a pipeline of dedicated hardware image processing engines that processes and compresses images in real-time, allowing continuous capture and storage of full-resolution images at a rate of at least three frames per second without RAM buffer overflow, enabling continuous burst mode operation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If conventional digital camera architecture with limited RAM buffer is used, then device complexity is reduced, but burst mode continuity is broken when buffer fills up

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveburst mode capture continuityVSAvoidRAM buffer size requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the image processing pipeline into multiple independent processing stages (deflickering, deinterlacing, scaling, color conversion, compression) that operate in parallel. Each stage processes image data independently, allowing continuous burst mode operation without requiring a large RAM buffer to hold all processed images simultaneously. The pipeline segments the processing workload to enable throughput-based operation rather than buffer-size-limited operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements preliminary processing actions at each stage of the pipeline, where image data is processed and compressed in advance as it flows through the pipeline. Compression is performed on data that is still in transit rather than waiting for the buffer to be filled, allowing continuous write-to-storage operation without buffer overflow interruptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If image processing and compression are performed sequentially, then processing quality is maintained, but capture rate is limited by processing time

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimage capture rateVSAvoidprocessing time delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary processing actions at each pipeline stage, where image data is processed and compressed in advance as it flows through the pipeline. Compression is performed on data that is still in transit rather than waiting for the buffer to be filled, allowing continuous write-to-storage operation without buffer overflow interruptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes continuity of useful action by implementing a pipeline architecture where image processing and compression operations continue uninterrupted as data flows through multiple stages. The system maintains continuous throughput from capture to storage by ensuring that processing operations are always active and that compressed data is continuously written to storage, eliminating idle time between operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Duration of action of moving object

If large RAM buffer is provided to hold more images, then burst mode duration is extended, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveburst mode operation durationVSAvoidRAM buffer capacity

Core Design Contradiction:

Duration of action of moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the image processing pipeline into multiple independent processing stages (deflickering, deinterlacing, scaling, color conversion, compression) that operate in parallel. Each stage processes image data independently, allowing continuous burst mode operation without requiring a large RAM buffer to hold all processed images simultaneously. The pipeline segments the processing workload to enable throughput-based operation rather than buffer-size-limited operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes continuity of useful action by implementing a pipeline architecture where image processing and compression operations continue uninterrupted as data flows through multiple stages. The system maintains continuous throughput from capture to storage by ensuring that processing operations are always active and that compressed data is continuously written to storage, eliminating idle time between operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS7787026B1Continuous burst mode digital camera

Publication Date: 2010.08.31 MEDIATEK SINGAPORE PTE LTD

AI summary

A camera has a continuous full-resolution burst mode wherein a sequence of full-resolution images is captured, is image processed by a pipeline of dedicated hardware image processing engines, is zoomed by a zoom engine, is compressed by a compression engine, and is stored into nonvolatile storage as a sequence of discrete files. The capturing of images and the storing of files continues at a rate of at least three frames per second until the user indicates burst mode operation is to stop or until nonvolatile storage becomes filled. Although the camera has a buffer memory into which raw sensor data is placed before image processing, the number of images that can be captured in a single burst is not limited by the size of the buffer memory. The cost of a consumer market camera having continuous burst mode capability is therefore reduced by reducing the required amount of buffer memory.