Camera LUT Processing Circuit for High-Frame-Rate ISP
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current camera technologies face limitations in image processing performance and power consumption due to the use of general-purpose processors for performing computationally intensive lookup table (LUT) operations, particularly in high-frame-rate image capture scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a camera with a dynamic memory and a LUT processing circuit to store and perform interpolation operations on predetermined LUTs, reducing the burden on general-purpose processors by using specialized hardware for LUT processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If general-purpose processors are used to perform LUT operations, then device complexity is reduced, but image processing performance and power consumption deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the LUT processing function from the general-purpose processor by introducing a dedicated LUT processing circuit. This segmentation allows the complex interpolation operations to be handled by specialized hardware while keeping the main processor simpler and focused on higher-level image processing tasks.
Solution Approach 2:
The LUT processing functionality is extracted from the general-purpose processor and implemented as a separate dedicated circuit. This extraction removes the computationally intensive interpolation operations from the main processor, improving overall system performance and reducing power consumption in the processor.
2Device complexity
If general-purpose processors perform LUT operations, then hardware complexity is reduced, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the processing tasks by dedicating specific hardware circuitry to LUT operations. This segmentation allows the main processor to operate at lower power levels while the specialized circuit handles energy-intensive interpolation calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The power-consuming LUT processing operations are extracted from the general-purpose processor and implemented in dedicated hardware. This extraction significantly reduces the processor's power consumption while maintaining the necessary image processing capabilities through the specialized circuit.
3Measurement precision
If LUT operations are performed per frame, then processing accuracy is maintained, but productivity decreases due to repeated operations
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-computing and storing multiple LUTs in the LUT processing circuit before frame capture. This allows the circuit to quickly retrieve and interpolate the appropriate LUT for each frame without performing time-consuming calculations during the critical image capture period, thereby maintaining accuracy while improving frame rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The dedicated LUT processing circuit enables continuous and efficient LUT operations across multiple frames. By maintaining the LUTs in specialized hardware and using fast interpolation circuits, the system achieves continuous processing without the delays associated with repeated software-based operations, thus improving overall productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
In a general aspect, a camera can include a dynamic memory, and a software driver configured to store, in the dynamic memory, a plurality of predetermined lookup tables (LUTs), and to issue an interpolation command indicating a value of a quantitative image factor corresponding with an image frame received by the ISP. The camera can also include a LUT processing circuit configured to receive the interpolation command, and in response to receiving the interpolation command: read a first predetermined LUT and a second predetermined LUT from the dynamic memory; and perform at least one interpolation operation to generate an interpolated LUT. The camera can further include an image signal processor (ISP) including a configuration register, and the LUT processing circuit can be configured to write the interpolated LUT to the configuration register.