Hardware Crossfader Circuit for Camera View Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image processing pipelines consume significant CPU bandwidth and power when performing smooth transitions between camera views from different focal lengths, slowing down overall processing operations.
Innovation Solution
A cross fader circuit that scales and blends raw image data from multiple cameras, using a first scaling circuit, a second scaling circuit, and an alpha blender to generate blended images, thereby reducing the computational load on the processor.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If image processing is performed using CPU software programs, then image processing functionality is achieved, but CPU bandwidth consumption increases and processing speed decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces CPU software-based image processing with a dedicated hardware image processing pipeline that includes specialized circuits for noise filtering, sharpening, and other image processing operations. This hardware implementation eliminates the need for CPU intervention in routine image processing tasks, thereby reducing CPU bandwidth consumption and improving processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent divides the image processing system into separate functional modules: a dedicated hardware image processing pipeline for routine operations and the CPU for complex tasks. This segmentation allows the CPU to focus on high-level processing while the hardware pipeline handles bandwidth-intensive operations independently.
2Ease of operation
If smooth transition between camera views is implemented using processor computations, then transition quality is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces processor-based computation for camera view transitions with a dedicated hardware crossfader circuit. This circuit performs blending operations between wide-angle and telephoto camera views using hardware-based interpolation and mixing, eliminating the need for processor intervention and significantly reducing power consumption while maintaining transition smoothness.
3Adaptability or versatility
If processor performs camera transition operations, then transition functionality is achieved, but overall processing operations slow down
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the camera transition functionality into a dedicated hardware crossfader circuit that operates independently from the main processor. This allows the processor to continue handling other processing operations without being blocked by transition computations, thereby maintaining overall processing throughput while enabling camera view transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hardware crossfader circuit as an intermediary component between the camera sensors and the processor. This intermediary handles all transition-related computations in hardware, acting as a buffer that prevents processor bottlenecks and allows the main processing pipeline to operate at full speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A cross fader circuit that receives first raw image data and second raw image data and outputs blended raw image data. The cross fader circuit includes a first scaling circuit, a second scaling circuit, and an alpha blender. The first scaling circuit downscales first raw image data captured by a first sensor with a first field of view to match a size of a blending window. The second scaling circuit upscales second raw image data to match the size of a canvas window that encloses the blending window. The second raw image data may be a cropped version of raw image data captured by a second sensor of a second field of view wider than the first field of view. An alpha blender circuit generates a blended raw image data matching the size of the canvas window from the downscaled first raw image data and upscaled second raw image data.