Image Sensor Control Circuit for Selective Data Compression
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing camera modules in electronic devices face challenges in reducing motion artifacts and noise due to slower read-out speeds of image sensors, which limit the quality of fused images and are constrained by the output speed of interfaces.
Innovation Solution
Increasing the read-out speed of image sensors to reduce time gaps between frame acquisition, using compression and decompression modules to manage data transfer efficiently through interfaces, and employing fusion techniques to enhance image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the read-out speed of the image sensor is increased to reduce time gap between frames, then the image quality is improved by reducing motion artifacts, but the amount of image data output within the same time period increases, requiring faster interface output speed
Solution Approach 1:
A buffer memory is introduced as an intermediary component between the image sensor and the processor. The buffer temporarily stores the high-speed output image data from the image sensor, allowing the sensor to operate at higher read-out speeds without overwhelming the processor. This mediator decouples the speed mismatch, enabling the image sensor to capture frames at reduced time gaps (improving image quality by reducing motion artifacts) while the processor processes data at its own pace.
2Speed
If compression and decompression modules are added to manage data transfer, then the interface speed limitation is overcome, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The compression module is merged with the image sensor and the decompression module is merged with the processor, integrating these functions into existing components rather than adding standalone units. This combining approach enables efficient data transfer speed management (overcoming interface limitations) while minimizing the increase in device complexity by utilizing existing component structures.
3Manufacturing precision
If the read-out speed is increased to capture more frames for fusion, then the noise phenomenon is reduced, but the computation amount in fusing adjacent frames increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system selectively processes only certain frames for fusion rather than fusing all captured frames. By choosing to process a subset of frames (partial action), the system reduces the computation amount required for fusion while still achieving the benefit of reduced noise phenomena through multi-frame processing. This selective approach balances image quality improvement with computational efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments disclosed in the present document relate to a method and an apparatus for synthesizing images. An electronic device according to various embodiments of the present invention comprises: an image sensor; an image processing processor; and a control circuit which is electrically connected to the image sensor through a first designated interface and to the image processing processor through a second designated interface. The control circuit may be configured to: when the read out speed of the image sensor is set to a first designated speed, receive, through the first designated interface, first image data that has been obtained by using the image sensor and has not been compressed by the image sensor; transfer the first image data to the image processing processor through the second designated interface; when the read out speed of the image sensor is set to a second designated speed, receive, through the first designated interface, second image data being obtained by using the image sensor and being compressed by the image sensor; decompress the compressed second image data by means of the control circuit; and transfer the decompressed second image data to the image processing processor through the second designated interface.