Image Sensor Window Cropping for Zoomed Image Latency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable electronic devices face issues with generating zoomed images due to increased latency and bandwidth usage when using digital zoom, which can lead to unacceptable pixel clock rates and compromised image quality.
Innovation Solution
The method involves sending window information to an image sensor to crop a portion of the image data, reducing the pixel clock rate, and then upscaling the cropped data to generate a zoomed image, thereby maintaining a constant frame rate and avoiding excessive pixel clock rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If digital zoom is used to generate zoomed images, then image detail is improved, but latency increases and bandwidth usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image processing workflow into two distinct phases: (1) capturing a reduced-resolution base image at normal pixel clock rates, and (2) selectively upsampling only the regions of interest to generate zoomed details. This segmentation allows the system to avoid processing entire high-resolution images, thereby reducing latency and bandwidth usage while still providing detailed zoomed views where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the resolution treatment across different regions of the image. The base image is captured at lower resolution, but specific regions (areas of interest) are identified and upsampled to high resolution only when zoom operations are requested. This selective approach maintains image detail quality for zoomed regions while minimizing overall processing burden and bandwidth consumption.
2Measurement precision
If digital zoom is used to generate zoomed images, then image detail is improved, but bandwidth usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the image data into a base layer (captured at reduced resolution) and detail layers (generated on-demand through upsampling). This segmentation eliminates the need to transmit or process complete high-resolution images for all viewing scenarios, significantly reducing bandwidth usage while preserving the ability to generate detailed zoomed images when required.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential base image data at lower resolution for initial display, and extracts detailed information from regions of interest only when zoom operations are performed. This extraction approach avoids transmitting unnecessary high-resolution data across the system, thereby reducing bandwidth consumption while maintaining image detail quality for zoomed regions.
3Productivity
If pixel clock rate is increased to process zoomed images, then image processing capability is improved, but system stability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic pixel clock rate adjustment based on operational mode. The system operates at normal pixel clock rates for base image capture and uses reduced pixel clock rates for upsampling operations. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain processing capability for zoomed images while avoiding the instability associated with sustained high pixel clock rates, as the high-performance mode is activated only when and where needed.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus and method of generating a zoomed image is disclosed. A particular method includes receiving an instruction to perform a zoom operation. Window information is sent to an image sensor based on the instruction. The window information corresponds to a portion of the image sensor. In addition, a request to reduce the pixel clock rate may be sent to the image sensor. The request may cause the image sensor to reduce the pixel clock rate such that a frame rate of image data captured by the image sensor is maintained. Cropped image data corresponding to the portion of the image sensor is received. The cropped image data is upscaled to generate a zoomed image.