Tile-Based Image Sensor Pipeline Processing for Memory Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional image processing systems in camera phones face limitations due to stringent power requirements and the need to integrate large image sensors and lenses into small devices, leading to restricted image resolution and memory-intensive processing of entire image lines, which slows down processing and increases memory demands.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for processing image data on a per tile basis in an image sensor pipeline, where each data tile is processed using corresponding configuration parameters, allowing for concurrent processing and reduced memory requirements, with the ability to overlap tiles and communicate processing complete signals for efficient handling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If entire image lines are processed at once, then processing can be performed with existing memory capacity, but processing speed decreases and memory requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the image data into smaller tiles that can be processed independently. Each tile is processed through the complete ISP pipeline separately, allowing parallel processing of multiple tiles. This segmentation enables faster processing by reducing the data size handled at any given time while maintaining overall processing throughput.
2Measurement precision
If larger image sensors are used to improve resolution, then image quality improves, but device size and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the image into tiles and processing them in parallel through the ISP pipeline, the system can handle higher resolution images from larger sensors without proportionally increasing power consumption. The tile-based approach allows efficient utilization of processing resources across the entire sensor array.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary tile division and configuration setup before processing begins. Control logic circuits are pre-configured with the necessary parameters for each tile, enabling rapid processing of high-resolution images without significant power overhead during the actual processing operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for processing image data on a per tile basis in an image sensor pipeline (ISP) are disclosed and may include communicating, to one or more processing modules via control logic circuits integrated in the ISP, corresponding configuration parameters that are associated with each of a plurality of data tiles comprising an image. The ISP may be integrated in a video processing core. The plurality of data tiles may vary in size. A processing complete signal may be communicated to the control logic circuits when the processing of each of the data tiles is complete prior to configuring a subsequent processing module. The processing may comprise one or more of: lens shading correction, statistics, distortion correction, demosaicing, denoising, defective pixel correction, color correction, and resizing. Each of the data tiles may overlap with adjacent data tiles, and at least a portion of them may be processed concurrently.