Patent US5841471A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5841471A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Timing control for a digitally interfaced camera using variable line readout intervals
Assignee: Intellectual Ventures Fund 83 LLC
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Filing: 1996-09-12
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Granted: 1998-11-24
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Expires: 2016-09-12
Abstract
Abstract A digital camera is designed to capture images and transfer the captured images to a host computer. The camera includes an image sensor exposed to image light for capturing the images and generating image signals; a timing generator, incorporating a line request control signal, for controlling the readout of lines of photosites from the image sensor; an A/D converter for converting the image signals into digital image data; a digital memory for storing at least one line of digital image data; and a digital interface for providing the digital image data read from the digital memory to the host computer. By initiating a new line readout in response to the line request control signal indicating the fullness of the digital memory, the camera is able to use the image sensor as an analog frame memory, instead of having a full digital frame memory in the camera, so that only a small line store is required.
Inventors
- 👤 Jay A. Endsley
- 👤 Thomas N. Berarducci
- 👤 Kenneth A. Parulski
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 06:35
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N1/00; H04N1/00127; H04N1/00204; H04N1/00236; H04N1/00241; G; G06; G06F; G06F3/00; G06F3/002; G06F3/005; H04N23/00; H04N23/60; H04N23/66; H04N23/661; H04N25/00; H04N25/10; H04N25/11; H04N25/13; H04N25/134
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
142 words
A digital camera for capturing images and transferring the captured images to a host computer, said camera comprising: an image sensor exposed to image light for capturing the images and generating image signals; a timing generator, incorporating a line request control signal, for controlling the readout of lines of photosites from the image sensor, wherein consecutive line readout is separated by a blanking time and the timing generator varies the blanking time between lines; an A/D converter for converting the image signals into digital image data; a digital memory for storing at least one line of digital image data; and a digital interface for providing the digital image data read from the digital memory to the host computer, wherein the timing generator initiates a new line readout in response to the line request control signal indicating the fullness of the digital memory.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
142 words
A digital camera for capturing images and transferring the captured images to a host computer, said camera comprising: an image sensor exposed to image light for capturing the images and generating image signals; a timing generator, incorporating a line request control signal, for controlling the readout of lines of photosites from the image sensor, wherein consecutive line readout is separated by a blanking time and the timing generator varies the blanking time between lines; an A/D converter for converting the image signals into digital image data; a digital memory for storing at least one line of digital image data; and a digital interface for providing the digital image data read from the digital memory to the host computer, wherein the timing generator initiates a new line readout in response to the line request control signal indicating the fullness of the digital memory.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the digital interface is a USB interface.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
16 words
The camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the digital memory is a static RAM memory.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
52 words
The camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein the camera further includes a motion capture mode composed of a sequence of frames wherein the exposure time for a subsequent frame of the motion mode sequence is controlled so as to compensate for the variable line blanking intervals of the current readout frame.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
16 words
The camera as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are separate still and motion readout modes.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
32 words
The camera as claimed in claim 5 wherein the sensor is a color sensor and the motion readout mode transfers a subset of the pixels of each color via the digital interface.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for capturing images and transferring the captured images to a host computer, said method comprising the steps of: capturing the images and generating image signals; controlling the readout of lines of photosites from the image sensor responsive to a line request control signal, including the step of varying a blanking time between lines; converting the image signals into digital image data; storing at least one line of digital image data; providing the digital image data read from the digital memory to the host computer; and initiating a new line readout in response to the line request control signal indicating the fullness of the digital memory.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
107 words
A method for capturing images and transferring the captured images to a host computer, said method comprising the steps of: capturing the images and generating image signals; controlling the readout of lines of photosites from the image sensor responsive to a line request control signal, including the step of varying a blanking time between lines; converting the image signals into digital image data; storing at least one line of digital image data; providing the digital image data read from the digital memory to the host computer; and initiating a new line readout in response to the line request control signal indicating the fullness of the digital memory.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2001-11-23 | 2002-05-25 | 2002-11-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2005-11-23 | 2006-05-25 | 2006-11-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2009-11-23 | 2010-05-25 | 2010-11-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |