Abstract: A color display system including a display device for four or more visible color primaries and a processor for controlling the four or more color primaries to selectively render portions of an image or image sequence such that visually equivalent colors displayed in two or more image portions differ in their spectral composition.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photodetectors arranged in an array; and a plurality of transistors that are functionally shared by the photodetectors, wherein a distance of each photodetector to an adjacent transistor is substantially the same.

Abstract: A method for creating a message template used for embedding hidden messages, the method includes the steps of determining a message template performance metric comprising a dispersal measure having both a spatial domain function and a frequency domain function; developing a numerical optimization algorithm containing the message template performance metric as a basis for optimization; determining the message template geometric configuration comprising: (i) determining a message template capacity; (ii) determining a message template area; and applying the numerical optimization algorithm to the message template geometric configuration which results in an optimal message template.

Abstract: An electronic imaging system includes a method for calibrating an image sensor having a array of pixels each used in capturing an image, the method comprising the steps of capturing first dark floor values at a first time from substantially all of the pixels in the array, storing the first dark floor values, capturing second dark floor values at a second time from substantially all of the pixels in the array, using the first and second dark floor values to compute third dark floor values, using the third dark floor values when processing the captured image.

Abstract: A method for testing an image sensor for photoresponse uniformity, the method includes the steps of providing a light source having inherent non-uniform light intensity characteristics; providing a light sensing device for measuring an intensity response of the light source on a predetermined image plane; determining an area on the image plane corresponding to an area for the image sensor; measuring pre-selected points of the determined area by the light sensing device for measuring incident light intensity from the light source on the image plane; interpolating non-measured points on the image plane representing an estimate of the non-uniformity of the light source at the non-measured points; inverting the interpolated image to represent the inverse of the light source non-uniformity; and applying the inverted image to the response of the image sensor which compensates for light source non-uniformity and enables the ability to quantify accurately the non-uniformity of the image sensor.

Abstract: A timing generator for an electronic image sensor includes one or more memory based tables for controlling timing events that occur within one or more different types of image sensor lines, and one or more memory based tables for controlling timing events that occur within one or more different types of image sensor frames.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photosensitive sites which convert incident light into a charge for forming a bounded array of active imaging pixels; one or more substitutional pixels sites arranged in predetermined locations and interspersed amongst the boundary of the array of active imaging pixels; wherein the substitutional pixels are of a different design from the active imaging pixels which provides data, information or function different from the active pixels for improving performance, operation, manufacture, and/or assembly of the image sensor.

Abstract: A system that determines a projector's true state in an automatic projection sequence. The system includes a projector in a primary display system, having a lamp for displaying visual information; and a sensor to determine the state of the lamp in the primary display system. Additionally, an interface to a secondary display system is included for sending an operational signal to the secondary display system, wherein the secondary display system operates subject to a predetermined state of the primary display system as determined by the state of the lamp in the primary display system.

Abstract: A method for reducing shutter latency while maintaining low dark current in the imager and minimizing energy consumption in a digital camera, the method including the steps of providing an imager operating in accumulation mode; and substantially continuous flushing of charges from the imager before capturing an exposure of an image with a time between vertical transfers greater than or equal to time between vertical transfers during normal image readout so that, if continuous flushing for a time necessary to readout substantially all rows of pixels has occurred, the exposure may be captured with substantially zero latency.

Abstract: A low temperature method for producing a substantially flat large area image sensor assembly, the method includes the steps of providing a die attach substrate having a substantially planar surface; providing a lead frame having a bonding surface and a plurality of leads extending there from; adhering an imager die to the substantially planar surface of the die attach substrate with a low curing temperature first adhesive; and adhering the die attach substrate with adhered imager die to a bonding surface of the lead frame with a low curing temperature second adhesive for producing an image sensor assembly.

Abstract: A method for converting a sequence of scan-only film captured images into a sequence of modified images that provide the appearance of images captured by a photographic film reproduction system; the photographic film reproduction system being includes photographic motion picture negative film printed onto a motion picture print film that is displayed, or a reversal motion picture system in which the reversal film is displayed, or a photographic motion picture film electro-optically scanned to standard format video by a telecine and further displayed, or a photographic motion picture film electro-optically scanned by a scanner suitable for producing digital data intended for additional digital image manipulation and further preparation as a digital master for electronic distribution such as digital theatrical projection or various types of broadcast video; or recorded out to another photographic film to be used as a printing master for producing distribution optical prints for theatrical projection.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor cell including at least one photodiode and reset circuitry and an integrating varactor coupled to the photodiode, a method for reading out such a cell, and an image sensor including an array of such cells. The photodiode can be exposed to photons during an exposure interval to accumulate a sequence of subexposure charges at a first node of the photodiode. Each of the subexposure charges accumulates at the first node during a different subexposure interval of the exposure interval. The photodiode is reset during each of a sequence of reset intervals, each reset interval occurring before a different one of the subexposure intervals. An output signal indicative of an exposure charge accumulated at the storage node during the exposure interval can be asserted from the cell, where the exposure charge is indicative of a sum of all the subexposure charges.

Abstract: The present invention is a black clamp circuit for an electronic imager having black reference pixels. The circuit includes an average value circuit determining an average of a number of the black reference pixels, a correction circuit determining the black level correction from the average, and a modifier circuit modifying image pixels with the black level. The average value is used in a real time feedback loop that removes offset errors in the signal processing chain and establishes a corrected black level in output image data. The feedback can be either digital or analog. The correction circuit can include a comparator that allows a hysteresis in the feedback to avoid hunting as well as multiple levels of feedback based on several thresholds. The corrected black level can also be controlled by a digital transfer function. The black clamp circuit can be used for a series of images, an image frame and an image line.

Abstract: A system for displaying images includes: (a) a base; (b) a movable, arcuate-shaped receptacle that rotates into and from the base; and (c) a display attached to the receptacle so that the display is visible when the receptacle is rotated from the base and the display is partially or entirely not visible when the receptacle is rotated into the base.

Abstract: An image scanning system for producing an electronic version of a hardcopy element which is compensated for spectral content of an illumination source in the image scanning system, the image scanning system includes a sensor for receiving light containing the hardcopy element for forming and storing an electronic version of the hardcopy element; a spectral sensor for receiving light from the illumination source and storing an electronic version of spectral contents of the illumination source; and a conversion system for receiving the electronic versions of the illumination source and the hardcopy element and creating a compensation table that compensates subsequent hardcopy elements passed through the conversion system.

Abstract: A horizontal scan circuit comprises a column selector and a plurality of block selectors. A column selector is used to address particular columns of pixels within blocks. A block selector is used to select a particular block and to select the particular columns of the selected block that are addressed by the column selector. Each block selector typically comprises a single D-type flip-flop that is associated with a block of pixel columns. The block selectors are arranged such that the blocks can be scanned from left-to-right or right-to-left. The column selector comprises an asynchronous counter and a decoder that are further arranged to provide sub-sampling and horizontal adding functions. The use of block and column selectors reduces the number of relatively large D-type flip-flops (which conserves die area) and reduces the parasitic capacitance associated with the otherwise required relatively large number of inputs of the column selection circuit drivers.

Abstract: A method of recording and processing a digital motion image sequence, includes the steps of: recording a digital motion image sequence at a capture frame rate; determining different effective image content change rates as a function of the scene content changes in different portions of the image sequence; and processing the digital motion image sequence to produce a processed digital motion image sequence having portions with the selected effective change rates.

Abstract: A method of making an image sensor, the method includes the steps of providing a plurality of pixels each with a photodetector; providing an amplifier that is shared between the plurality of photodetectors; providing a transfer gate associated with each photodetector; providing a charge-to-voltage conversion region that is shared between the plurality of photodetectors; determining a capacitance between each transfer gate and the charge-to-voltage conversion region; and modifying the capacitance to be substantially the same by altering a physical structure within one or more pixels.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for recording a watermark pattern on a color recording medium that forms an image using a number N of colorants, the method comprising the step of forming the watermark pattern using at least two colorants, but fewer than N colorants.

Abstract: The integration period of an imaging cell, or the time that an imaging cell is exposed to light energy, is substantially increased by utilizing a single-poly, electrically-programmable, read-only-memory (EPROM) structure to capture the light energy. Photogenerated electrons are formed in the channel region of the EPROM structure from the light energy. The photogenerated electrons are then accelerated into having ionizing collisions which, in turn, leads to electrons being injected onto the floating gate of the EPROM structure at a rate that is proportionate to the number of photons captured by the channel region.