Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing shadows from image data is provided. The apparatus includes image capture circuitry and a graphics processor. The apparatus also includes shadow remover circuitry in communication with the image capture circuitry and the graphics processor. The shadow remover circuitry includes shadow remover location circuitry configured to identify shadow image data and shadow correction circuitry configured to selectively apply a smoothing function to the shadow image data based on a value of the shadow image data. The shadow correction circuitry is configured to select between smoothed shadow image data and a value representing an average of neighboring pixel values of non-shadow image data. A display to present an output of the shadow remover circuitry is also included.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently applying a filter to image data are disclosed. For efficiently applying the filter, a filter type including coefficient values for each pixel in the image data is identified. A sub-matrix corresponding to the size of the filter is selected in the image data. The sub-matrix includes the plurality of pixels that can be represented in a 2N form. Each coefficient value is a number that is in a 2M form. The system calculates an average value of multiplications of pixel values with the corresponding coefficient values of each of the plurality of pixels. The multiplication of a pixel value and corresponding coefficient value is calculated by shifting a binary representation of the pixel value M bits, and a division to calculate the average value is performed by shifting a binary representation of a sum of the multiplications N bits. The average value is then applied to the center pixel.

Abstract: At least two sites in a frame of pixels are specified. The sites are arranged in a particular spatial distribution and correspond with the pixel locations of a block of pixels. Block parameters are calculated for each pixel block of first and second frames. The block parameters may be calculated using fewer than all of the bits of each pixel. A block-pair similarity determination for each pair of spatially-corresponding pixel blocks of the first and second frames is generated by determining whether there is a difference between the respective block parameters which is greater than a particular block-level threshold. A frame similarity determination is generated by combining the block-pair similarity determinations. A user-interface indication may be provided, or a frame may be stored, as a result of the frame similarity determination.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for creating a digital image in which exposure varies by region of the image are described. The image may be created from first and second images. In one embodiment, a method comprises writing pixels of the first image that are within a first region of a space to pixel locations in a memory that correspond with coordinates of the respective first image pixels. A replacement pixel is generated by combining a pixel of the first image that is within the first region with a spatially corresponding pixel of a second image. The replacement pixel is written to a pixel location in the memory that corresponds with the coordinates of the replacement pixel. Pixels of the first image that are within a second region of the space may be written to pixel locations in the memory that correspond with the coordinates of the respective first image pixels.

Abstract: A graphics processor is provided. The graphics processor includes a memory storing image data for presentation and a display memory region in communication with the memory, the display memory region supplying image data to a display panel for presentation. The graphics processor includes bandwidth control logic configured to monitor a lag between an output from the display memory region and an input into the display memory region. The bandwidth control logic is further configured to prevent a level of the display memory from decrementing when the lag between the output and the input is capable of causing corruption on the display panel due to a lack of data from the display memory region. A method for avoiding a buffer under run and a device are included.

Abstract: A memory for a graphics processor is provided. The memory includes a write first-in-first-out (FIFO) region of the memory for receiving pixel data, and a read FIFO region for accessing the pixel data received into the memory through the write FIFO. The memory has a memory controller having write assembly logic for rearranging the pixel data received by the write FIFO for storage in the memory. The write assembly logic is configured to write data representing a first pixel and a second pixel across a plurality of data segments in the memory, where corresponding bit locations for the data representing the first pixel and the data representing the second pixel are contiguous. A graphics controller having the memory and a method for preventing data corruption from being displayed during an underflow are included.

Abstract: A hardware implemented method for resizing an image is provided. In this method, the image is captured and a size of the image is calculated as the image is being received by a display controller. Thereafter, a scaling ratio is calculated based on the calculated size of the image and an output image size. The display controller then scales the image according to the calculated scaling ratio. A display controller and a resizer for resizing the image are also described.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for removing shadows from image data is provided. The apparatus includes image capture circuitry and a graphics processor. The apparatus also includes shadow remover circuitry in communication with the image capture circuitry and the graphics processor. The shadow remover circuitry includes shadow remover location circuitry configured to identify shadow image data and shadow correction circuitry configured to selectively apply a smoothing function to the shadow image data based on a value of the shadow image data. The shadow correction circuitry is configured to select between smoothed shadow image data and a value representing an average of neighboring pixel values of non-shadow image data. A display to present an output of the shadow remover circuitry is also included.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and apparatus for detecting errors in transmitted data. In one embodiment, a method includes the steps of transmitting data, accumulating a transmit sum, receiving the data, accumulating a receive sum, comparing the transmit and receive sums; and evaluating the result of the comparison for determining a transmission accuracy metric.

Abstract: A de-noising circuit for filtering image data is provided. The de-noising circuit includes a buffer for storing a portion of the image data and detail detection circuitry configured to determine a filter size. The determined filter size is then applied to a captured image to improve the quality of the image by smoothing transitions within the image. To determine an appropriate filter size, a comparison is made between a sum of differences between a center pixel value within a first pixel matrix size and all of the remaining values within the first pixel matrix size, and a threshold range value. The threshold range value corresponds to a specific filter size. Various filter sizes are provided allowing for different smoothing effects, depending on the filter size used. Selection circuitry configured to select between either unfiltered data, or filtered data using one of various sizes of filters based on a selection signal from the detail detection circuitry is included.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method generates an output image having a reflection special effect at the time of capture of an original image having a first area. The output image is generated using a memory having a capacity limited to storing a single image and a buffer having a capacity limited to storing one line of the original image. The first area of the original image is stored in the memory at memory locations corresponding with an unmodified region of the output image and in the buffer. Modified pixels and addresses are generated. The modified pixels are stored in the memory. Each modified pixel is generated from one or more pixels of the first area stored in the buffer. Addresses for storing each modified pixel are generated according to a reflection mapping function and an offset mapping function. The output image is fetched from memory and rendered.

Abstract: An interface for a graphics controller enabling communication with a camera module is provided. The interface includes a first port configured to receive serial image data from a camera module and a second port configured to receive a clock signal, wherein the clock signal is utilized to indicate both a horizontal synchronization and a vertical synchronization for frames of image data received from the camera module. An image capture device having the serial interface and methods for reducing a number of signals utilized for an interface receiving image data are also included.

Abstract: A method is provided for transmitting image data in a plurality of formats simultaneously over a data path. Successive data blocks, each comprising compressed image data representing a block of pixels of a first image are transmitted over a data path. During intervals between transmission of the successive data blocks, image data representing at least a portion of a second image is transmitted along the data path. An imaging module and imaging device capable of transmitting high resolution compressed data and lo resolution uncompressed data simultaneously over a data path are also provided.

Abstract: A bus interface includes a number of configuration registers and a number of enable control registers. Each configuration register corresponds to a bit set of a system bus. A value stored in a given configuration register designates a device to which the bit set corresponding to the given configuration register is allocated. The number of enable control registers are respectively associated with the number of configuration registers. A value stored in a given enable control register indicates that either a read operation or a write operation is to be performed in a given cycle of the system bus using the bit set corresponding to the configuration register associated with the given enable control register.

Abstract: A method and graphics controller for processing an image is provided wherein color filter array (CFA) data representing the image is received from a digital image capture device into a buffer, a digital filter effect is applied to the CFA data to generate filtered CFA data representing a filtered image, and the filtered image is displayed in real time on a display.

Abstract: A method for obtaining an image having a plurality of exposure regions is described. The method includes exposing first and second regions of an image sensor, reading out first image data from the first region, pausing a clock signal to the image sensor after the reading out of the first image data, resuming the clock signal to the imaging module, and reading out second image data from the image sensor for the second region of the image. A graphics controller and imaging device for capturing images having multiple exposure regions are also described.

Abstract: A hardware implemented method for reducing noise in an image is provided. In this method, a difference between color values of corresponding pixels within the image is calculated, and the calculated difference is compared with a threshold value. The threshold value is defined as a rate of color value change between the corresponding pixels. If the calculated difference is greater than the threshold value, the color value of at least one of the corresponding pixels is replaced with an average color value. A graphics controller and image capture device interface for reducing noise in an image also are described.

Abstract: Systems and methods for efficiently applying a filter to image data are disclosed. For efficiently applying the filter, a filter type including coefficient values for each pixel in the image data is identified. A sub-matrix corresponding to the size of the filter is selected in the image data. The sub-matrix includes the plurality of pixels that can be represented in a 2N form. Each coefficient value is a number that is in a 2M form. The system calculates an average value of multiplications of pixel values with the corresponding coefficient values of each of the plurality of pixels. The multiplication of a pixel value and corresponding coefficient value is calculated by shifting a binary representation of the pixel value M bits, and a division to calculate the average value is performed by shifting a binary representation of a sum of the multiplications N bits. The average value is then applied to the center pixel.

Abstract: A hardware implemented method for incorporating a border region within an image region is provided. In this hardware implemented method, a position of a pixel along a line within the image region is first computed. The position of the pixel is then compared with an offset value, whereby the offset value defines boundaries of the border region along the line. Thereafter, an image pixel or a color of the border region is selected for display based upon the position of the pixel relative to the offset value. An apparatus and a display controller for incorporating the border region within the image region are also described.

Abstract: The invention is generally directed to a method and apparatus for efficient rotation of an image. The image is preferably defined by an image matrix in which each datum of the image corresponds to a particular image row and a particular image column of the image matrix. A preferred method includes mapping each of the datum into a memory matrix organized into a plurality of memory rows and a plurality of memory columns. The mapping preferably includes mapping into one of the memory rows: (a) at least two data, both of which correspond to one of the image rows, and (b) at least two image vector portions, a first one of the image vector portions including at least two data each corresponding to one of the image columns, and a second one of the image vector portions including at least two other data each corresponding to another of the image columns.