Abstract: Methods and integrated circuits to process image data from single or multiple digital overlap (DOL) wide dynamic range (WDR) sensors, in which first received pixel data associated with a first exposure of a sensor image is stored in a DDR memory circuit, second received pixel data associated with a second exposure of the image is stored in the first buffer, third received pixel data associated with a third exposure of the image is stored in a second buffer, and fourth received pixel data associated with a fourth exposure of the image is provided to a merge circuit, and merged pixel data is stored in a dynamically partitioned line buffer for processing by an image pipeline circuit to facilitate interfacing multiple DOL WDR sensors in an interleaved fashion.

Abstract: A method of de-mosaicing pixel data from an image processor includes generating a pixel block that includes a plurality of image pixels. The method also includes determining a first image gradient between a first set of pixels of the pixel block and a second image gradient between a second set of pixels of the pixel block. The method also includes determining a first adaptive threshold value based on intensity of a third set of pixels of the pixel block. The pixels of the third set of pixels are adjacent to one another. The method also includes filtering the pixel block in a vertical, horizontal, or neutral direction based on the first and second image gradients and the first adaptive threshold value utilizing a plurality of FIR filters to generate a plurality of component images.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for geometrically correcting an arbitrary shaped input frame and generating an undistorted output frame. The method includes capturing arbitrary shaped input images with multiple optical devices and processing the images, identifying redundant blocks and valid blocks in each of the images, allocating an output frame with an output frame size and dividing the output frame into regions shaped as a rectangle, programming the apparatus and disabling processing for invalid blocks in each of the regions, fetching data corresponding to each of the valid blocks and storing in an internal memory, interpolating data for each of the regions with stitching and composing the valid blocks for the output frame and displaying the output frame on a display module.

Abstract: A method for processing RGB-Infrared (RGB-IR) sensor data is provided that includes receiving a raw RGB-IR image, determining whether to process the raw RGB-IR image in day mode or night mode, generating, when day mode is determined, an infrared (IR) subtracted raw Bayer image from the raw RGB-IR image and processing the IR subtracted raw Bayer image in an image signal processor (ISP), and generating, when night mode is determined, an IR image from the raw RGB-IR image.

Abstract: Frames from an image stream or streams are processed by independently operating digital signal processors (DSPs), with only frame checking microprocessors operating in a lockstep mode. In one example, two DSP are operating on alternate frames. Each DSP processes the frames and produces prediction values for the next frame. The lockstep microprocessors develop their own next frame prediction. The lockstep processors compare issued frames and previously developed predicted frames for consistency. If the predictions are close enough, the issued frame passes the test. The lockstep processors then compare the issued frame to the preceding two frames for a similar consistency check. If the prior frames are also close enough, the issued frame is acceptable. In another example, hardware checkers are provided to compare the present frame with a larger number of prior frames. The hardware checkers provide comparison results to the lockstep processors to compare against allowable variation limits.

Abstract: A system on a chip (SoC) includes a digital signal processor (DSP) and a graphics processing unit (GPU) coupled to the DSP. The DSP is configured to receive a stream of received depth measurements and generate a virtual bowl surface based on the stream of received depth measurements. The DSP is also configured to generate a bowl to physical camera mapping based on the virtual bowl surface. The GPU is configured to receive a first texture and receive a second texture. The GPU is also configured to perform physical camera to virtual camera transformation on the first texture and on the second texture, based on the bowl to physical camera mapping, to generate an output image.

Abstract: A method for processing RGB-Infrared (RGB-IR) sensor data is provided that includes receiving a raw RGB-IR image, determining whether to process the raw RGB-IR image in day mode or night mode, generating, when day mode is determined, an infrared (IR) subtracted raw Bayer image from the raw RGB-IR image and processing the IR subtracted raw Bayer image in an image signal processor (ISP), and generating, when night mode is determined, an IR image from the raw RGB-IR image.

Abstract: An example includes a system, having: an illumination source configured to produce illumination light; and a spatial light modulator (SLM) optically coupled to the illumination source, the SLM comprising an array of picture elements. The SLM is configured to: receive the illumination light; direct, by a first portion of the picture elements, on state light in a first direction; and direct, by a second portion of the picture elements, off state light in a second direction. The example system includes imaging optics optically coupled to the SLM, the imaging optics configured to receive the on state light from the SLM and to project an image as an image portion of a beam; and non-imaging optics optically coupled to the SLM, the non-imaging optics configured to receive the off state light from the SLM and to project the off state light as part of the beam.

Abstract: An image signal processor includes a first matrix processing circuit, a post processing circuit, a second matrix processing circuit, and a split visual and analytics circuit. The first matrix processing circuit is configured to receive a plurality of component images generated based on an image captured by an image sensor and generate a plurality of first matrix outputs based on the plurality of component images. The post processing circuit is configured to perform color conversion on the plurality of first matrix outputs to generate a first luminance component of the image and a chrominance component of the image. The second matrix processing circuit is configured to perform color conversion on the plurality of first matrix outputs to generate a second luminance component of the image and a saturation component of the image. The split visual and analytics circuit is configured to generate visual and analytic data of the image.

Abstract: A method of WDR imaging. Exposure times (ETs) are set for first and second frames for an image sensor to avoid second frame saturating by setting a second ET>1/a PWM frequency applied to an LED illuminating a scene to generate second longer ET pixel data (PD). The first frame has first PD and a first ET<the second ET. A high and low intensity threshold are calculated from a full well capacity. Raw image signals are obtained originating from the image sensor of the scene. Flicker is detected by comparing the first and second frame intensity values to the high and low threshold to determine whether the first PD is flickering data. A WDR merge is performed by selecting weightings from the first and second PD for each pixel including increasing weighting of the second PD for flicker. A final image is formed from the weighted WDR merge.

Abstract: Local automatic white balance (AWB) of wide dynamic range (WDR) images is provided. Methods and systems include collecting, by an image signal processor (ISP), statistics for local AWB from at least one wide dynamic range (WDR) image received by the ISP; generating, by a processor, based on the statistics, local gain lookup tables (LUTs), one for each color channel represented in the WDR image(s), each local gain LUT providing a correlation between gain and intensity; and storing the local gain LUTs. Further processing includes, for each of multiple pixels of a WDR image to be output calculating an intensity value, accessing the local gain LUT for the color channel corresponding to that pixel using the calculated intensity value to identify a corresponding local gain value, and applying the local gain value to that pixel.

Abstract: A system on a chip (SoC) implementing dynamic grouping of multiple cameras in an image processing system is disclosed. The SoC includes an image signal processor (ISP) configured to receive a signal corresponding to an image from two or more cameras, dynamically group the cameras into groups based on a measured view brightness and/or color temperature observed by each of the cameras, and assign cameras with a group of the groups to a same exposure/gain setting. The SoC further includes a statistics engine configured to receive the image signals and statistics related to the image signals from the ISP and determine a measurement of image brightness and/or color temperature of each image based on the image signals for forwarding to the ISP.

Abstract: Techniques for image processing including receiving input image data, wherein the input image data includes data associated with a clear color channel, receiving a color offset value associated with a color channel, wherein color values for the color channel are not provided in the input image data, based on the color offset value, generating intermediate estimated color values for the color channel, wherein generating the intermediate estimated color values includes: clipping color values that have a magnitude greater than the color offset value, and adjusting color values that have a magnitude less than the color offset value based on the color offset value, applying a color correction function to the intermediate estimated color values based on the color offset value to determine color corrected estimated color values, and outputting the color corrected estimated color values.

Abstract: A technique for image processing, comprising: receiving input image data, wherein the image data is companded into a first bit depth, wherein the image data includes incomplete color values for pixels of the image data, and wherein the image data is associated with a first color space, interpolating the image data to generate color values for the incomplete color values for pixels of the image data, expanding the image data from the first bit depth to a second bit depth, wherein the color values of the expanded image data have a linear dynamic range, and wherein the second bit depth is higher than the first bit depth, converting the color values for pixels of the expanded image data from the first color space to a second color space, and compressing the color values for pixels of the image data to a third bit depth, the third bit depth lower than the second bit depth, and wherein the compressed color values have a nonlinear dynamic range.

Abstract: A technique including capturing, by one or more cameras of a set of cameras disposed about a vehicle, one or more images, wherein a surround view system of the vehicle is configured to render a surround view image using a first hardware accelerator based on the one or more images, determining that a first hardware accelerator is unavailable, and rendering the surround view image using a second hardware accelerator based on the captured one or more images.

Abstract: An apparatus includes an illumination source including a first illumination source segment and a second illumination source segment. The apparatus also includes driver circuitry coupled to the illumination source, the driver circuitry including a first driver coupled to the first illumination source segment, the first driver configured to produce a first drive signal to instruct the first illumination source segment to produce a first light having a first illumination intensity. The driver circuitry also includes a second driver coupled to the second illumination source segment, the second driver configured to produce a second drive signal to instruct the second illumination source segment to produce a second light having a second illumination intensity.

Abstract: A method for local automatic white balance (AWB) of wide dynamic range (WDR) images is provided that includes collecting statistics for local AWB by an image signal processor (ISP) from a first WDR image generated by the ISP, receiving, by the ISP, a plurality of local gain lookup tables (LUTs), one for each color channel, wherein the plurality of local gain LUTs is generated using the statistics, and applying, by the ISP, a gain value to each pixel in a second WDR image generated by the ISP, wherein the gain value for the pixel is determined by the ISP using the local gain LUT for the color channel of the pixel.

Abstract: Disclosed examples include integrated circuits, merge circuits and methods of processing multiple-exposure image data, in which a single pre-processing circuit is used for pre-processing first input exposure data associated with a first exposure of the image, and then for pre-processing second input exposure data associated with a second exposure of the image, and the first and second pre-processed exposure data are merged to generate merged image data for tone mapping and other post-processing. An example merge circuit includes a configurable gain circuit to apply a gain to the first and/or second exposure data, as well as a configurable weighting circuit with a weight calculation circuit and a motion adaptive filter circuit to compute a first and second weight values for merging the pre-processed first and second exposure data.

Abstract: Frames from an image stream or streams are processed by independently operating digital signal processors (DSPs), with only frame checking microprocessors operating in a lockstep mode. In one example, two DSP are operating on alternate frames. Each DSP processes the frames and produces prediction values for the next frame. The lockstep microprocessors develop their own next frame prediction. The lockstep processors compare issued frames and previously developed predicted frames for consistency. If the predictions are close enough, the issued frame passes the test. The lockstep processors then compare the issued frame to the preceding two frames for a similar consistency check. If the prior frames are also close enough, the issued frame is acceptable. In another example, hardware checkers are provided to compare the present frame with a larger number of prior frames. The hardware checkers provide comparison results to the lockstep processors to compare against allowable variation limits.

Abstract: An image signal processor includes a first matrix processing circuit, a post processing circuit, a second matrix processing circuit, and a split visual and analytics circuit. The first matrix processing circuit is configured to receive a plurality of component images generated based on an image captured by an image sensor and generate a plurality of first matrix outputs based on the plurality of component images. The post processing circuit is configured to perform color conversion on the plurality of first matrix outputs to generate a first luminance component of the image and a chrominance component of the image. The second matrix processing circuit is configured to perform color conversion on the plurality of first matrix outputs to generate a second luminance component of the image and a saturation component of the image. The split visual and analytics circuit is configured to generate visual and analytic data of the image.