Digital image processor for a digital camera

Abstract

A digital image process for a digital camera contains a preprocessor and a postprocessor. The preprocessor can include, for example, a uniformity corrector, a sampling filter, a modulation transformer, and a ditherer. The postprocessor can include a color interpolator, an RGB reconstruction block, a digital compressor, and a color pattern data buffer. The digital image process is programmable to operate one or more of the processing blocks of one or both the preprocessor and the postprocessor for flexible programming that can adapt to the requirements of various digital camera designs or users.

1 . A digital camera comprising: 
 an image capture unit arranged to output digital representations of an image;    a digital image processor comprising 
 a preprocessor for preprocessing digital images received from the image capture unit including reducing image size of the digital image, and  
 a postprocessor arranged to receive digital images and to postprocess the digital images into a form suitable for storing and for an external device; and  
   a display for viewing the digital images, the pre-processor being capable of outputting a digital image to the display bypassing the postprocessor in order to enable fast viewing of the image on the display; and 
 memory for storing the at least one of the preprocessed and postprocessed digital images.  
   
   
   
       2 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a system bus coupling the preprocessor, the postprocessor, and an interface for the memory.  
   
   
       3 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the image capture unit comprises: 
 an image sensor arranged to output analog signals that represent an image; and    a converter unit for converting the analog signals to the digital representations of the image.    
   
   
       4 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the postprocessor further includes a digital image compressor for compressing digital images into a form suitable for storing and for an external device.  
   
   
       5 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the digital image processor is configured to store the digital image in the memory prior to immediate viewing of the image on the display.  
   
   
       6 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising a microprocessor for directing the operations of the digital camera.  
   
   
       7 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 6 , wherein microprocessor and the digital image processor have been combined into a single unit.  
   
   
       8 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the preprocessor includes a corrector capable of correcting non-uniformities included in the digital image received from the image capture unit.  
   
   
       9 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the preprocessor includes: a programmable sampling unit that is connected to the corrector and capable of selecting portions of the digital image in order to reduce image size to a size appropriate for the display to enable fast viewing of the image on the display.  
   
   
       10 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the pre processor comprises a pipelined architecture.  
   
   
       11 . A digital camera as recited in  claim 1  further comprising a programmable universal controller arranged to generate signals useful in the operation of components included in the digital camera, the programmable universal controller comprising: 
 an image sensor controller for generating signals useful for synchronizing the image sensor wherein the image sensor controller includes a programmable clock generator that may be programmed to generate both symmetric and non-symmetric clock signals.