Device and method for digitizing a serialized scanner output signal

Abstract

A device for individually processing each color component of a serial analog signal from a color scanner. The device includes a multiple-channel-image-capture circuit comprising an analog front end/digitizer having a plurality of channels operable to process an analog-color signal with one channel for each color component of the analog-color signal, a register, and an analog-to-digital converter operable to output a digital signal responsive to the analog-color signal, and a controller operable to control the color component processing by the plurality of input channels such that each color component of a serial analog-color signal is individually processed. Each input channel of the analog front end/digitizer may include a programmable circuit operable to modify a color component of the color signal in response to a value stored in the register related to the color component.

1. An image-capture circuit, comprising:
 a digitizer operable to receive a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the digitizer having:
 a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal and to process a respective color component; and 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components; and 
 
 a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to couple each of the channels to the analog to digital converter in the predetermined sequence. 
 
     
     
       2. The image-capture circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the digitizer further includes a multiplexer disposed between the channels and the analog-to-digital converter, and the controller is further operable to cause the multiplexer to couple the channels to the analog-to-digital converter in the predetermined sequence. 
     
     
       3. The image-capture circuit of  claim 1 , wherein each input channel is operable to modify the a respective color component that it processes. 
     
     
       4. The image-capture circuit of clam  3 , wherein each input channel is further operable to amplify the respective color component. 
     
     
       5. The image-capture circuit of  claim 3 , wherein each input channel is further operable to offset the respective color component. 
     
     
       6. The image-capture circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operable to control the digitizer such that the first input channel processes a first color component of the received analog-color signal, the second input channel processes a second color component of the received analog-color signal, and continuing until each color component is individually processed. 
     
     
       7. The image-capture circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the digitizer is operable to receive the serial analog color signal in the plurality of channels. 
     
     
       8. The image-capture circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the digitizer is further operable to receive a parallel analog-color signal having color components, each channel of the digitizer being operable to receive a respective color component. 
     
     
       9. The image-capture circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the controller and the digitizer are formed on a single chip. 
     
     
       10. An image-capture circuit, comprising:
 a digitizer operable to receive a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, the digitizer having:
 a plurality of signal modification channels, one of the channels operable to sequentially modify each of the color components according to a corresponding modification parameter; and 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the modified color components from the one of the channels; and 
 
 a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to sequentially update the modification parameter to correspond to the color component that the channel is modifying. 
 
     
     
       11. The image-capture circuit of  claim 10 , wherein the modification parameter includes an amplification. 
     
     
       12. The image-capture circuit of  claim 10 , wherein the modification parameter includes an offset. 
     
     
       13. A scanner, comprising:
 a sensor head operable to generate a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components responsive to a scan of an image, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color; and 
 an image-capture circuit, including:
 a digitizer operable to receive the serial analog color signal and having:
 a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal and to process a respective color component; 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components; and 
 
 a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to couple each of the channels to the analog to digital converter in the predetermined sequence. 
 
 
     
     
       14. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein each input channel is coupled to the serial analog-color signal. 
     
     
       15. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is further operable to synchronize generation of a first color component by the sensor head with the processing of the first color component by a first channel, generation of a second color component by the sensor head with the processing of the second color by a second channel, and continuing until each color component has been generated and processed by a different channel. 
     
     
       16. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the color components include red, green, and blue. 
     
     
       17. The scanner of  claim 13 , wherein the scan sensor head is a CIS type. 
     
     
       18. A scanner comprising:
 a sensor head operable to generate a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components responsive to a scan of an image; and 
 an image-capture circuit, including:
 a digitizer operable to receive the serial analog color signal and having:
 a plurality of signal modification channels, one of the channels operable to sequentially modify each of the color components according to a corresponding modification parameter; 
 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize 
 
 the modified color components from the one of the channels; and
 a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to sequentially update the modification parameter to correspond to the color component that the channel is modifying. 
 
 
     
     
       19. A method for digitizing a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the method comprising:
 receiving the serial analog color signal on a single input node; 
 modifying a first one of the color components with a first channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified color component during a first time period; and 
 modifying a second one of the color components with a second channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified color component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period. 
 
     
     
       20. A method for digitizing a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, the method comprising:
 setting a modification parameter of a selected one of a plurality of channels to a first predetermined level, modifying a first one of the color components with the channel, and digitizing the modified first component during a first time period; and 
 setting the modification parameter of the channel to a second predetermined level, modifying a second one of the color components with the channel, and digitizing the modified second component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period. 
 
     
     
       21. An image-capture circuit, comprising:
 a plurality of channels each operable to receive a serial analog color signal including a predetermined sequence of color components and to process a respective one of the color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color; 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels; and 
 a controller operable to couple the channels to the analog-to-digital converter in the predetermined sequence. 
 
     
     
       22. A scanner, comprising:
 a sensor head operable to scan an image and to generate a serial analog color signal that represents the image, the signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color; 
 a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal from the sensor head and to process a respective one of the color components; 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels; and 
 a controller operable to couple the channels to the analog-to-digital converter in the predetermined sequence. 
 
     
     
       23. A method for digitizing a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the method comprising:
 receiving the serial analog color signal on each of a first and a second channel; 
 modifying a first one of the color components with the first channel and digitizing the modified first component during a first time period; and 
 modifying a second one of the color components with the second channel and digitizing the modified second component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period. 
 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 receiving the serial analog color signal on a third channel; and 
 modifying a third one of the color components with the third channel and digitizing the modified third component during a third time period that is separate from the first and second time periods. 
 
     
     
       25. The image-capture circuit of claim 10, further comprising:
 a sensor head operable to generate a serial analog-color signal having the predetermined sequence of color components responsive to a scan of an image.   
     
     
       26. The image-capture circuit of claim 10, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the modified color components from the one of the channels. 
     
     
       27. The scanner of claim 13, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components. 
     
     
       28. The method of claim 20, wherein the first level is a first predetermined level and the second level is a second predetermined level. 
     
     
       29. The image-capture circuit of claim 21, further comprising:
 a sensor head operable to scan an image and to generate a serial analog color signal that represents the image, the signal having the predetermined sequence of color.   
     
     
       30. The image-capture circuit of claim 21, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels. 
     
     
       31. The scanner of claim 22, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operable to sequentially receive and digitize the processed color components from the channels. 
     
     
       32. An image capture circuit comprising:
 means for receiving on a single input node a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;   means for modifying a first one of the color components with a first channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified first one of the color component during a first time period; and   means for modifying a second one of the color components with a second channel coupled to the input node and digitizing the modified second one of the color component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.   
     
     
       33. An image capture circuit comprising:
 means for receiving on a single input node a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;   means for modifying a first one of the color components with a first channel coupled to the input node during a first time period;   means for modifying a second one of the color components with a second channel coupled to the input node during a second time period that is separate from the first time period; and   means coupled to the means for modifying a first one of the color components and the means for modifying a second one of the color components for digitizing modified color components during respective time periods.   
     
     
       34. An image capture circuit comprising:
 means for receiving, on each of a first and a second channel, a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;   means for modifying a first one of the color components with the first channel and digitizing the modified first component during a first time period; and   means for modifying a second one of the color components with the second channel and digitizing the modified second component during a second time period that is separate from the first time period.   
     
     
       35. An image capture circuit comprising:
 means for receiving, on each of a first and a second channel, a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;   means for modifying a first one of the color components with the first channel during a first time period;   means for modifying a second one of the color components with the second channel during a second time period; and   means coupled to the means for modifying a first one of the color components and the means for modifying a second one of the color components for digitizing modified color components during respective time periods.   
     
     
       36. An image-capture circuit comprising:
 an analog signal source;   a digitizer operable to receive a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the digitizer having:
 a plurality of channels each operable to receive the serial analog color signal and to process a respective color component; and 
 an analog-to-digital converter operable to sequentially receive and digitize the color components; 
   a switch coupled between the analog signal source and the digitizer and operable to switch between the analog signal source and one of
 a plurality of parallel digitizer inputs, with each parallel digitizer input of the plurality of digitizer inputs being coupled to one channel of the plurality of channels, 
 a first serial digitizer input coupled to all channels of the plurality of channels, and 
 a second serial digitizer input coupled to a single channel of the plurality of channels; and 
   a controller coupled to the digitizer and operable to couple each of the channels to the analog to digital converter in the predetermined sequence.   
     
     
       37. An image-capture circuit comprising:
 an analog signal source;   digitizer means for receiving a serial analog color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components, each color component representing a row of pixels of a single color;
 processing means including a plurality of channels for receiving the serial analog color signal and for processing one or more color component; and 
 converter means coupled to the processing means for sequentially receiving and digitizing the processed color components; 
   switch means coupled between the analog signal source and the digitizer means for switching between the analog signal source and one of
 a plurality of parallel digitizer inputs, with each parallel digitizer input of the plurality of parallel digitizer inputs being coupled to one channel of the plurality of channels, 
 a first serial digitizer input coupled to all channels of the plurality of channels, and 
 a second serial digitizer input coupled to a single channel of the plurality of channels; and 
   controller means coupled to the processing means for coupling each of the channels to converter means in the predetermined sequence.   
     
     
       38. A method for digitizing a serial analog-color signal having a predetermined sequence of color components wherein each color component represents a row of pixels of a single color, the method comprising:
 receiving the serial analog color signal on a single input node;   switching between the input node and one of
 a plurality of parallel digitizer inputs, with each digitizer input of the plurality of parallel digitizer inputs being coupled to one channel of a plurality of channels, 
 a first serial digitizer input coupled to all channels of the plurality of channels, and 
 a second serial digitizer input coupled to a single channel of the plurality of channels; 
   based on the switching, processing the serial analog color signal and modifying one or more color components in the plurality of channels or the single channel; and   receiving and digitizing the modified color components.