Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Eastman-kodak Company

Nexpress Solutions, Inc.

Nek Press Solutions LLC

Jeffrey S Gerstenberger

Ravi K Mruthyunjaya

John Thomas Compton

Keith Aaron Hadley

Manh Tang

David W Bishop

David Winston Bishop

An image sensor includes a two-dimensional array of pixels having multiple column outputs and an output circuit connected to each column output. Each output circuit is configured to operate concurrent sample and read operations. An analog front end (AFE) circuit processes pixel data output from the output circuits and an AFE clock controller transmits an AFE clocking signal to the AFE circuit to effect processing of the pixel data. A timing generator outputs a column address sequence that is received by a column decoder. During one or more sample operations the timing generator suspends the column address sequence and subsequently during the one or more sample operations the AFE clock controller suspends the AFE clocking signal. The AFE clocking signal and the column address sequence resume at the end of the one or more sample operations.

Pausing column readout in image sensors

An image sensor includes a two-dimensional array of pixels having multiple column outputs and an output circuit connected to each column output. Each output circuit is configured to operate concurrent sample and read operations. An analog front end (AFE) circuit processes pixel data output from the output circuits and an AFE clock controller transmits an AFE clocking signal to the AFE circuit to effect processing of the pixel data. A timing generator outputs a column address sequence that is received by a column decoder. During one or more sample operations the AFE clock controller suspends the output of the AFE clocking signal and the timing generator suspends the output of the column address sequence during the sample operation. The output of the AFE clocking signal and the column address sequence resume at the end of the sample operation.

Suspending column readout in image sensors

A method of producing ink drops () in a printing apparatus () sends print-nonprint data from a controller () to at least one inkjet nozzle (). The print-nonprint data includes data on a current ink drop and data on at least one previous ink drop. A set of waveforms () is provided to the at least one nozzle and a waveform based on the print-nonprint data is selected. The selected waveform is supplied to an ink droplet formation device associated with the at least one nozzle and an ink drop is produced from the at least one nozzle.

Producing ink drops in a printing apparatus

An image sensor includes a two-dimensional array of pixels having multiple column outputs and an output circuit connected to each column output. Each output circuit is configured to operate concurrent sample and read operations. A timing generator outputs a column address sequence that is received by a column decoder that is electrically connected to each output circuit. The timing generator suspends the output of the column address sequence during a sample operation and resumes the output of the column address sequence at the end of the sample operation.

Suspending column addressing in image sensors

An image sensor includes multiple photoactive pixels and multiple dark reference pixels arranged in rows and columns to form a pixel array. A dark signal is read out of one or more dark reference pixels in each column and used to determine a column offset for one or more columns in the pixel array. An offset window is used for each column in the pixel array to define an acceptable maximum dark signal and an acceptable minimum dark signal for each column. The dark signals from each column are analyzed to determine if there are any dark signals outside the offset window. If any of the dark signals are outside the offset window, the dark signal or signals can be compensated for or discarded.

Generating column offset corrections for image sensors

An image sensor includes multiple photoactive pixels and multiple dark reference pixels arranged in rows and columns to form a pixel array. A dark signal is read out of one or more dark reference pixels in each column and used to determine a column offset for one or more columns in the pixel array. Each time an image or frame of an image is read out, the column offset for the one or more columns is updated using dark signals read out from a given number of dark reference pixels. The column offset for the one or more columns is scaled when a gain level is changed for a captured image.

An image sensor includes multiple photoactive pixels and multiple dark reference pixels typically arranged in rows and columns to form a pixel array. A dark signal is read out from a given number of dark reference pixels in each column at a first gain level. An initial column offset correction is determined for one or more columns in the pixel array using respective dark signals read out at the first gain level. The initial column offset corrections are repeatedly scaled in response to each detected change to a different gain level. The column offset corrections can be scaled based on an amount of change between each respective different gain level and the first gain level.

A printer apparatus and method for processing image data includes a disk storage module operable to receive, store and output compressed image data, a semiconductor RAM memory device, a data decompressor operates on the compressed image data output by the RAM memory device and a controller that determines if the disk storage module is ready to operate in a write mode or in a read mode to output compressed image data from the disk storage module for transfer to the RAM memory device. The controller also determines if the disk storage module is ready to operate in both modes, and the controller is operative to provide a preference for operation of the read mode and controls the disk storage module so that compressed image data is output from the disk storage module and written into the RAM memory device.

Disk-based image storage system and method with prioritized loading and retrieval operations

A printer apparatus includes a marking engine subsystem that records information on an image recording member. An image storage subsystem buffers image data for output to the marking engine subsystem. The image storage subsystem includes an input for receiving rasterized image data. A data compressor operates on the rasterized image data to compress the rasterized image data to form compressed image data. A disk storage module receives, stores and outputs the compressed image data to a semiconductor RAM memory device that stores at least one page of the compressed data. A data decompressor operates on the compressed data output by the RAM memory device and decompresses the compressed data to rasterized data for output to the marking engine subsystem. A RAM controller controls the RAM memory device for outputting the compressed data from the RAM memory device to the decompressor. The disk storage module outputs compressed data to the RAM memory device at a data rate greater than the maximum sustainable data recording rate of the marking engine subsystem.

Disk-based image storage system invention disclosure

A mechanism for determining parallax between first and second digital images employs an iterative image pattern search and correlation process, which is able to rapidly determine the parallax for each pixel that is common to the images captured by a stereo image pair. By the initial use of a dispersed sub-array of reference point pixels distributed throughout a first image array, a similarly dispersed sub-array of tie points, to be used as starting points for subsequent, more densely populated search and correlation steps, can be rapidly obtained for the second image array. The derived parallax values may then be subjected to an interpolation function to sub-pixel accuracies. Once the parallax between the first and second image arrays has been derived, elevations can be computed using a conventional parallax-dependent mechanism.

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Rochester, NY, United States of America

Jeffrey S Gerstenberger