Ittiam Systems (p) Ltd.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Sankaranarayanan Parameswaran

Sriram Sethuraman

Murali Babu Muthukrishnan

Dileep Kumar Tamia

Lokesh Rayasandra Boregowda

Manish Singhal

Arvind Raman

Bhavani Gopalakrishna Rao

Ankit Dhiman

Aditya P Kulkarni

Eun-sun Ahn

Sandeep Jana

Jayakrishna Alapati

Santle Camilus

Narasimba Gopalakrishna Pai

Dinesh Kumar

A method for generating a high-dynamic-range (HDR) image using an imaging device is provided. The method includes capturing a long-exposure (LE) image, a short-exposure (SE) image, and an auto-exposure (AE) image of a scene, estimating motion information in the SE image and the LE image based on a reference image which is determined based on an image statistics parameter, aligning the SE image and the LE image using the motion information, generating a pixel-weight coefficient for each of the SE image, the LE image, and the AE image, generating an overlapped region mask corresponding to an overlapped region in each of the SE image, the LE image and the LE image, determining a modified pixel-weight coefficient in the overlapped region mask and correcting a brightness difference, and generating an HDR image from the SE image, the LE image and the AE image using the modified at least one pixel-weight coefficient.

Method and apparatus for generating HDR images

A method of selecting capture configuration based on scene analysis and an image capturing device are provided. The method includes analyzing by a processor, a scene currently being captured by an image capturing device having a plurality of imaging sensors, identifying a current image capturing mode of the image capturing device, setting at least one capture parameter for the plurality of the imaging sensors, upon determining that the at least one capture parameter of the current image capturing mode has to be changed, and determining a timing sequence for triggering the plurality of imaging sensors to capture a plurality of image frames based on the set at least one capture parameter.

Method and apparatus for selecting capture configuration based on scene analysis

A motion estimation algorithm finds the best match for a given block or macroblock so that the resulting error signal has very low energy level which is computed, for e.g., by the SAD method. The motion estimation algorithm also provides for an optional sub-pixel level estimation and an inter4v search, and allows for restricting the number of searches for a Frame-frame ME (motion estimation) using Top-Top and Bottom-Bottom field MEs. The algorithm provides for a selective early exit and enables selecting a suitable search area with N candidate points (4 to 8) for starting the search. The search is conducted progressively till a minimum error signal (low energy level signal) is reached. The candidate points for search may be in a diamond shaped configuration, and there may be a plurality of successive diamond configurations, the number of which is configurable. The invention has application in MPEG-4 and H.264 standards.

Fast motion-estimation scheme

A method for achieving bit rate controlled encoding, e.g., constant bit rate, uses a bit rate control model based on bits allocated per macroblock and based on error in estimating bits consumed in an encoding process in a macroblock. The method computes bits consumed per macroblock as a function of the formed bit rate control model, and allocates bits for the macroblock. To this end, a quadratic (second order) equation is used for the model, which equation might default into a first order equation requiring fewer computations, in the event that no second order solutions exist. In one form, the bit rate control model computes the bit rate to satisfy video buffer verifier (VBV) compliance in accordance with MPEG requirements. The bit rate control model makes allowances for the type of macroblock, i.e., inter, intra or bidirectional, and provides for any frame-skips.

Model based bit rate control for a macroblock encoder

A method for designing a multi-threaded processing operation that includes, e.g., multimedia encoding/decoding, uses an architecture having multiple processors and optional hardware accelerators. The method includes the steps of: identifying a desired chronological sequence of processing stages for processing input data including identifying interdependencies of said processing stages; allotting each said processing sage to a processor; staggering the processing to accommodate the interdependencies; selecting a processing operation based on said allotting to arrive at a subset of possible pipelines that offer low average processing time; and, choosing one design pipeline from said subset to result in overall timing reduction to complete said processing operation. The invention provides a multi-threaded processing pipeline that is applicable in a System-on-Chip (SoC) using a DSP and shared resources such as DMA controller and on-chip memory, for increasing the throughput. The invention also provides an article which is programmed to execute the method.

Multi-threaded processing design in architecture with multiple co-processors

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Bengaluru, India

Sankaranarayanan Parameswaran