CN1510950A - Multifunctional image processor - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses an image processor used in a digital camera device, which includes an LCD interface connected with an LCD module, and the image processor can directly realize the control of the LCD module and the communication with the LCD module through the LCD interface. data transmission; moreover, the channel formed between the LCD interface and the host interface of the connection module between the image processor and the host is a transparent channel, through which the host module is directly connected to the LCD module. The image processor also includes an independent MCU (microcontroller). When the image processor of the present invention is used in an independent digital camera, the MCU can be used as a substitute for the main controller in the host. The image processor disclosed in the present invention can be used in a single digital camera, and can also be used in a mobile communication terminal with a mosaic camera without great changes.

Description

Multifunctional Image Processor

Technical field

The invention relates to an image processor used in a digital camera device, in particular to a multifunctional image processor which can be used not only in a mobile communication terminal with a digital camera device but also in an independent digital camera.

Background technique

With the rapid development of digital image technology, various digital camera or image processing products have generally entered the lives of ordinary people. As the core technology of the digital image field, there are many types of image processors, and their functions are also increasingly enhanced.

There are not only image processors for individual digital cameras, but also image processors for mobile communication terminals with embedded cameras such as mobile phones or personal handheld computers. It can not only help mobile phones to display images, but also Capable of image acquisition and multimedia communication through the mobile phone, this composite mobile phone improves the efficiency of applications and greatly facilitates users.

But, also there is such defect in the image processor in the prior art:

The image processor used on a separate digital camera and the image processor used on a mobile communication terminal with a mosaic camera cannot be easily interchanged and universally used, and manufacturers of digital products often need to adopt different Image processors are used in different products, and when one image processor is used in another product, a considerable change is usually required, which brings extreme inconvenience.

In addition, the image processor used in a mobile phone with a camera also has another shortcoming: Fig. 1 is a structural block diagram of a mobile phone with an image processor in the prior art, which usually utilizes a baseband module 30 to control Operation of the camera module 20' and the LCD module 10'. Whether browsing the camera module 20, the input video stream, or the baseband module 30' instructing the camera module 20' to capture images, or performing post-capture processing, the camera module 20' (including lens, optical sensor and DSP chip--digital signal The image captured by the processing chip) needs to pass through the baseband module 30' and then transmit the image to the LCD module 10' (including the LCD display screen, the LCD controller and the LCD driving part) for display. Moreover, the realization of each process also requires the main controller in the baseband module 30' to carry out control and coordination, and the image processor in the camera module 20' does not play too much effect, which undoubtedly increases the burden of the baseband module 30'. burden, causing the load of the baseband module to be too large; and because the image captured by the camera module 20' needs to be transmitted to the LCD module 10' after passing through the baseband module 30', there is a gap between the image displayed on the LCD module 10' and the actual picture. There is a delay of a few frames of image.

The existence of these defects prevents the above-mentioned device from achieving a satisfactory use effect in actual operation, so a new image processor solution is required.

Contents of Invention

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a kind of image processor that has avoided above-mentioned deficiency, for this purpose, the present invention proposes such a solution:

In the image processor, in addition to some common functional modules, it also includes an LCD interface connected to the LCD module. The image processor can directly realize the control of the LCD module and the data exchange with the LCD module through the LCD interface. transmission; and, the channel formed between the LCD interface and the image processor and the host interface of the connection module of the host is a transparent channel, and the host module is connected to the LCD through the transparent channel formed by the host interface in the image processor and the LCD interface. The modules are directly connected.

In this way, when the user previews the video stream without capturing it, the image data can be transmitted directly between the camera module and the LCD module without passing through the host module, reducing the unnecessary overhead of the host module. In addition, when the host module controls the LCD module to perform some basic operations that do not require the participation of the camera module, such as menu display, the basic functions of controlling the LCD module as conveniently and simply as before can be realized only through the channel in the image processor. operation, and the camera module does not perform unnecessary operations.

In addition, an independent MCU (microcontroller) is also included in the image processor of the present invention. When the image processor of the present invention is used in an independent digital camera, the MCU can be used as the main control unit in the host computer. In other words, when there is no host CPU in the host module, the image processor with the MCU can be used as a separate camera chip to operate.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages of:

Firstly, based on the design disclosed in the present invention, the image processor can be used in a separate digital camera, or in a mobile communication terminal with a mosaic camera without great changes.

Secondly, when the image processor is used on a mobile communication terminal with a mosaic camera, its advantages are also obvious: the direct connection between the camera module and the LCD module makes the delay between the displayed image and the actual picture disappear. Well eliminated, the user can arbitrarily capture the most suitable image it sees; the structural design provided by the present invention reduces the unnecessary load of the baseband module and improves its utilization rate; in addition, the mobile communication terminal is in the It is also possible to use the image processor provided by the present invention to complete the capturing and transmitting operations of the target image while conducting a basic call without affecting each other.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and non-specific embodiments.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a structural block diagram of a mobile phone with an image processor in the prior art;

Figure 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of a mobile phone with the image processor of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the image processor 23 of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a simple schematic block diagram of the baseband module in the embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram of the data channel when the image processor of the present invention performs a picture preview mode;

Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of the data channel when the image processor of the present invention is in static image capture mode;

Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of the data channel when the image processor of the present invention is in the display mode after image capture;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the data channel when the image processor of the present invention is in the video capture mode.

Detailed ways

In the following description, well-known functions or structures will not be described in detail to avoid unnecessary confusion with the content of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a mobile phone embodiment with the image processor of the present invention, referring to Fig. 2: for the camera module 20, the optical sensor 22 converts the light image captured by the lens 21 into an electrical image signal, and the image processor 23 converts the electrical image signal input from the optical sensor 22 into a digital signal and transmits the converted digital signal to the LCD module 10 or the baseband module 30 after further processing.

The baseband module 30 is the core part of the whole device, it controls the whole operation of the mobile device, and is connected with the SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module user identification card), the storage module 60, the keyboard part 70, the audio module 90 and the power supply module 50, etc. Fig. 4 is the simple schematic block diagram of baseband module in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 4, wherein comprises: a DSP (digital signal processor) 31, is assisted by a CPU32 work, and it is used for optimizing decision-making code (decision- directed code) and perceive and control external events; a RF interface 33 and an audio interface 34 are connected with the DSP31, the RF interface 33 is connected with the RF module 40, and the audio interface 34 is connected with the microphone 91 and the loudspeaker 92 in the audio module 90 to control Its normal working implementation; the flash memory module 36, which stores all the microprocessor code; and the static memory (SRAM) module 35, which is used as cache, registers and intermediate memory. A power management part 37, which is connected with the power module 50, manages the power configuration of the whole device.

The storage module 60 is used to store data to be stored by the mobile device and image data captured from the camera module 20 .

The keyboard part 70 is the man-machine interface interface between the user and the device, and is used by the user to complete various operations required.

The audio module 90 demodulates the encoded audio signal received from the RF module 40 and provides the demodulated audio signal to the speaker 92 , and encodes the electro-acoustic signal from the microphone 91 and provides the encoded audio signal to the RF module 40 .

The LCD module 10 includes an LCD display screen 11 , an LCD controller 13 and two LCD drivers 12 . The LCD module is used to display the basic operating status of the camera phone, and to display the images captured by the camera or the image files in the phone storage device.

The RF (radio frequency) module 40 includes an RF processor that mainly processes input RF signals, an IF (intermediate frequency) processor that converts the RF signal into an IF signal, and a baseband processor that converts the IF signal into a baseband bit stream that the baseband module 30 can process. processor. Also, although not shown, the RF module 40 is divided into a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver in the RF module 40 amplifies the input RF signal to suppress noise, and converts the amplified signal into a digital signal via an IF processor. The converted digital signal is supplied to the baseband module 30 . The transmitter in the RF module 40 amplifies the signal modulated according to the frequency band supplied from the baseband module 30 and transmits the signal via an unillustrated antenna section.

Fig. 3 is a functional block diagram of the image processor 23 of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 3, in the mobile communication device, the baseband module 30 forms a transparent channel through the host interface 231 and the LCD interface 238 in the image processor 23 Connect with LCD module 10, like this, when not needing camera operation, baseband module 30 can also control the basic operation of LCD module conveniently and simply as before, and the camera function of image processor 23 does not work now.

In addition, the camera module 20 does not transmit images and data between the baseband module 30 and the LCD module 10, but is directly connected to the LCD module 10 through the LCD interface 238 in the image processor 23; the host CPU 32 in the baseband module 30 The operation of the image processor 23 is controlled through the host interface 231, and the host interface 231 receives commands and data from the baseband module. SIF (sensor interface sensor interface) and ISP (image signal processing image signal processing) module 232 receives the RGB/YUV image data from CCD/CMOS image sensor 22, carries out such as white balance, color correction, gamma correction, interpolation to this image data Correction and other algorithmic operations. The Sizer (image size manager) 234 can change the resolution of the image from the image sensor 22, which can provide different resolutions suitable for image preview and capture. Although not shown, the sizer (size manager) is divided into two parts, Previewsizer (preview image size manager) and Capture sizer (capture image size manager). Wherein the MCU (microcontroller) 240 can control the basic operations such as autofocus and white balance of the image processor 23, when there is no host CPU 32 in the baseband module 30, the MCU (microcontroller) 240 The image processor 23 can completely operate as a separate camera chip.

The JPEG (Joint Picture Coding Experts Group) codec unit 236 can compress the YUV format digital image signal input from the Sizer module 234 into a JPEG file, or decompress the JPEG file into a YUV format file according to the international standard for compressing color still photos. The frame buffer 235 is used to store a frame of temporary image data. GE (graphics engine image engine) 245 is a dedicated logical processor for performing two-dimensional image operations such as bit block transfer, line drawing, and raster operations.

YUV-RGB converter 242 converts between YUV and RGB image formats. Together with the Dither-ing (color depth processing) part 247, it processes the image data in a format suitable for LCD module image display. The storage interface 239 is used to connect the flash memory module 60 to store data. In addition, the device also includes an SPI interface 230, which is connected to the system controller and the internal bus.

When performing processing such as Jepg encoding and decoding algorithms, the processing of pixels is performed by blocks, while other operations such as image sharpening and noise elimination are performed by line pixels. Sizer line buffer 244 and Jepg line buffer Device 248 is just for such reason, because it is not the place of important expression of the present invention, so do not explain more here.

The image processor of the present invention can be used as an image processing chip of an independent digital camera or a mosaic digital camera. When used as a stand-alone digital camera chip, without an external CPU, the MCU240 is the system controller. When used as an image processing chip of an embedded digital camera on a mobile communication terminal, the host CPU on the baseband controls the operation of the image processor.

When the image processor of the present invention is operated and processed as an image processing chip of an independent digital camera or a mosaic digital camera, there are four working modes: preview mode, static image capture mode, display mode and video capture mode after capture .

In the preview mode, the continuous video stream is displayed on the LCD display 11, and the user can adjust the different zoom ratios and resolutions of the images being displayed on the LCD display 11. When the user sees a suitable picture, he can This image is captured by an operation such as a key on the keyboard section 70 . As shown in the data channel schematic diagram when the device of the present invention performs picture preview in Figure 5, the image processor 23 receives the image data from the image sensor 22 through the SIF/ISP module 232 and performs related processing on it, and then passes through the Preview sizer ( Preview Image Size Manager) 234 changes the resolution of the image, after the YUV-RGB converter 242 carries out the color space conversion and the color depth processing of the Dithering part 247, the image is stored in the frame buffer 235, and the GE245 can perform some hardware processing on the image Graphics accelerated processing. Finally, the LCD controller 13 and the LCD interface 238 read the image data from the frame buffer 235 and send it to the LCD module 10 for display.

In still image capture mode, when the user selects a suitable frame, he can capture a frame of image. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the data channel when the image processor of the present invention is in static image capture mode. The host CPU or MCU240 issues a capture command, and the image processor can capture the next frame of image. When the user captures a frame of image, it will first be processed by the SIF/ISP module 232, and then the Sizer module 234 will change the resolution of the image according to the user's choice. rate, the JPEG codec unit 236 compresses the image and stores it in the frame buffer 235, and the JPEG image is transmitted after the baseband module 30 issues an instruction to transmit the image.

The image processor of the present invention has a display function after capture. In the display mode after capture, the image in the frame buffer 235 is a JPEG image, which is an image captured by the user through the device or an image transmitted by the host CPU , after being decompressed by the JPEG encoding and decoding unit 236, the image is converted to the YUV data format, then the resolution of the image is changed by the sizer234 and the color space conversion and Dither-ing (color depth processing) part are carried out by the YUV-RGB converter 242 After color depth processing, the image is stored in the frame buffer 235, and then transmitted to the LCD module 10 via the LCD interface 238 for display. Its data channel is shown in Figure 7.

In the video capture mode, the image processor of the present invention can capture QCIF/CIF MJEPG video clips and store them in the frame buffer 235. Its data channel is similar to the static image capture mode, and the difference is that the resolution of the image is very small , and there may be multiple frames of JPEG images placed in the frame buffer 235 . Its data channel is shown in Figure 8.

The multifunctional image processor described in the present invention is not limited to the use listed in the description and the implementation, it can be fully applied to various fields suitable for the present invention, and can be easily realized by those familiar with the field Additional advantages and modifications, therefore, the invention is not limited to the specific details, representative apparatus and drawings shown and described herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the general concept defined by the claims and equivalents. example.

Claims (7)

1. An image processor used in a digital camera, comprising at least some general function modules such as SIF/ISP module (232), Sizer (234) and a host interface (231) for connecting the host module, It is characterized in that it also includes an LCD interface (238) connected to the LCD module (10), and the image processor can directly realize the control of the LCD module (10) and the communication with the LCD module (10) through the LCD interface (238). data transfer between. 2. The image processor according to claim 1, characterized in that, the channel formed between the host interface (231) and the LCD interface (238) in the image processor is a transparent channel, and the host module passes through the formed channel. The transparent channel is directly connected with the LCD module (10). 3. The image processor according to claim 1, characterized in that the image processor further comprises an MCU microcontroller (240) capable of controlling the camera module to work normally independently. 4. The image processor according to claim 3, wherein when the image processor of the present invention is used in an independent digital camera, the MCU (240) replaces the host CPU as the system controller. 5. The image processor according to claim 4, characterized in that the MCU (240) can control basic operations of the image processor such as auto focus, white balance and the like. 6. The image processor according to claim 1 or 3, characterized in that, the video processing module (23) of the image processor includes a sizer (size manager) (234) for changing the resolution of the image Rate. 7. The mobile communication terminal device according to claim 6, characterized in that the sizer (size manager) (234) is divided into two parts: Preview sizer (preview image size manager) and Capturesizer (capture image size manager) , which share the same hardware resources and perform different functions.

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