Image analysis – Applications – Vehicle or traffic control
Reexamination Certificate
2006-12-19
2006-12-19
Mehta, Bhavesh M. (Department: 2624)
Image analysis
Applications
Vehicle or traffic control
C382S260000, C382S264000, C382S266000, C382S199000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07151844
ABSTRACT:
An image sensor comprising an integrated circuit chip that includes both a pixel array and edge detection circuitry hardwired together on the chip. The pixel array provides an addressable, non-destructive readout of the pixel data, with the edge detection circuit providing a hardwired implementation of a pair of n×n masks that are convolved with the pixel array data to thereby generate horizontal and vertical edge data that is combined together and outputted by the image sensor. The masks are implemented as a pair of one-dimensional filters, with one of the filters being a one-dimensional Gaussian filter used to smooth the pixel data along one axis and the other filter providing a first derivative Gaussian function to detect edges along the other, orthogonal axis. The non-destructibility of the readout from the pixel array eliminates the need for buffering large amounts of pixel data and the use of separable, one-dimensional filters permits each mask to be implemented using only n simultaneous outputs from the array, 2nweights, and n−1 buffers for temporary storage of the smoothed pixel data.
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Lesperance Ronald Michael
Schauerte Frank J.
Stevenson Charles Neil
Troxell John Richard
General Motors Corporation
Marra Kathryn A.
Mehta Bhavesh M.
Strege John B.
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