A CCD/CMOS-based imager with integrated focal plane signal processing

Author

Keast, Craig L. ; Sodini, Charles G.

Author_Institution

Dept. of Electr. Eng. & Comput. Sci., MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA

Volume

28

Issue

4

fYear

1993

fDate

4/1/1993 12:00:00 AM

Firstpage

431

Lastpage

437

Abstract

Using a CCD/CMOS technology, a fully parallel 4×4 focal plane processor, which performs image acquisition, smoothing, and segmentation, has been fabricated and characterized. In this chip, image brightness is converted into signal charge using charge-coupled-device (CCD) imaging techniques. The Gaussian smoothing operation is approximated by the repeated application of a simple nearest-neighbor binomial convolution mask, realizing the first known use of a true two-dimensional charge division and transfer process. The design allows full control of the spatial extent of the smoothing operation, and incorporates segmentation circuits with global variable threshold control at each pixel location to preserve edges in the image. The processed image is read out using a standard CCD clocking scheme

Keywords

CCD image sensors; CMOS integrated circuits; analogue processing circuits; image processing equipment; image segmentation; 2D charge transfer process; CCD clocking scheme; CCD/CMOS-based imager; Gaussian smoothing operation; charge-coupled-device; computer vision; image acquisition; image segmentation; image smoothing; integrated focal plane signal processing; machine vision; nearest-neighbor binomial convolution mask; two-dimensional charge division; Brightness; CMOS process; CMOS technology; Charge coupled devices; Circuits; Convolution; Image converters; Image segmentation; Process design; Smoothing methods;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9200

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/4.210025

Filename

210025