Configuração de um sensor de imagens CMOS com compressão de imagens no plano focal para operação em modo de vídeo

O projeto em questão visa o aumento da taxa de captura de quadros de uma câmera desenvolvida pelo PADS, Laboratório de Processamento Analógico e Digital de Sinais (UFRJ/COPPE/PEE e UFRJ/EPoli/DEL), com tecnologia CMOS (complementary metal-oxide silicon). Para alcançar esse objetivo modificações foram realizadas no sistema da câmera, mas somente na parte de software, especificamente no bloco de processamento de imagens que é executado em computador, mantendo-se inalterado o hardware do equipamento. As modificações consistem na implementação em C/C++ do decodificador, que antes era implementado no MATLAB, e alteração na rotina de comunicação entre interface do usuário e decodificador. Essas alterações tornaram o decodificador muito mais rápido. E não há mais falhas de execução. A câmera mencionada foi elaborada no Projeto de Graduação de Fernanda Duarte Vilela Reis de Oliveira, concluído em janeiro de 2012, e na Dissertação de Mestrado de Hugo de Lemos Haas, concluída em fevereiro de 2012. O aparelho apresentou avanços em comparação com os equipamentos convencionais, traduzidos por simplificação no hardware e aumento de velocidade do algoritmo de compressão das imagens capturadas

Pixels for focal-plane scale space generation and for high dynamic range imaging

Focal-plane processing allows for parallel processing throughout the entire pixel matrix, which can help increasing the speed of vision systems. The fabrication of circuits inside the pixel matrix increases the pixel pitch and reduces the fill factor, which leads to reduced image quality. To take advantage of the focal-plane processing capabilities and minimize image quality reduction, we first consider the inclusion of only two extra transistors in the pixel, allowing for scale space generation at the focal plane. We assess the conditions in which the proposed circuitry is advantageous. We perform a time and energy analysis of this approach in comparison to a digital solution. Considering that a SAR ADC per column is used and the clock frequency is equal to 5.6 MHz, the proposed analysis show that the focal-plane approach is 26 times faster if the digital solution uses 10 processing elements, and 49 times more energy-efficient. Another way of taking advantage of the focal-plane signal processing capability is by using focal-plane processing for increasing image quality itself, such as in the case of high dynamic range imaging pixels. This work also presents the design and study of a pixel that captures high dynamic range images by sensing the matrix average luminance, and then adjusting the integration time of each pixel according to the global average and to the local value of the pixel. This pixel was implemented considering small structural variations, such as different photodiode sizes for global average luminance measurement. Schematic and post-layout simulations were performed with the implemented pixel using an input image of 76 dB, presenting results with details in both dark and bright image areas.O processamento no plano focal de imageadores permite que a imagem capturada seja processada em paralelo por toda a matrix de pixels, característica que pode aumentar a velocidade de sistemas de visão. Ao fabricar circuitos dentro da matrix de pixels, o tamanho do pixel aumenta e a razão entre área fotossensível e a área total do pixel diminui, reduzindo a qualidade da imagem. Para utilizar as vantagens do processamento no plano focal e minimizar a redução da qualidade da imagem, a primeira parte da tese propõe a inclusão de dois transistores no pixel, o que permite que o espaço de escalas da imagem capturada seja gerado. Nós então avaliamos em quais condições o circuito proposto é vantajoso. Nós analisamos o tempo de processamento e o consumo de energia dessa proposta em comparação com uma solução digital. Utilizando um conversor de aproximações sucessivas com frequência de 5.6 MHz, a análise proposta mostra que a abordagem no plano focal é 26 vezes mais rápida que o circuito digital com 10 elementos de processamento, e consome 49 vezes menos energia. Outra maneira de utilizar processamento no plano focal consiste em aplicá-lo para melhorar a qualidade da imagem, como na captura de imagens em alta faixa dinâmica. Esta tese também apresenta o estudo e projeto de um pixel que realiza a captura de imagens em alta faixa dinâmica através do ajuste do tempo de integração de cada pixel utilizando a iluminação média e o valor do próprio pixel. Esse pixel foi projetado considerando pequenas variações estruturais, como diferentes tamanhos do fotodiodo que realiza a captura do valor de iluminação médio. Simulações de esquemático e pós-layout foram realizadas com o pixel projetado utilizando uma imagem com faixa dinâmica de 76 dB, apresentando resultados com detalhes tanto na parte clara como na parte escura da imagem

An intelligent system for the classification and selection of novel and efficient lossless image compression algorithms

We are currently living in an era revolutionised by the development of smart phones and digital cameras. Most people are using phones and cameras in every aspect of their lives. With this development comes a high level of competition between the technology companies developing these devices, each one trying to enhance its products to meet the new market demands. One of the most sought-after criteria of any smart phone or digital camera is the camera’s resolution. Digital imaging and its applications are growing rapidly; as a result of this growth, the image size is increasing, and alongside this increase comes the important challenge of saving these large-sized images and transferring them over networks. With the increase in image size, the interest in image compression is increasing as well, to improve the storage size and transfer time. In this study, the researcher proposes two new lossless image compression algorithms. Both proposed algorithms focus on decreasing the image size by reducing the image bit-depth through using well defined methods of reducing the coloration between the image intensities.The first proposed lossless image compression algorithm is called Column Subtraction Compression (CSC), which aims to decrease the image size without losing any of the image information by using a colour transformation method as a pre-processing phase, followed by the proposed Column Subtraction Compression function to decrease the image size. The proposed algorithm is specially designed for compressing natural images. The CSC algorithm was evaluated for colour images and compared against benchmark schemes obtained from (Khan et al., 2017). It achieved the best compression size over the existing methods by enhancing the average storage saving of the BBWCA, JPEG 2000 LS, KMTF– BWCA, HEVC and basic BWCA algorithms by 2.5%, 15.6%, 41.6%, 7.8% and 45.07% respectively. The CSC algorithm simple implementation positively affects the execution time and makes it one of the fastest algorithms, since it needed less than 0.5 second for compressing and decompressing natural images obtained from (Khan et al., 2017). The proposed algorithm needs only 19.36 seconds for compressing and decompressing all of the 10 images from the Kodak image set, while the BWCA, KMTF – BWCA and BBWCA need 398.5s, 429.24s and 475.38s respectively. Nevertheless, the CSC algorithm achieved less compression ratio, when compressing low resolution images since it was designed for compressing high resolution images. To solve this issue, the researcher proposed the Low-Resolution Column Subtraction Compression algorithm (LRCSC) to enhance the CSC low compression ratio related to compressing low-resolution images.The LRCSC algorithm starts by using the CSC algorithm as a pre-processing phase, followed by the Huffman algorithm and Run-Length Coding (RLE) to decrease the image size as a final compression phase. The LRCSC enhanced the average storage saving of the CSC algorithm for raster map images by achieving 13.68% better compression size. The LRCSC algorithm decreases the raster map image set size by saving 96% from the original image set size but did not reach the best results when compared with the PNG, GIF, BLiSE and BBWCA where the storage saving is 97.42%, 98.33%, 98.92% and 98.93% respectively. The LRCSC algorithm enhanced the compression execution time with acceptable compression ratio. Both of the proposed algorithms are effective with any image types such as colour or greyscale images. The proposed algorithms save a lot of memory storage and dramatically decreased the execution time.Finally, to take full benefits of the two newly developed algorithms, anew system is developed based on running both of the algorithm for the same input image and then suggest the appropriate algorithm to be used for the de-compression phase