Patent ID: 7078669
Filing Date: 2006-07-18
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for sparsely reading data representative of pixel energy of an active pixel and of neighboring pixels in at least one sensor segment having a plurality of addressable pixels, the method comprising: (a) for each pixel in the at least one sensor segment storing in a lookup table addresses of predefined neighboring pixels, (b) on determining that a pixel in the at least one sensor segment is active, using an address of said pixel to read from the lookup table corresponding addresses of the neighboring pixels associated therewith; (c) reading data representative of pixel energy of the active pixel and of successive ones of its neighboring pixels; (d) calculating cumulative energy read from the active pixels and successive neighboring pixels as the respective pixel energy of each successive neighboring pixel is read; and (e) repeating (c) and (d) in respect of successive neighboring pixels only for as long as the cumulative energy is less than a predetermined value.