Patent ID: 8803995

Claim:
A camera image signal processor and video encoder apparatus comprising: an image signal processor that modifies an image signal relative to a limitation of a camera that generated the image signal, the limitation of the camera being associated with at least one characteristic selected from finite dynamic ranges and temporal response of the camera, inherent distortions in camera lenses, inherent noise in a camera capture process, and errors and inconsistencies in transducers used to control exposure, focus, and color representation; a video encoder, coupled directly to the image signal processor, to (i) receive the modified image signal and encode the modified image signal using image signal processing related information, and (ii) transmit encoding related information to the image signal processor; and a bi-directional communication path coupled between the image signal processor and the video encoder that allows information, including the image signal processing related information, to be transmitted between the image signal processor and the video encoder, wherein said image signal processing related information comprises global picture and region-related statistics comprising one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of size and strengths of regions, texture information, edge information, motion information, color information and statistics derived from an analysis of an encoding process, wherein said statistics derived from analysis of said encoding process comprise one or more types of data selected from the group consisting of motion vector information and block distortion information.