A closed-loop vision
system is disclosed that utilizes a concept known as Dynamically Reconfigurable Vision (DRV), which is adaptive
image sensing driven by a computer or
human operator's response to changing scenery. The
system reduces the amount of irrelevant video information sensed and thus achieves more effective bandwidth and
computational resource utilization, as compared to traditional vision systems. One or more reconfigurable
photodetector arrays sensitive to either visible,
infrared or
ultraviolet radiation are present in the DRV
system. These
photodetector arrays feature on-
chip means for spatial and temporal
data reduction implemented through multiple independently controllable, time-correlated, frequently overlapping windows on the
photodetector array that may be programmed according to their size, location, resolution, integration time, and
frame rate. All photodetector array windows are dynamically reconfigurable in real time on a frame-by-frame basis. Furthermore, a DRV system is constructed in a
client-
server architecture in which a vision processor
client passes window request command messages to the reconfigurable photodetector array
server, which in turn delivers the requested video back to the
client processor. The ability to simultaneously reconfigure, integrate, process, and readout multiple photodetector array video windows is an important characteristic of the DRV system.