Novel CCD Image Processor For Z-Plane Architecture

The use of charge-coupled device (CCD) circuits in Z-plane architectures for focal-plane image processing is discussed. The low-power, compact layout nature of CCDs makes them attractive for Z-plane application. Three application areas are addressed; non-uniformity compensation using CCD MDAC circuits, neighborhood image processing functions implemented with CCD circuits, and the use of CCDs for buffering multiple image frames. Such buffering enables spatial-temporal image transformation for lossless compression.