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Abstract

A system for real-time digital processing of a video signal is disclosed, using a large number of one-bit serial processor elements, each operating on one pixel or a horizontal scan. The video signal is converted to digital by an A-to-D converter, and stored in a set of input registers, one register for each processor element. All of these input registers are loaded during a horizontal scan, as the input registers are addressed in sequence by a commutator. Each processor element includes a one-bit binary adder, a set of one-bit registers, and two wide data memories of a size to store data from several scans. The processor elements are all controlled in common by a sequencer, a state machine or a processor. The processed video data is transferred to an output register for each processor element, from which it is converted to a video signal by a D-to-A converter. A frame memory may be used to save a processed frame for use in convolving the next frame; the input of the frame memory is taken at the output registers, and the frame memory output is applied to the input registers. The number of processor elements of the linear array exceeds the number needed for the pixels of a horizontal scan, and laser-fused by-pass connections are included for by-passing processor elements which testing shows to be faulty.

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