Methods and apparatus for concurrently acquiring video data from multiple video data sources

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The aforementioned objects are obtained by the present invention which provides, in one aspect, a video data acquisition system that acquires the video image signals generated from plural video data sources (e.
g.
, video cameras) and that generates from these video data signals a synchronous video data packet signal that represents the plural video signals acquired from the video data sources.
The acquisition system includes a camera interface that couples to the video data sources and that digitally encodes each video signal generated from the video data sources.
The encoded video signal is a series of video pixel signals that represent the video pixels that make up the video signal.
The video pixel signals are stored in multiple data buffers, such a FIFO memories.
Each data buffer stores the pixel signals generated from an associated video data source.
The system also includes a packet manager, that couple to the camera interface and that generates the synchronous video data packet signal.
The packet manager includes a packet counter that monitors each of the data buffers and keeps count of the number of pixel signals that are stored in each of the data buffers.
The packet counter generates a packet available signal for each of the buffer elements.
The packet available signal represents the number of packets stored in the associated buffer.
A packet can be a preselected quantity of pixels signals.
An output element that couples to the packet counter and the data buffers monitors the packet available signals associated with each of the data buffers.
In response to a packet available signal indicating the presence of at least a packet of data, the output element reads a plurality of pixel signals from the data buffer associated with that packet available signal.
The output element also generates video packet signal that represents the pixels that were represented by the pixel signals read form the buffer.
The output element synchronously generates the video packet signal