Sensor device and methods of use

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10768047-B2
Application number	US-201816102259-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 13, 2018
Priority date	Feb 15, 2018
Publication date	Sep 8, 2020
Grant date	Sep 8, 2020

Abstract

A multispectral sensor device may include a sensor array comprising a plurality of channels and one or more processors to determine that a time-sensitive measurement is to be performed, wherein the time-sensitive measurement is to be performed using data collected by one or more channels of the plurality of channels; cause the data to be collected by a proper subset of channels, of the plurality of channels, wherein the proper subset of channels includes the one or more channels; and determine the time-sensitive measurement based on the data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A multispectral sensor device, comprising:
a sensor array comprising a plurality of channels; and
one or more processors to:
determine that a time-sensitive measurement is to be performed,
wherein the time-sensitive measurement is to be performed using data collected by one or more channels of the plurality of channels,
wherein the time-sensitive measurement is associated with a threshold frame rate, and
wherein a non-time-sensitive measurement is not associated with the threshold frame rate;

cause the data to be collected by a proper subset of channels, of the plurality of channels, based on a time sensitivity of the time-sensitive measurement,
wherein the proper subset of channels includes the one or more channels; and

determine the time-sensitive measurement based on the data.

2. The multispectral sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the proper subset of channels includes only the one or more channels.

3. The multispectral sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the proper subset of channels includes one or more rows of sensors, wherein the one or more rows include the one or more channels.

4. The multispectral sensor device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are to:
discard data other than the data collected by the one or more channels.

5. The multispectral sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the time-sensitive measurement is a first measurement and the data is first data; and
wherein the one or more processors are to:
determine that a second measurement is to be performed,
wherein the second measurement is associated with a less stringent time sensitivity than the first measurement, and
wherein the second measurement is the non-time-sensitive measurement;

cause second data to be collected by all channels of the plurality of channels; and
perform the second measurement using at least part of the second data.

6. The multispectral sensor device of claim 1 ,
wherein the time-sensitive measurement is a first measurement,
wherein the non-time-sensitive measurement is a second measurement,
wherein the one or more processors are further to:
perform multiple iterations of the first measurement and the second measurement, and

wherein the first measurement is performed more frequently than the second measurement.

7. The multispectral sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the sensor array includes at least one of a charge-coupled device or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor device.

8. The multispectral sensor device of claim 1 , wherein the time-sensitive measurement is a first measurement and the data is first data; and
wherein the one or more processors are to:
determine that a second measurement is to be performed,
wherein the second measurement is associated with a more stringent time sensitivity than the first measurement;

cause second data to be collected by a set of channels, of the plurality of channels, that includes fewer channels than the proper subset of channels; and
perform the second measurement using at least part of the second data.

9. A method, comprising:
determining, by a multispectral sensor device, that a measurement is to be performed,
wherein the measurement is to be performed using data collected by one or more channels of a plurality of channels of the multispectral sensor device, and
wherein the measurement is associated with a time sensitivity;

causing, by the multispectral sensor device, the data to be collected by a proper subset of channels, of the plurality of channels, based on a time sensitivity of the measurement,
wherein the proper subset of channels includes the one or more channels,
wherein the time sensitivity indicates that the measurement is a time-sensitive measurement when the measurement is associated with a threshold frame rate, and
wherein the time sensitivity indicates that the measurement is a non-time-sensitive measurement when the measurement is not associated with the threshold frame rate; and

determining, by the multispectral sensor device, the measurement based on the data.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multispectral sensor device includes a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor device, and
wherein causing the data to be collected further comprises performing vertical and horizontal windowing so that the data is collected only by the one or more channels.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the multispectral sensor device includes a charge-coupled device,
wherein causing the data to be collected further comprises performing one or more consecutive vertical shifts into a readout register; and
discarding data other than the data to be collected.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein particular data from one or more rows of the plurality of channels, is not associated with the one or more channels, and
wherein the particular data is dropped for determining the measurement.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the measurement is a first measurement and the data is first data; and
wherein the method further comprises:
determining that a second measurement is to be performed,
wherein the second measurement is associated with a less stringent time sensitivity than the first measurement;

causing second data to be collected by all channels of the plurality of channels; and
performing the second measurement using at least part of the second data.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the first measurement is determined with less latency than the second measurement.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein multiple iterations of the first measurement and the second measurement are performed, and
wherein the first measurement is performed more frequently than the second measurement.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:
one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a multispectral sensor device, cause the one or more processors to:
determine that a first measurement and a second measurement are to be performed,
wherein the first measurement is to be performed using first data collected by one or more first channels of a plurality of channels of the multispectral sensor device,
wherein the second measurement is to be performed using second data collected by one or more second channels of the plurality of channels, and
wherein the first measurement is associated with a greater time sensitivity than the second measurement;

cause the first data to be collected by a proper subset of channels, of the plurality of channels, based on a time sensitivity of the first measurement,
wherein the proper subset of channels includes the one or more first channels;

cause the second data to be collected,
wherein the multispectral sensor device is configured to activate all channels of the plurality of channels to cause the second data to be collected;

determine the first measurement based on the first data; and
determine the second measurement based on the second data,

wherein the first measurement is a time-sensitive measurement that is associated with a threshold frame rate, and
wherein the second measurement is a non-time-sensitive measurement that is not associated with the threshold frame rate.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:
perform multiple iterations of the first measurement and the second measurement,
wherein the first measurement is performed more frequently than the

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Houck William D
• Smith Valton

Classifications

• H04N25/443

  by reading pixels from selected two-dimensional [2D] regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming · CPC title

• H04N25/53

  Control of the integration time · CPC title

• H04N25/535

  by dynamic region selection · CPC title

• H04N25/135

  based on four or more different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• G01J2001/448

  Array [CCD] · CPC title