Image sensor apparatus and method for obtaining multiple exposures with zero interframe time

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11025831-B2
Application number	US-202016857016-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2020
Priority date	Sep 4, 2012
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for obtaining multiple exposures with zero interframe time. In use, an analog signal associated with an image associated with an image of an image sensor is received. Amplified analog signals associated with the image are generated by amplifying the analog signal utilizing gains. The amplified analog signals are transmitted to analog-to-digital converter circuits. The amplified analog signals are converted to digital signals utilizing the analog-to-digital converter circuits. The digital signals are combined to create a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
circuitry for:
receiving an analog signal from an image sensor;
generating a first amplified analog signal based on applying a first gain to the analog signal;
generating a second amplified analog signal based on applying a second gain to the analog signal, wherein the second gain differs from the first gain;
transmitting, using a common electrical interconnect, the first amplified analog signal to a first analog-to-digital converter circuit;
transmitting, using the common electrical interconnect, the second amplified analog signal to a second analog-to-digital converter circuit;
converting the first amplified analog signal to a first digital signal utilizing the first analog-to-digital converter circuit;
converting the second amplified analog signal to a second digital signal utilizing the second analog-to-digital converter circuit;
creating a high dynamic range (HDR) image based on the first digital signal and the second digital signal.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first amplified analog signal is generated simultaneously with the second amplified analog signal.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first amplified analog signal is generated in serial with the second amplified analog signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first amplified analog signal is converted to the first digital signal concurrent with the conversion of the second amplified analog signal to the second digital signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first digital signal is associated with a first light sensitivity value, and the second digital signal is associated with a second light sensitivity value.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the HDR image is created in response to user input.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that sliding indicia is displayed, and the HDR image is created in response to the sliding indicia being manipulated by a user.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that at least one of the first digital signal or the second digital signal is further combined with at least a portion of another image.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the another image is a second high dynamic range (HDR) image.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first digital value specifies the first gain, and a second digital value specifies the second gain.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein at least one of the first digital value or the second digital value is selected based on a mapping from the at least one of the first digital value or the second digital value to an ISO value.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first amplified analog signal and the second amplified analog signal each include gain-adjusted analog pixel data representative of a common analog value from analog pixel values of a pixel array of the image sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable for transferring at least one of the first digital signal or the second digital signal.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the creation of the HDR image occurs remotely.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is operable to receive at least a portion of the created HDR image.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second gain is based, at least in part, on the first gain and the second gain is at least one of a half stop, one stop, or two stops away from the first gain.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising circuitry for:
generating a third amplified analog signal based on applying a third gain to the analog signal;
transmitting, using the common electrical interconnect, the third amplified analog signal to a third analog-to-digital converter circuit;
converting the third amplified analog signal to a third digital signal utilizing the third analog-to-digital converter circuit;
creating a second HDR image based on at least a portion of the third digital signal and the HDR image.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the HDR image is used to create a HDR video.

19. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that when executed by a processor instruct the processor to:
receive an analog signal from an image sensor;
generate a first amplified analog signal based on applying a first gain to the analog signal;
generate a second amplified analog signal based on applying a second gain to the analog signal, wherein the second gain differs from the first gain;
transmit, using a common electrical interconnect, the first amplified analog signal to a first analog-to-digital converter circuit;
transmit, using the common electrical interconnect, the second amplified analog signal to a second analog-to-digital converter circuit;
convert the first amplified analog signal to a first digital signal utilizing the first analog-to-digital converter circuit;
convert the second amplified analog signal to a second digital signal utilizing the second analog-to-digital converter circuit;
create a high dynamic range (HDR) image based on the first digital signal and the second digital signal.

20. A method, comprising:
receiving, using a processor, an analog signal from an image sensor;
generating, using the processor, a first amplified analog signal based on applying a first gain to the analog signal;
generating, using the processor, a second amplified analog signal based on applying a second gain to the analog signal, wherein the second gain differs from the first gain;
transmitting, using a common electrical interconnect, the first amplified analog signal to a first analog-to-digital converter circuit;
transmitting, using the common electrical interconnect, the second amplified analog signal to a second analog-to-digital converter circuit;
converting, using the processor, the first amplified analog signal to a first digital signal utilizing the first analog-to-digital converter circuit;
converting, using the processor, the second amplified analog signal to a second digital signal utilizing the second analog-to-digital converter circuit;
creating a high dynamic range (HDR) image based on the first digital signal and the second digital signal.

Assignees

• Duelight Llc

Inventors

• Rivard William
• Feder Adam
• Kindle Brian

Classifications

• H04N23/743

  Bracketing, i.e. taking a series of images with varying exposure conditions · CPC title

• H04N25/78

  Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/76

  by influencing the image signals · CPC title

• H04N23/741 Primary

  by increasing the dynamic range of the image compared to the dynamic range of the electronic image sensors · CPC title