Device and method for processing high-resolution image

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11223762-B2
Application number	US-202017060761-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 1, 2020
Priority date	Dec 6, 2019
Publication date	Jan 11, 2022
Grant date	Jan 11, 2022

Abstract

A device includes an image sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to an image having a first resolution in a first mode, a second signal corresponding to an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a second mode. The image sensor is configured to generate frame information regarding a resolution, the first mode and the second mode respectively determined based on a mode signal. The device further includes a channel allocator configured to allocate the first signal and the second signal to different channels, of a plurality of channels, based on the frame information; and an image signal processor (ISP) comprising the plurality of channels, a first channel configured to process the first signal and a second channel configured to process the second signal. The ISP is configured to post-process image data processed by the plurality of channels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a first image sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to an image having a first resolution in a first mode, a second signal corresponding to an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a second mode, and frame information regarding a resolution, wherein the first mode and the second mode respectively determined based on a mode signal;
a channel allocator configured to allocate the first signal and the second signal to different channels, of a plurality of channels, based on the frame information; and
an image signal processor (ISP) comprising the plurality of channels, a first channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the first signal and a second channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the second signal, and wherein the ISP is configured to post-process image data processed by the plurality of channels.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first channel is configured to process the image having the first resolution,
the second channel is configured to process the image having the second resolution, and
the channel allocator is further configured to provide the first signal to the first channel in the first mode and provide the second signal to the second channel in the second mode.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the channel allocator comprises:
a first multiplexer connected to the first channel and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal; and
a second multiplexer connected to the second channel and configured to receive the first signal and the second signal.

4. The device of claim 3 , further comprising a second image sensor,
wherein the channel allocator further comprises a selector configured to generate a selection signal, and
wherein the selection signal controls the first and second multiplexers to commonly receive a signal output from any one of the first and second image sensors.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first image sensor is configured to generate the frame information in the form of a virtual channel ID or embedded data.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the virtual channel ID is based on a pre-determined channel standard.

7. The device of claim 6 , wherein the channel allocator is further configured to receive the virtual channel ID and determine a resolution from the received virtual channel ID based on the pre-determined channel standard.

8. A device comprising:
an image sensor configured to generate a first signal corresponding to an image having a first resolution in a first mode, a second signal corresponding to an image having a second resolution higher than the first resolution in a second mode, and frame information regarding a resolution, wherein the first mode and the second mode respectively determined based on a mode signal;
a channel allocator configured to allocate the first signal and the second signal to different channels, of a plurality of channels, based on the frame information;
an image signal processor (ISP) comprising the plurality of channels, a first channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the first image and a second channel of the plurality of channels configured to process the second image, and configured to generate a third signal as a result of post-processing the first signal, and generate a fourth signal as a result of post-processing the second signal;
a memory subsystem comprising a first memory in which the third signal is temporarily stored and a second memory in which the fourth signal is temporarily stored;
a controller configured to generate the mode signal and apply the mode signal corresponding to the second mode to the image sensor in response to a capture command;
a display unit configured to load and display at least one of the third signal and the fourth signal for a user to preview the image having the first resolution; and
a capture unit configured to load the fourth signal based on the capture command to generate the image having the second resolution.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein, at a first time period, the controller is further configured to receive the capture command and issue, as the mode signal, a command to change a photographing mode of the image sensor from the first mode to the second mode based on the capture command,
at a second time period before a change to the second mode is completed and later than the first time period, the image sensor is further configured to generate the first signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated first signal to the first channel, the ISP is further configured to generate the third signal and transmit the third signal to the first memory, and the display unit is further configured to load and display the third signal from the first memory,
at a third time period later than the second time period, the image sensor is further configured to complete the change to the second mode and generate the second signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated second signal to the second channel, the ISP is further configured to generate the fourth signal and transmit the fourth signal to the second memory, and the capture unit is further configured to load the fourth signal from the second memory to generate the image of the second resolution, and lower the resolution of the fourth signal to store the fourth signal in the first memory, and
at a fourth time period after the second signal is generated by the image sensor and later than the third time period, the controller is further configured to issue, as the mode signal, a command to change the photographing mode from the second mode to the first mode.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein, at a first time period, the controller is further configured to issue, as the mode signal, a command to change a photographing mode of the image sensor from the first mode to the second mode,
at a second time period before a change to the second mode is completed and later than the first time period, the image sensor is further configured to generate the first signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated first signal to the first channel, the ISP is further configured to generate the third signal and transmit the third signal to the first memory, and the display unit is further configured to load and display the third signal from the first memory,
at a third time period later than the second time period, the image sensor is changed to the second mode to generate the second signal, the channel allocator is further configured to allocate the generated second signal to the second channel, and the ISP is further configured to generate the fourth signal and transmit the fourth signal to the second memory,
at a fourth time period later than the third time period, the controller is further configured to receive the capture command, and the capture unit is further configured to load the fourth signal from the second memory to generate the image of the second resolution, and the first memory is further configured to store the fourth signal lowered,
at a fifth time period later than the fourth time period, the controller is further configured to issue, as the mode signal, a command to change the photographing mode back to the first mode,
at a sixth time period later than the fifth time period, the image sensor is further configured to complete the change to the first mode, and
the capture unit is further configured to continue to generate the image of the second resolution until the change to the first mode is completed.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the first chann

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Cha Kilhyung
• Lee Dongwoo
• Lee Serhoon
• Jeong Kyungah
• Huh Sungjin

Classifications

• H04N23/665 Primary

  involving internal camera communication with the image sensor, e.g. synchronising or multiplexing SSIS control signals · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title

• H04N23/951 Primary

  by using two or more images to influence resolution, frame rate or aspect ratio · CPC title

• H04N23/632

  for displaying or modifying preview images prior to image capturing, e.g. variety of image resolutions or capturing parameters · CPC title

• H04N23/45

  for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images · CPC title