Electronic device and method for obtaining data from second image sensor by means of signal provided from first image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297266-B2
Application number	US-201816642472-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 27, 2018
Priority date	Sep 15, 2017
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

An electronic device according to various embodiments comprises a first image sensor and a second image sensor which is electrically connected to the first image sensor by means of one designated interface. The second image sensor can be configured so as to: receive a first signal, for shifting from a first state to a second state, from the first image sensor; while the first image sensor detects light outside the electronic device by means of a plurality of first pixels, detect the light by means of a plurality of second pixels on the basis of the first signal; receive a second signal, for shifting from the second state to the first state, from the first image sensor; and, while the first image sensor obtains first data corresponding to the light detected by means of the plurality of first pixels, obtain second data corresponding to the light detected by means of the plurality of second pixels on the basis of the second signal.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An electronic device comprising:
a first image sensor; and
a second image sensor electrically connected to the first image sensor through a designated first interface and a designated second interface,
wherein the second image sensor is configured to:
receive, from the first image sensor through the first interface, a first signal shifting from a first state to a second state,
while the first image sensor detects light outside the electronic device through a plurality of first pixels contained in the first image sensor, detect the light through a plurality of second pixels contained in the second image sensor, based on at least the first signal,
receive, from the first image sensor through the second interface, a second signal shifting from a third state to a fourth state, and
while the first image sensor acquires first data corresponding to the light detected through the plurality of first pixels, acquire second data corresponding to the light detected through the plurality of second pixels, based on at least the second signal.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor functionally connected to the first and second image sensors,
wherein the processor is configured to transmit a control command associated with at least one of an exposure time and a readout timing to the first image sensor.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to transmit the control command associated with at least one of the exposure time and the readout timing to the first image sensor through inter-integrated circuit (I2C) communication or serial peripheral interface (SPI) communication.

4. The electronic device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a display functionally connected to the processor,
wherein the processor is configured to:
receive the first data from the first image sensor,
receive the second data from the second image sensor, and
display an image based on at least one of the first data and the second data through the display.

5. The electronic device of claim 2 , wherein the processor is configured to receive the first data and the second data through a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI).

6. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the first and second image sensors are configured to start at least one of operations of detecting the light at a time point when the first signal shifts from the first state to the second state and of acquiring the first and second data corresponding to the light at a time point when the second signal shifts from the third state to the fourth state.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Minyoung
• Kang Hwayong
• Kim Dongsoo
• Lee Sangmin
• Jo Hyeoncheol
• Yoon Youngkwon
• Won Jonghoon
• Lee Kihuk

Classifications

• H04N25/46 Primary

  by combining or binning pixels · CPC title

• H04N23/45 Primary

  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

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · CPC title

• H04N23/71

  Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation · CPC title

• H04N23/60

  Control of cameras or camera modules · CPC title