Electronic device including image sensor and operating method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12489999-B2
Application number	US-202318211665-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 20, 2023
Priority date	Oct 6, 2021
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

An electronic device of an embodiment of the present document may include an image sensor including a unit pixel, and at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor. The image sensor may read out light quantity data inputted to the unit pixel twice or more with a first conversion gain, and may read out the light quantity data with a second conversion gain lower than the first conversion gain to obtain a first image frame, and present the first image frame to the at least one processor. In addition to this, various embodiments identified through the specification are possible.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . An electronic device comprising:
an image sensor comprising a unit pixel configured by circuitry comprising floating diffusion and at least one photo diode (PD); and at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor, the image sensor being configured to: store, to the floating diffusion, charges generated within one exposure period from the at least one PD, obtain first image data by reading out light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period to the unit pixel twice or more with a first conversion gain based on a first size of a storage space of the floating diffusion, obtain second image data by reading out the light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period with a second conversion gain lower than the first conversion gain based on a second size of the storage space different from the first size, obtain a first image frame based on the first image data and the second image data, wherein a dynamic range of the first image frame is wider than a dynamic range of the first image data and a dynamic range of the second image data, and present the first image frame to the at least one processor.

2 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor reads out the light quantity data once with the second conversion gain.

3 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor reads out the light quantity data twice or more with the first conversion gain and makes an average value to obtain first image data, reads out the light quantity data with the second conversion gain to obtain second image data, and obtains the first image frame based on the first image data and the second image data.

4 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the image sensor synthesizes the first image data and the second image data to obtain the first image frame.

5 . The electronic device of claim 3 , wherein the image sensor obtains a first region of the first image frame based on the first image data, and obtains a second region distinguished from the first region among the first image frame based on the second image data.

6 . The electronic device of claim 1 , further comprising an illuminance sensor electrically connected to the at least one processor,
wherein the at least one processor measures an illuminance around the electronic device using the illuminance sensor, and controls the image sensor to read out the light quantity data twice or more with the first conversion gain and to read out the light quantity data with the second conversion gain in response to the illuminance satisfying a specified condition.

7 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the unit pixel comprises a structure for reading out the light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period with the first conversion gain and the second conversion gain.

8 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the unit pixel comprises four photo diodes (PDs) having a 2×2 array comprising the at least one PD, and the floating diffusion (FD) connected to the four PDs.

9 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic range of the first image frame is extended using the first image data for a partial region of an image corresponding to a subject being photographed and using the second image data for a remaining partial region of the image.

10 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the dynamic range of the first image frame is wider than a dynamic range of the first image data and a dynamic range of the second image data.

11 . The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein:
the unit pixel comprises a dynamic range gate (DRG), which is turned on or off by the image sensor, when the DRG is off, the image sensor obtains the first image data using a high conversion gain (HCG), and when the DRG is on, the image sensor obtains the first image data using a low conversion gain (LCG).

12 . An operating method of an electronic device comprising an image sensor and at least one processor, the method comprising:
storing, to floating diffusion of the image sensor, charges generated within one exposure period from at least one photo diode (PD) of the image sensor; obtaining first image data by reading out, by the image sensor, light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period to a unit pixel twice or more with a first conversion gain based on a first size of a storage of the floating diffusion; obtaining second image data by reading out, by the image sensor, the light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period with a second conversion gain lower than the first conversion gain based on a second size of the storage space different from the first size; obtaining a first image frame based on the first image data and the second image data, wherein a dynamic range of the first image frame is wider than a dynamic range of the first image data and a dynamic range of the second image data; and presenting, by the image sensor, the first image frame to the at least one processor.

13 . The operating method of the electronic device of claim 12 , wherein the reading out, by the image sensor, the light quantity data with the second conversion gain comprises reading out, by the image sensor, the light quantity data once with the second conversion gain.

14 . The operating method of the electronic device of claim 12 , wherein obtaining, by the image sensor, the first image frame comprises:
reading out, by the image sensor, the light quantity data twice or more with the first conversion gain and making an average value to obtain first image data; reading out, by the image sensor, the light quantity data with the second conversion gain to obtain second image data; and obtaining the first image frame based on the first image data and the second image data.

15 . The operating method of the electronic device of claim 14 , wherein obtaining the first image frame based on the first image data and the second image data comprises:
obtaining, by the image sensor, a first region of the first image frame based on the first image data; and obtaining a second region distinguished from the first region among the first image frame based on the second image data.

16 . An electronic device comprising:
an image sensor comprising a plurality of unit pixels respectively configured by circuitry comprising floating diffusion and at least one photo diode (PD); and at least one processor electrically connected to the image sensor, wherein the image sensor is configured to: store, to the floating diffusion, charges generated within one exposure period from the at least one PD; read out light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period to a unit pixel of the plurality of unit pixels twice or more with a first conversion gain based on a first size of a storage space of the floating diffusion and make an average value to obtain first image data; read out the light quantity data associated with the charges generated within the one exposure period with a second conversion gain lower than the first conversion gain based on a second size of the storage space different from the first size to obtain second image data; obtain a first image frame based on the first image data and the second image data, wherein a dynamic range of the first image frame is wider than a dynamic range of the first image data and a dynamic range of the second image data; and present t

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kang Hwayong
• Park Minyoung
• Jeong Jaeoh

Classifications

• H04N23/55

  Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof · CPC title

• H04N25/40

  Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled · CPC title

• H04N25/75

  Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array · CPC title

• H04N23/12 Primary

  with one sensor only · CPC title

• H04N25/618

  for random or high-frequency noise · CPC title