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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9918017-B2
Application number	US-201514823993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2015
Priority date	Sep 4, 2012
Publication date	Mar 13, 2018
Grant date	Mar 13, 2018

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for obtaining multiple exposures with zero interframe time. In use, a first an analog signal associated with an image is received from at least one pixel of an image sensor. Next, a first amplified analog signal associated with the image is generated by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a first gain. Further, a second amplified analog signal associated with the image is generated by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a second gain. Finally, the first amplified analog signal and the second amplified analog signal are transmitted.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a pixel array within an image sensor, the pixel array including pixels located in one or more rows; and
circuitry for:
receiving an analog signal associated with each pixel of a first set of pixels of the pixel array;
generating, for each pixel of the first set of pixels, a first amplified analog signal based on the received analog signal by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a first gain;
generating, for each pixel of the first set of pixels, a second amplified analog signal based on the received analog signal by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a second gain; and
transmitting the first amplified analog signal and the second amplified analog signal to an analog-to-digital converter circuit;
wherein the first gain and the second gain are applied to each pixel of the first set of pixels.

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

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

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first amplified analog signal is converted to a first digital signal, and the second amplified analog signal is converted to a second digital signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , 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.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first digital signal has a first light sensitivity value associated therewith and the second digital signal has a second light sensitivity value associated therewith.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first digital signal and the second digital signal are blended.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first digital signal and the second digital signal are blended, in response to user input.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that sliding indicia is displayed and the first digital signal and the second digital signal are blended, in response to the sliding indicia being manipulated by a user.

10. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the first digital signal and the second digital signal are combined, resulting in at least a portion of a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

11. The apparatus of claim 4 , 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 array.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus is operable such that the another array is associated with a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

13. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable for transferring at least one of the first digital signal or the second digital signal over a network.

14. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable for transferring at least one of the first digital signal or the second digital signal over a network for being combined remotely, resulting in at least a portion of a high dynamic range (HDR) image.

15. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is operable for transferring at least one of the first digital signal or the second digital signal over a network for being combined remotely, and receiving at least a portion of a high dynamic range (HDR) image resulting from the combination.

16. The apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising circuitry for:
generating, for each pixel of the first set of pixels, a third amplified analog signal based on the received analog signal by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a third gain, wherein the third amplified analog signal; and
transmitting the third amplified analog signal to an analog-to-digital convert circuit, wherein the apparatus is operable such that the third amplified signal is converted a third digital signal,
wherein at least a portion of the first digital signal, the second digital signal, and the third digital signal are combined.

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

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the first digital value and the second digital value is selected based on a mapping from the at least one of the first digital value and the second digital value to an ISO value, and the ISO value is selected by at least one of software executing on the apparatus and a user.

19. 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 based on the first set of pixels.

20. 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.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gain and the second gain are applied to a second set of pixels of the pixel array.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gain-adjusted analog pixel data results from the analog-to-digital converter circuit applying the first gain to the analog signal, and the second gain-adjusted analog pixel data results from the analog-to-digital converter circuit applying the second gain to the analog signal.

23. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first gain-adjusted analog pixel data is converted by the analog-to-digital converter circuit, and the second gain-adjusted analog pixel is subsequently converted by the analog-to-digital converter circuit.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first gain-adjusted analog pixel data or the second gain-adjusted analog pixel data includes brightness corrected pixel data based on a specified ISO.

25. A computer program product embodied on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising:
code for allowing receipt of an analog signal associated with each pixel of a first set of pixels of a pixel array within an image sensor;
code for generating, for each pixel of the first set of pixels, a first amplified analog signal based on the received analog signal by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a first gain;
code for generating, for each pixel of the first set of pixels, a second amplified analog signal based on the received analog signal by amplifying the analog signal utilizing a second gain; and
code for transmitting the first amplified analog signal and the second amplified analog signal to an analog-to-digital converter circuit.

26. A method, comprising:
receiving an analog signal associated with each pixel of a first set of pixels of a pixel array within an image sensor;
amplifying the analog signal utilizing a first gain resulting in a first amplified analog signal for each pixel of the first set of pixels based on the received analog signal;
amplifying the analog signal utilizing a second gain resulting in a second amplified analog si

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

• H04N23/6811

  based on the image signal · CPC title

• H04N23/72

  Combination of two or more compensation controls · CPC title