Image signal processor and devices including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9948849-B2
Application number	US-201615050690-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 23, 2016
Priority date	Mar 16, 2015
Publication date	Apr 17, 2018
Grant date	Apr 17, 2018

Abstract

An image signal processor includes a memory configured to store a table, the table including a plurality of point spread functions (PSFs), a PSF selection circuit configured to output at least one of the plurality of PSFs stored in the table based on selection information, a disparity extractor configured to extract a disparity value from image data corresponding to pixel signals output from at least one pixel of a plurality of pixels included in an image sensor, and a processing circuit configured to generate pixel location information for the at least one pixel. Each of the pixels of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The selection information includes the disparity value and the pixel location information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image signal processor comprising:
a memory configured to store a table, the table including a plurality of point spread functions (PSFs);
a PSF selection circuit configured to output at least one of the plurality of PSFs stored in the table based on selection information;
a disparity extractor configured to extract a disparity value from image data corresponding to pixel signals output from at least one pixel of a plurality of pixels included in an image sensor, each of the pixels of the image sensor including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements configured to output the pixel signals;
a processing circuit configured to generate pixel location information for the at least one pixel; and
the selection information includes the disparity value and the pixel location information.

2. The image signal processor of claim 1 , wherein the image data comprises:
long-exposure image data corresponding to a first pixel signal output from at least one first photoelectric conversion element among the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; and
short-exposure image data corresponding to a second pixel signal output from at least one second photoelectric conversion element among the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements.

3. The image signal processor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deconvolution circuit configured to generate output image data having a higher resolution than the image data using the at least one PSF output by the PSF selection circuit and the image data.

4. The image signal processor of claim 1 , wherein the image signal processor and the image sensor are included in an imaging device.

5. The image signal processor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a lens position information calculator configured to calculate a position of a lens included in an imaging device and generate lens position information, the imaging device including the image sensor;
a deconvolution circuit configured to generate output image data having a higher resolution than the image data using the at least one PSF output by the PSF selection circuit and the image data; and
the selection information further includes the lens position information.

6. The image signal processor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a deconvolution circuit configured to generate output image data having a higher resolution than the image data using the at least one PSF output by the PSF selection circuit and the image data;
the processing circuit is configured to extract color information from the image data; and
the selection information further includes the extracted color information.

7. The image signal processor of claim 6 , wherein the color information includes at least one signal among a red signal, a green signal, a blue signal, a yellow signal, a cyan signal, a magenta signal, a white signal, and an infrared signal.

8. A data processing system comprising:
an image sensor configured to generate image data, the image sensor including a plurality of pixels, each of the pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements;
an image signal processor connected to the image sensor; and
an application processor connected to the image signal processor,
the image signal processor comprises,
a memory configured to store a table including a plurality of point spread functions (PSFs);
a PSF selection circuit configured to output at least one of the plurality of PSFs stored in the table based on selection information;
a disparity extractor configured to extract a disparity value from the image data corresponding to pixel signals output from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements of at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels;
a processing circuit configured to generate pixel location information for the at least one pixel of the plurality of pixels; and
the selection information includes the disparity value and the pixel location information.

9. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein when the image sensor is implemented in a first semiconductor chip and the image signal processor is implemented in a second semiconductor chip, the first semiconductor chip and the second semiconductor chip are included in an imaging device.

10. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the image signal processor is formed within the application processor.

11. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the image sensor further comprises:
a plurality of microlenses, each of the plurality of microlenses respectively formed on the plurality of pixels;
at least one first isolation material is disposed among the plurality of pixels; and
at least one second isolation material is disposed among the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements.

12. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the image signal processor further comprises a deconvolution circuit configured to generate output image data having a higher resolution than the image data using the at least one PSF output by the PSF selection circuit and the image data.

13. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the data processing system is one selected from at least one of a digital signal lens reflex (DSLR) camera, a smart phone, a tablet device, a wearable device, a laptop computer, an Internet of Things (IoT) device, and an Internet of Everything (IoE) device.

14. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the image signal processor further comprises:
a deconvolution circuit configured to generate output image data having a higher resolution than the image data using the at least one PSF output by the PSF selection circuit and the image data;
the processing circuit is configured to extract color information from the image data; and
the selection information further includes the extracted color information.

15. The data processing system of claim 8 , wherein the image signal processor further comprises:
a lens position information calculator configured to calculate a position of a lens included in an imaging device and generate lens position information, the imaging device including the image sensor;
a deconvolution circuit configured to generate output image data having a higher resolution than the image data using the at least one PSF output by the PSF selection circuit and the image data; and
the selection information further includes the lens position information.

16. An image processing system comprising:
an image sensor configured to generate first image data, the image sensor including a plurality of pixels and a lens, and each of the pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements configured to output pixel signals associated with the first image data; and
at least one image signal processor configured to receive the first image data,
extract a disparity value from the first image data corresponding to the pixel signals output from the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements of the plurality of pixels, and
generate an output image data by estimating original image data based on the first image data, the output image data having a higher resolution than the first image data.

17. The image processing system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one image signal processor is further configured to:
perform processing on the first image data, the processing including at least one of auto dark level compensation, bad pixel replacement, noise reduction, lens shading compensation, color correction, RGB gamma correction, edge enhancement, hue control, and color suppression; and
generate a second image data

Assignees

• Kim Dae Kwan
• Ko Ha Young
• Kim Chae Sung
• Min Dong Ki
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Dae Kwan
• Ko Ha Young
• Kim Chae Sung
• Min Dong Ki

Classifications

• H04N23/80 Primary

  Camera processing pipelines; Components thereof · CPC title

• H04N5/23229

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N9/045

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/3696

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04N5/23212 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic