A matrix-array detector includes an array of pixels that are sensitive to a physical effect and arranged in a matrix along rows and down columns, each pixel generating a signal according to the physical effect; row conductors, each allowing the pixels of one row to be driven; driver modules delivering selection signals to the row conductors, the driver modules being configured to deliver signals according to either of two levels, one being a high level allowing one of the rows of pixels to be selected and the other being a low level not allowing it to be selected. The detector further comprises impedance modules that are connected to each of the row conductors and configured to decrease the impedance of each row conductor and to keep the impedance of each row conductor low in a phase of reading the array of pixels as long as the corresponding selection signal is at the low level, the impedance modules being separate from the driver modules.

Examples described may related to an imaging sensor used by a vehicle, including a light sensor. The light sensor comprises a plurality of cells aligned in a plurality of horizontal rows and a plurality of vertical columns. The apparatus further includes an optical system configured to provide the light sensor with a field of view of an external environment of the apparatus. Additionally, the system includes a processing unit configured to: divide the plurality of horizontal rows of the light sensor into one or more enabled rows and one or more disabled rows; obtain image data from the light sensor by sampling one or more cells in the one or more enabled rows; and store the received image data in a memory.

An image sensor includes: a first imaging region that captures an image of light entering through an optical system under a first imaging condition and generates a detection signal to perform focus detection of the optical system; and a second imaging region that captures an image of the light entering through the optical system under a second imaging condition other than the first imaging condition and generates an image signal.

To prevent generation of an invalid frame while suppressing power consumption. An image processing device including an ADC unit including a plurality of ADCs configured to convert a pixel signal read from an image sensor from an analog format to a digital format, and a selection unit configured to select the number of used ADCs, which is the number of ADCs used, among the plurality of ADCs on the basis of a decimation rate of pixels in reading of the pixel signal from the image sensor, in which the number of used ADCs and the decimation rate are switched such that a product of the number of used ADCs and the decimation rate is maintained to be a constant state.

Techniques are disclosed for facilitating burst mode calibration sensing and image mode sensing. In one example, a device includes a detector array configured to detect electromagnetic radiation and provide image data frames according to a first frame rate. The device further includes a logic circuit configured to determine whether a threshold delay has elapsed. The device further includes a frame output circuit configured to: provide, based at least on the threshold delay having elapsed, the image data frames according to the first frame rate; and provide, based at least on the threshold delay not having elapsed, the image data frames according to a second frame rate lower than the first frame rate. Related methods and systems are also provided.

A method for rapidly starting up an imaging system and an imaging system using the method is provided by reducing the time required to acquire the AEC and AGC parameters required for visually appealing imaging. The method employs an initial fast frame rate and binning and skipping to determine AEC and AGC parameters for use in subsequent normal frame rate imaging.

A system including an image capture system with a sensing efficiency that varies over a field of view of the image capture system may employ shaped illumination to compensate for the variation in the sensing efficiency. An illuminator may be configured to illuminate the field of view of the image capture system with illumination shaped to have higher intensity where the sensing efficiency is lower, e.g., at the periphery of the field over view. The imaging system may thus provide image data with more uniform signal-to-noise ratios. Image data from an illuminated scene may be manipulated using data from a non-illuminated scene to produce improved image data.

An object of the present invention is to prevent a sensitivity difference between pixels. There are disposed plural unit cells each including plural photodiodes, plural transfer MOSFETs arranged corresponding to the plural photodiodes, respectively, and a common MOSFET which amplifies and outputs signals read from the plural photodiodes. Each pair within the unit cell, composed of the photodiode and the transfer MOSFET provided corresponding to the photodiode, has translational symmetry with respect to one another. Within the unit cell, there are included a reset MOSFET and selecting MOSFET.

An object of the present invention is to prevent a sensitivity difference between pixels. There are disposed plural unit cells each including plural photodiodes, plural transfer MOSFETs arranged corresponding to the plural photodiodes, respectively, and a common MOSFET which amplifies and outputs signals read from the plural photodiodes. Each pair within the unit cell, composed of the photodiode and the transfer MOSFET provided corresponding to the photodiode, has translational symmetry with respect to one another. Within the unit cell, there are included a reset MOSFET and selecting MOSFET.

An apparatus takes data read out in parallel from m rows (2m<M) of a region, of an image sensor having MN pixels, and stores n columns' worth (2n<N) of the read-out data in first memory. The apparatus stores the MN pixels' worth of data in second memory by storing mn pixels' worth of data in units of op pixels (2o<m, 2pn), and transfers the MN pixels' worth of data, to third memory in the units of op pixels. The apparatus outputs the data stored in the third memory one row at a time so that the data are arranged in the original order.