H04N25/531

Image sensor including MRAM (magnetic random access memory)

A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor (CIS) with a simplified stacked structure and improved operation characteristics includes an upper chip, in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional array structure, and a lower chip below the upper chip including a logic region having logic circuits and a memory region having embedded therein magnetic random access memory (MRAM) used as image buffer memory for storing image data processed by the logic region.

Hyperspectral videostroboscopy of vocal cords

Hyperspectral videostroboscopy imaging is described. A system includes an emitter for emitting pulses of electromagnetic radiation and an image sensor comprising a pixel array for sensing reflected electromagnetic radiation. The system includes a controller configured to cause the emitter to emit the pulses of electromagnetic radiation at a strobing frequency determined based on a vibration frequency of vocal cords of a user. The system is such that at least a portion of the pulses of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the emitter comprises electromagnetic radiation having a wavelength from about 513 nm to about 545 nm, from about 565 nm to about 585 nm, or from about 900 nm to about 1000 nm.

ENDOSCOPE SYSTEM AND OPERATION METHOD THEREFOR
20230037060 · 2023-02-02 · ·

An endoscope system irradiates a subject with each of a plurality of pieces of illumination light in a preset order, images the subject according to a preset first imaging frame rate during a first period in which first illumination light included in the plurality of the illumination light is applied, acquires a first image captured during the first period, generates a first display image according to a first display frame rate higher than the first imaging frame rate on the basis of the acquired first image, and displays the first display image on a display.

SIGNAL DELAY MEASUREMENT
20220353444 · 2022-11-03 · ·

A method for rolling shutter compensation during signal delay measurement, comprising displaying a video test pattern on a display, said video test pattern having a temporal event; capturing a video of the display, by a camera; monitoring a plurality of regions of the display in the video; detecting times (1230, 1240) at which the temporal event appears in each monitored region of the display in the video; and extrapolating the detected times (1230, 1240) to calculate the time (1250) at which said temporal event would appear at a selected region of the video.

DETERMINING PIXEL INTENSITY VALUES IN IMAGING

In an embodiment, a method (100) is described. The method includes accessing (102) data from a sequence of images of a subject illuminated with ambient light and illumination having a sinusoidal intensity modulation in time. An imaging device is used to obtain the sequence of images and is configured such that a different spatial intensity modulation pattern is apparent in consecutive images of the sequence. The method further includes determining (104), based on a set of measured pixel intensity values in each of the sequence of images, a set of revised pixel intensity values for generating a revised image of the subject such that a reduced level of ambient lighting is apparent in the revised image compared with the level of ambient lighting apparent in at least one of the sequence of images.

SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS
20220345654 · 2022-10-27 ·

The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging element and an electronic apparatus that can achieve a higher image quality. The imaging element includes a pixel having a global drive portion in which all rows are driven at a same timing and a rolling drive portion in which each row is driven at a corresponding timing, a pixel array region in which a plurality of the pixels is placed in an array, a global drive circuit configured to supply a drive signal to the global drive portion, and a rolling drive circuit configured to supply a drive signal to the rolling drive portion. Further, the global drive circuit is placed on each of at least three or more sides of four sides surrounding the pixel array region. The present technology is applicable to a stacked CMOS image sensor, for example.

ADAPTIVE READOUT FROM AN OPTICAL BIOMETRIC SENSOR TO A HOST DEVICE

The present invention relates to an optical biometric sensor comprising: an image sensor comprising an array of photodetectors, wherein for acquiring sensing signals, the image sensor is controllable to sequentially start exposure of subsets of photodetectors; and a timing circuitry configured to control the start of exposure of a subset of photodetectors based on a present data transfer capacity on a data transfer bus configured to transfer data indicative of the acquired sensing signals from the optical biometric sensor to a host device.

IMAGE ALIGNMENT FOR COMPUTATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

Image frames for computational photography may be corrected, such as through rolling shutter correction (RSC), prior to fusion of the image frames to reduce wobble and jitter artifacts present in a video sequence of HDR-enhanced image frames. First and second motion data regarding motion of the image capture device may be determined for times corresponding to the capturing of the first and second image frames, respectively. The rolling shutter correction (RSC) may be applied to the first and second image frames based on both the first and second motion data. The corrected first and second image frames may then be aligned and fused to obtain a single output image frame with higher dynamic range than either of the first or second image frames.

IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL AND METAL SHIELDING OF CHARGE STORAGE DEVICE OF IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL FORMED BY ONE STEP PROCESS
20220344397 · 2022-10-27 ·

A method is provided for light shielding a charge storage device of an image sensor pixel that includes a photosensitive device and the charge storage device and a dielectric layer covering the photosensitive device and the charge storage device. The method includes performing etching of the dielectric layer to define an undercut volume beneath the dielectric layer and an access opening through the dielectric layer to the undercut volume, and performing physical vapor deposition (PVD) of a light blocking material to both: fill the undercut volume with the light blocking material to form a light blocking layer covering the charge storage device, and fill the access opening with the light blocking material to form a light blocking plug. An image sensor pixel formed by such a process, and an image sensor comprising an array of image sensor pixels, are also disclosed.

SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CONTROLLING AN IMAGE SENSOR

Systems and techniques are described for imaging. An imaging system includes an image sensor with a plurality of photodetectors, grouped into a first group of photodetectors and a second group of photodetectors. The imaging system can reset its image sensor. The imaging system exposes its image sensor to light from a scene. The plurality of photodetectors convert the light into charge. The imaging system stores analog photodetector signals corresponding to the charge from each the photodetectors. The imaging system reads first digital pixel data from a first subset of the analog photodetector signals corresponding to the first group of photodetectors without reading second digital pixel data from a second subset of the analog photodetector signals corresponding to the second group of photodetectors. The imaging system generates an image of the scene using the first digital pixel data.