A method of providing environmental information to an electronic device includes, at the electronic device, receiving ambient light from a surrounding environment of the electronic device with one or more camera sensors in data communication with a processor and capturing a raw pattern with the camera sensor, wherein the raw pattern includes light intensity information and light spectrum information. The method further includes deriving at least one ambient light value from the light intensity information and light spectrum information and providing the ambient light value to the processor of the electronic device.

An image sensor, a mobile terminal, and an image photographing method are provided. A pixel array of the image sensor includes a preset quantity of pixel units. The pixel unit includes a first full-pixel dual-core focus pixel and a second full-pixel dual-core focus pixel. The first pixel includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. The second pixel includes at least one of a red sub-pixel or a blue sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and an infrared sub-pixel.

An image sensor, a mobile terminal, and an image photographing method are provided. A pixel array of the image sensor includes a preset quantity of pixel units. The pixel unit includes a first full-pixel dual-core focus pixel and a second full-pixel dual-core focus pixel. The first pixel includes a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and a blue sub-pixel. The second pixel includes at least one of a red sub-pixel or a blue sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, and an infrared sub-pixel.

An imaging device includes: a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixel groups each including four pixels arranged in a matrix of 2×2 is arrayed. As a pixel group including four pixels, there are formed a first pixel group that includes three pixels that receive red light and one pixel that receives infrared light, a second pixel group that includes three pixels that receive blue light and one pixel that receives infrared light, a third pixel group that includes three pixels that receive green light and one pixel that receives infrared light, and a fourth pixel group that includes three pixels that receive green light and one pixel that receives infrared light. Four pixel groups including the first pixel group, the second pixel group, the third pixel group, and the fourth pixel group are arranged to form a set of 2×2 units in which the first pixel group and the second pixel group are diagonally positioned, and the third pixel group and the fourth pixel group are diagonally positioned.

An imaging device includes: a pixel array part in which a plurality of pixel groups each including four pixels arranged in a matrix of 2×2 is arrayed. As a pixel group including four pixels, there are formed a first pixel group that includes three pixels that receive red light and one pixel that receives infrared light, a second pixel group that includes three pixels that receive blue light and one pixel that receives infrared light, a third pixel group that includes three pixels that receive green light and one pixel that receives infrared light, and a fourth pixel group that includes three pixels that receive green light and one pixel that receives infrared light. Four pixel groups including the first pixel group, the second pixel group, the third pixel group, and the fourth pixel group are arranged to form a set of 2×2 units in which the first pixel group and the second pixel group are diagonally positioned, and the third pixel group and the fourth pixel group are diagonally positioned.

A dynamic vision sensor, including a first sensing pixel, another first sensing pixel, a storage capacitor, and another storage capacitor, is provided. The first sensing pixel includes a plurality of color light sensing sub-pixels, a first pixel circuit, an infrared light sensing sub-pixel, a second pixel circuit, and a ramp capacitor. The ramp capacitor is coupled to a ramp up signal. The second pixel circuit outputs a sensing result of the infrared light sensing sub-pixel to the storage capacitor. The another first sensing pixel includes another plurality of color light sensing sub-pixels, another first pixel circuit, another infrared light sensing sub-pixel, another second pixel circuit, and another ramp capacitor. The another ramp capacitor is coupled to a ramp down signal. The another second pixel circuit outputs a sensing result of the another infrared light sensing sub-pixel to the another storage capacitor.

A pixel array includes octagon-shaped pixel sensors and a combination of visible light pixel sensors (e.g., red, green, and blue pixel sensors) and near infrared (NIR) pixel sensors. The color information obtained by the visible light pixel sensors and the luminance obtained by the NIR pixel sensors may be combined to increase the low-light performance of the pixel array, and to allow for low-light color images in low-light applications. The octagon-shaped pixel sensors may be interspersed in the pixel array with square-shaped pixel sensors to increase the utilization of space in the pixel array, and to allow for pixel sensors in the pixel array to be sized differently. The capability to accommodate different sizes of visible light pixel sensors and NIR pixel sensors permits the pixel array to be formed and/or configured to satisfy various performance parameters.

A camera for use in automotive applications includes a lens system having a modulation transfer function (MTF) tuned to process light in a spectral range from red to green with greater resolution than light in a spectral range from blue to violet. The camera also includes an imager having pixel sensors arranged in a matrix and a color filter matrix including multiple color filter elements, each corresponding to a pixel sensor of the imager. The color filter matrix includes red filter elements and yellow filter elements and the number of yellow filter elements is greater than the number of red filter elements.

In some examples, a method comprises receiving pixel data from an image capture device having a color filter, wherein the pixel data represents a portion of an image. The method further includes performing wavelet decomposition on the pixel data to produce decomposed pixel data and determining a local intensity of the pixel data. The method also includes determining a noise threshold value based on the local intensity and a noise intensity function that is based on the color filter; determining a noise value for the pixel data based on the decomposed pixel data and the noise threshold value; and correcting the pixel data based on the noise value to produce an output image.

A monolithic sensor for detecting infrared and visible light according to an example includes a semiconductor substrate and a semiconductor layer coupled to the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor layer includes a device surface opposite the semiconductor substrate. A visible light photodiode is formed at the device surface. An infrared photodiode is also formed at the device surface and in proximity to the visible light photodiode. A textured region is coupled to the infrared photodiode and positioned to interact with electromagnetic radiation.