Patent classifications
H04N5/345
SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE
The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device capable of receiving light entering a gap between pixel regions of imaging units by the pixel region when a plurality of imaging units is arranged, a method of manufacturing the same, and an electronic device. A CMOS image sensor includes a pixel region formed of a plurality of pixels. A convex lens is provided for each of a plurality of CMOS image sensors. A plurality of CMOS image sensors is arranged on a supporting substrate. The present disclosure is applicable to a solid-state imaging device and the like in which a plurality of CMOS image sensors is arranged on the supporting substrate, for example.
Digital time stamping design for event driven pixel
An event driven pixel includes a photodiode configured to photogenerate charge in response to incident light received from an external scene. A photocurrent to voltage converter is coupled to the photodiode to convert photocurrent generated by the photodiode to a voltage. A filter amplifier is coupled to the photocurrent to voltage converter to generate a filtered and amplified signal in response to the voltage received from the photocurrent to voltage converter. A threshold comparison stage is coupled to the filter amplifier to compare the filtered and amplified signal received from the filter amplifier with thresholds to asynchronously detect events in the external scene in response to the incident light. A digital time stamp generator is coupled to asynchronously generate a digital time stamp in response to the events asynchronously detected in the external scene by the threshold comparison stage.
Image processing apparatus capable of movie recording, image pickup apparatus, control method therefor, and storage medium
An image processing apparatus that correctly acquires evaluation values when movie recording is performed at a fixed frame rate. A first readout unit reduces readout rows of an image pickup device, and acquires and outputs image data for movie recording from the reduced readout rows. A second readout unit acquires image data from readout rows that do not overlap with that by the first readout unit at higher rate than the first readout unit, and outputs the acquired image data simultaneously with the first readout unit. Whether a subject's state changes for both the image data acquired by the first and second readout units is determined. If it is determined that the subject's state in the image data acquired by the second readout unit is changed, a speed at which the second readout unit acquires image data is changed while the first readout unit maintains a fixed speed.
Driver Assistance System
The disclosure relates to a driver assistance system for a motor vehicle, such as a truck. The driver assistance system includes an environment camera with an image sensor and an optical system. The driver assistance system also includes an imaging unit and a display element in the interior of the motor vehicle. The environment camera, the imaging unit, and the display element form a digital exterior mirror, where the digital exterior mirror is arranged such that at least two visual field regions, namely a first visual field region and a second visual field region, are mapped with different magnifications.
ON-VEHICLE CAMERA DEVICE
Provided is an on-vehicle camera device that swiftly and accurately detects, in every frame, data line signals of respective bits from imaging elements. This on-vehicle camera device includes a failure-diagnosis processing unit that diagnoses whether the data line signals of imaging element units, are in a fixed state. Furthermore, the imaging element units each include an entire imaging region that is divided into an effective image region and an ineffective image region. Also provided is a diagnosis data region that includes fixation diagnosis data for diagnosing whether the data line signals of the imaging element units in the ineffective image regions are in a fixed state. In an image acquisition period in which image data of the entire imaging region is acquired, and/or an image-calculation processing period, the failure-diagnosis processing unit uses the fixation diagnosis data of the diagnosis data region to perform failure-diagnosis processing.
Image capturing apparatus and method for controlling image capturing apparatus
An image capturing apparatus comprises: an image sensor including a pixel region including a plurality of pixel units, arranged in a matrix, each having first and second photoelectric conversion units, and a storage unit provided for each column; and a driving unit configured to drive the image sensor by, for each pixel unit to be read of the plurality of pixel units, exclusively selecting an operation of combining a signal of the first photoelectric conversion unit and a signal of the second photoelectric conversion unit for each pixel unit and outputting the combined signal to the storage unit, an operation of reading a signal from the first photoelectric conversion unit of each pixel unit to the storage unit, or an operation of reading a signal from the second photoelectric conversion unit of each pixel unit to the storage unit.
Cognitive sensor and method of operating of the same
A cognitive sensor and a method of operating the same. The cognitive sensor includes a sensor unit, which generates electric signals in response to outside stimulations; a signal processing unit, which generates sensed data regarding the outside stimulations by processing electric signals generated by the sensor unit; a cognitive circuit unit, which specifies an area of interest in the sensed data processed by the signal processing unit; and an output unit, which outputs the sensed data generated by the signal processing unit, wherein at least a portion of the sensed data output by the output unit is sensed data regarding the area of interest.
SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE
A solid-state imaging device including: a pixel array unit in which a plurality of pixels outputting an analog pixel signal are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix form; a ramp signal generation unit configured to generate and output a ramp wave; a clock generation unit configured to generate and output multiphase clocks; and a signal-processing unit, wherein the signal-processing unit including: a plurality of analog-to-digital conversion circuits, and a plurality of repeater circuits, wherein each of the plurality of analog-to-digital conversion circuits includes: a comparison unit, and a latch unit, wherein each of the plurality of the analog-to-digital conversion circuits outputs the digital value according to the state of the phase held by each latch circuit, and wherein each of the plurality of the repeater circuits corresponding to the same set are arranged side by side, and the repeater circuits are connected in series.
Image pickup apparatus and photographing apparatus including the same
Provided is an image pickup apparatus capable of reading out and outputting pixel data of a partial area of a rolling shutter type image sensor. The image pickup apparatus includes: a readout condition setter setting a readout condition for pixel data readout control from the image sensor; a charge time setter setting charge time of the image sensor; a skip setter setting, based on the readout condition, areas in which processing concerning one of readout and charge in an image pickup area of the image sensor is skipped; a controller controlling a charge of the image sensor and readout from the image sensor so as to achieve constant charge time of the image sensor within one frame based on the charge time and the areas set by the skip setter; and an image signal output unit outputting a pixel signal read out by the controller.
Methods and apparatus for implementing and/or using a camera device
Methods and apparatus for implementing a camera having a depth which is less than the maximum length of the outer lens of at least one optical chain of the camera are described. In some embodiments a light redirection device, e.g., a mirror, is used to allow a relatively long optical chain with a relatively large non-circular outer lens. In some embodiments the light redirection device has a depth, e.g., front of camera to back of camera dimension, which is less than the maximum length of the aperture of the outer lens in the aperture's direction of maximum extent. Multiple optical chains with non-circular outer lenses arranged in different directions may and in some embodiments are used to capture images with the captured images being combined to generate a composite image.