Digital camera with multiple pipeline signal processors

• US 10,142,548 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Olsen, Richard Ian, Sato, Darryl L., Moller, Borden, Vitomirov, Olivera, Brady, Jeffrey A., Gunawan, Ferry, Oten, Remzi, Sun, Feng-Qing, Gates, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US15/090,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20160234443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 966 Days
• Field of Search: 2502081, 250226, 348265, 348336
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/0035 having three lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0031 Replication or moulding, e.g. hot embossing, UV-casting, injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0075 characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 7/04 with mechanism for focusing or varying magnification
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/12 having three components only
• CPC Class Codes: G03B 13/18 Focusing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14634 Assemblies, i.e. Hybrid structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1469 Assemblies, i.e. hybrid integration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0232 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device H01L31/0236 takes precedence; for photovoltaic cells H01L31/054; for photovoltaic modules H02S40/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02325 the optical elements not being integrated nor being directly associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/214 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/254 in combination with electromagnetic radiation sources for illuminating objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/049 : having three pick-up sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 : for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/13 : with multiple sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 : Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/40 : Circuit details for pick-up tubes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 : Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/57 : Mechanical or electrical details of cameras or camera modules specially adapted for being embedded in other devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/69 : Control of means for changing angle of the field of view, e.g. optical zoom objectives or electronic zooming
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 : by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 : for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 : Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 : based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 : Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 : by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 : Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/265 : Mixing

Abstract

A method includes sampling a first intensity of light with a first array of photo detectors of a digital camera. A second intensity of light is sampled with a second array of photo detectors of the digital camera. A first channel processor coupled to the first array of photo detectors generates a first image using first array data which is representative of the first intensity of light sampled by the first array of photo detectors. A second channel processor coupled to the second array of photo detectors generates a second image using second array data which is representative of the second intensity of light sampled by the second array of photo detectors. The first array of photo detectors, the second array of photo detectors, the first channel processor, and the second channel processor are integrated on or in a semiconductor substrate.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a plurality of arrays of photodetectors, including;

a first array of photodetectors to sample an intensity of light at a wide field of view for a first integration time; and

a second array of photodetectors to sample an intensity of light at a narrow field of view for a second integration time; and

signal processing circuitry, coupled to the first and second arrays of photodetectors, configured to generate a composite image using data which is representative of the intensity of light sampled by the first array of photodetectors at the wide field of view and data which is representative of the intensity of light sampled by the second array of photodetectors for the narrow field of view.

2. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the second array of photodetectors includes a plurality of narrow field of view (NFOV) image sensors.

3. The image capture device of claim 2, wherein the plurality of (NFOV) image sensors are all different.

4. The image capture device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of (NFOV) image sensors include sensors optimized for ultraviolet, blue, green, red, broadband visible, and laser illumination.

5. The image capture device of claim 1, wherein the first array of photodetectors and the second array of photodetectors are disposed on the same semiconductor substrate and the first integration time and the second integration time are different.

6. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first optics portion associated with the first array of photodetectors; and

a second optics portion associated with the second array of photodetectors.

7. The image capture device of claim 6, wherein:

the first optics portion produces a first image area at an image plane; and

the second optics portion produces a second image area at the image plane.

8. The image capture device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first lens disposed in an optical path of the first array of photodetectors; and

a second lens disposed in an optical path of the second array of photodetectors.

9. A method comprising:

sampling an intensity of light at a wide field of view using a first array of photodetectors for a first integration time;

sampling an intensity of light at a narrow field of view using a second array of photodetectors for a second integration time; and

generating a composite image using data representative of the intensity of light sampled by the first array of photodetectors at the wide field of view and data representative of the intensity of light sampled by the second array of photodetectors at the narrow field of view.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the second array of photodetectors includes a plurality of narrow field of view (NFOV) image sensors.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first integration time and the second integration time are different.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

passing light of the first band of wavelengths onto an image plane of the photodetectors of the first array; and

passing light of the second band of wavelengths onto an image plane of the photodetectors of the second array.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

filtering light of the second band of wavelengths from the optical path of the first array of photodetectors; and

filtering light of the first band of wavelengths from the optical path of the second array of photodetectors.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first array of photodetectors and the second array of photodetectors are disposed on the same semiconductor substrate.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the first array of photodetectors and the second array of photodetectors are integrated on or in the same semiconductor substrate.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first band of wavelengths is associated with a first color and the second band of wavelengths is associated with a second color, and wherein the first color is different from the second color.

17. A computer readable storage device including instructions stored thereon, the instructions being configured to perform operations comprising:

sampling an intensity of light at a wide field of view using a first array of photodetectors for a first integration time;

sampling an intensity of light at a narrow field of view using a second array of photodetectors for a second integration time; and

generating a composite image using data representative of the intensity of light sampled by the first array of photodetectors at the wide field of view and data representative of the intensity of light sampled by the second array of photodetectors at the narrow field of view.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the second array of photodetectors includes a plurality of narrow field of view (NFOV) image sensors.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the plurality of (NFOV) image sensors include sensors optimized for ultraviolet, blue, green, red, broadband visible, and laser illumination.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the first integration time and the second integration time are different.