Digital photography device having a rolling shutter

• US 20040223075A1
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pure Digital Technology Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Furlan, John Louis Warpakowski, Braunstein, Ariel
• Granted Patent: US 7,453,514 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/363
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a digital photography device includes a rolling shutter, a sensor, and a flash are described. The sensor implements a rolling shutter timing mechanism. The shutter includes a material that has an alterable translucent state. The shutter is in the optical path of light going to the sensor. The flash generates a pulsed illumination. The alterable translucent state of the shutter controls the sensor'"'"'s exposure to the photographic effects of ambient light during a picture using the pulsed illumination.

Claims

1. A digital photography device, comprising:

a sensor implementing a rolling shutter timing mechanism;

a shutter including a material having an alterable translucent state, the shutter is in the optical path of light going to the sensor; and

a flash to generate a pulsed illumination, the alterable translucent state of the shutter to control the sensor'"'"'s exposure to the photographic effects of ambient light during a picture using the pulsed illumination.

2. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor.

3. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter is a liquid-crystal display shutter.

4. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter at approximately an occurrence of a pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken to have transitioned to a second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 70 percent of incoming light going to the sensor from a first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of the incoming light to the sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time.

5. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter has a first translucent state that passes less than 10 percent of incoming light to the sensor and a second translucent state that passes at least 30 percent but less than 70 percent of the incoming light to the sensor.

6. The digital photography device of claim 2, wherein circuitry controlling operation of the shutter to transition the shutter from a first translucent state to a second translucent state to control the sensor'"'"'s exposure to the photographic effects of potential movement of objects within the picture.

7. The digital photography device of claim 5, wherein the second translucent state to pass at least 50 percent but less than 70 percent of the incoming light to the sensor.

8. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter is prior to a lens in the optical path going to the sensor.

9. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter is after a lens in the optical path going to the sensor.

10. The digital photography device of claim 3, wherein the shutter is prior to an infrared filter in the optical path going to the sensor.

11. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter has a gradual transition curve from a first translucent state to a second translucent state.

12. The digital photography device of claim 2, wherein the digital photography device is one of a digital camera, a one-time use digital camera, or a cellular phone operable to take digital pictures.

13. A digital photography device, comprising:

a shutter including a material having an alterable translucent state;

a lens; and

a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor implementing a rolling shutter timing mechanism, wherein the shutter is in an optical path of light going to the sensor.

14. The digital photography device of claim 13, wherein the shutter to operate in a first translucent state when in synch with a pulsed illumination of a flash, the first translucent state passes at least 30 percent but less than 70 percent of incoming light to the sensor approximately.

15. The digital photography device of claim 13, wherein the shutter has a first translucent state that passes less than 10 percent of incoming light to the sensor and a second translucent state that passes at least 50 percent but less than 70 percent of the incoming light to the sensor.

16. The digital photography device of claim 13, further comprising:

liquid crystal display logic to electrically control an operation of the shutter.

17. The digital photography device of claim 13, wherein the shutter to polarize incoming light to reduce light from a particular direction during a picture.

18. The digital photography device of claim 13, wherein the shutter to operate as a neutral density filter to enhance contrast in a resultant digital file of a digital image.

19. A method, comprising:

tracking an amount of light being exposed to a sensor implementing a pixel line by pixel line integration timing mechanism when a picture is being taken; and

transitioning a shutter at approximately an occurrence of a pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken to a second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 75 percent of the incoming light to the sensor from a first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of incoming light to the CMOS sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

processing the amount of light exposed to pixels in the CMOS sensor to generate a file representing a digital image.

21. An apparatus, comprising:

means for tracking an amount of light being exposed to a sensor implementing a pixel line by pixel line integration timing mechanism when a picture is being taken; and

means for transitioning a rolling shutter from a first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of incoming light to the CMOS sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time to be in a second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 75 percent of the incoming light to the sensor at approximately an occurrence of a pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising:

means for processing the amount of light exposed to pixels in the CMOS sensor to generate a file representing a digital image.