Method and apparatus for a simultaneous multiple field of view imager using digital sub-sampling and sub-window selection

• US 20040227829A1
• Filed: 12/23/2003
• Published: 11/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dialog Imaging Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Wixson, Lambert Ernest, Vanderwal, Gooitzen Siemen, McCaffrey, Nathaniel Joseph, Dawson, Robin Mark Adrian
• Application Number:
  US10/744,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20040227829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• 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 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

A new method and device to generate two field of view images from a sensor pixel array is achieved. The method comprises providing an array of sensing pixels. An array digital data stream is generated by sequentially generating a plurality of digital data streams each corresponding to blocks of the sensing pixels in the array. All the sensing pixels in any block are sampled simultaneously. First and second digital video streams are generated from the array digital data stream. The first and second digital video streams comprise first and second fields of view of the array, respectively. Each pixel of the first digital video stream corresponds to a filtered and sub-sampled combination of more than one of the sensing pixel samples.

Claims

1. A method to generate two field of view images from a sensor pixel array, said method comprising:

providing an array of sensing pixels;

generating an array digital data stream by sequentially generating a plurality of digital data streams each corresponding to blocks of said sensing pixels in said array wherein all said sensing pixels in any said block are sampled simultaneously; and

generating first and second digital video streams from said array digital data stream wherein said first and second digital video streams comprise first and second fields of view of said array, respectively, and wherein each pixel of said first digital video stream corresponds to a filtered and sub-sampled combination of more than one said sensing pixel samples.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said first field of view comprises the entire said array.

3. The method according to claim 2 wherein each said sensing pixel block comprises an n×

m array and wherein said n and m are each greater than one.

4. The method according to claim 2 wherein said filtering comprises multiple-tap horizontal filtering and multiple-tap vertical filtering of said block digital data stream.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein said filtering comprises multiplication by filter tap weights, summation, rounding, clipping, or scaling.

6. The method according to claim 2 wherein said sub-sampling is performed in either the column direction or the row direction of said array.

7. The method according to claim 2 wherein each said sensing pixel block comprises an 1×

m array and wherein said m is each greater than one.

8. The method according to claim 2 wherein said second field of view comprises a part of said entire array.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein each pixel of said second digital video stream corresponds to a single said sensing pixel sample.

10. The method according to claim 8 wherein the location of said second field of view with respect to said entire array is movable.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein said location of said second field of view with respect to said entire array is movable every frame.

12. The method according to claim 8 further comprising a step of re-timing said second digital video stream to the top of a video frame.

13. A method to generate two field of view images from a sensor pixel array, said method comprising:

providing an array of sensing pixels;

generating an array digital data stream by sequentially generating a plurality of digital data streams each corresponding to blocks of said sensing pixels in said array wherein all said sensing pixels in any said block are sampled simultaneously; and

generating first and second digital video streams from said array digital data stream wherein said first and second digital video streams comprise first and second fields of view of said array, respectively, wherein each pixel of said first digital video stream corresponds to a filtered and sub-sampled combination of more than one said sensing pixel samples, wherein said first field of view comprises entire said array, wherein said second field of view comprises a part of said entire array, and wherein the location of said second field of view with respect to said entire array is movable.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein each said sensing pixel block comprises an n×

m array and wherein said n and m are each greater than one.

15. The method according to claim 14 wherein said filtering comprises multiple-tap horizontal filtering and multiple-tap vertical filtering of said block digital data stream.

16. The method according to claim 14 wherein said filtering comprises multiplication by filter tap weights, summation, rounding, clipping, or scaling.

17. The method according to claim 14 wherein said sub-sampling is performed in either the column direction or the row direction of said array.

18. The method according to claim 13 wherein each said sensing pixel block comprises an 1×

m array and wherein said m is each greater than one.

19. The method according to claim 13 wherein each pixel of said second digital video stream corresponds to a single said sensing pixel sample.

20. The method according to claim 13 wherein said location of said second field of view with respect to said entire array is movable every frame.

21. The method according to claim 13 further comprising a step of re-timing said second digital video stream to the top of a video frame.

22. An imager device with first and second fields of view, said device comprising:

an array of sensing pixels;

a plurality of analog-to-digital converters;

a means to generate an array digital data stream by sequentially generating a plurality of digital data streams each corresponding to blocks of said sensing pixels in said array wherein all said sensing pixels in any said block are sampled simultaneously by said analog-to-digital converters;

a first field of view readout block to generate a first digital video stream from said array digital data stream wherein said first digital video stream comprises a first field of view of said array and wherein each pixel of said first digital video stream corresponds to a filtered and sub-sampled combination of more than one said sensing pixel samples; and

a second field of view readout block to generate a second digital video stream from said array digital data stream wherein said second digital video stream comprises a second field of view of said array.

23. The device according to claim 22 wherein said first field of view comprises entire said array.

24. The device according to claim 23 wherein each said sensing pixel block comprises an n×

m array and wherein said n and m are each greater than one.

25. The device according to claim 24 wherein said filtering comprises multiple-tap horizontal filtering and multiple-tap vertical filtering of said block digital data stream.

26. The device according to claim 24 wherein said filtering comprises multiplication by filter tap weights, summation, rounding, clipping, or scaling.

27. The device according to claim 24 wherein said sub-sampling is performed in either the column direction or the row direction of said array.

28. The device according to claim 22 wherein each said sensing pixel block comprises an 1×

m array and wherein said m is each greater than one.

29. The device according to claim 22 wherein said second field of view comprises a part of said entire array.

30. The device according to claim 29 wherein each pixel of said second digital video stream corresponds to a single said sensing pixel sample.

31. The device according to claim 29 wherein the location of said second field of view with respect to said entire array is movable.

32. The device according to claim 31 wherein said location of said second field of view with respect to said entire array is movable every frame.

33. The device according to claim 29 wherein said second field of view readout block re-times said second digital video stream to the top of a video frame.