INTEGRATED IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE

• US 20050253958A1
• Filed: 12/09/2004
• Published: 11/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PixArt Imaging Incorporated
• Inventors: Hsieh, Chih-Cheng
• Application Number:
  US10/905,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20050253958A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/370
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means

Abstract

An integrated image fetching device integrates a control circuit and a CMOS sensor on a substrate. The control circuit includes a photometry module used to control a detecting flash, to receive a light signal, and detect the brightness of the light signal. The control circuit also includes a calculating unit used to calculate the magnitude and the period of a flash of a strobe and an exposure parameter, a strobe control module used to control the strobe according to the calculated results of the calculating unit, and an exposure control module used to control an exposure module according to the exposure parameter.

Claims

1. An integrated image capturing chip used in an image capturing device equipped with a strobe comprising:

a substrate;

a CMOS sensor mounted on the substrate for receiving an image signal; and

a control circuit mounted on the substrate comprising;

a photometry module for receiving a light signal of the image capturing device and detecting the photometry of the light signal;

a calculating unit connected with the photometry module for calculating a control parameter of a flash according to the photometry of the light signal; and

a strobe control module for controlling the flash according to the control parameter.

2. The image capturing chip of claim 1 wherein the control parameter comprises one or more of the following:

brightness of the flash, a period of the flash, and a frequency of the flash.

3. The image capturing chip of claim 1 further comprising a memory for storing the image signal.

4. The image capturing chip of claim 1 further comprising an interface circuit for outputting an image signal.

5. An integrated image capturing device comprising:

a substrate;

an exposure module;

a CMOS sensor mounted on the substrate for receiving an image signal; and

a control circuit mounted on the substrate comprising;

a photometry module for detecting a light signal transmitted to the image capturing device and outputting a detection result;

a calculating unit connected with the photometry module for calculating an exposure control parameter according to the detection result; and

an exposure control module connected to the calculating unit for controlling the exposure module according to exposure control parameter.

6. The image capturing device of claim 5 further comprising a memory for storing the image signal.

7. The image capturing device of claim 5 further comprising an interface circuit for outputting an image signal.

8. The image capturing device of claim 5 further comprising a detecting flash for emitting a detecting flash.

9. The image capturing device of claim 8 wherein the photometry module is further used to control the detecting flash and detect a reflected light when the detecting flash is reflected by an object in the captured background.

10. The image capturing device of claim 5 wherein the exposure module further comprises a diaphragm and a shutter.

11. The image capturing device of claim 10 wherein the exposure control parameter comprises the size of diaphragm and the open period of the shutter.

12. The image capturing device of claim 9 wherein the calculating unit is further used to calculate a control parameter of a flash according to photometry of the reflected light.

13. The image capturing device of claim 12 further comprising a strobe control module connected to the calculating unit for controlling a flash according to the control parameter.

14. The image capturing device of claim 12 wherein the control parameter comprises one or more of the following:

brightness of the flash, a period of the flash, and a frequency of the flash.