Selective pixel binning and averaging based on scene illuminant

• US 20070030366A1
• Filed: 07/20/2005
• Published: 02/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Compton, John
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,362 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/272
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/445 by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/447 by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels

Abstract

A method for reading out pixel values for a two dimensional array, the method includes the steps of periodically combining at least two pixel values of a same first color in a first dimension of the two dimensional array; reading out the combined pixel values of the first color; and reading out pixels of a second color in the first dimension of the two dimensional array.

Claims

1. A method for reading out pixel values for a two dimensional array, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) periodically combining at least two pixel values of a same first color in a first dimension of the two dimensional array;

(b) reading out the combined pixel values of the first color; and

(c) reading out pixels of a second color in the first dimension of the two dimensional array.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising periodically skipping at least one pixel of the second color.

3. The method as in claim 2 wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) produce a subsampled array having combined first color pixels and second color pixels that are uniform in spacing.

4. The method as in claim 1 wherein the combining is selective based on scene illuminant.

5. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

(d) periodically combining at least two pixel values of the first color in a second dimension of the two dimensional array.

6. The method as in claim 5 further comprising periodically skipping at least one pixel of the second color in the second dimension of the two dimensional array.

7. The method as in claim 5 wherein steps (a), (b), (c), and (d) produce a subsampled array having combined first color pixels and second color pixels that are uniform in spacing.

8. The method as in claim 5 wherein the combining is selective based on scene illuminant.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein steps (a), (b), and (c) produce an extended dynamic range.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein the combining is selective based on scene illuminant.

11. The method as in claim 5, wherein the periodically combining in both the first and second dimensions produces an extended dynamic range.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the combining is selective based on scene illuminant.

13. The method as in claim 11 wherein the combining is selective based on scene dynamic range.

14. The method as in claim 1 further comprising combining pixels of a same third color in the first dimension of the two dimensional array.

15. The method as in claim 14 further comprising providing a Bayer color pattern for producing the first, second and third colors.

16. The method as in claim 1 further comprising providing a Bayer color pattern for producing the first and second colors.