SPATIAL-TEMPORAL MULTI-RESOLUTION IMAGE SENSOR WITH ADAPTIVE FRAME RATES FOR TRACKING MOVEMENT IN A REGION OF INTEREST
First Claim
1. An image sensor comprising:
- an array of pixels to capture an image, the array of pixels arranged as a plurality of pixel groups, each of the pixel groups having a two or more pixels coupled to a shared floating diffusion node for outputting merged image signals from the pixel groups;
at least one inter-pixel switch to control transfer of electrical charge from a floating diffusion node for a first one of the pixel groups to a floating diffusion node for a second one of the pixel groups to temporarily store a portion of a previous image frame within the floating diffusion node for the second one of the pixel groups; and
a motion comparator to compare an image signal from the first one of the pixel groups with an image signal from the second one of the pixel groups to detect motion between a current frame and the previous frame.
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Abstract
A sensor includes an array of pixels to capture an image, the array of pixels arranged as a plurality of pixel groups, each of the pixel groups having a two or more pixels coupled to a shared floating diffusion node for outputting merged image signals from the pixel groups, at least one inter-pixel switch to control transfer of electrical charge from a floating diffusion node for a first one of the pixel groups to a floating diffusion node for a second one of the pixel groups to temporarily store a portion of a previous image frame within the floating diffusion node for the second one of the pixel groups, and a motion comparator to compare an image signal from the first one of the pixel groups with an image signal from the second one of the pixel groups to detect motion between a current frame and the previous frame.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An image sensor comprising:
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an array of pixels to capture an image, the array of pixels arranged as a plurality of pixel groups, each of the pixel groups having a two or more pixels coupled to a shared floating diffusion node for outputting merged image signals from the pixel groups; at least one inter-pixel switch to control transfer of electrical charge from a floating diffusion node for a first one of the pixel groups to a floating diffusion node for a second one of the pixel groups to temporarily store a portion of a previous image frame within the floating diffusion node for the second one of the pixel groups; and a motion comparator to compare an image signal from the first one of the pixel groups with an image signal from the second one of the pixel groups to detect motion between a current frame and the previous frame. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A video capture device comprising:
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a sensor comprising; an array of pixels to capture an image, the array of pixels arranged as a plurality of pixel groups, each of the pixel groups having a two or more pixels coupled to a shared floating diffusion node for outputting merged image signals from the pixel groups, at least one inter-pixel switch to control transfer of electrical charge from a floating diffusion node for a first one of the pixel groups to a floating diffusion node for a second one of the pixel groups to temporarily store a portion of a previous image frame within the floating diffusion node for the second one of the pixel groups, and a motion comparator to output motion information signals based on a comparison of the image signal from the first one of the pixel groups with the image signal from the second one of the pixel groups motion between a current frame and the previous frame; and a region-of-interest (ROI) decision unit to receive the motion information signals from the motion comparator and output ROI address information to the sensor based on the motion information signals. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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generating, within an image sensor having an array of pixels, pixelized data from sensed light, wherein the array of pixels are arranged as a plurality of pixel groups, each of the pixel groups having a two or more pixels coupled to a shared floating diffusion node for outputting merged image signals from the pixel groups; temporarily storing a previous frame signal within a shared floating diffusion node of at least one of the pixel groups, wherein the shared floating diffusion node operates as an analog temporary memory to temporarily store the previous frame signal within the image sensor; comparing, within the image sensor, the stored previous frame signal to a current frame signal to identify motion. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification