COMBINING DATA FROM MULTIPLE IMAGE SENSORS

• US 20110242355A1
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: GOMA, SERGIU R., HWANG, HAU, ALEKSIC, MILIVOJE, CHEUNG, JOSEPH
• Application Number:
  US13/079,619
• Publication Number:
  US 20110242355A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/222.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/161 Encoding, multiplexing or demultiplexing different image signal components for multi-view video sequence encoding H04N19/597
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/10 for generating image signals from different wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/45 for generating image signals from two or more image sensors being of different type or operating in different modes, e.g. with a CMOS sensor for moving images in combination with a charge-coupled device [CCD] for still images
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/665 involving internal camera communication with the image sensor, e.g. synchronising or multiplexing SSIS control signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/698 for achieving an enlarged field of view, e.g. panoramic image capture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/90 Arrangement of cameras or camera modules, e.g. multiple cameras in TV studios or sports stadiums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements

Abstract

A method of combining data from multiple sensors is disclosed. The method includes providing a common control signal to multiple image sensors. Each of the multiple image sensors is responsive to the common control signal to generate image data. The method also includes receiving synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors, combining the synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors to generate a synchronized data line, and providing the synchronized data line to an image processor via a single camera input of the image processor.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a common control signal to multiple image sensors, wherein each of the multiple image sensors is responsive to the common control signal to generate image data;

receiving synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors;

combining the synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors to generate a synchronized data line; and

providing the synchronized data line to an image processor via a single camera input of the image processor.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronized data line forms part of a frame that has a multiple rows, wherein each row includes a particular data line of first image sensor and a corresponding data line of a second image sensor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the frame comprises:

a first section including first image data from the first image sensor; and

a second section including second image data from the second image sensor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the frame further comprisies a gap section comprising non-image data disposed between the first section and the second section.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising interleaving a first data stream received from a first image sensor and a second data stream received from a second image sensor on a line by line basis.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving synchronized data output includes receiving a first data line from a first image sensor of the multiple image sensors and receiving a second data line from a second image sensor of the multiple image sensors, wherein receiving the first data line is completed before receiving the second data line is completed, and wherein the synchronized data line is generated after receiving the second data line is completed.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising buffering at least a portion of a next data line that is received from the first image sensor before the synchronized data line is generated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the common control signal is provided by a sensor synchronizer that is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface, via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification, or via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a sensor synchronizer configured to provide a common control signal to multiple image sensors, wherein each of the multiple image sensors is responsive to the common control signal to generate image data; and

a combiner configured to combine synchronized data output received from each of the multiple image sensors to generate a synchronized data line to be provided to an image processor via a single camera input of the image processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the synchronized data line forms part of a frame that has a multiple rows, wherein each row includes a particular data line of a first image sensor and a corresponding data line of a second image sensor.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the frame comprises:

a first section including first image data from the first image sensor; and

a second section including second image data from the second image sensor.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the frame further comprises a gap section comprising non-image data disposed between the first section and the second section.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the combiner is configured to interleave data streams received from the multiple image sensors on a line by line basis.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the synchronized data output includes a first data line of a first image sensor of the multiple image sensors and a second data line of a second image sensor of the multiple image sensors, the second data line delayed with respect to the first data line, and wherein the synchronized data line is generated at the combiner after the combiner receives the second data line, the synchronized data line including the first data line and the second data line.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a buffer configured to buffer at least a portion of a next data line that is received from the first image sensor before the synchronized data line is generated.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface, via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification, or via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor synchronizer is responsive to the image processor.

19. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor synchronizer and the combiner are integrated in a portable electronic device.

20. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the sensor synchronizer and the combiner are integrated in a camera module configured to be coupled to a processor of a portable electronic device.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing a common control signal to multiple image sensors, wherein each of the multiple image sensors is responsive to the common control signal to generate image data; and

means for combining synchronized data output received from each of the multiple image sensors to generate a synchronized data line to be provided to an image processor via a single camera input of the image processor.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for receiving the synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising means for buffering at least a portion of a next data line that is received from at least one of the multiple image sensors before the synchronized data line is generated.

24. A non-transitory computer readable-medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to:

provide a common control signal to multiple image sensors, wherein each of the multiple image sensors is responsive to the common control signal to generate image data; and

combine synchronized data output received from each of the multiple image sensors to generate a synchronized data line to be provided to an image processor via a single camera input of the image processor.

25. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 24, wherein the synchronized data line forms part of a frame that has a multiple rows, wherein each row includes a particular data line of first image sensor and a corresponding data line of a second image sensor.

26. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to interleave a first data stream received from a first image sensor and a second data stream received from a second image sensor on a line by line basis.

27. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions to cause the processor to buffer at least a portion of a next data line that is received from a first image sensor before the synchronized data line is generated.

28. An apparatus comprising:

multiple image sensors coupled to receive a common control signal and responsive to the common control signal to generate image data;

a sensor synchronizer configured to provide the common control signal to the multiple image sensors; and

a combiner configured to combine synchronized data output received from each of the multiple image sensors to generate a synchronized data line to be provided to an image processor via a single camera input of the image processor.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:

an image signal processor coupled process the synchronized data line; and

a display device configured to display processed image data.