COMBINING DATA FROM MULTIPLE IMAGE SENSORS

• US 20110242356A1
• Filed: 04/04/2011
• Published: 10/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: GOMA, SERGIU R., HWANG, HAU, ALEKSIC, MILIVOJE, CHEUNG, JOSEPH
• Granted Patent: US 9,001,227 B2
• 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.

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; and

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

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the synchronized data output includes first data lines received from a first image sensor and second data lines received from a second image sensor, and wherein a phase offset between each received data line from the first image sensor and each corresponding data line from the second image sensor is substantially constant.

3. 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.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the common control signal includes a camera reset signal, a camera clock signal, a control clock signal, and a control data signal.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

8. A method comprising:

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

generating synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the synchronized data output includes first data lines generated by a first image sensor and second data lines generated by a second image sensor, and wherein a phase offset between each data line output from the first image sensor and each corresponding data line output from the second image sensor is substantially constant.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the common control signal is received from a sensor synchronizer that is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the common control signal is received at each of the multiple image sensors via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the common control signal includes a camera reset signal, a camera clock signal, a control clock signal, and a control data signal.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the common control signal is received at each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the common control signal is received at each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

15. An apparatus comprising:

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

a sensor data interface configured to receive synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the common control signal includes a camera reset signal, a camera clock signal, a control clock signal, and a control data signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sensor synchronizer is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

20. An apparatus comprising:

a first image sensor; and

a second image sensor, wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor are configured to receive a common control signal and are responsive to the common control signal to generate synchronized data output.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the synchronized data output includes first data lines generated by the first image sensor and second data lines generated by the second image sensor, and wherein a phase offset between each data line output from the first image sensor and each corresponding data line output from the second image sensor is substantially constant.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor are configured to receive the common control signal via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor are configured to receive the common control signal via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification.

24. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the first image sensor and the second image sensor are configured to receive the common control signal via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

25. An apparatus comprising:

means for providing a common control signal to multiple image sensors to cause the multiple image sensors to generate image data; and

means for receiving synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein means for providing the common control signal is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for providing the common control signal is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera serial interface (CSI) specification.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein means for providing the common control signal is coupled to each of the multiple image sensors via an interface compliant with a camera parallel interface (CPI) specification.

29. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating first image data; and

means for generating second image data, wherein the means for generating the first image data and the means for generating the second image data are configured to receive a common control signal and are responsive to the common control signal to generate synchronized data output.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the synchronized data output includes first data lines generated by the means for generating the first image data and second data lines generated by the means for generating the second image data, and wherein a phase offset between each data line output from the means for generating the first image data and each corresponding data line output from the means for generating the second image data is substantially constant.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the means for generating the first image data and the means for generating the second image data are configured to receive the common control signal via an inter-integrated circuit (I2C) control interface.

32. 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

receive synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors.

33. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 32, wherein the synchronized data output includes first data lines received from a first image sensor and second data lines received from a second image sensor, and wherein a phase offset between each received data line from the first image sensor and each corresponding data line from the second image sensor is substantially constant.

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

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

generate synchronized data output from each of the multiple image sensors.

35. The non-transitory computer readable-medium of claim 34, wherein the synchronized data output includes first data lines generated by a first image sensor and second data lines generated by a second image sensor, and wherein a phase offset between each data line output from the first image sensor and each corresponding data line output from the second image sensor is substantially constant.