Image sensor with interleaved image output

• US 7,233,350 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2002
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Candela Microsystems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Candela Microsystems Incorporated
• Inventors: Tay, Hiok Nam
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Application Number:
  US10/236,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20030128405A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,747 Days
• Field of Search: 348/241.1, 348/305, 348/317, 348/320, 348/231.99, 348/294, 348/231.6
• US Class Current: 348/231.99
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32358 using picture signal storage, e.g. at transmitter H04N1/17 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32475 Changing the format of the data, e.g. parallel to serial or vice versa
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/32491 alternate storage in and retrieval from two parallel memories, e.g. using ping-pong buffers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/40 Picture signal circuits H04N1/387 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/0081 Image reader H04N2201/0091 - H04N2201/0094 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2201/3292 of one or two complete lines
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/587 acquired sequentially, e.g. using the combination of odd and even image fields
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/616 involving a correlated sampling function, e.g. correlated double sampling [CDS] or triple sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/64 Circuits for processing colour signals H04N9/77 takes precedence; camera processing pipelines for processing colour signals H04N23/84
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/642 Multi-standard receivers

Abstract

An image sensor with a light reader circuit coupled to a pixel array. The light reader circuit retrieves a first image and a second image generated by the pixel array. The image sensor may also include a memory controller and/or data interface that transfers the first and second images to an external device in an interleaving manner.

Claims

1. An image sensor that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a pixel array that has at least a first pixel and generates a first image with said first pixel and a second image with said first pixel;

at least one image buffer that is coupled to said pixel array and stores the first and second images; and

,

a controller that is coupled to said image buffer and directly controls a transfer of the first and second images from said image buffer to the external device in a time overlapping manner, the transfer of the second image begins before the transfer of the first image is completed.

2. The image sensor of claim 1, further comprising a combiner coupled to said controller and said image buffer.

3. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the first and second images are transferred to the external device in an interleaving manner.

4. The image sensor of claim 1, further comprising a light reader circuit coupled to said pixel array and said image buffer.

5. The image sensor of claim 4, wherein said controller transfers data when said light reader circuit is not retrieving an output signal.

6. The image sensor of claim 1, wherein at least one image buffer includes a first image buffer to store said first image and a second image buffer to store said second image.

7. An image sensor that is connected to an external device, comprising:

pixel array means that has a first pixel for generating a first image with said first pixel and a second image with said first pixel;

image buffer means for storing the first and second images generated by said pixel array means; and

,

controller means for directly controlling a transfer of the first and second images from said image buffer means to the external device in a time overlapping manner, the transfer of the second image begins before the transfer of the first image is completed.

8. The image sensor of claim 7, further comprising combiner means for combining data of the first and second images.

9. The image sensor of claim 7, wherein the first and second images are transferred to the external device in an interleaving manner.

10. The image sensor of claim 9, further comprising reader circuit means for retrieving the first and second images from said pixel array means.

11. The image sensor of claim 7, wherein said controller means transfers data when said light reader means is not retrieving images from said pixel array means.

12. A method for transferring a first image and a second image, comprising:

generating a first digitized image from a pixel array of an image sensor that has a first pixel, said first digitized image having said first pixel;

generating a second digitized image from the pixel array, said second digitized image having said first pixel;

storing the first and second digitized images in at least one image buffer; and

,

transferring the first and second digitized images from the image buffer to an external device in a time overlapping manner through the direct control of a controller, the transfer of the second image begins before the transfer of the first image is completed.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second digitized images are transferred in an interleaving manner.

14. An image sensor that is connected to an external device, comprising:

a pixel array that has a first pixel and generates a first image and a second image, said first image having said first pixel and said second image having said first pixel;

at least one image buffer that is coupled to said pixel array and stores either the first image or the second image; and

,

a controller that is coupled to said image buffer and directly controls a transfer of the first and second images to the external device in a time overlapping manner, the transfer of the second image begins before the transfer of the first image is completed.

15. The image sensor of claim 14, further comprising a combiner coupled to said controller and said image buffer.

16. The image sensor of claim 14, wherein the first and second images are transferred to the external device in an interleaving manner.

17. The image sensor of claim 14, further comprising a light reader circuit coupled to said pixel array and said image buffer.

18. The image sensor of claim 17, wherein said controller transfers data when said light reader circuit is not retrieving an output signal.

19. An image sensor that is connected to an external device, comprising:

pixel array means that has a first pixel for generating a first image and a second image, said first image having said first pixel and said second image having said first pixel;

image buffer means for storing either the first image or the second image generated by said pixel array means; and

,

controller means for directly controlling a transfer of the first and second images to the external device in a time overlapping manner, the transfer of the second image begins before the transfer of the first image is completed.

20. The image sensor of claim 19, further comprising combiner means for combining data of the first and second images.

21. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein the first and second images are transferred to the external device in an interleaving manner.

22. The image sensor of claim 19, further comprising reader circuit means for retrieving the first and second images from said pixel array means.

23. The image sensor of claim 19, wherein said controller means transfers data when said light reader means is not retrieving images from said pixel array means.

24. A method for transferring a first image and a second image, comprising:

generating a first digitized image from a pixel array of an image sensor that has a first pixel, said first digitized image having said first pixel;

generating a second digitized image from the pixel array, said second digitized image having said first pixel;

storing either the first image or the second digitized image in at least one image buffer; and

,

transferring the first and second digitized images to an external device in a time overlapping manner through the direct control of a controller, the transfer of the second image begins before the transfer of the first digitized image is completed.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the first and second digitized images are transferred in an interleaving manner.