Method and device for reading out image data of a sub-range of an image

• US 7,283,167 B1
• Filed: 03/01/2000
• Issued: 10/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing SAS (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Hosticka, Bedrich, Brockherde, Werner, Schrey, Olaf, Schanz, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivasta; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henn; Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US10/220,547
• Time in Patent Office: 2,785 Days
• Field of Search: 348/294, 348/296, 348302-305, 348/308
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/40 Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/44 by partially reading an SSIS array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/745 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/779 Circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/7795 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals

Abstract

A device for reading out image data of a sub-range of an image captured by an image sensor is described, the image sensor including a plurality of image sensor elements which can be read out by an activation signal sequentially appliable to same according to a predetermined clock signal, wherein the image sensor elements outputting the image data for the sub-range can be determined by means of an activation pattern. The device comprises a plurality of branch blocks connected in series storing the activation pattern, wherein each of the branch blocks, depending on the activation pattern, applies the activation signal received to one or several image sensor elements associated with a branch block or passes same on to a subsequent branch block or a terminating element. The activation pattern is stored in the branch blocks substantially simultaneously to the activation signal. No delay or latency times, respectively, occur in the sensor readout.

Claims

1. A method of reading out image data of a sub-range of an image captured by an image sensor, the image sensor including a plurality of image sensor elements which can be read out by an activation signal applied to the image sensor elements according to a predetermined clock signal by means of branch blocks, comprising the following steps:

storing an activation pattern determining the image sensor elements outputting the image data for the sub-range; and

applying the activation signal to the image sensor elements of the image sensor depending on the activation pattern stored,

wherein the activation pattern is stored in the branch blocks substantially simultaneously to the activation signal, and

wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of branch blocks, wherein one or several image sensor elements are associated with each of the branch blocks, wherein a part of the activation pattern for the image sensor elements associated with the branch block is stored in the branch blocks and wherein the step of applying for a branch block comprises the following sub-steps;

receiving the activation signal from an input of the image sensor or a previous branch block;

depending on the part of the activation pattern stored in the branch block, determining whether the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are associated with the sub-range to be read out;

if the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are associated with the sub-range to be read out, applying the activation signal to the image sensor elements of the branch block and passing on the activation signal to a subsequent branch block; and

if the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are not associated with the sub-range to be read out, passing on the activation signal to a subsequent branch block without applying same to the image sensor elements of the branch block.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the image sensor elements are arranged in rows and columns and wherein the activation pattern for the image sensor elements of the rows and the image sensor elements of the columns is stored and applied separately and the activation signal for the image sensor elements of the rows and the image sensor elements of the columns is stored and applied separately.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activation pattern determines a plurality of sub-ranges.

4. A device for reading out image data of a sub-range of an image captured by an image sensor, the image sensor including a plurality of image sensor elements which can be read out by an activation signal sequentially applicable to same according to a predetermined clock signal, wherein the image sensor elements outputting the image data for the sub-range can be determined by means of an activation pattern, comprising:

a plurality of branch blocks connected in series storing the activation pattern, wherein each of the branch blocks, depending on the activation pattern, applies the activation signal received to one or several image sensor elements associated with a branch block or passes same on to a subsequent branch block or a terminating element,

wherein the activation pattern is stored in the branch blocks substantially simultaneously to the activation signal, and

wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of branch blocks, wherein one or several image sensor elements are associated with each of the branch blocks, wherein a part of the activation pattern for the image sensor elements associated with the branch block is stored in the branch blocks and wherein the step of applying for a branch block comprises the following sub-steps;

receiving the activation signal from an input of the image sensor or a previous branch block;

depending on the part of the activation pattern stored in the branch block, determining whether the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are associated with the sub-range to be read out;

if the image sensor elements associated with the branch blocks are associated with the sub-range to be read out, applying the activation signal to the image sensor elements of the branch block and passing on the activation signal to a subsequent branch block; and

if the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are not associated with the sub-range to be read out, passing on the activation signal to a subsequent branch block without applying same to the image sensor elements of the branch block.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein the image sensor elements are arranged in rows and columns and the plurality of branch blocks includes a plurality of row branch blocks connected in series and a plurality of column branch blocks connected in series,

wherein a part of the activation pattern for the image sensor elements associated with the branch block is stored in the branch blocks, a branch block comprising:

an input at which the activation signal from an input of the image sensor or a previous branch block is present;

a memory in which, depending on the part of the activation pattern stored in the branch block, it is stored whether the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are associated with the sub-range to be read out; and

branch logic applying, if the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are associated with the sub-range to be read out, the activation signal to the image sensor elements of the branch block and to a subsequent branch block, or, if the image sensor elements associated with the branch block are not associated with the sub-range to be read out, passing on the activation signal to a subsequent branch block without applying same to the image sensor elements of the branch block.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the memory of the branch block is formed by a first flip-flop comprising a data output, a data input and a clock input, the branch block further comprising a second flip-flop comprising a data output, a data input and a clock input, wherein the data output of the first flip-flop is connected to the branch logic, the data output of the second flip-flop is connected to the data input of the first flip-flop and the data input of the second flip-flop of the subsequent branch block and the clock inputs of the first and second flip-flops are connected to different clock lines on which clocks are appliable independently from each other and from a clock by which the branch logic is clocked, thereby enabling shifting of the activation pattern into the second flip-flop of the branch blocks, an activation of the activation pattern by clocking the first flip-flops of the branch blocks and the passage of the activation signal through the branch blocks independently from each other.

7. The device according to claim 4, wherein the activation pattern determines a plurality of sub-ranges.

8. An image sensor having a plurality of image sensor elements, which can be read out by an activation signal sequentially applicable to same according to a clock signal, comprising:

a device according to claim 4 for reading out a sub-image from the image sensor.

9. The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein the image sensor elements are arranged in rows and columns, wherein the device for reading out is integrally arranged in a marginal region of the image sensor.