Digital photography device having a rolling shutter

• US 7,453,514 B2
• Filed: 05/07/2003
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Pure Digital Technology Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Furlan, John Louis Warpakowski, Braunstein, Ariel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye, Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): JERABEK, KELLY L
• Application Number:
  US10/431,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20040223075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,022 Days
• Field of Search: 348/340, 348/342, 348/362, 348/367, 348/370
• US Class Current: 348/367
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/74 by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/75 by influencing optical camera components

Abstract

Various methods, apparatuses, and systems in which a digital photography device includes a rolling shutter, a sensor, and a flash are described. The sensor implements a rolling shutter timing mechanism. The shutter includes a material that has an alterable translucent state. The shutter is in the optical path of light going to the sensor. The flash generates a pulsed illumination. The alterable translucent state of the shutter controls the sensor'"'"'s exposure to the photographic effects of ambient light during a picture using the pulsed illumination.

Claims

1. A digital photography device, comprising:

a sensor implementing a rolling shutter timing mechanism;

a shutter including a material having an alterable translucent state, wherein the shutter has a gradual transition curve from a first translucent state to a second translucent state and the shutter is in the optical path of light going to the sensor;

a flash to generate a pulsed illumination, the alterable translucent state of the shutter to control the sensor'"'"'s exposure to the photographic effects of ambient light during a picture using the pulsed illumination; and

logic to detect a pressing of an actuator that triggers the flash, wherein the logic to synch up a changing amount of light being allowed to pass through the shutter having the alterable translucent states during the gradual transitioning of the shutter from the first translucent state to the second translucent state with an operation of the rolling shutter and a time period when the pulsed illumination occurs.

2. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor sensor.

3. The digital photography device of claim 2, wherein circuitry controlling operation of the shutter to transition the shutter from a first translucent state to a second translucent state to control the sensor'"'"'s exposure to the photographic effects of potential movement of objects within the picture.

4. The digital photography device of claim 2, wherein the digital photography device is one of a digital camera, a one-time use digital camera, or a cellular phone operable to take digital pictures.

5. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter is a liquid crystal display shutter.

6. The digital photography device of claim 5, wherein the shutter is prior to an infrared filter in the optical path going to the sensor.

7. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter at approximately an occurrence of a pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken to have transitioned to a second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 70 percent of incoming light going to the sensor from a first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of the incoming light to the sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time.

8. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter has a first translucent state that passes less than 10 percent of incoming light to the sensor and a second translucent state that passes at least 30 percent but less than 70 percent of the incoming light to the sensor.

9. The digital photography device of claim 8, wherein the second translucent state to pass at least 50 percent but less than 70 percent of the incoming light to the sensor.

10. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter is prior to a lens in the optical path going to the sensor.

11. The digital photography device of claim 1, wherein the shutter is after a lens in the optical path going to the sensor.

12. A digital photography device, comprising:

a shutter including a material having an alterable translucent state and a gradual transition from a first translucent state to a second translucent state;

a lens;

a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor implementing a rolling shutter timing mechanism, wherein the shutter is in an optical path of light going to the sensor;

a pulsed illumination device to provide a pulsed illumination; and

logic to transition a shutter, at approximately an occurrence of the pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken, to the second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 75 percent of the incoming light to the CMOS sensor from the first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of incoming light to the CMOS sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time.

13. The digital photography device of claim 12, wherein the shutter to operate in a first translucent state when in synch with a pulsed illumination of a flash, the first translucent state passes at least 30 percent but less than 70 percent of incoming light to the sensor approximately.

14. The digital photography device of claim 12, wherein the shutter has a first translucent state that passes less than 10 percent of incoming light to the sensor and a second translucent state that passes at least 50 percent but less than 70 percent of the incoming light to the sensor.

15. The digital photography device of claim 12, further comprising:

liquid crystal display logic to electrically control an operation of the shutter.

16. The digital photography device of claim 12, wherein the shutter to polarize incoming light to reduce light from a particular direction during a picture.

17. The digital photography device of claim 12, wherein the shutter to operate as a neutral density filter to enhance contrast in a resultant digital file of a digital image.

18. A method for a digital photography device, comprising:

tracking an amount of light being exposed to a sensor implementing a pixel line by pixel line integration timing mechanism when a picture is being taken, wherein the sensor is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor implementing a rolling timing mechanism; and

transitioning a shutter at approximately an occurrence of a pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken to a second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 75 percent of the incoming light to the sensor from a first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of incoming light to the CMOS sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time, wherein the shutter includes a material having an alterable translucent state and a gradual transition from the first translucent state to the second translucent state.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

processing the amount of light exposed to pixels in the CMOS sensor to generate a file representing a digital image.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for tracking an amount of light being exposed to a sensor implementing a pixel line by pixel line integration timing mechanism when a picture is being taken, wherein the sensor is a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor implementing a rolling timing mechanism;

a means for a pulsed illumination; and

means for transitioning a rolling shutter from a first translucent state passing less than 10 percent of incoming light to the CMOS sensor at approximately a beginning of an integration time to be in a second translucent state passing at least 30 percent but less than 75 percent of the incoming light to the sensor at approximately an occurrence of the pulsed illumination when the picture is being taken, wherein the shutter includes a material having an alterable translucent state and a gradual transition from the first translucent state to the second translucent state.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

means for processing the amount of light exposed to pixels in the CMOS sensor to generate a file representing a digital image.