Large dynamic range cameras
First Claim
1. A digital camera comprising:
- a plurality of sensors integrated in a semiconductor substrate, each sensor comprising an array of photo-detectors, wherein each sensor is configured to image the same field of view;
a plurality of optics components, each optics component configured to pass light to a sensor of the plurality of sensors, wherein each optics component and an associated sensor form one of a plurality of channels; and
a processing component coupled to the plurality of channels and configured to separately control an integration time of each sensor during a frame, wherein the integration time of at least one sensor is relatively shorter than the integration time of at least one other sensor, the processing component configured to combine data from the plurality of sensors received during the frame to provide an image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Digital camera systems and methods are described that provide digital cameras with large effective single-frame dynamic exposure ranges. The digital camera systems include multiple channels. Each channel includes an optics component and sensor comprising an array of photo-detectors. The sensors of the camera channels are integrated on a semiconductor substrate. The camera systems include a processing component coupled to the channels. The processing component is configured to separately and simultaneously control an integration time of each channel. The integration time of at least one channel is controlled relative to the integration time of at least one other channel so that an image formed by combining data of a frame received simultaneously from the channels has a relatively large dynamic range.
187 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A digital camera comprising:
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a plurality of sensors integrated in a semiconductor substrate, each sensor comprising an array of photo-detectors, wherein each sensor is configured to image the same field of view; a plurality of optics components, each optics component configured to pass light to a sensor of the plurality of sensors, wherein each optics component and an associated sensor form one of a plurality of channels; and a processing component coupled to the plurality of channels and configured to separately control an integration time of each sensor during a frame, wherein the integration time of at least one sensor is relatively shorter than the integration time of at least one other sensor, the processing component configured to combine data from the plurality of sensors received during the frame to provide an image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A digital camera comprising:
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a plurality of channels, wherein each channel includes an optics component and a sensor comprising an array of photo-detectors integrated on a semiconductor substrate, wherein each sensor is configured to image the same field of view; and a processing component coupled to the plurality of channels, the processing component configured to separately control an integration time of each channel during a frame, wherein the integration time of at least one channel is relatively shorter than the integration time of at least one other channel, the processing component configured to combine data from the plurality of channels received during the frame to provide an image. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method for creating an image, the method comprising:
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identifying an integration time for a plurality of channels, wherein each channel includes an optics component and a sensor comprising an array of photo-detectors integrated on a semiconductor substrate, wherein each sensor is configured to image the same field of view; simultaneously accumulating charge at each sensor during a frame for a period equivalent to the integration time identified for each sensor; reading a photo-signal datum from each sensor, the photo-signal datum representative of the accumulated charge of the sensor; and generating a continuous image by combining the photo-signal datums read from each sensor during the frame. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method comprising:
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forming a first image sensor comprising a first array of photo-detectors and a second image sensor comprising a second array of photo-detectors in a semiconductor substrate; configuring a first optics component relative to the first image sensor and a second optics component relative to the second image sensor, wherein each sensor is configured to image the same field of view; and forming circuitry in the semiconductor substrate and coupling and configuring the circuitry to independently control simultaneous data acquisition by the first image sensor under a first integration time and by the second image sensor under a second integration time, wherein the first integration time is different from the second integration time. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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Specification