Image sensor with time overlapping image output
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for transferring a first image and a second image, comprising:
- generating a first image from a plurality of photodetectors of a pixel array, the first image including three image pixels in three different rows of image pixels in the first image, each of the three image pixels being generated from a different row among three adjacent rows of photodetectors in the pixel array;
generating a second image from the plurality of photodetectors, each of the plurality of photodetectors contributes one light response output signal to the first image followed by another one light response output signal to the second image, said generating begins after a start and before a termination of said generating of the first image, the first and second images having different exposures;
converting the first and second images to digital signals; and
receiving the first and second images via at least one digital bus outside of and adjoining a processor into the processor in a time overlapping manner when the processor receives the first image for a very first time, said receiving of the second image begins before said receiving of the first image terminates and with a delay after said receiving of the first image begins, the delay having an increase for an increase in an exposure time of the second image, the processor comprising a memory to store at least a portion of the first image.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An image sensor system with an image sensor that generates a first image and a second image. The first and second images are transmitted to a processor in a time overlapping manner. By way of example, the images may be transferred to the processor in an interleaving manner or provided on separate dedicated busses.
-
Citations
52 Claims
-
1. A method for transferring a first image and a second image, comprising:
-
generating a first image from a plurality of photodetectors of a pixel array, the first image including three image pixels in three different rows of image pixels in the first image, each of the three image pixels being generated from a different row among three adjacent rows of photodetectors in the pixel array; generating a second image from the plurality of photodetectors, each of the plurality of photodetectors contributes one light response output signal to the first image followed by another one light response output signal to the second image, said generating begins after a start and before a termination of said generating of the first image, the first and second images having different exposures; converting the first and second images to digital signals; and receiving the first and second images via at least one digital bus outside of and adjoining a processor into the processor in a time overlapping manner when the processor receives the first image for a very first time, said receiving of the second image begins before said receiving of the first image terminates and with a delay after said receiving of the first image begins, the delay having an increase for an increase in an exposure time of the second image, the processor comprising a memory to store at least a portion of the first image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method, comprising:
receiving a first image and a second image via at least one digital bus outside of and adjoining a processor into the processor in a time overlapping manner when the processor receives the first image for a very first time, said receiving of the second image begins before said receiving of the first image terminates and with a delay after said receiving of the first image begins, the delay having an increase for an increase in an exposure time of the second image, the first and second images originated from a plurality of photodetectors of a pixel array in such a way that each of the plurality of photodetectors contributes one light response output signal to the first image followed by another one light response output signal to the second image, the pixel array being coupled to the processor, the first and second images having different exposures, the processor comprising a memory to store at least a portion of the first image. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
-
32. A method for transferring a first image and a second image, comprising:
-
generating a first image from a plurality of photodetectors of a pixel array, the first image including three image pixels in three different rows of image pixels in the first image, each of the three image pixels being generated from a different row of three adjacent rows of photodetectors in the pixel array; generating a second image from the plurality of photodetectors, each of the plurality of photodetectors contributes one light response output signal to the first image followed by another one light response output signal to the second image, said generating said second image begins between a start and a termination of said generating of the first image, the first and second images having different exposures; converting the first and second images into digital signals; and receiving the first and second images via at least one digital bus outside of and adjoining a processor into the processor in an interleaving manner when the processor receives the first image for a very first time, the interleaving manner being such that the first and second images are received in a first plurality of parts of image data of the first image and a second plurality of parts of image data of the second images respectively and such that the first plurality of parts alternate in time domain with the second plurality of parts, the processor comprising a memory to store at least a portion of the first image. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
-
43. A method, comprising:
receiving a first image and a second image via at least one digital bus outside of and adjoining a processor into the processor in an interleaving manner when the processor receives the first image for a very first time, the first and second images being generated from a plurality of photodetectors of a pixel array in such a way that each of the plurality of photodetectors contributes one light response output signal to the first image followed by another one light response output signal to the second image, the interleaving manner being such that the first and second images are received in a first plurality of parts of image data of the first image and a second plurality of parts of image data of the second image respectively and such that the first plurality of parts alternate in time domain with the second plurality of parts, the first and second images having different exposures, the processor comprising a memory to store at least a portion of the first image. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
Specification