High dynamic range imaging device
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An imaging device, comprising:
- an array of pixels wherein each active pixel of said array of pixels is individually subjected to a series of tasks comprising;
selection and initiation of an available integration period for a given pixel and recording of an indication of an integration period initiated for said given pixel; and
taking a single digitized reading of an integrated charge on said given pixel using a selected integration period at a site which is at least partially outside of said array of pixels and output of a signal representing a light level reading for said given pixel based on said digitized reading and said selected integration period;
wherein a reset task and said read task are interleaved to be performed without conflicting requirements for use of components included in said site which is at least partially outside of said array of pixels; and
wherein at least one of said available integration periods is an integration period shorter than said row read task.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to improved imaging devices having high dynamic range and to monitoring and automatic control systems incorporating the improved imaging devices.
85 Citations
43 Claims
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1. An imaging device, comprising:
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an array of pixels wherein each active pixel of said array of pixels is individually subjected to a series of tasks comprising; selection and initiation of an available integration period for a given pixel and recording of an indication of an integration period initiated for said given pixel; and taking a single digitized reading of an integrated charge on said given pixel using a selected integration period at a site which is at least partially outside of said array of pixels and output of a signal representing a light level reading for said given pixel based on said digitized reading and said selected integration period; wherein a reset task and said read task are interleaved to be performed without conflicting requirements for use of components included in said site which is at least partially outside of said array of pixels; and wherein at least one of said available integration periods is an integration period shorter than said row read task. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An imaging device, comprising:
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at least one parallel addressable group of pixels comprising a start of an integration period for each pixel within said parallel addressable group of pixels dynamically determined within an image acquisition sequence; and an end of integration for each pixel within said parallel addressable group of pixels that is substantially simultaneous for all pixels within said parallel addressable group of pixels, wherein a reset task and a row read task are interleaved to be performed without conflicting requirements for use of components included in a site which is at least partially outside of said at least one parallel addressable group of pixels; and wherein at least one of said integration periods available for each said pixel is an integration period shorter than said row read task. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. An imaging device, comprising:
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a two dimensional array of pixels and a memory register associated with each pixel of said two dimensional array of pixels for storing an indication of a selected integration period for a given pixel, wherein said selected integration period is selected from a set of at least four available integration periods based on at least one comparison during an image acquisition period, wherein a reset task and a row read task are interleaved to be performed without conflicting requirements for use of components included in a site which is at least partially outside of said two dimensional array of pixels; and wherein said selected integration period is an integration period shorter than said row read task. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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Specification