Image sensor and image processing method to acquire a high-sensitivity image
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image sensor, comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit pixels; and
a column readout circuit comprising a plurality of column readout units, each column readout unit provided for a line of the plurality of unit pixels, the column readout circuit being configured to;
acquire an image frame from the pixel array,create low illumination area information indicating low illumination areas of the image frame, andin response to another image frame being received, perform local binning on areas of the another image frame corresponding to the low illumination areas, wherein the low illumination area information of the image frame indicates which unit pixels of the plurality of unit pixels have low illumination, and the low illumination area information is stored in the plurality of unit pixels and read from the plurality of unit pixels through the column readout units.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are an image sensor and a local binning method in which binning is applied selectively. For example, binning is applied to pixels having low illumination and binning is not applied to non-low illumination pixels. Information on pixels having low illumination for a first image frame may be stored and used to perform binning with respect to areas of a second image frame corresponding to low illumination pixel areas determined with respect to the first image frame.
51 Citations
42 Claims
-
1. An image sensor, comprising:
-
a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit pixels; and a column readout circuit comprising a plurality of column readout units, each column readout unit provided for a line of the plurality of unit pixels, the column readout circuit being configured to; acquire an image frame from the pixel array, create low illumination area information indicating low illumination areas of the image frame, and in response to another image frame being received, perform local binning on areas of the another image frame corresponding to the low illumination areas, wherein the low illumination area information of the image frame indicates which unit pixels of the plurality of unit pixels have low illumination, and the low illumination area information is stored in the plurality of unit pixels and read from the plurality of unit pixels through the column readout units. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
-
15. An image processing method performed by an image sensor, the method comprising:
-
creating low illumination area information indicating low illumination areas of an image frame received from a pixel array having a plurality of unit pixels; storing the created low illumination area information in the plurality of unit pixels; and in response to another image frame being received, performing local binning on areas of the another image frame corresponding to the low illumination areas indicated by the low illumination area information, wherein the low illumination area information of the image frame indicates which unit pixels of the plurality of unit pixels have low illumination. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. An image sensor, comprising:
-
an array configured to acquire an image; a determination unit configured to identify pixels of an acquired image for selective binning, according to output values of the pixels, wherein the identified pixels of the acquired image have relatively low illumination compared to other pixels of the acquired image for selective binning; and a binning unit configured to perform binning with respect to pixels of another acquired image corresponding to the pixels of the acquired image selected for binning, wherein information about the identified pixels of the acquired image with relative low illumination is stored in the pixels. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. An image processing method performed by an image sensor having an array, a determination unit and a binning unit, the method comprising:
-
acquiring an image by the array; identifying, by the determination unit, pixels of the acquired image for selective binning, according to output values of the pixels, wherein the identified pixels of the acquired image have relatively low illumination compared to other pixels of the acquired image for selective binning; binning, by the binning unit, with respect to pixels of another acquired image corresponding to the pixels of the acquired image selected for binning; and storing information about the identified pixels of the acquired image with relative low illumination in the pixels. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. An electronics device, comprising:
-
a housing defining the electronics device; and an image sensor comprising; an array configured to acquire an image; a determination unit configured to identify pixels of an acquired image for selective binning, according to output values of the pixels, wherein the identified pixels of the acquired image have relatively low illumination compared to other pixels of the acquired image for selective binning; and a binning unit configured to perform binning with respect to pixels of another acquired image corresponding to the pixels of the acquired image selected for binning, wherein information about the identified pixels of the acquired image with relative low illumination is stored in the pixels. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
-
Specification