Image sensor synchronization without input clock and data transmission clock
First Claim
1. An endoscopic system for use in a light deficient environment comprising:
- an endoscope comprising an image sensor located at a distal end of the endoscope;
a control circuit in electronic communication with the image sensor;
an oscillator disposed in the control circuit;
wherein the image sensor comprises;
a plurality of bidirectional data pads wherein there is no dedicated input synchronization clock pad, such that a number of bidirectional pads is reduced thereby reducing an area of the image sensor;
wherein electronic communication through each of the bidirectional pads is performed in three defined phases;
a rolling-readout phase during which image data is output from the image sensor through the bidirectional pads to the control circuit,a service-line phase during which non-image data is output from the image sensor through the bidirectional pads to the control circuit, anda configuration phase during which image sensor configuration data is received by the image sensor from the control circuit through the bidirectional pads, wherein image sensor data output lines are reversed during the configuration phase and a clock data recovery circuit is unlocked from the oscillator when the sensor data output lines are reversed,a frequency detector connected to the control circuit to control a clock frequency of the image sensor in response to signals from the control circuit that correspond to the frequency of the oscillator;
wherein signal transitions are encoded within output data from the image sensor in correspondence to the defined phases of the bidirectional pads.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An endoscopic system for use a controlled light environment is disclosed. In an implementation, the system may include an endoscope having an image sensor, an emitter, and a control circuit. The control circuit controls a frequency of the emitter in response to signals that correspond to the frequency of the emitter. The image sensor has input and output pads, where a pad count is reduced by not having a dedicated input synchronization clock pad. A frame period is divided into three defined states: a rolling-readout state during which image data is output through the pads, a service-line state during which non-image data is output through the pads, and a configuration state during which instruction data is received by the image sensor through the pads. Signal transitions are encoded within output data from the image sensor and correspond with defined states.
537 Citations
23 Claims
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1. An endoscopic system for use in a light deficient environment comprising:
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an endoscope comprising an image sensor located at a distal end of the endoscope; a control circuit in electronic communication with the image sensor; an oscillator disposed in the control circuit; wherein the image sensor comprises; a plurality of bidirectional data pads wherein there is no dedicated input synchronization clock pad, such that a number of bidirectional pads is reduced thereby reducing an area of the image sensor; wherein electronic communication through each of the bidirectional pads is performed in three defined phases; a rolling-readout phase during which image data is output from the image sensor through the bidirectional pads to the control circuit, a service-line phase during which non-image data is output from the image sensor through the bidirectional pads to the control circuit, and a configuration phase during which image sensor configuration data is received by the image sensor from the control circuit through the bidirectional pads, wherein image sensor data output lines are reversed during the configuration phase and a clock data recovery circuit is unlocked from the oscillator when the sensor data output lines are reversed, a frequency detector connected to the control circuit to control a clock frequency of the image sensor in response to signals from the control circuit that correspond to the frequency of the oscillator; wherein signal transitions are encoded within output data from the image sensor in correspondence to the defined phases of the bidirectional pads. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. An endoscopic system for use in a light deficient environment comprising:
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a camera control unit; an endoscope that is in electronic communication with the camera control unit, the endoscope comprising an image sensor located in a distal end of the endoscope; a control circuit in electronic communication with the image sensor and a frequency detector, wherein the frequency detector controls a frequency of the image sensor in response to signals from the control circuit that correspond to the frequency of an oscillator disposed in the control circuit; wherein the image sensor comprises a plurality of bidirectional pads, wherein there is no dedicated input synchronization clock pad such that a number of bidirectional pads is reduced thereby reducing an area of the image sensor; wherein electronic communication through each of the bidirectional pads is performed in three defined phases; a rolling-readout phase during which image data is output from the image sensor through the bidirectional pads to the camera control unit, a service-line phase during which non-image data comprising synchronization data of the image sensor to the control unit is output from the image sensor through the bidirectional pads to the control circuit, and a configuration phase during which image sensor configuration data is received by the image sensor from the control circuit through the bidirectional pads wherein image sensor data output lines are reversed during the configuration phase and a clock data recovery circuit is unlocked from the oscillator when the sensor data output lines are reversed; wherein signal transitions are encoded within output data from the image sensor that correspond to the defined phases of the bidirectional pads.
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Specification