Camera system with minimal area monolithic CMOS image sensor
First Claim
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1. A method of calibrating an image sensor, comprising:
- providing an image sensor having a first optical black portion and a second optical black portion separated from each other by an active pixel portion;
sampling one or more pixels in the first optical black portion and adding the results to an accumulator;
determining, in response to sampling one or more pixels in the first optical black portion, a black level for the first optical black portion;
comparing the determined black level to a target black level by subtracting the target black level from the determined black level to determine the overall black level for the first optical black portion;
determining whether the overall black level is greater than a threshold black level, and when the overall black level is greater than the threshold black level, applying a proportional adjustment to a blackclamp voltage in the image sensor, and when the overall black level is less than the threshold black level, applying an incremental adjustment to the blackclamp voltage in the image sensor.
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Abstract
The disclosure extends to methods, systems, and computer program products for digitally imaging with area limited image sensors, such as within a lumen of an endoscope.
634 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of calibrating an image sensor, comprising:
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providing an image sensor having a first optical black portion and a second optical black portion separated from each other by an active pixel portion; sampling one or more pixels in the first optical black portion and adding the results to an accumulator; determining, in response to sampling one or more pixels in the first optical black portion, a black level for the first optical black portion; comparing the determined black level to a target black level by subtracting the target black level from the determined black level to determine the overall black level for the first optical black portion; determining whether the overall black level is greater than a threshold black level, and when the overall black level is greater than the threshold black level, applying a proportional adjustment to a blackclamp voltage in the image sensor, and when the overall black level is less than the threshold black level, applying an incremental adjustment to the blackclamp voltage in the image sensor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification