Method and apparatus for controlling pixel sensor elements

• US 8,164,665 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Youliza Gehts BV LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Neter, Sarit
• Primary Examiner(s): Henn, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US11/113,438
• Publication Number:
  US 20050185075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,559 Days
• Field of Search: 348/241, 348/246, 348/247
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/633 by using optical black pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/21 Circuitry for suppressing or minimising disturbance, e.g. moiré or halo

Abstract

An imaging method and system that flexibly accesses light, sensor elements and processes imaging signals. The imaging system comprises an array of pixel sensor cells, an array controller and a readout control circuit.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a first plurality of pixel sensor elements comprising two or more consecutive rows and two or more consecutive columns from an array of pixel sensor elements exposed to light;

reading a first plurality of analog values from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements in parallel;

selecting a second plurality of pixel sensor elements comprising two or more consecutive rows and two or more consecutive columns from the array of pixel sensor elements, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements includes multiple pixel sensor elements that are included in the first plurality of pixel sensor elements, and wherein the multiple pixel sensor elements are included in a column of the array of pixel sensor elements; and

reading a second plurality of analog values from the second plurality of pixel sensor elements in parallel.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is shifted one or more columns away from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is shifted one or more rows away from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising interpolating the first plurality of analog values into an output signal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the interpolating further comprises amplifying gains associated with the first plurality of analog values to compensate for difference in colors corresponding to the first plurality of analog values.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a pixel sensor element in the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is defective;

substituting an analog value corresponding to the defective pixel sensor element from the second plurality of analog values with an analog value from the first plurality of analog values; and

interpolating the second plurality of analog values into an output signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixel sensor elements include complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) pixel sensor elements.

8. A device comprising:

an addressing system configured to select a first plurality of pixel sensor elements and a second plurality of pixel sensor elements from an array of pixel sensor elements, wherein multiple pixel sensor elements are included in the first plurality of pixel sensor elements and the second plurality of pixel sensor elements, and wherein the multiple pixel sensor elements are included in a column of the array of pixel sensor elements; and

an interpolation system to read, in parallel, a first plurality of analog values from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements in response to the selection of the first plurality of pixel sensor elements, and to read, in parallel, a second plurality of analog values from the second plurality of pixel sensor elements in response to the selection of the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first plurality of pixel sensor elements comprises multiple rows and multiple columns from the array of pixel sensor elements.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements comprises multiple rows and multiple columns from the array of pixel sensor elements.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is shifted one or more columns away from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is shifted one or more rows away from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein at least one the first plurality of pixel sensor elements is unexposed to light, and wherein the interpolation system is configured to generate an output signal based on a difference between the first analog values corresponding to pixel sensor elements exposed to light and the first analog values corresponding to pixel sensor elements unexposed to light.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the interpolation system is configured to amplify gains associated with the first plurality of analog values or the second plurality of analog values to compensate for difference in colors corresponding to the first plurality of analog values or the second plurality of analog values, respectively.

15. A system comprising:

means for selecting a first plurality of pixel sensor elements comprising two or more consecutive rows and two or more consecutive columns from an array of pixel sensor elements exposed to light;

means for reading a first plurality of analog values from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements in parallel;

means for selecting a second plurality of pixel sensor elements comprising two or more consecutive rows and two or more consecutive columns from the array of pixel sensor elements, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements includes multiple pixel sensor elements that are included in the first plurality of pixel sensor elements, and wherein the multiple pixel sensor elements are included in a column of the array of pixel sensor elements; and

means for reading a second plurality of analog values from the second plurality of pixel sensor elements in parallel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is shifted one or more columns away from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is shifted one or more rows away from the first plurality of pixel sensor elements.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising means for interpolating the first plurality of analog values into an output signal.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

means for determining a pixel sensor element in the second plurality of pixel sensor elements is defective;

means for substituting an analog value corresponding to the defective pixel sensor element from the second plurality of analog values with an analog value from the first plurality of analog values; and

means for interpolating the second plurality of analog values into an output signal.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the first plurality of pixel sensor elements or the second plurality of pixel sensor elements corresponds to a Bayer color pattern.