Large dynamic range cameras

• US 9,232,158 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Callahan Cellular LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Olsen, Richard Ian, Sato, Darryl L., Sun, Feng-Qing, Gates, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Sohn, Seung C
• Application Number:
  US14/063,236
• Publication Number:
  US 20140049660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 348/273, 348/302, 348/308
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0031 Replication or moulding, e.g. hot embossing, UV-casting, injection moulding
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0043 Inhomogeneous or irregular arrays, e.g. varying shape, size, height
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0062 Stacked lens arrays, i.e. refractive surfaces arranged in at least two planes, without structurally separate optical elements in-between
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/0075 characterized by non-optical structures, e.g. having integrated holding or alignment means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 9/12 having three components only
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14618 Containers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14621 Colour filter arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14634 Assemblies, i.e. Hybrid structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14645 Colour imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/0232 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device H01L31/0236 takes precedence; for photovoltaic cells H01L31/054; for photovoltaic modules H02S40/20
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/02325 the optical elements not being integrated nor being directly associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2209/049 having three pick-up sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/11 for generating image signals from visible and infrared light wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/13 with multiple sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/16 Optical arrangements associated therewith, e.g. for beam-splitting or for colour correction
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/54 Mounting of pick-up tubes, electronic image sensors, deviation or focusing coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/55 Optical parts specially adapted for electronic image sensors; Mounting thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 : by influencing the exposure time
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 : Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 : based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 : Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/531 : by controlling rolling shutters in CMOS SSIS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/772 : comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters

Abstract

A digital camera includes a plurality of channels and a processing component operatively coupled to the plurality of channels. Each channel of the plurality of channels includes an optics component and a sensor that includes an array of photo-detectors. The processing component is configured to separately control an integration time of each channel, where a first integration time of a first channel is less than a second integration time of a second channel. The processing component is also configured to combine data from the plurality of channels to generate an image.

Claims

1. An image capture device comprising:

a plurality of sensors;

a plurality of optics components, wherein each optics component of the plurality of optics components is configured to pass light to a sensor of the plurality of sensors; and

a processing component configured to control an integration time of each sensor.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to control the integration time of each sensor during a frame.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an interface operatively coupled to the processing component, wherein the interface is configured to receive the integration time of the each sensor as an input to an image capture device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein each sensor is configured to image the same field of view.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is further configured to combine data from the plurality of sensors received to provide an image.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the image corresponds to a first frame, and wherein the processing component is further configured to determine one or more integration times for a second frame based at least in part on the image.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the integration time is controlled based on an external input.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the integration time is controlled based on incident light level.

9. A system comprising:

a plurality of channels, wherein each channel of the plurality of channels includes a sensor; and

a processing component coupled to the plurality of channels, wherein the processing component is configured to determine an integration time of each channel of the plurality of channels, wherein the processing component is configured to combine data from the plurality of channels received to provide an image.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each sensor in the plurality of channels is configured to image the same field of view.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the integration time of at least one channel is relatively shorter than the integration time of at least one other channel.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing component is configured to use the image to determine the integration time for each channel for use during a subsequent frame.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the processing component is configured to automatically control the integration time of each sensor.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the integration time is used to control an amount of electrical charge placed on one or more storage devices associated with a sensor.

15. A method comprising:

identifying an integration time for each of a plurality of channels of an image capture device, wherein the plurality of channels includes a plurality of sensors;

capturing data with each of the plurality of sensors, wherein the data captured by each sensor is based at least in part on the integration time of the sensor; and

generating an image by combining the data captured by each of the plurality of sensors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a first integration time of a first sensor is less than a second integration time of a second sensor.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining a subsequent integration time for each of the plurality of sensors based at least in part on the image.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising analyzing a previous image generated by the image capture device.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising separately controlling a parameter of an optics component associated with each channel of a plurality of channels.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing an electrical charge to each sensor for a period of time, wherein the period of time comprises an integration time corresponding to the sensor.