Imaging device for distinguishing foreground and operating method thereof
AssigneePixart Imaging Inc.
InventorsJung-Tai Lin, En-Feng Hsu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging device including a condenser lens and an image sensor is provided. The image sensor is configured to sense light penetrating the condenser lens and includes a pixel matrix, an opaque layer, a plurality of microlenses and an infrared filter layer. The pixel matrix includes a plurality of infrared pixels, a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels. The opaque layer covers upon a first region of the first pixels and a second region of the second pixels, wherein the first region and the second region are mirror-symmetrically arranged in a first direction. The plurality of microlenses is arranged upon the pixel matrix. The infrared filter layer covers upon the infrared pixels.
Claims17
An imaging device comprising:
- an infrared light source;
- a condenser lens;
- an image sensor configured to sense light penetrating the condenser lens, output a bright image frame when the infrared light source is turned on, and output a dark image frame when the infrared light source is turned off, the image sensor comprising:
- a pixel matrix comprising a plurality of infrared pixels, a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels arranged in a first direction and a second direction;
- an opaque layer covering upon a first region of the first pixels and upon a second region of the second pixels, wherein the first region and the second region are mirror-symmetrically arranged in the first direction;
- a plurality of microlenses disposed upon the pixel matrix;
- and
- an infrared filter layer covering upon the infrared pixels;
- and
- a processor configured to
- form an infrared subframe according to infrared image regions in the bright image frame and the dark image frame corresponding to the infrared pixels,
- form a first subframe according to first image regions in the bright image frame and the dark image frame corresponding to the first pixels,
- form a second subframe according to second image regions in the bright image frame and the dark image frame corresponding to the second pixels, and
- calculate, in a first mode, a differential image between the infrared subframe of the bright image frame and the infrared subframe of the dark image frame to separate at least one foreground image, or separate at least one foreground image according to the first subframe and the second subframe in a second mode.
An operating method of an imaging device, the imaging device comprising an infrared light source, a plurality of infrared pixels, a plurality of first pixels, a plurality of second pixels and a plurality of microlenses, the first pixels and the second pixels respectively receiving incident light of different phases through a first part and a second part of the microlenses, the operating method comprising:
- outputting, by the imaging device, a bright image frame when the infrared light source is turned on and a dark image frame when the infrared light source is turned off;
- forming an infrared subframe according to infrared image regions corresponding to the infrared pixels, forming a first subframe according to first image regions corresponding to the first pixels, and forming a second subframe according to second image regions corresponding to the second pixels;
- calculating, in a first mode, a differential image between the infrared subframe of the bright image frame and the infrared subframe of the dark image frame to separate at least one foreground image;
- and
- separating, in a second mode, at least one foreground image according to the first subframe and the second subframe.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.