Image sensing apparatus and image binning method thereof
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsHee Kang, Chan Young Jang, Woo Seok Choi
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Abstract
Provided is an image sensing apparatus including an image sensor including a pixel array configured to output a raw image having a Bayer pattern, and an analog end configured to perform an analog binning process on groups of pixels of same colors included in same columns of each of a plurality of sub-kernels corresponding to a first green pixel, a red pixel, a blue pixel, and a second green pixel, and output median values for different colors, and a digital signal processor configured to perform a digital binning process on the median values for the different colors included in different columns of each of the plurality of sub-kernels, and output a binned image.
Claims17
An image binning method of an image sensing apparatus, the image binning method comprising:
- receiving a raw image of a Bayer pattern from a pixel array;
- outputting median values for each kernel based on performing an analog binning process on the raw image of a unit kernel having an asymmetrical arrangement with respect to different colors;
- and
- outputting a binned image based on performing a digital binning process on at least one of the median values,
- wherein the analog binning process further comprises summing a first pixel and a second pixel of a same color that are provided in a first diagonal direction to each other in a unit kernel and outputting a summed result as a median value, and
- wherein the digital binning process further comprises summing and outputting the median value and a third pixel of the same color as the first pixel and the second pixel and as a pixel value of the binned image for the color of the first pixel, the second pixel, and the third pixel.
An image sensing apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array configured to output a raw image having a Bayer pattern, the pixel array includes a plurality of unit kernels;
- an analog end configured to perform a diagonal binning process on the raw image in a first diagonal direction to output a median value;
- and
- a digital signal processor configured to perform a corner binning process on the median value and a raw pixel at a corner in a second diagonal direction which intersects the first diagonal direction and output a binned image,
- wherein the raw pixel at the corner is disposed corresponding to the median value obtained by the diagonal binning process.
An image sensing apparatus comprising:
- a pixel array configured to output a raw image having a Bayer pattern, the pixel array includes a plurality of kernels,
- wherein the image sensing apparatus is configured to:
- perform primary 2×2 binning process on each of the plurality of kernels,
- perform secondary 2×2 binning process on a binned image obtained by the primary 2×2 binning process in units of 2×2 arrays of kernels, and
- output a binned image, and
- wherein a binning direction for the secondary 2×2 binning process is intersected a binning direction for the primary 2×2 binning process.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.