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US 11,766,175 B2Granted
Camera system with minimal area monolithic CMOS image sensor
AssigneeDePuy Synthes Products, Inc.
InventorsLaurent Blanquart, John Richardson
Life of this patent
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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.
Claims17
A method of calibrating an image sensor, comprising:
- providing an image sensor comprising a pixel array, wherein the pixel array comprises an optical black portion and an active pixel portion;
- sampling one or more pixels in the optical black portion;
- wherein sampling the one or more pixels in the optical black portion includes determining a median black offset measurement of each of the one or more pixels in the optical black portion;
- wherein the median black offset measurements for each one of the one or more pixels in a line of the optical black portion are averaged to provide a final line offset estimate;
- determining, in response to sampling one or more pixels in the optical black portion, a black level for the 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 a difference between the determined black level and the target black level for the optical black portion;
- comparing the difference to a threshold value;
- and
- calibrating a black clamp voltage of the image sensor based on the comparison of the difference to the threshold value;
- wherein, when the difference is greater than the threshold value, a first adjustment amount is applied to the black clamp voltage in the image sensor, and
- wherein, when the difference is less than the threshold value, a second adjustment amount is applied to the black clamp voltage in the image sensor.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.