# US 12,015,859 B2 · High dynamic range for dual pixel sensors > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,015,859 B2 - Document ID: US12015859B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/199,659 - Filed: 2023-05-19 - Published: 2023-09-14 - Granted: 2024-06-18 - Earliest claimed: 2022-03-07 - Assignees: Snap Inc. - Applicants: Snap Inc. - Inventors: Sagi Katz; Netanel Kligler; Gilad Refael - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12015859B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/57: Control of the dynamic range - H04N 25/704: Pixels specially adapted for focusing, e.g. phase difference pixel sets - H04N 25/585: with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A method for increasing a dynamic range of a dual-pixel image sensor is described. The method includes detecting an intensity level of a full pixel from a plurality of pixels of an optical sensor, one or more full pixels of the plurality of pixels includes at least two sub-pixels, detecting an intensity level of one or more sub-pixels, detecting that the intensity level of the full pixel of the optical sensor has reached a saturation level of the full pixel, and in response to detecting that the intensity level of the full pixel of the optical sensor has reached the saturation level of the full pixel, computing an extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel based on the intensity level of the one or more sub-pixels. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: detecting that an intensity level of a full pixel of an optical sensor has reached a saturation level of the full pixel, the full pixel comprising two or more sub-pixels; and in response to detecting that the intensity level of the full pixel has reached the saturation level of the full pixel, computing an extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel based on an intensity level of one of the sub-pixels. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel is a product of the saturation level of the full pixel and a ratio of one of the sub-pixels to the full pixel. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: retrieving the saturation level of the full pixel of the optical sensor; and identifying a sub-to-full pixel relationship between the intensity level of one of the sub-pixels and the intensity level of the full pixel, wherein computing the extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel is based on the saturation level of the full pixel and the sub-to-full pixel relationship. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the sub-to-full pixel relationship includes a linear ratio relationship. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the sub-to-full pixel relationship includes a modeled relationship. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the optical sensor comprises a dual pixel phase-detection image sensor. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a first sub-pixel of the two or more sub-pixels corresponds to a left sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor, wherein a second sub-pixel of the two or more two sub-pixels corresponds to a right sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein a first sub-pixel of the two or more sub-pixels corresponds to a top sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor, wherein a second sub-pixel of the two or more sub-pixels corresponds to a bottom sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: generating an image based, at least in part, on the extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: displaying the image in a display device. ### Claim 11 A computing apparatus comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, configure the apparatus to perform operations comprising: detecting that an intensity level of a full pixel of an optical sensor has reached a saturation level of the full pixel, the full pixel comprising two or more sub-pixels; and in response to detecting that the intensity level of the full pixel has reached the saturation level of the full pixel, computing an extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel based on an intensity level of one of the sub-pixels. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The computing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel is a product of the saturation level of the full pixel and a ratio of one of the sub-pixels to the full pixel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The computing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: retrieving the saturation level of the full pixel of the optical sensor; and identifying a sub-to-full pixel relationship between the intensity level of one of the sub-pixels and the intensity level of the full pixel, wherein computing the extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel is based on the saturation level of the full pixel and the sub-to-full pixel relationship. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The computing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sub-to-full pixel relationship includes a linear ratio relationship. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The computing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sub-to-full pixel relationship includes a modeled relationship. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The computing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the optical sensor comprises a dual pixel phase-detection image sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein a first sub-pixel of the two or more sub-pixels corresponds to a left sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor, wherein a second sub-pixel of the two or more two sub-pixels corresponds to a right sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The computing apparatus of claim 16, wherein a first sub-pixel of the two or more sub-pixels corresponds to a top sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor, wherein a second sub-pixel of the two or more sub-pixels corresponds to a bottom sub-pixel of the dual pixel phase-detection image sensor. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The computing apparatus of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise: generating an image based, at least in part, on the extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel; and displaying the image in a display device. ### Claim 20 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the computer-readable storage medium including instructions that when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: detecting that an intensity level of a full pixel of an optical sensor has reached a saturation level of the full pixel, the full pixel comprising two or more sub-pixels; and in response to detecting that the intensity level of the full pixel has reached the saturation level of the full pixel, computing an extrapolated intensity level of the full pixel based on an intensity level of one of the sub-pixels.