Adaptive illumination for a time-of-flight camera on a vehicle
AssigneeTusimple, Inc.
InventorsKe Xu, Xue Mei, Zehua Huang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Disclosed are devices, systems and methods for capturing an image. In one aspect an electronic camera apparatus includes an image sensor with a plurality of pixel regions. The apparatus further includes an exposure controller. The exposure controller determines, for each of the plurality of pixel regions, a corresponding exposure duration and a corresponding exposure start time. Each pixel region begins to integrate incident light starting at the corresponding exposure start time and continues to integrate light for the corresponding exposure duration. In some example embodiments, at least two of the corresponding exposure durations or at least two of the corresponding exposure start times are different in the image.
Claims17
A method, comprising:
- for each of a plurality of pixel regions of an image sensor,
- associating the pixel region with at least one of a plurality of objects;
- determining an exposure duration based on light intensity received at the pixel region;
- and
- determining a start time for exposure of the pixel region based on the exposure duration and a distance between the at least one object and the image sensor;
- and
- obtaining an image of the plurality of objects by gating exposures of the plurality of pixel regions based on their respective start times and exposure durations,
- wherein the start time of the pixel region associated with at least one object corresponds to a time of flight of light from a light source to the at least one object and back from the at least one object to the image sensor.
A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with executable instructions for operating an image sensor that, when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to perform operations, comprising:
- for each of a plurality of pixel regions of the image sensor,
- associating the pixel region with at least one of a plurality of objects;
- determining an exposure duration based on light intensity received at the pixel region;
- and
- determining an exposure start time for the pixel region based on the exposure duration and a distance between the at least one object and the image sensor;
- and
- obtaining an image of the plurality of objects by gating exposures of the plurality of pixel regions based on their respective start times and exposure durations,
- wherein the exposure start time determined for a pixel region associated with an object corresponds to a time of flight of light from a light source to the object and back from the object to the image sensor.
An electronic camera apparatus, comprising:
- an image sensor with a plurality of pixel regions;
- an exposure controller configured to determine, for each pixel region in the plurality of pixel regions, an exposure start time and an exposure duration of the pixel region;
- and
- a plurality of gating circuits, wherein each gating circuit is configured to gate a pixel region in the plurality of pixel regions to begin exposure of the pixel region at an exposure start time, and continue the exposure for an exposure duration or end the exposure at an exposure end time,
- wherein each pixel region is configured to begin collecting incoming light starting at a corresponding exposure start time and continue collecting the incoming light during the corresponding exposure,
- wherein the exposure start time for a pixel region in the plurality of pixel regions that is associated with at least one object corresponds to a time of flight of light from a light source to the at least one object and back from the at least one object to the image sensor, and
- wherein the exposure duration for a pixel region in the plurality of pixel regions is determined based on light intensity received at the pixel region.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.