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US 12,587,764 B2Granted
Flexible computational image sensor with compressive sensing capability
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsYibing Michelle Wang, Chunji Wang, Yanhai Ren, Tze-Ching Fung, Duhyun Lee
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a method and system for imaging a scene. The method includes generating a shutter pattern and applying the shutter pattern to a photodetector array. The system includes a sensor architecture in three dimensions, where elements of the sensor architecture are stacked in two or more layers. Some elements of the sensor architecture include a photodetector array, register array, a generator to generate shutter patterns, readout circuitry, and an ISP.
Claims20
A sensor, comprising:
- a photodetector array located on a first die layer,
- a register array located on a second die layer,
- a row select driver,
- a column readout,
- a pattern generator, and
- an image signal processor,
- wherein the first die layer is stacked on the second die layer;
- and
- wherein a first register of the register array associated with a first pixel receives a part of a shutter pattern during a first clock cycle, and the first register sends the part of the shutter pattern to a second register of the register array associated with a second pixel during a second clock cycle.
6 more elements
A method for imaging, comprising:
- generating a shutter pattern on a die layer,
- sending the shutter pattern to a register array on the die layer,
- outputting control signal values from the register array to switches in a photodetector array on an another die layer,
- enabling charge accumulation in photodetectors in the photodetector array when the control signal values are set to enable,
- disabling charge accumulation in photodetectors in the photodetector array when the control signal value are set to disable, and
- reading out the accumulated charge values on the die layer;
- wherein sending the shutter pattern to the register array on the die layer further comprises:
- receiving a part of the shutter pattern in a first register associated with a first pixel during a first clock cycle, and
- sending the part of the shutter pattern from the first register to a second register associated with a second pixel during a second clock cycle.
6 more elements
A sensor, comprising:
- a photodetector array on a first die layer,
- a register array on a second die layer,
- a memory array,
- an image signal processor,
- a row driver,
- a pattern generator, and
- a column readout,
- wherein the first die layer and second die layer are vertically stacked;
- and
- wherein a first register of the register array associated with a first pixel receives a part of a shutter pattern during a first clock cycle, and the first register sends the part of the shutter pattern to a second register of the register array associated with a second pixel during a second clock cycle.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.