Hallucinating colour filter array on image sensor chip
AssigneeVarjo Technologies Oy
InventorMikko Ollila
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging system has an image sensor chip and processor(s). The image sensor chip has a photo-sensitive surface with photo-sensitive cells; a colour filter array with physical smallest repeating units, wherein a given physical smallest repeating unit has array(s) of a first type of colour filters, array(s) of a second type of colour filters, and array(s) of a third type of colour filters; and a controller configured to employ neural network(s) during read out of image data. The processor(s) is/are configured to: receive output image data, wherein a smallest repeating unit in a colour pattern of at least a part of the output image data is different from the given physical smallest repeating unit; and generate an output image.
Claims15
An imaging system comprising:
- an image sensor chip comprising:
- a photo-sensitive surface comprising a plurality of photo-sensitive cells;
- a colour filter array arranged on an optical path of the photo-sensitive surface, the colour filter array comprising a plurality of physical smallest repeating units, wherein a given physical smallest repeating unit comprises at least one array of a first type of colour filters that allow at least one first wavelength lying in a first wavelength range to pass through, at least one array of a second type of colour filters that allow at least one second wavelength lying in a second wavelength range to pass through, and at least one array of a third type of colour filters that allow at least one third wavelength lying in a third wavelength range to pass through;
- and
- a controller configured to employ at least one neural network during read out of image data from a subset of the plurality of photo-sensitive cells;
- and
- at least one processor configured to:
- receive, from the controller, output image data generated by the at least one neural network, the output image data being in a RAW image format, wherein a smallest repeating unit in a colour pattern of at least a part of the output image data is different from the given physical smallest repeating unit in the colour filter array of the image sensor chip;
- and
- perform a sequence of image signal processes on the output image data to generate an output image.
A method comprising:
- receiving, from a controller, output image data generated by at least one neural network, the output image data being in a RAW image format, wherein a smallest repeating unit in a colour pattern of at least a part of the output image data is different from a given physical smallest repeating unit in a colour filter array of an image sensor chip, wherein the image sensor chip comprises:
- a photo-sensitive surface comprising a plurality of photo-sensitive cells;
- the colour filter array arranged on an optical path of the photo-sensitive surface, the colour filter array comprising a plurality of physical smallest repeating units, wherein the given physical smallest repeating unit comprises at least one array of a first type of colour filters that allow at least one first wavelength lying in a first wavelength range to pass through, at least one array of a second type of colour filters that allow at least one second wavelength lying in a second wavelength range to pass through, and the at least one array of a third type of colour filters that allow at least one third wavelength lying in a third wavelength range to pass through;
- and the controller configured to employ the at least one neural network during read out of image data from a subset of the plurality of photo-sensitive cells;
- and
- performing a sequence of image signal processes on the output image data to generate an output image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.