Imaging systems with integrated stereo imagers
AssigneeSemiconductor Components Industries, LLC
InventorRichard L. Baer
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging system may include an integrated stereo imager that includes first and second imager arrays on a single integrated circuit. Image readout circuitry may be located between the first and second imager arrays and a horizontal electronic rolling shutter may be used to read image data out of the arrays. The layout of the arrays and image readout circuitry on the integrated circuit may help to reduce the size of the integrated circuit while maximizing the baseline separation between the arrays. Memory buffer circuitry may be used to convert image data from the arrays into raster-scan compliant image data. The raster-scan compliant image data may be provided to a host system.
Claims19
A stereoscopic camera module for an electronic device, the stereoscopic camera module comprising:
- an integrated circuit that comprises:
- a first array of image sensing pixels;
- a second array of image sensing pixels;
- and
- image readout circuitry that reads image data out of the first and second arrays and that is located between the first and arrays.
An electronic device comprising:
- an imaging system that comprises:
- a first array of image sensing pixels;
- image readout circuitry that reads non-raster-scan image data image data out of the first array with a horizontal electronic rolling shutter;
- and
- memory buffer circuitry that buffers the non-raster-scan image data image data and converts the non-raster-scan image data image data into raster-scan compliant image data.
A method for producing raster-scan compliant images using a sensor array that is read out using a horizontal electronic rolling shutter, the method comprising:
- with the sensor array, generating non-raster-scan image data associated with a given image;
- with memory buffer circuitry, buffering the non-raster-scan image data associated with the given image;
- and
- after the non-raster-scan image data associated with the given image is buffered in the memory buffer circuitry, outputting raster-scan image data associated with the given image using the memory buffer circuitry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.