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US 2020/0029031 A1Published application
Query driven image sensing
AssigneeThe Regents of the University of California
InventorsRajkumar Chinnakonda Kubendran, Gert Cauwenberghs
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Abstract
The multimodal query-driven imager provides efficient coding and streaming of visual information acquired directly on the focal plane. The query-driven approach to visual event coding uses clocked time-division multiplexing to continuously scan the array, querying each pixel for threshold change events in pixel intensity.
Claims20
An image sensor, comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each pixel configured for generating a pixel signal corresponding to an intensity of the detected light impinging thereon;
- frame scanning circuitry in electrical communication with the pixel array, wherein the frame scanning circuitry sequentially queries each pixel to generate a pixel intensity signal;
- event detection circuitry in electrical communication with the pixel array, the event detection circuitry configured for continuously scanning the pixel array to query each pixel for a change event in which pixel intensity exceeds a threshold change from a prior pixel intensity signal for each pixel, and, if one or more pixels raises a change event, generating a relative temporal contrast signal corresponding to each of the one or more detected pixels;
- reset circuitry in electrical communication with the pixel array, the reset circuitry configured for zeroing temporal contrast upon detection of an event, by updating the prior pixel intensity signal with the current pixel intensity;
- and
- an output bus for generating an output data stream comprising one of the pixel intensity signal for each pixel in the array and the one or more relative temporal contrast signals.
3 more elements
A method for image sensing, comprising
- detecting light impinging upon an image sensor comprising a pixel array of a plurality of pixels, each pixel configured for generating a pixel signal corresponding to a pixel intensity of detected light, wherein the sensor is configured to execute a query-driven approach to visual event coding using clocked time-division multiplexing to:
- continuously scan the array and query each pixel for threshold change events in pixel intensity from a prior pixel intensity;
- output a data stream comprising data associated with one or more pixels in the array having experienced a change event exceeding the threshold;
- and
- update the prior pixel intensity to a current pixel intensity if a change event is detected in the one or more pixels.
2 more elements
A method for coding and streaming data acquired by a pixel array, the method comprising:
- continuously scanning the array and querying each pixel in the array for change events in pixel intensity that exceed a threshold;
- outputting data only associated with one or more pixels in the array having a change event that crosses the threshold;
- and
- updating the prior pixel intensity to a current pixel intensity if a change event is detected in the one or more pixels.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.