Control circuit for image array sensors

A control system for controlling an image sensor wherein the image sensor is comprised of an array of pixel sensors, the array defining an image window, wherein each pixel sensor has a row address and a column address, and wherein each pixel sensor is operative to output a signal indicative of light incident on the pixel sensor over an integration period, the control system comprising:

• a serial interface for communicating with a processor;
• a plurality of registers in communication with the serial interface, the registers operative to receive an instruction from the processor;
• logic in communication with at least one register of the plurality of registers, the logic operative to determine at least one subwindow of the image window based on the received instruction;
• and
• outputs in communication with the logic, the outputs operative to provide a row address and a column address to the image sensor corresponding to each pixel in the at least one subwindow.

A system for controlling at least one headlamp on an automotive vehicle comprising:

• a headlamp control unit in communication with the at least one headlamp, the headlamp control unit operative to control the at least one headlamp in response to a control signal;
• a microprocessor in communication with the headlamp control unit, the microprocessor operative to process at least one image to detect the presence of oncoming vehicle headlamps and leading vehicle tail lamps and to generate the control signal;
• an image sensor comprised of an array of pixel sensors defining a window, each pixel sensor in the array at a row address and a column address, the image sensor having a row input for selecting row address and a column input for selecting column address, the image sensor operative to generate a pixel output signal for the pixel sensor at the selected row address and the selected column address based on light incident upon the pixel sensor, the image sensor operative to view a scene in front of the automotive vehicle;
• an analog-to-digital converter in communication with the image sensor operative to digitize the output signal and to forward the digitized output signal to the processor;
• and
• a control system in communication with the image sensor, the analog-to-digital converter, and the processor, the control system operative to
• (a) receive an instruction from the processor,
• (b) determine a first subwindow of the image sensor window based on the received instruction, and
• (c) determine the selected row address and the selected column address corresponding to each pixel in the subwindow.