Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Badrinath Padmanabhan

Alireza Bonakdar

Richard Mann

Boyd Fowler

Wenshou Chen

Yiyi Ren

Shinn-Jhy Lian

Bill Phan

Zhiqiang Lin

Guansong Liu

Chin Poh Pang

Eiichi Funatsu

Libo Weng

A flare-blocking image sensor includes large pixels and small pixels, a microlens, and an opaque element. The large pixels and small pixels form a first and second pixel array respectively, each having a pixel pitch Pand P. The second pixel array is offset from the first pixel array by ½Pand ½P. A first large pixel of the large pixels is between and collinear with a first and a second small pixel separated by √{square root over (P+P)} in a first direction and each having a width W less than both pixel pitch Pand P. The microlens is aligned with the first large pixel. The opaque element is between the first large pixel and the microlens and extends, in the first direction, less than from the first small pixel toward the second small pixel. The opaque element has a width perpendicular to the first direction not exceeding width W.

Flare-blocking image sensor

In some embodiments, an imaging system is provided. The imaging system comprises an image sensor, a light source, control circuitry, and function logic. The image sensor comprises a pixel array that includes a plurality of polarization pixel cells and a plurality of time-of-flight pixel cells. The light source is configured to emit light pulses to an object. The control circuitry is coupled to the light source and the pixel array, and is configured to synchronize a timing of the emission of the light pulses with sensing of photons reflected from the object by the plurality of time-of-flight pixel cells to generate depth information. The function logic is configured to determine a set of ambiguous surface normals using signals generated by the plurality of polarization pixel cells, and to disambiguate the set of ambiguous surface normals using the depth information to generate a three-dimensional shape image.

Devices and methods for obtaining three-dimensional shape information using polarization and time-of-flight detection pixel cells

An optical system comprises an imaging lens for imaging an object to an image and a sensing pixel array for detecting lights from the object toward the image. The sensing pixel array comprises a first sensing pixel and a second sensing pixel, each sensing pixel comprising a microlens covering a one-dimensional series of photodiodes having n photodiodes. A photodiode at an end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the first sensing pixel detects a first light from the object toward the image, and a photodiode at an opposite end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the second sensing pixel detects a second light from the object toward the image, where the first light and the second light pass opposite parts of the imaging lens.

Determining depth information from a single camera

A liquid crystal on silicon device is described. The liquid crystal on silicon device includes a plurality of mirror electrodes, a transparent electrode, a liquid crystal material, and a plurality of microlenses. The plurality of mirror electrodes are arranged periodically to form an array of pixels, each pixel included in the array of pixels configurable to reflect incident light. The transparent electrode is optically aligned with the plurality of mirror electrodes. The liquid crystal material is disposed between the transparent electrode and the plurality of mirror electrodes. The plurality of microlenses are optically aligned with the plurality of mirror electrodes. Each microlens included in the plurality of microlenses is positioned to focus the incident light on a respective one of the plurality of mirror electrodes.

Liquid crystal on silicon device with microlens

A flare-blocking image sensor includes large pixels and small pixels, a microlens, and an opaque element. The large pixels and small pixels form a first and second pixel array respectively, each having a pixel pitch Pand P. The second pixel array is offset from the first pixel array byPandP. A first large pixel of the large pixels is between and collinear with a first and a second small pixel separated by &#x221a;{square root over (P+P)} in a first direction and each having a width W less than both pixel pitch Pand P. The microlens is aligned with the first large pixel. The opaque element is between the first large pixel and the microlens and extends, in the first direction, less than(&#x221a;{square root over (P+P)}&#x2212;W) from the first small pixel toward the second small pixel. The opaque element has a width perpendicular to the first direction not exceeding width W.

An image sensor with quantum efficiency enhanced by inverted pyramids includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of microlenses. The semiconductor substrate includes an array of pixels. Each of the pixels is configured to convert light incident on the pixel to an electrical output signal, the semiconductor substrate having a top surface for receiving the light. The top surface forms a plurality of inverted pyramids in each pixel. The plurality of microlenses are disposed above the top surface and aligned to the plurality of inverted pyramids, respectively.

Image sensors with quantum efficiency enhanced by inverted pyramids

In some embodiments, an image sensor is provided. The image sensor comprises a plurality of photodiodes arranged as a photodiode array. The plurality of photodiodes includes a first set of photodiodes configured as phase detection photodiodes, and a second set of photodiodes configured as polarization detection photodiodes. In some embodiments, a controller is provided. The controller comprises circuitry configured to process signals from a first set of photodiodes of a photodiode array to obtain depth information; process signals from a second set of photodiodes of the photodiode array to obtain polarization information; process the polarization information to obtain an ambiguous set of surface normals; and process the ambiguous set of surface normals using the depth information to obtain a three-dimensional shape image.

Devices and methods for obtaining three-dimensional shape information using polarization and phase detection photodiodes

A system comprising a polarization CMOS image sensor, at least one processor and a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the at least one processor, cause the system to perform actions including receiving, from the polarization CMOS image sensor, polarization information and two-dimensional image information. The polarization information is processed using a machine learning model to generate an output that indicates whether the polarization information represents a valid biometric measurement of a physical feature of a subject.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Badrinath Padmanabhan