Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Mark Pude

Hirotaka Murakami

Kevin Fronczak

Chiaki Takano

Toshimasa Shimizu

Robert James Childs

John Steven Childs

Cody Cziesler

Yuki Takizawa

An imaging device having a digital circuit block therein subjected to in-frame DVFS during a frame sequence of the sensing operating mode. In an example embodiment, the in-frame DVFS causes a higher power-supply voltage and a higher clock frequency to be supplied to the digital circuit block during read periods of the frame sequence, and a lower power-supply voltage and a lower clock frequency to be supplied to the digital circuit block during V-blanking periods of the frame sequence. The lower power-supply voltage and clock frequency are selected to be sufficient for the digital circuit block to support the pertinent functions thereof during the V-blanking periods without adversely impacting performance. For example, the lower power-supply voltage is sufficient for a SRAM of the digital circuit block to retain data therein. Beneficially, the in-frame DVFS enables the imaging device to perform motion detection while consuming very little power.

Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling for image-sensor applications

An imaging device includes a controller, a power supply, a regulator, and a switch. The controller is configured to control an imaging unit, on the basis of a command and data that are received from a host in accordance with an I2C/I3C communication protocol. The power supply is configured to supply a voltage to a digital block of the controller. The digital block is configured to be subjected to dynamic voltage frequency scaling within one-frame operation. The regulator and the switch are provided between the digital block and the power supply, and coupled in parallel with each other.

Imaging device, imaging method, and electronic apparatus

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Honeoye Falls, NY, United States of America

Mark Pude