Omnivision Sensor Solution (shanghai) Co., Ltd

Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Menghan Guo

Shoushun Chen

Andreas Suess

Bo Mu

Luis Eduardo García Capel

Event vision sensors with defect pixel suppression (and associated methods) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event vision sensor includes an array of event vision pixels and an event signal processor. The event signal processor is configured to identify event vision pixels of the array that are defective based on noise event occurrence firing rates corresponding to the event vision pixels. The noise event occurrence firing rate for each event vision pixel can be based on inter-arrival times or a noise event rate corresponding to that event vision pixel. Each event vision pixel can include internal circuitry (e.g., a memory component, such as a latch) that can, when the event vision pixel is identified as defective, be used to disable the event vision pixel from detecting events or to mask an output of the event vision pixel such that events are not read out of the event vision pixel.

Event vision sensors with defect pixel suppression, including event vision sensors with in-pixel defect pixel suppression based on noise event occurrence firing rates, and associated systems, devices, and methods

Disclosed are an image sensor and an image processing system. The image sensor at least includes: a pixel collection circuit array, an activity detection unit, a low-power control unit, and a reading unit. The pixel collection circuit array is composed of a plurality of pixel collection circuits, and the pixel collection circuits monitor a light intensity change in a field of view and enter a trigger state when the light intensity change satisfies a certain conditions. The activity detection unit monitors a current value on a global activity detection signal line, and sets a low-activity enable signal to be valid when the current value is smaller than an activity threshold. The low-power control unit sets a global low-power enable signal to be valid when the low-activity enable signal is valid. The reading unit is reset when the global low-power enable signal is valid.

Image sensor and image processing system

The present disclosure discloses a pixel collection circuit and an image sensor. Where the image sensor includes: a pixel collection circuit array containing a plurality of pixel collection circuits; a global control unit, coupled with the pixel collection circuit array through a global reset signal line and suitable for resetting the pixel collection circuit array when the image sensor is powered on; a global time signal generation unit, coupled with the pixel collection circuit array through a global time signal line and suitable for generating a global time signal that represents time information; and a reading unit, coupled with the pixel collection circuit array through a row selection line, a row event reset signal line, a column flag bit signal line and a column time signal line and suitable for reading event information of an event sequence generated by the pixel collection circuit array.

Pixel collection circuit and image sensor

An event-based vision sensor is provided. The event-based vision sensor comprises an event-based vision sensor pixel array, an always-on row scanner, an always-on column scanner, a major row scanner and a major column scanner. The event-based vision sensor pixel array comprises a plurality of always-on pixels and a plurality of major pixels. The always-on row scanner and the always-on column scanner are for the plurality of always-on pixels. The major row scanner and the major column scanner are for the plurality of major pixels. When the event-based vision sensor is configured to be operated in an always-on mode, the plurality of major pixels are powered down, and the plurality of always-on pixels, the always-on row scanner and the always-on column scanner are in operation.

Low-power always-on event-based vision sensor

The present disclosure provides a pixel collection circuit and an image sensor. The image collection circuit includes: a movement detection module configured to detect a change in a light intensity in a field of view, and generate a pixel triggering signal when the change in the light intensity exceeds a predetermined threshold so as to indicate the pixel collection circuit to be in a triggered state; and a time signal generation module coupled to the movement detection module and configured to generate a time signal upon the receipt of the pixel triggering signal, the time signal being used to represent time information about a time point at which the pixel collection circuit is triggered. The movement detection module and the time signal generation module are coupled to a reading unit, so that the reading unit scans the pixel collection circuit to output the time information about the pixel collection circuit.

The present disclosure provides an image sensor, which includes: a pixel collection circuit array including a plurality of pixel collection circuits, each pixel collection circuit being configured to monitor a change in a light intensity in a field of view and enter a triggered state when the change in the light intensity meets a predetermined condition; a global control unit configured to reset the pixel collection circuit array when the image sensor is powered on, and control the pixel collection circuit array in a stable initial state to operate; a photo current detection unit configured to determine whether there is the change in the light intensity, and control an operating state of at least one pixel collection circuit in accordance with the detected change in the light intensity; and a reading unit configured to respond to the pixel collection circuit in the triggered state and output corresponding address information.

Low-power image sensor

The present disclosure provides an anti-flashlight circuit assembly and an image sensor. The anti-flashlight circuit assembly includes a plurality of flashlight detection units. Each flashlight detection unit includes: a first photoelectric detection module configured to monitor an optical signal in real time and output a corresponding electric signal; a first triggering generation module configured to generate a first triggering generation signal when the electric signal exceeds a predetermined threshold, and output the first triggering generation signal to a first interface logic module; and the first interface logic module configured to output a triggering state signal upon the receipt of the first triggering generation signal.

Anti-flashlight circuit assembly and image sensor

An event sensing system includes a pixel array including a plurality of event driven pixel circuits configured to be illuminated by incident light. The event driven pixel circuits are configured to generate an event current in response to a detection of an event in the incident light. Output signals of a row of the pixel array are configured to be read out from the row of the pixel array to a line buffer in response to the detection of the event in the incident light. A random number generator is configured to randomly generate a filtering mask. A mask circuit is the output signals of the row of the pixel array from the line buffer and the filtering mask from the random number generator to filter the output signals of the row of the pixel array in response to the filtering mask.

Event filtering in an event sensing system

The present disclosure provides an image sensor and an image collection system. The image sensor includes: a pixel collection circuitry array including a plurality of pixel collection circuitries, each pixel collection circuitry being configured to monitor a change in a light intensity in a field of view and enter a triggered state when the change in the light intensity meets a predetermined condition; a boundary triggered pixel determination array configured to determine a boundary triggered pixel collection circuitry in the pixel collection circuitries in the triggered state; and a reading unit configured to respond to the boundary triggered pixel collection circuitry and output address information about the boundary triggered pixel collection circuitry.

Image sensor and image collection system

The present disclosure provides a pixel collection circuit and an image sensor. The pixel collection circuit includes: a photoelectric detection module configured to monitor an optical signal in real time and output a corresponding electric signal; a triggering generation module configured to generate a triggering generation signal when a change frequency of the electric signal exceeds a predetermined frequency threshold and an amplitude of the electric signal meets a predetermined condition, and output the triggering generation signal to the interface logic module; and the interface logic module configured to output a triggering state signal upon the receipt of the triggering generation signal.

Growing community of inventors

Shanghai, China

Menghan Guo