Qualcomm Incorporated

Micha Galor Gluskin

Jisoo Lee

Wesley James Holland

Venkata Ravi Kiran Dayana

Lee-Kang Liu

Ruben Manuel Velarde

Jiafu Luo

Wen-Chun Feng

Ying Noyes

Upal Mahbub

Scott Barker

Bapineedu Chowdary Gummadi

Soman Ganesh Nikhara

Ravi Shankar Kadambala

Biay-Cheng Hseih

Jing Wang

Pradeep Kumar Veeramalla

Ho Sang Lee

Wenbin Wang

Hui Shan Kao

Joby Abraham

Nan Cui

Sanket Krishnamurthy Sagar

Abhijeet Dey

Shridhar Prakash Patil

Hang-Wei Liaw

Yu Cheng Hsieh

Prajit Kulkarni

Balakrishna Mandadi

Yiqian Wang

Shrey Shailesh Gadiya

Raghavendra Prasad Nerlige Onkarappa

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for image signal processing that support compression of phase detection (PD) data. In a first aspect, a method of image processing includes receiving image data and first phase detection data corresponding to the image data; determining a first channel of the first phase detection data and a second channel of the first phase detection data; and coding the first phase detection data to determine second phase detection data by separately coding the first channel and the second channel. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.

Phase detection data encoding techniques

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for low power, variable focus. An example method can include obtaining, based on a trigger, a first image of a scene captured by an image sensor, the first image being captured with a lens of the image sensor in a first configuration of a plurality of available lens configurations; determining, based on the first image and a first detection result, whether an object of interest is present in the first image; in response to determining that the object of interest is not present in the first image, adjusting the lens to a second configuration selected from the plurality of lens configurations; obtaining, by the image sensor, a second image of the scene while the lens is in the second configuration; and determining, based on the second image and a second detection result, that the object of interest is present in the second image.

Low power object detection

Systems and techniques are provided for processing one or more frames. For example, a process can include obtaining a first plurality of frames associated with a first settings domain from an image capture system, wherein the first plurality of frames is captured prior to obtaining a capture input. The process can include obtaining a reference frame associated with a second settings domain from the image capture system, wherein the reference frame is captured proximate to obtaining the capture input. The process can include obtaining a second plurality of frames associated with the second settings domain from the image capture system, wherein the second plurality of frames is captured after the reference frame. The process can include, based on the reference frame, transforming at least a portion of the first plurality of frames to generate a transformed plurality of frames associated with the second settings domain.

Low-power fusion for negative shutter lag capture

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for image signal processing that support variable aperture (VA) camera operation. In a first aspect, a method of image processing includes receiving first image data from a variable aperture (VA) camera acquired at a first aperture size; determining a first set of output image frames based on the first image data; receiving second image data from the VA camera acquired during an aperture size transition; and determining a second set of output image frames based on the first image data and the second image data, wherein determining the second set of output image frames comprises adjusting a characteristic of the second image data based on the first image data. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.

Image processing for aperture size transition in a variable aperture (VA) camera

Systems and techniques are provided for processing images. For example, a process can include obtaining a first color image including first one or more pixels from a first image sensor and obtaining a second color image including second one or more pixels from a second sensor, the second color image including infrared (IR) information from a second image sensor. The process can include determining a transformation between colors associated with the first one or more pixels and colors associated with the second one or more pixels based on a comparison associated with the first one or more pixels and the second one or more pixels. The process can include generating a color corrected image at least in part by transforming the second color image including IR information to a color corrected image based on the determined transformation.

Multi-sensor imaging color correction

This disclosure provides systems, methods, and devices for image capture and image processing that support capture using a variable aperture (VA) camera. In a first aspect, a method of image processing includes determining a plurality of depths for a scene, the plurality of depths corresponding to a plurality of regions of interest; determining an aperture size for a camera based on the plurality of depths; determining a lens position for the camera based on the aperture size and the plurality of depths; and controlling the camera to adjust a variable aperture (VA) of the camera based on the aperture size and to adjust a lens associated with the variable aperture (VA) based on the lens position. Other aspects and features are also claimed and described.

Variable aperture (VA) camera control for controlling a depth of focus

A device for image capture comprises a memory and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to: receive, during a preview mode or a recording, a first image, generate a first saliency map indicative of relative saliency of different regions within the first image, wherein the relative saliency of the different regions is indicative of a likelihood of attracting viewer gaze, generate one or more additional images based on manipulating pixels in the first image, generate one or more additional saliency maps indicative of relative saliency of different regions within the one or more additional images, and determine, during the preview mode or the recording, a camera setting based on the first saliency map and the one or more additional saliency maps.

Saliency based capture or image processing

Systems and techniques are described for imaging. An imaging system includes an image sensor with a plurality of photodetectors, grouped into a first group of photodetectors and a second group of photodetectors. The imaging system can reset its image sensor. The imaging system exposes its image sensor to light from a scene. The plurality of photodetectors convert the light into charge. The imaging system stores analog photodetector signals corresponding to the charge from each the photodetectors. The imaging system reads first digital pixel data from a first subset of the analog photodetector signals corresponding to the first group of photodetectors without reading second digital pixel data from a second subset of the analog photodetector signals corresponding to the second group of photodetectors. The imaging system generates an image of the scene using the first digital pixel data.

Systems and methods for controlling an image sensor

Various embodiments are directed to a device including an infrared phase detection autofocus (PDAF) sensor. The device may include a projector configured to transmit a source light onto a scene. The device may include the infrared PDAF sensor configured to receive reflections of the source light off of objects within the scene. The infrared PDAF sensor may include a first set of pixels including focus pixels. The device may include a processor coupled to the infrared PDAF sensor and a memory. The processor may be configured to generate first depth data based on the received reflections of the source light. The processor may be configured to generate second depth data based on signals generated from corresponding pairs of the focus pixels. The processor may be configured to generate combined depth data based on the first depth data and the second depth data.

Phase detection autofocus sensor apparatus and method for depth sensing

A device for image capture includes a memory configured to store a preview image, and one or more processors coupled to the memory and configured to receive a user selection to focus at a region of the preview image stored in the memory, determine whether there is image content at different depths in the region, based on the determination that there is image content at different depths in the region, output an alternative version of the image content in the region, receive a subsequent user selection within the alternative version, and control a focus level for a camera based on the subsequent user selection.

User interface for camera focus

Examples of capturing and processing image data are described. A device may include a camera including a camera sensor that includes a plurality of tiles that each include four sub-tiles. The camera may also include a color filter array coupled to the camera sensor and including a plurality of red, blue, and green color filters. A first sub-tile of each tile may include a phase detection pixel coupled to a microlens shared with at least one other pixel of the tile and an imaging pixel not coupled to a second microlens different from the first microlens. The device may also include a processor coupled to the camera and configured to control one or more first exposure settings of the phase detection pixel and control one or more second exposure settings of the non-phase detection pixel. Control of the second exposure settings is independent from control of the first exposure settings.

Quad color filter array camera sensor configurations

Apparatus for an optical system optimized for PDAF depth sensing are disclosed herein. An example apparatus includes a phase detection auto focus (PDAF) sensor including a plurality of focus pixels and a plurality of micro lenses. The example apparatus also includes an optical system located above the PDAF sensor and configured to direct light to the micro lenses of the PDAF sensor. In some examples, the optical system includes a lens and an opaque element configured to block light through the lens except for at least one circular asymmetric subsection of the lens.

Phase detection autofocus (PDAF) optical system

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to quad color filter array image sensors. A quad color filter array (CFA) image sensor is configured to capture image data. The quad CFA image sensor includes a quad CFA and an image sensor coupled to the quad CFA. The image sensor includes a plurality of quads including a plurality of pixels. For each quad, each pixel of the plurality of pixels is coupled to a same color filter of the plurality of color filters, a first pixel of the plurality of pixels is associated with a first exposure region of the quad and corresponds to a first aperture size, a second pixel of the plurality of pixels is associated with a second exposure region of the quad and corresponds to a second aperture size, and at least two pixels of the plurality of pixels are configured as phase detection pixels.

Quad color filter array image sensor with aperture simulation and phase detection

A method synchronizes autofocus in a system having a master camera and a slave camera. The method comprises: focusing the slave camera based on a map and a result of an autofocus operation by the master camera, while capturing each of a plurality of images. The map relates a plurality of master camera lens positions of the master camera to corresponding slave camera lens positions of the slave camera. An autofocus operation is periodically performed in the slave camera to determine an additional slave camera lens position for an additional image. The map is adaptively updated, based at least partially on the additional slave camera lens position.

Growing community of inventors

San Diego, CA, United States of America

Micha Galor Gluskin