Apple Inc.

Invisage Technologies, Inc.

Michael Ross Malone

Steven Porter Hotelling

Jerrold Von Hauck

Steve Porter Hotelling

Edward Hartley Sargent

Hui Tian

Igor C Ivanov

Jess Jan Young Lee

Pierre Henri Rene Della Nave

Michael Charles Brading

Anup K Sharma

Christopher G Zeleznik

Moshe Laifenfeld

Lynn Richard Youngs

Ivan Krstic

Jonathan Pokrass

Thorsten Gernoth

Chiajen Lee

Feng Tang

Thomas P Mensch

Lucia Elena Ballard

Matthew C Waldon

Tal Kaitz

Petr Kostka

Deepti S Prakash

Andrei Kolin

Ziv Hendel

Eitan Hirsh

Lucie Kucerova

Gideon Littwin

Rajsapan Jain

Etai Littwin

Pavan Kumar Anasosalu Vasu

Ting Chen

Richard Lawrence Baer

Xiaofeng Fan

Andrew Kenneth John McMahon

Kelsey Yukio Ho

Micah P Kalscheur

Suppawan Kleekajai

David Amnon Silverstein

Ashwini Dwarakanath

Edward H Sargent

Pavan Kumar Ansosalu Vasu

Deepti Sunder Prakash

Techniques are disclosed relating to biometric authentication, e.g., facial recognition. In some embodiments, a device is configured to verify that image data from a camera unit exhibits a pseudo-random sequence of image capture modes and/or a probing pattern of illumination points (e.g., from lasers in a depth capture mode) before authenticating a user based on recognizing a face in the image data. In some embodiments, a secure circuit may control verification of the sequence and/or the probing pattern. In some embodiments, the secure circuit may verify frame numbers, signatures, and/or nonce values for captured image information. In some embodiments, a device may implement one or more lockout procedures in response to biometric authentication failures. The disclosed techniques may reduce or eliminate the effectiveness of spoofing and/or replay attacks, in some embodiments.

Biometric authentication techniques

A method of operating an image sensor includes determining a duration of an integration time for an image frame; operating an array of pixels to capture the image frame; receiving a decision to truncate the image frame; truncating the image frame before satisfying the duration of the integration time; and reading out a set of pixel values for the array of pixels. Each pixel in the array of pixels is exposed for a truncated integration time. The truncated integration time has a truncated duration shorter than the determined duration.

Exposure truncation for image sensors

In various embodiments, an imaging system and method are provided. In an embodiment, the system comprises a first image sensor array, a first optical system to project a first image on the first image sensor array, the first optical system having a first zoom level. A second optical system is to project a second image on a second image sensor array, the second optical system having a second zoom level. The second image sensor array and the second optical system are pointed in the same direction as the first image sensor array and the first optical system. The second zoom level is greater than the first zoom level such that the second image projected onto the second image sensor array is a zoomed-in portion of the first image projected on the first image sensor array.

Devices and methods for high-resolution image and video capture

In various embodiments, a photodetector includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of pixel regions. Each of the plurality of pixel regions comprises an optically sensitive layer over the semiconductor substrate. A pixel circuit is formed for each of the plurality of pixel regions. Each pixel circuit includes a pinned photodiode, a charge store, and a read out circuit for each of the plurality pixel regions. The optically sensitive layer is in electrical communication with a portion of a silicon diode to form the pinned photodiode. A potential difference between two electrodes in communication with the optically sensitive layer associated with a pixel region exhibits a time-dependent bias; a biasing during a first film reset period being different from a biasing during a second integration period.

Photodetector comprising a pinned photodiode that is formed by an optically sensitive layer and a silicon diode

A controller for an image sensor includes a mode selector that receives a selection between image capture mode and data capture mode. An exposure sensor collects exposure data for a scene falling on the image sensor. A command interface sends commands to the image sensor to cause the image sensor to capture an image with a rolling reset shutter operation in which an integration interval for the image sensor is set based on the exposure data if the image capture mode is selected. The integration interval for the image sensor is set to less than two row periods, preferably close to one row period, without regard to the exposure data if the data capture mode is selected. An analog gain may be increased to as large a value as possible in data capture mode. All pixels in a row may be summed before AD conversion in data capture mode.

Optical demodulation using an image sensor

An image sensor includes pixels that accumulate charge during a first integration period and pixels that accumulate charge during shorter second integration periods when an image is captured. The pixels having the shorter second integration period accumulate charge at two or more different times during the first integration period. Charge is read out of the pixels associated with the first integration period at the end of the first integration period, while charge is read out of the pixels having the second integration period at the end of each second integration period.

Image sensor having pixels with different integration periods

An image sensor and a method of operating an image sensor to achieve a substantially uniform power signature. An array of pixels may be scanned using analog sensing circuitry to obtain an analog sensor output. The scanning is performed over a first time interval. The analog sensor output is converted to a digital data output using digital logic circuitry. The converting occurs over a second time interval that is subsequent to the first time interval and may be substantially the same duration as the first time interval. While the array of pixels are being scanned, the digital logic circuitry is operated over the first time interval and substantially coincides with the scanning of the array of pixels.

Image sensor having a uniform digital power signature

An image sensor includes an imaging area and one or more flicker detection regions. The imaging area includes pixels that capture one or more images. Each flicker detection region includes pixels that are sampled multiple times while an image is being captured. The samples can be analyzed to detect flicker in the scene being imaged.

Image sensor flicker detection

In various example embodiments, an imaging system and method are provided. In an embodiment, the system comprises a first image sensor array, a first optical system to project a first image on the first image sensor array, the first optical system having a first zoom level. A second optical system is to project a second image on a second image sensor array, the second optical system having a second zoom level. The second image sensor array and the second optical system are pointed in the same direction as the first image sensor array and the first optical system. The second zoom level is greater than the first zoom level such that the second image projected onto the second image sensor array is a zoomed in on portion of the first image projected on the first image sensor array. The first image sensor array includes at least four megapixels and the second image sensor array includes one-half or less than the number of pixels in the first image sensor array.

An electronic apparatus that includes a controlled device with a plurality of control registers. A data bus is coupled between the controlled device and a processor, and an interface is configured to receive a plurality of portions of data read from or to be written to the plurality of control registers. The electronic apparatus also includes a correlation circuit configured to associate at least some of the plurality of portions of data with respective physical addresses of the plurality of control registers based on respective positions of the respective portions of data within the plurality.

Accessing control registers over a data bus

A system and method for estimating an ambient light condition is using an image sensor of a digital camera. An array of pixels is obtained using the image sensor. A matrix of grid elements is defined. Each grid element comprises multiple adjacent pixels of the array of pixels. A first measurement value is generated for a grid element of the matrix of grid elements based on the pixels associated with the grid element. A set of grid elements are identified having a first measurement value that satisfies a brightness criteria. A second measurement is generated using the identified set of grid elements. A simulated-light-sensor array is generated using the second measurement value. An estimate of the ambient light condition is calculated using the simulated-light-sensor array.

System and method for estimating an ambient light condition using an image sensor and field-of-view compensation

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Michael Ross Malone