Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Aptina Imaging Corporation

Robert Arthur Black

Scott Thomas Smith

Peng Lin

Jonathan Michael Stern

Michael John Brosnan

Richard A Mauritzson

Roopinder Singh Grewal

Dennis Robert Engelbrecht

Imaging systems may include camera modules that include multiple image sensor pixel arrays. A transparent lens substrate may be formed over the image pixel arrays. Lenses may be formed in the lens substrate such that each lens transmits light to a corresponding image sensor pixel array. Total internal reflection mitigation structures such as groove structures may be formed in one or more surfaces of the lens substrate between each of the lenses. The groove structures may include concentric ring shaped grooves in a surface of the lens substrate so that each lens is surrounded by a respective group of concentric ring shaped grooves. The groove structures may have a depth, angle, shape, and spacing that prevents total internal reflection of image light between the lenses so that high incident angle image light incident on a given pixel array is not captured by an adjacent pixel array.

Imaging systems having lens substrates with total internal reflection mitigation structures

An image sensor may include an array of photodiodes and readout circuitry. A group of adjacent photodiodes in the array may be covered with a first color filter element that transmits a first color light and an additional group of adjacent photodiodes may be covered with a second color filter element that transmits a second color light. The group of photodiodes may share a floating diffusion node. The array may be operable in a low resolution mode in which the readout circuitry reads out image signals corresponding to a sum of charges generated by the group of photodiodes and in a high resolution mode in which the readout circuitry reads out image signals corresponding to charges generated by each of the photodiodes from the shared floating diffusion node. The photodiodes in the group may capture charge using different integration times for generating high-dynamic-range images.

Imaging systems having image sensor pixel arrays with sub-pixel resolution capabilities

An imaging system may include a camera module with an image sensor having an array of image sensor pixels and one or more lenses that focus light onto the array of image sensor pixels. The array of image sensor pixels may include a corresponding array of color filter elements. The system may include circuitry configured to detect and mitigate flare artifacts in image data captured using the image sensor. Detecting the flare artifacts may include detecting color mismatches in the captured image data and performing edge-detection operations to determine whether the color mismatches are in an edge region of the image data. If the color mismatches are detected in an edge region, no flare-mitigation operations may be performed. If the color mismatches are in a flat region of the captured image, flare-mitigation operations may be performed.

Method and apparatus for image flare mitigation

Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may include an anamorphic lens and an image sensor having an array of asymmetrical image pixels. The array may be a square array arranged in pixel columns and pixel rows. The square image pixel array may include more pixel columns than pixel rows and may be located completely within the image circle of the anamorphic lens. The asymmetrical image pixels may each have a width that is smaller the height of that image pixel. The asymmetrical image pixels may be rectangular image pixels or diamond-shaped image pixels. The anamorphic lens may project a distorted image onto the array of asymmetrical image pixels. The width of each asymmetrical image pixel may be smaller than the height of that image pixel by an amount that corresponds to the distortion of the image by the anamorphic lens.

Reduced height camera modules

Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may include an array camera having an array of lenses and a corresponding array of image sensors. The array of image sensors may include a monochromatic image sensor such as a green image sensor and a polychromatic image sensor such as a red and blue image sensor. The red and blue image sensor may include a color filter array of red and blue color filter elements formed over an array of image pixels. The red and blue color filter elements in the polychromatic image sensor may be arranged in a checkerboard pattern, a zigzag pattern that extends vertically from the top of the pixel array to the bottom of the pixel array, or a diagonal strip pattern. The electronic device may include processing circuitry for combining monochromatic images from the monochromatic image sensor with polychromatic images from the polychromatic image sensor.

Color filter arrangements for fused array imaging systems

An imaging system may include a camera module with an image sensor having an array of image sensor pixels and one or more lenses that focus light onto the array. The system may include processing circuitry configured to mitigate flare artifacts in image data captured using the array based on at least one image flare map. The image flare map may identify a portion of the captured image data on which to perform image flare mitigation operations. The processing circuitry may perform image flare mitigation operations such as pixel value desaturation on the identified portion of the captured image data without desaturating portions of the image data that do not include flare artifacts. The flare map may be generated using a calibration system that characterizes the location, intensity, and color of all possible image flare artifacts that may be generated by the imaging system during normal imaging operations.

Imaging systems and methods for location-specific image flare mitigation

Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may be formed from an array of lenses and corresponding image sensors. The array of image sensors may include three color image sensors for color imaging and a fourth image sensor positioned to improve image depth mapping. Providing a camera module with a fourth image sensor may increase the baseline distance between the two most distant image sensors, allowing parallax and depth information to be determined for objects a greater distance from the camera than in a conventional electronic device. The fourth image sensor may be a second green image sensor positioned at a maximal distance from the green color image sensor used for color imaging. The fourth image sensor may also be a clear image sensor, allowing capture of improved image depth information and enhanced image resolution and low-light performance.

Imaging systems with array cameras for depth sensing

The invention includes methods and apparatus for correcting shading non-uniformity in camera systems. A method includes capturing at least two sets of flatfield images from at least two sets of camera modules under first and second illuminant, respectively. Pixels for each image in the sets of flatfield images are then averaged to form first and second averaged flatfield images, respectively. The first averaged flatfield image is transformed using the second averaged flatfield image to create a transform image. The transform image is then saved in memory for calibrating the shading non-uniformity of the camera module.

Method and apparatus for calibrating and correcting shading non-uniformity of camera systems

Electronic devices may include camera modules. A camera module may include an array camera having an array of lenses and an array of corresponding image sensors. Parallax correction and depth mapping methods may be provided for array cameras. A parallax correction method may include a global and a local parallax correction. A global parallax correction may be determined based on one-dimensional horizontal and vertical projections of edge images. Local parallax corrections may be determined using a block matching procedure. Further improvements to local parallax corrections may be generated using a relative block color saturation test, a smoothing of parallax correction vectors and, if desired, using a cross-check between parallax correction vectors determined for multiple image sensors. Three dimensional depth maps may be generated based on parallax correction vectors.

Method and apparatus for parallax correction in fused array imaging systems

An apparatus for sensing rotation includes a plurality of motion sensors constructed in a substantially coplanar arrangement. The plurality of motion sensors is each configured to generate incremental movement data indicative of movement of the sensor in two dimensions. A rotation data generator generates rotation data based on the incremental movement data. The rotation data represents rotation of a first one of the motion sensors about a second one of the motion sensors.

Apparatus and method for sensing rotation based on multiple sets of movement data

A method and apparatus for flattening the illumination intensity over an optical sensor is disclosed. The intensity of light off the axis from a lens is less than the light on axis by a factor of cos &thgr;, where &thgr; is the angle from the lens exit pupil to the off-axis point. Light from the lens incident upon the optical sensor therefore will not be uniform in intensity. Light-blocking patches are placed over the areas of the optical sensor where light intensity needs to be reduced to achieve uniform illumination intensity across the entire optical sensor. Areas of the optical sensor that fall closest to the axis of the lens receive the greatest intensity of light due to the rule of cos &thgr;, and therefore will require more light-blocking patches than areas of the optical sensor further away from the lens axis.

Intensity flattener for optical mouse sensors

A surface having specular regions shaped to reflect incident light toward an optical sensor provides an ideal surface to be scanned by an optical mouse. When light is shined upon the surface, the reflections off of the specular regions appear as white points in the image acquired by the optical sensor, which gives the optical sensor the distinguishing characteristics it needs to differentiate between images. Since the specular regions reflect light so well, less light is needed to obtain an image, and power is conserved. The surface appears as a dark background in the image, providing contrast to the light reflecting off the specular regions. To protect the specular regions, an optically transparent coating can be layered on top of the surface. An alternative surface that may be easier to manufacture is a light colored surface dotted with darker colored regions.

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Milpitas, CA, United States of America

Robert Arthur Black