公开(公告)号：US11647175B2

公开(公告)日：2023-05-09

申请号：US17113011

申请日：2020-12-05

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Richard Mann ,  Badrinath Padmanabhan ,  Boyd Fowler ,  Alireza Bonakdar ,  Eiichi Funatsu

IPC: H04N13/218 ,  G06T7/593 ,  H04N13/257 ,  G06T7/571 ,  H04N23/67

CPC classification number: H04N13/218 ,  G06T7/571 ,  G06T7/593 ,  H04N13/257 ,  H04N23/672

Abstract: An optical system comprises an imaging lens for imaging an object to an image and a sensing pixel array for detecting lights from the object toward the image. The sensing pixel array comprises a first sensing pixel and a second sensing pixel, each sensing pixel comprising a microlens covering a one-dimensional series of photodiodes having n photodiodes. A photodiode at an end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the first sensing pixel detects a first light from the object toward the image, and a photodiode at an opposite end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the second sensing pixel detects a second light from the object toward the image, where the first light and the second light pass opposite parts of the imaging lens.

公开(公告)号：US20220191416A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-16

申请号：US17541417

申请日：2021-12-03

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Boyd Fowler

IPC: H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148

Abstract: A sample and hold (SH) circuit includes a pixel level connection coupled to a pixel cell. A reset row transistor is coupled between a first supply voltage and the pixel level connection. A source follower row transistor having a gate is coupled to the pixel level connection. A row select row transistor is coupled between the source follower row transistor and a bitline. A first storage transistor is coupled to the pixel level connection. A first storage device is coupled between the first storage transistor and a second supply voltage. A second storage transistor is coupled to the pixel level connection. A second storage device is coupled between the second storage transistor and the second supply voltage.

公开(公告)号：US20210176447A1

公开(公告)日：2021-06-10

申请号：US17113011

申请日：2020-12-05

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Richard Mann ,  Badrinath Padmanabhan ,  Boyd Fowler ,  Alireza Bonakdar ,  Eiichi Funatsu

IPC: H04N13/218 ,  G06T7/593 ,  G06T7/571 ,  H04N13/257 ,  H04N5/232

Abstract: An optical system comprises an imaging lens for imaging an object to an image and a sensing pixel array for detecting lights from the object toward the image. The sensing pixel array comprises a first sensing pixel and a second sensing pixel, each sensing pixel comprising a microlens covering a one-dimensional series of photodiodes having n photodiodes. A photodiode at an end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the first sensing pixel detects a first light from the object toward the image, and a photodiode at an opposite end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the second sensing pixel detects a second light from the object toward the image, where the first light and the second light pass opposite parts of the imaging lens.

公开(公告)号：US11871129B2

公开(公告)日：2024-01-09

申请号：US17869552

申请日：2022-07-20

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Boyd Fowler ,  Andreas Suess

IPC: H04N25/67 ,  H04N25/671 ,  G06F17/12 ,  H04N25/772

CPC classification number: H04N25/671 ,  G06F17/12 ,  H04N25/772

Abstract: A method for estimating a signal charge collected by a pixel of an image sensor includes determining an average bias that depends on the pixel's floating-diffusion dark current and pixel-sampling period. The method also includes determining a signal-charge estimate as the average bias subtracted from a difference between a weighted sum of a plurality of N multiple-sampling values each multiplied by a respective one of a plurality of N sample-weights.

公开(公告)号：US11683598B1

公开(公告)日：2023-06-20

申请号：US17679633

申请日：2022-02-24

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Bo Mu ,  Boyd Fowler

IPC: H04N23/951 ,  H04N5/222 ,  H04N23/63 ,  H04N23/67

CPC classification number: H04N23/951 ,  H04N5/2226 ,  H04N23/634 ,  H04N23/67

Abstract: An imaging system including an image sensor coupled to a controller to image an external scene is described. The controller includes logic storing instructions that when executed causes the imaging system to perform operations including capturing images, including a first image and a second image, of an external scene, and generating reduced representations of the images including a first reduced representation associated with the first image and a second reduced representation associated with the second image. The operations further include comparing the first reduced representation with the second reduced representation to determine a difference between the first image and the second image and identifying an occurrence of an occlusion affecting the image sensor imaging the external scene when the difference is greater than a threshold value.

公开(公告)号：US11539875B1

公开(公告)日：2022-12-27

申请号：US17459181

申请日：2021-08-27

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Boyd Fowler

IPC: H04N5/232 ,  G06K9/62 ,  G02B7/34 ,  H04N5/369

Abstract: An autofocusing method includes capturing an image of a scene with a camera that includes a pixel array; computing a horizontal-difference image, and a vertical-difference image; and combining the horizontal-difference image and the vertical-difference image to yield a combined image. The method also includes determining, from the combined image and the intensity image, an image distance with respect to a lens of the camera at which the camera forms an in-focus image. The pixel array includes horizontally-adjacent pixel pairs and vertically-adjacent pixel pairs each located beneath a respective microlens. The horizontal-difference image includes, for each horizontally-adjacent pixel pair, a derived pixel value that is an increasing function of a difference between pixel values generated by the horizontally-adjacent pixel pair. The vertical-difference image includes, for each vertically-adjacent pixel pair, a derived pixel value that is an increasing function of a difference between pixel values generated by the vertically-adjacent pixel pair.

公开(公告)号：US11211421B2

公开(公告)日：2021-12-28

申请号：US16255194

申请日：2019-01-23

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Xianmin Yi ,  Jingming Yao ,  Philip Cizdziel ,  Eric Webster ,  Duli Mao ,  Zhiqiang Lin ,  Jens Landgraf ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Kevin Johnson ,  Sohei Manabe ,  Dyson H. Tai ,  Lindsay Grant ,  Boyd Fowler

IPC: G01S17/89 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L27/148 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: A sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to receive light and convert the light into charge, and a first floating diffusion coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge. A second floating diffusion is coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge, and a first transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the second floating diffusion, and an inductor is coupled between a first gate terminal of the first transfer transistor and a second gate terminal of the second transfer transistor. The inductor, the first gate terminal, and the second gate terminal form a resonant circuit.

公开(公告)号：US20200235158A1

公开(公告)日：2020-07-23

申请号：US16255194

申请日：2019-01-23

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Xianmin Yi ,  Jingming Yao ,  Philip Cizdziel ,  Eric Webster ,  Duli Mao ,  Zhiqiang Lin ,  Jens Landgraf ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Kevin Johnson ,  Sohei Manabe ,  Dyson H. Tai ,  Lindsay Grant ,  Boyd Fowler

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H01L31/107 ,  H01L31/02 ,  H01L27/148 ,  G01S17/10

Abstract: A sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to receive light and convert the light into charge, and a first floating diffusion coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge. A second floating diffusion is coupled to the photodiode to receive the charge, and a first transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the first floating diffusion. A second transfer transistor is coupled to transfer the charge from the photodiode into the second floating diffusion, and an inductor is coupled between a first gate terminal of the first transfer transistor and a second gate terminal of the second transfer transistor. The inductor, the first gate terminal, and the second gate terminal form a resonant circuit.

公开(公告)号：US12238415B2

公开(公告)日：2025-02-25

申请号：US18356316

申请日：2023-07-21

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Boyd Fowler ,  Devang Patel ,  Eiichi Funatsu ,  Andreas Suess ,  Kevin Johnson

IPC: H04N23/66 ,  H04N23/50 ,  H04N23/667 ,  H04N23/80

Abstract: An image sensor comprises: a control block generating a video interface enabled signal, a video interface for receiving the video interface enabled signal, a pixel array for providing a video stream to the video interface, an output port for receiving the video stream from the video interface and outputting the video stream to outside of the image sensor, a stream indicator pin for receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block when the video interface is receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block, where a terminal of the video interface receiving the video interface enabled signal is connected to the stream indicator pin by a conductor, and they are sealed in a package of the image sensor.

公开(公告)号：US12189727B2

公开(公告)日：2025-01-07

申请号：US17478237

申请日：2021-09-17

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Wenshou Chen ,  Guansong Liu ,  Boyd Fowler ,  Ramakrishna Kakarala ,  Yiyi Ren

IPC: G06F15/16 ,  G06F21/16 ,  G06F21/60 ,  G06T1/00 ,  H04L1/00 ,  G06F17/14

Abstract: A method and apparatus for embedding a digital watermark in image content that is not visible to the human eye is performed on single-sensor digital camera images (often called ‘raw’ images) from a pixel-array. The raw image is transformed to generate preprocessed image coefficients, a watermark message is encrypted using a first key; the encrypted watermark message is randomized using a second key to form a watermark; and the watermark is embedded in randomly selected preprocessed image coefficients.