Image sensor with chain-capability for multi-camera application

1 . A multi-camera system, comprising:

a first camera including a first lens and a first image sensor;

a second camera including a second lens and a second image sensor, the first image sensor being communicatively coupled with the second image sensor, the first image sensor configured to communicate image data to the second image sensor, wherein the first camera and the second camera have different optical characteristics in one or more of different depth-of-fields, different focus positions, or different resolutions;

a camera controller configured to cause the first and second image sensors to capture and generate respective first and second image data, the first image data being communicated from the first image sensor to the second image sensor, and the second image sensor configured to output a data stream inclusive of the first image data and the second image data;

a first illuminator associated with the first camera and configured to illuminate a first scene of which the first camera is configured to capture; and

a second illuminator associated with the second camera and configured to illuminate a second scene of which the second camera is configured to capture, and wherein the first and second image sensors are further configured to communicate respective first and second illumination synchronization signals to the respective first and second illuminators, thereby causing the respective first and second illuminators to illuminate while the first and second image sensors are capturing images to generate the respective first image data and second image data, the first illuminator and second illuminator being configured to switched ON and OFF independent of respective first and second cameras capturing images.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data stream may be communicated via a mobile industry processor interface (MIPI) protocol.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the second image sensor is configured as a master device and the first image sensor is configured as a slave device such that the second image sensor communicates a signal to the first image sensor to cause the first image sensor to communicate the first image data to the second image sensor.

4 . The system according to claim 3 , further comprising a communication bus to which each of the first and second image sensors are connected, and wherein the second image sensor is configured to generate and communicate a synchronization timing signal via the communication bus to the first image sensor to cause the first and second image sensors to be synchronized with one another.

5 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second image sensors are each further configured to generate first and second data sets inclusive of a timestamp, frame identifier, and image data.

6 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an aiming signal illuminator configured to output an aiming illumination signal to enable a user to view location of view of the first and second cameras, and wherein the camera controller is configured to cause the aiming signal illuminator to be in an OFF state during a time period that the first and second image sensors are capturing images or to cause the aiming signal illuminator to be in an ON state during a time period that the first and second image sensors are capturing images.

7 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second image sensors are configured to output respective first and second image data with corresponding rows and columns of pixel data, wherein the rows and columns of pixel data are different for the first image data and the second image data in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of different dimensions, different pixel sizes, different pixel types, different resolutions, or operate over different spectral regions.

8 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising a third camera including a third lens and a third image sensor being communicatively coupled with the first image sensor, and wherein the camera controller is further configured to cause the third image sensor to capture and generate third image data, the third image data being communicated from the third image sensor to the first image sensor, and the second image sensor further being configured to output a data stream inclusive of the first image data, second image data, and third image data.

9 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the multi-camera system is a code reader including a trigger device with which a user engages to cause the camera controller to initiate the first and second image sensors to capture an image and generate the respective first and second image data representative of a machine-readable indicia.

10 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data stream is organized as an output frame with the first image data and the second image data in a stacked arrangement.

11 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data stream is organized as an output frame with the first image data and the second image data in a horizontal arrangement.

12 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the data stream is organized as an output frame that further includes a padding region to fill in regions in which the first image data and the second image data are not included.

13 . A method, comprising:

illuminating, by a first illuminator associated with a first camera, a first scene of which the first camera is configured to capture;

capturing, by a first image sensor of the first camera, a first image;

generating, by the first image sensor, first image data;

illuminating, by a second illuminator associated with a second camera, a second scene of which the second camera is configured to capture; and

capturing, by a second image sensor of the second camera, a second image;

generating, by the second image sensor, second image data;

communicating, by the first and second image sensors, respective first and second illumination synchronization signals to the respective first and second illuminators, thereby causing the respective first and second illuminators to illuminate while the first and second image sensors are capturing images to generate the respective first image data and second image data;

outputting, by each of the first and second image sensors, the respective first and second image data with corresponding rows and columns of pixel data, wherein the rows and columns of pixel data are different for the first image data and the second image data in at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of different dimensions, different pixel sizes, different pixel types, different resolutions, or operate over different spectral regions;

communicating the first image data to the second image sensor; and

outputting, by the second image sensor, a data stream inclusive of the first image data and the second image data.

14 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

configuring the second image sensor as a master device;

configuring the first image sensor as a slave device such that the second image sensor communicates a signal to the first image sensor to cause the first image sensor to communicate the first image data to the second image sensor.

15 . The method according to claim 14 , further comprising communicating, via a communication bus by the second image sensor to the first image sensor, a synchronization timing signal to cause the first and second image sensors to be synchronized with one another.

16 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising generating, by each of the first and second image sensors, first and second data sets inclusive of a timestamp, frame identifier, and image data.

17 . The method according to claim 13 , further comprising causing an aiming illumination signal to be in an OFF state during a time period that the first and second image sensors are capturing images.

18 . A method comprising:

illuminating, by a first illuminator associated with a first camera, a first scene of which the first camera is configured to capture;

capturing, by a first image sensor of the first camera, a first image;

generating, by the first image sensor, first image data;

illuminating, by a second illuminator associated with a second camera, a second scene of which the second camera is configured to capture; and

capturing, by a second image sensor of the second camera, a second image;

generating, by the second image sensor, second image data;

communicating, by the first and second image sensors, respective first and second illumination synchronization signals to the respective first and second illuminators, thereby causing the respective first and second illuminators to illuminate while the first and second image sensors are capturing images to generate the respective first image data and second image data;

communicating the first image data to the second image sensor; and

outputting, by the second image sensor, a data stream inclusive of the first image data and the second image data.

19 . The method according to claim 18 , further comprising capturing, by the first image sensor, second image sensor, or a third image sensor an third image with ambient light.