IP Library Granted Patent US 11,128,843
Granted Patent B2
US 11,128,843 · App. 16/741,633 · Granted Sep 21, 2021

Image-sensor data compression

Inventors: Ohad Meitav (Sunnyvale, CA); David Vakrat (Sunnyvale, CA); Vlad Fruchter (Los Altos, CA); Andrey Tovchigrechko (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
H04N9/04551H04N5/2173H04N5/23229H04N9/04515
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,128,843
App. No.
16/741,633
Granted
Sep 21, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes accessing image-sensor data generated by the image sensor, where the image sensor has a color filter array with a pre-determined number of filter sets, and where each set of filters has a single color, splitting the image-sensor data into a pre-determined number of images, where each image corresponds to a portion of the image-sensor data associated with one of the sets of filters, compressing each of the images using an image compression algorithm, and sending the compressed images to a second computing device, where the second computing device is configured to create an output image based on the compressed images.

Claims (41)

1. A method comprising: by a first computing device associated with an image sensor:

accessing image-sensor data generated by the image sensor, wherein the image sensor has a color filter array comprising a first pre-determined number of filter sets, and wherein each of the filter sets corresponds to a single color;

splitting the image-sensor data into a second pre-determined number of images, each image corresponding to a portion of the image-sensor data associated with one of the filter sets;

compressing each of the images using an image compression algorithm; and

sending the compressed images to a second computing device, wherein the second computing device is configured to create an output image based on the compressed images wherein creating the output image comprises:

de-compressing each of the received compressed images;

generating an interleaved image data by interleaving the de-compressed images; and

generating the output image by de-mosaicing the interleaved image data.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor converts light information into electrical data for each pixel.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a filter belonging to one of the filter sets passes light information for a corresponding color, wherein each pixel in the image sensor is associated with a filter, and wherein the filter sets in the color filter array are arranged in a pre-determined pattern.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each of the images comprises data associated with pixels filtered by filters of a corresponding filter set.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pre-determined number is equal to the second pre-determined number.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the color filter array is a Bayer filter array.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the image compression algorithm is efficient with sparse data.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing a noise reduction on each of the images.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein generating the output image comprises noise reduction, dynamic range correction, or interpolation.

10. One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable on a first computing device associated with an image sensor when executed to:

access image-sensor data generated by the image sensor, wherein the image sensor has a color filter array comprising a first pre-determined number of filter sets, and wherein each of the filter sets corresponds to a single color;

split the image-sensor data into a second pre-determined number of images, each image corresponding to a portion of the image-sensor data associated with one of the sets of filters;

compress each of the images using an image compression algorithm; and

send the compressed images to a second computing device, wherein the second computing device is configured to create an output image based on the compressed images, wherein creating the output image comprises:

de-compressing each of the received compressed images;

generating an interleaved image data by interleaving the de-compressed images; and

generating the output image by de-mosaicing the interleaved image data.

11. The media of claim 10 , wherein the image sensor converts light information into electrical data for each pixel.

12. The media of claim 10 , wherein a filter belonging to one of the filter sets passes light information for a corresponding color, wherein each pixel in the image sensor is associated with a filter, and wherein the filter sets in the color filter array are arranged in a pre-determined pattern.

13. The media of claim 12 , wherein each of the images comprises data associated with pixels filtered by filters of a corresponding filter set.

14. The media of claim 10 , wherein the first pre-determined number is equal to the second pre-determined number.

15. The media of claim 10 , wherein the color filter array is a Bayer filter array.

16. The media of claim 10 , wherein the image compression algorithm is efficient with sparse data.

17. The media of claim 10 , wherein generating the output image comprises noise reduction, dynamic range correction, or interpolation.

18. A first computing device associated with an image sensor comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media coupled to one or more of the processors and comprising instructions operable when executed by one or more of the processors to cause the system to:

access image-sensor data generated by the image sensor, wherein the image sensor has a color filter array comprising a first pre-determined number of filter sets, and wherein each of the filter sets corresponds to a single color;

split the image-sensor data into a second pre-determined number of images, each image corresponding to a portion of the image-sensor data associated with one of the sets of filters;

compress each of the images using an image compression algorithm; and

send the compressed images to a second computing device, wherein the second computing device is configured to create an output image based on the compressed images wherein creating the output image comprises:

de-compressing each of the received compressed images;

generating an interleaved image data by interleaving the de-compressed images; and

generating the output image by de-mosaicing the interleaved image data.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 6, 2022
From: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
To: META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 060591/0848 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 22, 2020
From: MEITAV, OHAD; VAKRAT, DAVID; FRUCHTER, VLAD; TOVCHIGRECHKO, ANDREY
To: FACEBOOK TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 051586/0160 →