IP Library › Patent Application 16859928
Patent Application
App. No. 16/859,928

METHODS OF SENSOR MODE SWITCHING IN EVENT BASED SENSOR AND IMAGING CAMERA FOR LOW POWER APPLICATION

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US None
App. No.
16/859,928
Abstract

An image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels. Pixels are capable of detecting a change in an amount of light intensity and pixels are capable of detecting an amount of light intensity. In a first mode the sensor outputs data from the first one or more of the pixels. In a second mode the sensor outputs data from the second one or more of the pixels. At least one of the first mode and the second mode is selected by a processor based on at least one of a result of processing data output in the first mode and a result of processing data output in the second mode.

Claims (36)

1 . A system comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a change of an amount of light intensity;

a second sensor configured to detect an amount of light intensity; and

a processor configured to:

process an output from the first sensor and output an event signal in a first mode,

process an output from the second sensor and output an image signal in a second mode, and

select at least one of the first mode and the second mode based on at least one of a result of processing in the first mode and a result of processing in the second mode.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein processing the output from the first sensor comprises analyzing data output from the first sensor with a neural network.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the neural network is trained to detect an object.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the second mode is selected when the neural network detects the object in the data output from the first sensor.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the first sensor is a EBS sensor and the second sensor is an RGB sensor.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is selected based on detecting event density in data output from the first sensor in the first mode exceeds a threshold.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the event density in a predefined region of a scene is output from the first sensor.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second mode is selected based on detecting event density in data output from the first sensor in the first mode falls below a threshold.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a frame rate is adjusted based on the result of processing in the first mode.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to output time information with the event signal in the first mode.

11 . An imaging system comprising:

a first sensor configured to detect a change of an amount of light intensity; and

a second sensor configured to detect an amount of light intensity, wherein:

an output from the first sensor is processed by a processor in a first mode,

an output from the second sensor is processed by the processor in a second mode, and

at least one of the first mode and the second mode is selected by the processor based on at least one of a result of processing in the first mode and a result of processing in the second mode.

12 . The imaging system of claim 11 , wherein processing the output from the first sensor comprises analyzing data output from the first sensor with a neural network.

13 . The imaging system of claim 12 , wherein the neural network is trained to detect at least one object.

14 . The imaging system of claim 13 , wherein the second mode is selected when the neural network detects the object in the data output from the first sensor.

15 . The imaging system of claim 14 , wherein the first sensor is a EBS sensor and the second sensor is an RGB sensor.

16 . The imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the second mode is selected based on detecting event density in data output from the first sensor in the first mode exceeds a threshold.

17 . The imaging system of claim 11 , wherein the second mode is selected based on detecting event density in data output from the first sensor in the first mode falls below a threshold.

18 . The imaging system of claim 11 , wherein a frame rate is adjusted based on the result of processing in the first mode.

19 . An image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein

a first one or more of the pixels are capable of detecting a change in an amount of light intensity,

a second one or more of the pixels are capable of detecting an amount of light intensity,

in a first mode the sensor outputs data from the first one or more of the pixels,

in a second mode the sensor outputs data from the second one or more of the pixels, and

at least one of the first mode and the second mode is selected by a processor based on at least one of a result of processing data output in the first mode and a result of processing data output in the second mode.

20 . The image sensor of claim 19 , wherein at least one pixel is in both the first one or more of the pixels and the second one or more of the pixels.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2020
From: WONG, PING WAH; XIAO, SA; CHAN, KEVIN
To: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052516/0349 →