Image sensor and output control method and apparatus therefor

Abstract

An image sensor and an output control method and device thereof, wherein the method comprises: when receiving an instruction of increasing frame length at an Nth frame of image, determining a first row operation time; performing at least part of row read operation and row reset operation in the Nth frame of image and (N+1)th frame of image according to a second row operation time, and inserting an idle operation when performing row reset operation of the (N+1)th frame of image; performing at least part of row read operation and / or row reset operation in the (N+2)th frame of image according to the first row operation time, wherein the first row operation time is greater than the second row operation time. Thus, the stability of analog circuit in the image sensor can be ensured, and the output image effect is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of image acquisition and image processing, and more specifically to an image sensor and its output control method and apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] When using an image sensor for image acquisition, the shorter the output time of each frame, the higher the frame rate. When the scene being captured is low-light, the exposure time of each pixel in the image needs to be increased. However, when the exposure time increases to a certain extent, it affects the frame rate of the camera, causing a decrease in the frame rate. Correspondingly, this increases the objective time length for processing each frame (i.e., the frame length).

[0003] However, as the resolution of the output image increases during image acquisition, the time required for the image sensor to process each line of data becomes shorter and shorter. This shorter time means that the analog circuits in the image sensor need to stabilize in a shorter time, increasing the design difficulty.

[0004] Therefore, there is an urgent need for an output control method for image sensors that can increase the operation time of row data (referred to as row operation time) in some usage scenarios, making the analog circuits in the image sensor easier to stabilize and improving the output image quality. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem solved by this invention is how to ensure the stability of analog circuits and improve the output image quality.

[0006] To address the aforementioned technical problems, embodiments of the present invention provide an output control method for an image sensor, comprising: when a frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame image, determining a first row operation time; performing at least a portion of row read operations and row reset operations in the Nth frame image and the (N+1)th frame image according to a second row operation time, and inserting an idle operation when performing the row reset operation in the (N+1)th frame image; performing at least a portion of row read operations and / or row reset operations in the (N+2)th frame image according to the first row operation time, wherein the first row operation time is greater than the second row operation time.

[0007] Optionally, all line read operations and line reset operations in the N+2th frame image are performed according to the first line operation time.

[0008] Optionally, inserting an idle operation when performing the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image includes: dividing all row reset operations of the N+1th frame image into multiple groups according to the time sequence, inserting at least one idle operation in each group, wherein the duration of a single idle operation is equal to the second row operation time.

[0009] Optionally, the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

[0010] Optionally, the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

[0011] This invention also provides an output control device for an image sensor, comprising: a frame length increase trigger module, configured to determine a first line operation time when a frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame image; and a read control module, configured to perform the following steps: performing at least a portion of line read operations and line reset operations in the Nth and N+1th frame images according to a second line operation time, and inserting an idle operation when performing the line reset operation in the N+1th frame image; and performing at least a portion of line read operations and / or line reset operations in the N+2th frame image according to the first line operation time, wherein the first line operation time is greater than the second line operation time.

[0012] This invention also provides an output control method for an image sensor, comprising: determining a third line operation time when a frame length reduction instruction is received in the Mth frame image; performing at least a portion of line reading operations and line reset operations in the Mth frame image according to a fourth line operation time; performing at least a portion of line reading operations and / or line reset operations in the M+1th frame image according to the third line operation time, and inserting an idle operation when performing the line reading operation of the M+1th frame image; and performing at least a portion of line reading operations and line reset operations in the M+2th frame image according to the third line operation time, wherein the third line operation time is less than the fourth line operation time.

[0013] Optionally, all line reading operations and line reset operations in the M+1th frame image are performed according to the third line operation time.

[0014] Optionally, inserting an idle operation when performing the row reading operation of the (M+1)th frame image includes: dividing all row reading operations of the (M+1)th frame image into multiple groups according to the time sequence, inserting at least one idle operation in each group, wherein the duration of a single idle operation is equal to the time of the third row operation.

[0015] This invention also provides an output control device for an image sensor, comprising: a frame length reduction trigger module, configured to determine a third line operation time when a frame length reduction instruction is received in the Mth frame image; and a read control module, configured to perform the following steps: performing at least a portion of the line read operations and line reset operations in the Mth frame image according to a fourth line operation time; performing at least a portion of the line read operations and / or line reset operations in the M+1th frame image according to a third line operation time, and inserting an idle operation when performing the line read operations in the M+1th frame image; and performing at least a portion of the line read operations and line reset operations in the M+2th frame image according to a third line operation time, wherein the third line operation time is less than the fourth line operation time.

[0016] This invention also provides an image sensor, including: an image sensing array; and an output control module coupled to the image sensing array, which executes the steps of the output control method of the image sensor described above to output multiple frames of images.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the technical solution of this application embodiment has the following beneficial effects:

[0018] This invention provides an output control method for an image sensor, comprising: when a frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame image, determining a first row operation time; performing at least a portion of row read operations and row reset operations in the Nth and N+1th frames image according to a second row operation time, and inserting an idle operation during the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image; and performing at least a portion of row read operations and / or row reset operations in the N+2th frame image according to the first row operation time, wherein the first row operation time is greater than the second row operation time. Compared with the prior art, the solution of this invention can dynamically adjust the row operation time when the frame length changes. In some application scenarios, increasing the row operation time as the frame length increases makes the analog circuit in the image sensor easier to stabilize, improving the output image quality.

[0019] Furthermore, in some use cases, as the frame length decreases, the row operation time can be reduced, allowing the row operation time to be dynamically adjusted.

[0020] Furthermore, after the frame length is increased and maintained for one or more frames, if the frame length is restored, the row operation time is also restored accordingly (that is, reduced to the original row operation time), that is, the row reading time changes from the first row operation time back to the second row operation time. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the frame structure before and after increasing the frame length in the prior art;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of line operations before and after increasing the frame length in the prior art;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the first image sensor output control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure before and after increasing the frame length according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of line operations before and after increasing the frame length according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the output control device of the first image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the second image sensor output control method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of line operation during recovery after frame length increase according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the output control device for a second type of image sensor according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0030] The structure of the time intervals occupied by various operations within each frame is called the frame structure. The frame structure changes when the camera's frame rate decreases or the frame length increases. For example... Figure 1 As shown, Figure 1 A schematic diagram of frame structure before and after increasing frame length in existing technology. Frame length increase in... Figure 1The transition from frame length 1 to frame length 2 is represented by the following: Within each frame length, while the paging signal (Vsync) is high, the line feed signal (Hsync) controls the execution of line operations for each row. The time for each line operation is denoted as t1. Each line operation can refer to either reading the data in that row (referred to as a line read operation) or resetting the data in that row (referred to as a line reset operation). Whether it's a line read or line reset operation, the corresponding operation time is the same; that is, both line read and line reset operations are performed within the same time frame. In frame length 1, the completion of all line operations includes a time period t2; in frame length 2, the completion of all line operations includes a time period t3, where t3 > t2. In other words, in the prior art, as the frame length increases, the operation time for each line remains constant, but the proportion of time spent executing all line operations within a single frame length decreases. Generally speaking, the time period t3, which is longer than time period t2, is used for waiting for the next frame to be exposed. Usually, several dummy rows can be inserted during time period t3.

[0031] Please see Figure 2 , Figure 2 This diagram illustrates line operations before and after increasing the frame length in a prior art technique. Each space corresponds to a single line operation time t1. The frame length of the previous frame is denoted as frame length 1. Within frame length 1, 80 lines of line operations are performed, with the operation times corresponding to spaces 0-79 within frame length 1. Lines 5 to 64 (corresponding to spaces "4" to "63" in the diagram) are considered valid lines. The frame length of the current frame is denoted as frame length 2. Within frame length 2, 90 lines of line operations are performed, with the operation times corresponding to spaces 0-89 within frame length 2. Compared to frame length 1, frame length 2 adds 10 lines of line operations for idle lines. Additionally, Figure 2 The row reset operation of each frame is 3 row operation time t1 (that is, 3 spaces later) later than the row read operation of that frame.

[0032] After resetting a row in the previous frame, exposure can begin for the corresponding row in the current frame. For example, after resetting the first row in the previous frame, exposure can begin for the first row of the current frame; after resetting the second row, exposure can begin for the second row, and so on. The exposure time for the first row of the previous frame is... Figure 2 The "Exposure Time EXP1" indicates the exposure time of the first row of the current frame image. Figure 2The “exposure time EXP2” indicates that when the exposure time EXP2 > exposure time EXP1, the frame length increases from frame length 1 to frame length 2 when the exposure time during image acquisition increases from EXP1 to EXP2.

[0033] However, the inventors discovered through research that as the resolution of the output image increases during image acquisition, the time required for the image sensor to perform row operations for each row becomes shorter and shorter. The shorter time means that the analog circuit needs to stabilize in a shorter time, which increases the design difficulty.

[0034] To address this problem, this invention provides an output control method for an image sensor, comprising: determining a first row operation time when a frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame image; performing at least a portion of row read operations and row reset operations in the Nth and N+1th frame images according to a second row operation time, and inserting an idle operation during the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image; and performing at least a portion of row read operations and / or row reset operations in the N+2th frame image according to the first row operation time, wherein the first row operation time is greater than the second row operation time. This method allows for dynamic adjustment of the row operation time when the frame length changes. In some application scenarios, increasing the row operation time as the frame length increases makes the analog circuitry in the image sensor easier to stabilize, improving the output image quality.

[0035] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and beneficial effects of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] Please see Figure 3 and Figure 4 , Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the first image sensor output control method (hereinafter referred to as the first output control method) according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure before and after increasing the frame length according to an embodiment of the present invention. The output control method can be executed by an image sensor, or by a terminal with image acquisition capabilities such as a mobile phone, camera, or computer. The following embodiment uses an image sensor as an example for illustration.

[0037] The first output control method of this invention is used for the case of increasing frame length. The following description uses the Nth frame image, the N+1th frame image, and the N+2th frame image as examples.

[0038] The Nth, N+1th, and N+2th frames are three consecutive images read out by the terminal during exposure. Each frame (Nth, N+1th, and N+2th frames) contains multiple rows. After the image sensor performs a row reset operation on one or more rows of the Nth frame, it can expose that row or more rows for the Nth frame. After exposure, a row read operation is performed on that row or more rows to read out the exposed data. After reading the row or more rows, a row reset operation can be performed on that row or more rows. After the row reset operation is completed, the N+1th frame can be exposed for that row or more rows, and so on.

[0039] Each frame of an image has multiple rows, including valid rows. When a row read operation is performed on a valid row, the data in that row is output. The output data forms the final image displayed after the operation on each frame of the image. Each frame of an image may also include dummy rows. When a row read operation is performed on a dummy row, the data in that row will not be used as image data.

[0040] The first output control method may include the following steps S301 to S303, and a detailed description of each step is provided below.

[0041] Step S301: When the frame length is increased in the Nth frame, the operation time of the first line is determined.

[0042] Frame length refers to the duration of processing each frame of an image. A frame length increase instruction indicates an increase in the frame length of the image to be read out during exposure. This frame length increase instruction can be sent from the Automatic Exposure Control platform to the image sensor. Optionally, the frame length can be increased (e.g.) Figure 1 The reason for changing from frame length 1 to frame length 2 in the example could be that the exposure time of the image needs to be increased.

[0043] If a frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame, the frame length of the (N+1)th frame will be greater than the frame length of the Nth frame. For example, see [link to frame length diagram]. Figure 4 The frame length in the first frame is 1, and the frame length of the (N+1)th frame is denoted as frame length 2, where frame length 2 > frame length 1. At this point, the image sensor determines a new operation time, i.e., the operation time for the first row, denoted as t1' (the time interval corresponding to t1' is as follows...). Figure 4 As shown), t1'> the operation time of the second row t1.

[0044] Step S302: Perform at least a portion of the row reading operations and row reset operations in the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image according to the second row operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image.

[0045] Optionally, at least a portion of the line read operations and line reset operations in the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image are executed according to the second line operation time, including: some or all of the line operations of the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image are executed according to the second line operation time t1, wherein the line operation includes the operation of reading this line of data (referred to as line read operation) or the operation of resetting this line of data (referred to as line reset operation).

[0046] In one specific embodiment, all row operations of the Nth frame and the (N+1)th frame are performed according to the second row operation time t1 to complete the exposure readout of the Nth frame. All row readout operations of the (N+1)th frame are performed according to the second row operation time t1, and all row reset operations of the (N+1)th frame are performed according to the second row operation time t1. In addition, when performing the row reset operations of the (N+1)th frame, idle operations are inserted in these row reset operations to increase the total time for performing the row reset operations of the (N+1)th frame. This total time is the same as the frame length of the (N+2)th frame.

[0047] Step S303: Perform at least a portion of the line reading operations and / or line reset operations in the N+2 frame image according to the first line operation time, wherein the first line operation time is greater than the second line operation time.

[0048] The portion of the increased total time for performing the row reset operation of the N+1 frame image in step S302 can be allocated to some or all of the rows in the N+2 frame image for row operations. These allocated rows are operated according to the first row operation time t1'.

[0049] In step S303, performing at least a portion of the line reading operations and / or line reset operations in the N+2th frame image according to the first line operation time can include the following four specific embodiments.

[0050] In the first specific embodiment, all row read operations and row reset operations in the N+2th frame image are executed according to the first row operation time t1'. That is, the time for performing a single row read operation or row reset operation on both valid and idle rows in the N+2th frame image is the first row operation time t1'. Thus, the time for a single row operation in the N+2th frame image is the same, which facilitates control.

[0051] In the second specific embodiment, all valid rows in the N+2th frame image undergo row reading and row reset operations according to the first row operation time t1'. Idle rows in the N+2th frame image may or may not undergo row operations according to the first row operation time t1'; for example, idle rows in the N+2th frame image may undergo row operations according to the second row operation time t1.

[0052] In the third specific embodiment, one or more lines from the valid lines of the N+2 frames of image are designated as key lines, and the other valid lines are designated as ordinary lines. Line reading and resetting operations are performed only on the valid lines according to the first line operation time t1'.

[0053] In the fourth specific embodiment, all valid rows in the N+2 frame image are performed either a row read operation or a row reset operation according to the first row operation time t1', and the other row operation is performed according to other row operation times (such as the second row operation time t1).

[0054] It should be noted that the specific implementation of step S303 includes, but is not limited to, the specific embodiments described above. Other schemes in which some or all of the row operations in the N+1th frame image are executed according to the first row operation time t1' are also within the protection scope of this invention. In addition, the execution of at least a portion of the row reading operations and row reset operations in the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image according to the second row operation time in step S302 can refer to the specific implementation of step S303, and will not be elaborated here.

[0055] contrast Figure 1 and Figure 4 As can be seen from the scheme, when the frame length increases, that is, after the frame length changes from 1 to 2, if all row operations are performed according to the operation time of the first row, the time period t4 is also included after the row operations are completed. <t3。

[0056] pass Figure 3 The described output control method can dynamically adjust the line operation time when the frame length changes. In some application scenarios, increasing the line operation time as the frame length increases makes the analog circuitry in the image sensor easier to stabilize, thereby improving the output image quality. Compared to... Figure 1 Existing technology, Figure 3 The proposed solution can allocate the increased waiting time for the image frame exposure to end due to the increased frame length to part or all of the line operation time, thereby increasing the stabilization time of the analog circuit and improving the output image quality.

[0057] In one embodiment, inserting an idle operation when performing the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image includes: dividing all row reset operations of the N+1th frame image into multiple groups according to the time sequence, inserting at least one idle operation in each group, wherein the duration of a single idle operation is equal to the second row operation time.

[0058] Optionally, a row reset operation may not be performed during each idle operation, or a row reset operation may be performed on the idle rows.

[0059] Optionally, all rows (including valid rows and idle rows) of the N+1th frame image are divided into multiple groups. Each group may contain the same or different number of rows. When performing a row reset operation on each pair of rows, at least one idle operation is inserted.

[0060] The row reset operation of the (N+1)th frame image involves an idle operation, and the exposure time EXP2 of the (N+2)th frame image is the time interval between the completion of the row reset operation of the (N+1)th frame image and the start of the row read operation of the (N+2)th frame image for that row. Therefore, the exposure times of each row in the (N+2)th frame image will differ. This can be compensated for by data gain for rows with shorter exposure times.

[0061] If the difference in exposure time between rows in the N+2th frame is very small, this difference can be basically ignored in a high-resolution image sensor, and the data of the row with small exposure time does not need to be compensated by data gain.

[0062] In one embodiment, the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

[0063] In one embodiment, the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

[0064] That is, as the frame length increases, the number of valid rows in the (N+2)th frame and the (N+1)th frame remains unchanged.

[0065] In a specific embodiment, in application scenario 1, assuming the frame rate of the Nth frame is 30 frames per second (fps), and the frame rate of the N+2th frame drops to 26.6 fps, then frame length 2 / frame length 1 is approximately 9 / 8. The first line operation time t1' can be set to t1 × (1 + 1 / 8). Each line read operation in the N+2th frame is performed according to the first line operation time t1'. Therefore, the frame rate requirement of the N+2th frame can be met, and it is not necessary to perform more line read operations in the N+2th frame than in the Nth frame (or the N+1th frame), such as reading more idle lines.

[0066] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of row operations before and after increasing the frame length in the first embodiment of the present invention. Each space represents a single second row operation time t1. Taking specific application scenario 1 as an example, the ratio of the frame length of the (N+2)th frame to the frame length of the Nth frame is 9 / 8, that is, n=8, m=1. The first operation time t1' is set to t1×(1+1 / 8). The Nth frame contains 80 rows, of which rows 5 (corresponding to space "4") to 64 (corresponding to space "63") are valid rows. After the exposure of the Nth frame is completed, 80 row read operations and 80 row reset operations need to be performed on the Nth frame. Both the row read operations and row reset operations on the Nth frame are performed according to the second operation time t1. When the frame length increases (i.e., from frame length 1 to frame length 2), the N+1th and N+2th frames still contain 80 rows. Perform a row reset operation on the (N+1)th frame of the image according to the second operation time t1. An idle operation is inserted every 8 row reset operations. For example, Figure 5 After performing the 7th row reset operation on the (N+1)th frame of the image (corresponding to... Figure 5 After the space "6" in frame length 2, after the 8th row reset operation of the N+1th frame image (corresponding to...) Figure 5 An idle operation is inserted before the space "7" in frame length 2; ... after the 63rd row reset operation of the (N+1)th frame image is completed (corresponding to Figure 5 After the space "62" in frame length 2, after the 64th row reset operation of the (N+1)th frame image is performed (corresponding to... Figure 5 Before the space "63" in frame length 2, an idle operation is inserted, and so on. Therefore, in the 80 row reset operations of the N+1th frame, a total of 10 idle operations are inserted. The time occupied by each row reset operation is equal to the second row operation time t1, and the time occupied by each idle operation is also equal to the second row operation time t1. The time for performing a single row read operation and row reset operation in the N+2th frame is the first row operation time t1', as shown below. Figure 5 As can be seen from the image, the length of a single space in the (N+2)th frame is longer than the length of a single space in the Nth and (N+1)th frames, which means that the time to perform a single line operation is longer (from the second line operation time t1 to the first line operation time t1').

[0067] about Figure 5 For other descriptions, please see [link to description]. Figure 2 The corresponding content in [the document / section]. It should be noted that the position of the inserted idle operation within each group of row reset operations can be arbitrary, including but not limited to [other positions]. Figure 5 Examples are shown in the text.

[0068] In one embodiment, see Figure 6 The present invention also provides a first type of image sensor output control device 60, comprising:

[0069] The frame length increase trigger module 601 is used to determine the first line operation time when the frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame image;

[0070] The read control module 602 is configured to perform the following steps: perform at least a portion of the line read operations and line reset operations of the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image according to the second line operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the line reset operation of the N+1th frame image; perform at least a portion of the line read operations and / or line reset operations of the N+2th frame image according to the first line operation time, wherein the first line operation time is greater than the second line operation time.

[0071] Optionally, the read control module 602 performs all line read operations and line reset operations in the N+2th frame image according to the first line operation time.

[0072] Optionally, the read control module 602 is further configured to divide all row reset operations of the N+1th frame image into multiple groups according to the time sequence, insert at least one idle operation in each group, and the duration of a single idle operation is equal to the second row operation time.

[0073] Optionally, the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

[0074] Optionally, the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

[0075] For a detailed description of the output control device 60 of the first image sensor, please refer to [link / reference]. Figures 3 to 5 The relevant description of the output control method of the first image sensor will not be repeated here.

[0076] In one embodiment, see Figure 7 , Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating a second image sensor output control method according to an embodiment of the present invention. The method may include the following steps S701 to S704.

[0077] Step S701: When the frame length reduction instruction is received in the Mth frame image, the operation time of the third row is determined.

[0078] The frame length reduction instruction refers to reducing the frame length of the image readout by exposure. This frame length reduction instruction can be sent from the automatic exposure control platform to the image sensor. Optionally, the frame length reduction can be performed by... Figure 1The frame length is changed from 2 to 1. The reason for the reduction in frame length may be that the exposure time of the image needs to be reduced.

[0079] The Mth frame, the M+1th frame, and the M+2th frame are three consecutive frames read out by the terminal during exposure. For a description of these frames, please refer to the relevant descriptions of the Nth frame, the N+1th frame, and the N+2th frame mentioned above.

[0080] Step S702: Perform at least a portion of the row reading and row reset operations in the Mth frame image according to the fourth row operation time.

[0081] Step S703: Perform at least a portion of the line reading operations and / or line reset operations in the M+1 frame image according to the third line operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the line reading operation of the M+1 frame image.

[0082] Optionally, the reading operations of all rows of the M+1th frame image are divided into multiple groups according to the time sequence, and each group contains at least one idle operation. The duration of a single idle operation is equal to the time of the third row operation.

[0083] Optionally, the specific implementation of inserting an idle operation in the row read operation in step S703 can be found in the relevant description of inserting an idle operation in the row reset operation in step S203 of the figure, which will not be repeated here.

[0084] Step S704: Perform at least a portion of the row reading and row reset operations in the M+2 frame image according to the third row operation time, wherein the third row operation time is less than the fourth row operation time.

[0085] Optionally, all line reading operations and line reset operations in the M+1th frame image are performed according to the third line operation time.

[0086] Optionally, when performing the row reading operation in the M+2 frame image in step S704, the idle operation inserted in step S703 is not performed. As a result, the total time for performing the row reading operation in the M+2 frame image is less than the total time for performing the row reading operation in the M+1 frame image, and the frame length of the M+2 frame image is reduced compared to the frame length of the M+1 frame image.

[0087] pass Figure 7 The output control method described above can reduce the line operation time as the frame length decreases in some application scenarios, allowing the line operation time to be dynamically adjusted. Figure 7 The process of increasing the frame length can be viewed as Figure 3 The inverse process of reducing the frame length in the middle; for other descriptions, please refer to [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 3 Explanation of the first output control method in China.

[0088] In one embodiment, the Mth frame image is the (N+2)th frame image, or a frame image following the (N+2)th frame image, and can be combined with... Figure 3 and Figure 7 The method described above implements a scheme where the frame length is first increased and then restored. In this case, the operation time for the first line is equal to the operation time for the fourth line, and the operation time for the second line is equal to the operation time for the third line. That is, after the frame length is increased and maintained for one or more frames, if the frame length is restored, the line operation time is also restored accordingly (i.e., reduced to the original line operation time), meaning the line reading time changes from the first line operation time back to the second line operation time.

[0089] In one specific embodiment, please refer to Figure 8 , Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of row operations during recovery after frame length increase, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The (N+2)th frame is used as the Mth frame. In the Mth frame, each space represents a single fourth row operation time (i.e., the first row operation time t1'). In the (M+1)th frame, each space represents a single third row operation time (i.e., the second row operation time t1). For the row reading and row reset operations of the Mth frame, see [link to documentation]. Figure 5 The relevant description of the N+2th frame image is not repeated here.

[0090] Perform line read operations on the (M+1)th frame of the image according to the second operation time t1, with an idle operation inserted every 8 line read operations. For example, Figure 8 After completing the 7th line read operation of the (M+1)th frame of the image (corresponding to...) Figure 8 After the space "6" in the frame length 2 of the (M+1)th frame image, after the 8th row read operation of the (M+1)th frame image is completed (corresponding to... Figure 8 An idle operation is inserted before the space "7" in frame length 2 of the (M+1)th frame image; ...after the 63rd line read operation of the (M+1)th frame image is completed (corresponding to... Figure 8 After the space "62" in the frame length 2 of the (M+1)th frame image, after the 64th line read operation of the (M+1)th frame image is completed (corresponding to... Figure 8 Before the space "63" in frame length 2 of the (M+1)th frame, an idle operation is inserted, and so on. Therefore, if there are 80 line read operations in frame M+1, a total of 10 idle operations are inserted. The time occupied by each line read operation is equal to the time t1 of the second line operation, and the time occupied by each idle operation is also equal to the time t1 of the second line operation. In frame M+2, the idle operations inserted in frame M+1 are deleted, thus restoring the frame length of frame M+2 to the frame length of frame N (i.e., frame length 1). It should be noted that the position of the inserted idle operation in each group of line read operations can be arbitrary, including but not limited to... Figure 8 Examples are shown in the text.

[0091] Please see Figure 9 The present invention also provides a second image sensor output control device 90, including: a frame length reduction trigger module 901, used to determine the third line operation time when a frame length reduction instruction is received in the Mth frame image;

[0092] The read control module 902 is configured to perform the following steps: perform at least a portion of the line read operations and line reset operations in the Mth frame image according to the fourth line operation time; perform at least a portion of the line read operations and / or line reset operations in the M+1th frame image according to the third line operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the line read operations in the M+1th frame image; perform at least a portion of the line read operations and line reset operations in the M+2th frame image according to the third line operation time, wherein the third line operation time is less than the fourth line operation time.

[0093] Optionally, the read control module 902 is also used to perform all line read operations and line reset operations in the M+1 frame image according to the third line operation time.

[0094] Optionally, the read control module 902 is further configured to divide all line read operations of the M+1th frame image into multiple groups according to the time sequence, insert at least one idle operation in each group, and the duration of a single idle operation is equal to the time of the third line operation.

[0095] For a detailed description of the output control device 90 for the second type of image sensor, please refer to [link / reference needed]. Figure 7 and Figure 8 The relevant description of the output control method for the second image sensor will not be repeated here.

[0096] This invention also provides a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor to implement... Figure 3 or Figure 7 The steps of the output control method for the image sensor are described above. The storage medium can be a computer-readable storage medium, such as non-volatile or non-transitory memory, and may also include optical discs, hard disk drives, solid-state drives, etc.

[0097] This invention also provides an image sensor, including: an image sensing array; and an output control module coupled to the image sensing array, which executes the steps of the first or second image sensor output control method described above to output multiple frames of images.

[0098] It should be noted that, for the sake of simplicity, the foregoing method embodiments are all described as a series of actions. However, those skilled in the art should understand that this application is not limited to the described order of actions, as some steps may be performed in other orders or simultaneously according to this application. Furthermore, those skilled in the art should also understand that the embodiments described in the specification are preferred embodiments, and the actions and modules involved are not necessarily essential to this application.

[0099] In the above embodiments, the descriptions of each embodiment have their own emphasis, and any multiple embodiments can be used in combination. For parts not described in detail in a certain embodiment, please refer to the relevant descriptions of other embodiments.

[0100] In implementation, each step of the above method can be completed by integrated logic circuits in the processor's hardware or by instructions in software. The steps of the method disclosed in the embodiments of this application can be directly manifested as execution by a hardware processor, or as a combination of hardware and software units within the processor. The software units can reside in random access memory, flash memory, read-only memory, programmable read-only memory, electrically erasable programmable memory, registers, or other mature storage media in the art. This storage medium is located in memory, and the processor executes the instructions in the memory, combining them with its hardware to complete the steps of the above method. To avoid repetition, detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0101] In the embodiments of this application, the processor of the above-described device may be a Central Processing Unit (CPU), which may also be other general-purpose processors, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, discrete hardware components, etc. The general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor or any conventional processor, etc.

[0102] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, or B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0103] In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0104] The descriptions of "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes and to distinguish the objects being described. They have no order and do not indicate any special limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this application, nor do they constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0105] In this application, the term "connection" refers to various connection methods, such as direct connection or indirect connection, to achieve communication between devices. This application does not impose any limitations on this.

[0106] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. An output control method for an image sensor, characterized in that, include: When the frame length is increased in the Nth frame, the operation time for the first line is determined. Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and row reset operations in the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image according to the second row operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and / or row reset operations in the N+2 frame image according to the first row operation time, wherein the first row operation time is greater than the second row operation time.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Perform all row read operations and row reset operations in the N+2th frame image according to the first row operation time.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The insertion of an idle operation during the row reset operation of the (N+1)th frame image includes: The reset operations of all rows of the N+1th frame image are divided into multiple groups according to the time sequence. At least one idle operation is inserted in each group. The duration of a single idle operation is equal to the operation time of the second row.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row read operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+2)th frame image is equal to the number of row reset operations for the valid rows in the (N+1)th frame image.

6. An output control device for an image sensor, characterized in that, include: The frame length increase trigger module is used to determine the first line of operation time when a frame length increase instruction is received in the Nth frame of the image. Read the control module to perform the following steps: Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and row reset operations in the Nth frame image and the N+1th frame image according to the second row operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the row reset operation of the N+1th frame image; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and / or row reset operations in the N+2 frame image according to the first row operation time, wherein the first row operation time is greater than the second row operation time.

7. An output control method for an image sensor, characterized in that, include: When the frame length reduction instruction is received in the Mth frame, the operation time for the third line is determined; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and row reset operations in the Mth frame image according to the fourth row operation time; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and / or row reset operations in the M+1 frame image according to the third row operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the row read operations of the M+1 frame image; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and row reset operations in the M+2 frame image according to the third row operation time; The operation time for the third row is less than the operation time for the fourth row.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Perform all row read operations and row reset operations in the M+1 frame image according to the third row operation time.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The insertion of idle operations during the row reading operation of the (M+1)th frame image includes: The reading operations of all rows of the M+1th frame image are divided into multiple groups according to the time sequence. At least one idle operation is inserted in each group. The duration of a single idle operation is equal to the time of the third row operation.

10. An output control device for an image sensor, characterized in that, include: The frame length reduction trigger module is used to determine the operation time of the third line when a frame length reduction instruction is received in the Mth frame image; Read the control module to perform the following steps: Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and row reset operations in the Mth frame image according to the fourth row operation time; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and / or row reset operations in the M+1 frame image according to the third row operation time, and insert an idle operation when performing the row read operations of the M+1 frame image; Perform at least a portion of the row read operations and row reset operations in the M+2 frame image according to the third row operation time, wherein the third row operation time is less than the fourth row operation time.

11. An image sensor, characterized in that, include: Image sensor array; An output control module, coupled to the image sensing array, performs the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, or any one of claims 7 to 9, to output multiple frames of images.

Images