1147 results about "Wide dynamic range" patented technology

Methods and apparatus for capturing or generating images using multiple optical chains operating in parallel are described. Pixel values captured by individual optical chains corresponding to the same scene area are combined to provide an image with at least some of the benefits which would have been provided by capturing an image of the scene using a larger lens than that of the individual lenses of the optical chain modules. By using multiple optical chains in parallel at least some benefits normally obtained from using a large lens can be obtained without the need for a large lens. Furthermore in at least some embodiments, a wide dynamic range can be supported through the use of multiple sensors with the overall supported dynamic range being potentially larger than that of the individual sensors. Some lens and/or optical chain configurations are designed for use in small handheld devices, e.g., cell phones.

A hybrid image sensor includes an infrared detector array and a CMOS readout integrated circuit (ROIC). The CMOS ROIC is coupled to at least one detector of the IR detector array, e.g., via indium bump bonding. Each pixel of the CMOS ROIC includes a first, relatively lower gain, wide dynamic range amplifier circuit which is optimized for a linear response to high light level input signals from the IR detector. Each pixel also includes a second, relatively higher gain, lower dynamic range amplifier circuit which is optimized to provide a high signal to noise ratio for low light level input signals from the IR detector (or from a second IR detector). A first output select circuit is provided for directing the output of the first circuit to a first output multiplexer. A second output select circuit is provided for directing the output of the second circuit to a second output multiplexer. Thus, separate outputs of the first and second circuits are provided for each of the individual pixel sensors of the CMOS imaging array.

Embodiments provide a method and apparatus that achieve wide dynamic range operation of an image sensor. In an array of pixel cells, first charge is accumulated in a first subset of pixel cells during a first integration period and second charge is accumulated in a second subset of pixel cells during a second integration period. A length of the first integration period is different than a length of the second integration period, and the first and second charge are accumulated during a same frame and are read out.

Methods and apparatus are presented which reduce the overall cost and increase the imaging capability for medium and long range automotive radar sensing applications through the combination of a high signal-to-noise ratio and wide dynamic range radar waveform and architecture, antenna arrangement, and a low cost packaging and interconnection method. In accordance with aspects of the present invention, one way a high signal-to-noise ratio and wide dynamic range imaging radar with reduced cost can be achieved is through the combination of a pulsed stepped-frequency-continuous-wave waveform and electrically beam-switched radar architecture, utilizing a planar package containing high-frequency integrated circuits as well as integrated high-frequency waveguide coupling ports, coupled to a multi-beam waveguide-fed twist-reflector narrow beam-width antenna. Other methods and apparatus are presented.

A noise reduction circuit for reducing the effects of low frequency noise such as wind noise in communications applications is described. In one embodiment, the noise reduction circuit features a high pass filter formed by exploiting the existing off-chip AC coupling capacitances in making the connection to the source of audio signals. The filter may be adaptive to environmental low frequency noise level through programming the shunt resistances. A low-noise wide dynamic range programmable gain amplifier is also described. Adaptive equalization of the audio signal is also described through the utilization of programmable front-end resistors and a back-end audio equalizer.

The invention relates to methods and systems for high-speed precision dispensing and/or aspirating of microfluidic quantities of reagents and other liquids. The operation of the systems is controlled by data accessed from a customized user-defined text file. Advantageously, the use of such text file control allows high-speed precision dispensing of one or more reagents with a wide dynamic range of dispense volumes in complex combinatorial patterns, ratios and arrays onto or into multiple predetermined locations of a desired target or substrate. This is particularly advantageous when a large number of permutations of different reagent and permutations of reagent volume ratios are involved. The systems may be operated in a high frequency modulated mode to further improve accuracy and reliability.

Nitrogen vacancies in bulk diamonds and nanodiamonds can be used to sense temperature, pressure, electromagnetic fields, and pH. Unfortunately, conventional sensing techniques use gated detection and confocal imaging, limiting the measurement sensitivity and precluding wide-field imaging. Conversely, the present sensing techniques do not require gated detection or confocal imaging and can therefore be used to image temperature, pressure, electromagnetic fields, and pH over wide fields of view. In some cases, wide-field imaging supports spatial localization of the NVs to precisions at or below the diffraction limit. Moreover, the measurement range can extend over extremely wide dynamic range at very high sensitivity.

An image pickup apparatus capable of performing dynamic assignment of an output image in a dynamic range according to a subject.

The image pickup apparatus includes an image pickup device (131) for picking up an image of a subject, a signal processing section (133) for generating a composite image having a relatively wider dynamic range than at least either of the dynamic ranges of a long-time exposure image picked up with a relatively long exposure time by the image pickup device and a short-time exposure image picked up with a relatively short exposure time by the image pickup device, by synthesizing the long-time exposure image and the short-time exposure image, and a control section (137) for compressing the composite image and dynamically varies the assignment proportion of a high luminance dynamic range to a low-middle luminance dynamic range in a dynamic range of an output image to be outputted as a video signal.

An image pickup apparatus having function for synthesizing image signals corresponding to a plurality of frames of different exposure amounts to generate wide dynamic range, synthesized image is provided with: at least two control means among a taking control means based on a normal taking mode, a taking control means based on a forced wide dynamic range taking mode, and a taking control means based on an automatic wide dynamic range taking mode for selectively generating wide dynamic range, synthesized image automatically on the basis of object information or information set for the image taking; and means for selectively setting one image taking mode out of the taking modes respectively corresponding to the two control means. It is thereby possible to take image by selecting one image taking mode from at least two taking modes among the normal taking mode, the forced wide dynamic range taking mode, and the automatic wide dynamic range taking mode.

A solid-state imaging device, a line sensor and an optical sensor for enhancing a wide dynamic range while keeping high sensitivity with a high S/N ratio, and a method of operating a solid-state imaging device for enhancing a wide dynamic range while keeping high sensitivity with a high S/N ratio are provided. The solid-state imaging device comprises an integrated array of a plurality of pixels, each of which comprises a photodiode PD for receiving light and generating photoelectric charges, a transfer transistor Tr1 for transferring the photoelectric charges, and a storage capacitor element C connected to the photodiode PD at least through the transfer transistor Tr1 for accumulating, at least through the transfer transistor Tr1, the photoelectric charge overflowing from the photodiode PD during accumulating operation.

Long and short exposure time pixel information are input to pixel information. A long exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a long time and a short exposure time image set with the pixel values assuming all of the pixels have been exposed for a short time are generated. A point spread function corresponding to the long exposure time image is computed as a long exposure time image PSF. A corrected image is generated using the short exposure time image, the long exposure time image, and the long exposure time image PSF. The corrected image is generated as a wide dynamic range image utilizing the pixel information for the long and short exposure time image. Utilizing the pixel information for the short exposure time image with little blurring, makes the corrected image a high quality corrected image with little blurring.

A method of increasing the dynamic range of a captured image using a pixel array having a plurality of rows includes reading first pixel information corresponding to a long integration period from each pixel of a first row, reading second pixel information corresponding to a short integration period from each pixel of the first row, and merging the first pixel information and the second pixel information to thereby produce wide dynamic range pixel information for each pixel of the first row. Reading first pixel information takes place during a first interval, reading second pixel information takes place during a second interval, and at least a portion of the second interval takes place during a long integration period corresponding to a second row of the pixel array.

A welding condition monitoring device for monitoring the welding state of a welding work portion by taking an image thereof by an image sensor having a wide dynamic range and capable of taking an image covering a very bright welding portion and relatively dark portion. The monitoring device selectively emphasizes the outputs of the image sensor for any of luminance areas of the image taken by the image sensor using a sensor output characteristic table and can provide an image clearly showing both the very bright welding portion and the dark bead portion with a sufficient contrast allowing an observer to reliably recognize the objects in the image.

An image sensor, system and method that alternates sub-sets of pixels with long exposure times and pixels with short exposure times on the same sensor to provide a sensor having improved Wide Dynamic Range (WDR). The sub-sets of pixels are reset at different time intervals after being read, which causes the respective integration times to vary. By combining information contained in the both the short and long integration pixels, the dynamic range of the sensor is improved.

A touch sensor panel configured to detect objects touching the panel as well as objects that are at a varying proximity to the touch sensor panel. The touch sensor panel includes circuitry that can configure the panel in a mutual capacitance (near field) architecture or a self-capacitance (far field and super far field) architecture. The touch sensor panel can also include circuitry that works to minimize an effect that a parasitic capacitance can have on the ability of the touch sensor panel to reliably detect touch and proximity events.

A CMOS imaging array includes a plurality of individual pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each pixel is constructed the same and includes a photodetector (e.g., photodiode) receiving incident light and generating an output. A first, relatively lower gain, wide dynamic range amplifier circuit is provided responsive to the output of the photodetector. The first circuit is optimized for a linear response to high light level input signals. A second, relatively higher gain, lower dynamic range amplifier circuit is also provided which is responsive to the output of the photodetector. The second circuit is optimized to provide a high signal to noise ratio for low light level input signals. A first output select circuit is provided for directing the output of the first circuit to a first output multiplexer. A second output select circuit is provided for directing the output of the second circuit to a second output multiplexer. Thus, separate outputs of the first and second circuits are provided for each of the individual pixel sensors of the CMOS imaging array. Alternative embodiments incorporate two ore more photodetectors and two or more amplifier circuits and output select circuits. Three photodetectors and three amplifier circuits are useful for an embodiment where the sensor includes a three-color filter matrix.

The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and a method, and in particular to an image processing apparatus and a method preferably applicable to conversion of a wide dynamic-range image having a dynamic range of pixel values wider than the normal one to a narrow dynamic-range image having a narrower dynamic range of pixel values, and to enhancement of contrast. In step S1, an input wide-DR luminance image of the current frame is converted into a narrow-DR luminance image based on the intermediate information calculated for the previous frame's wide-DR luminance image. In step S2, the stored intermediate information of the previous frame is updated using the calculated intermediate information. In step S3, it is determined if there is any succeeding frame. If there is the succeeding frame, the process returns to step S1 and processes thereafter are repeated. The present invention is applicable to a digital video camera and the like.

A solid-state color image pickup apparatus comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein said plurality of pixels are arranged to form an array pattern comprising a first checkered pattern and a second checkered pattern, wherein each of said plurality of pixels detects colors signals of red, green, and blue, and wherein said plurality of pixels comprises: higher-sensitivity pixels forming the first checkered pattern; and lower-sensitivity pixels forming the second checkered pattern.

A solid-state imaging device and an optical sensor, which can enhance a wide dynamic range while keeping a high sensitivity with a high S/N ratio, and a method of operating a solid-state imaging device for enhancing a wide dynamic range while keeping a high sensitivity with a high S/N ratio are disclosed. An array of integrated pixels has a structure wherein each pixel comprises a photodiode PD for receiving light and generating and accumulating photoelectric charges and a storage capacitor element C_S coupled to the photodiode PD through a transfer transistor Tr1 for accumulating the photoelectric charges overflowing from the photodiode PD. The storage capacitor element C_S is structured to accumulate the photoelectric charges overflowing from the photodiode PD in a storage-capacitor-element accumulation period T_CS that is set to be a period at a predetermined ratio with respect to an accumulation period of the photodiode PD.

Many portable playback devices cannot decode and playback encoded audio content having wide bandwidth and wide dynamic range with consistent loudness and intelligibility unless the encoded audio content has been prepared specially for these devices. This problem can be overcome by including with the encoded content some metadata that specifies a suitable dynamic range compression profile by either absolute values or differential values relative to another known compression profile. A playback device may also adaptively apply gain and limiting to the playback audio. Implementations in encoders, in transcoders and in decoders are disclosed.