Event Sensing System Asynchronous Filtering Mask
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional image/video sensors face challenges in providing ultra-high frame rates and ultra-high speed capture capabilities, resulting in poor quality image/video captures due to redundancy in data output, which is difficult to manage with existing active pixel sensors.
Innovation Solution
Event sensing systems with event filtering mechanisms, including pixel arrays of event-driven pixels that detect events asynchronously, reducing redundancy by randomly dropping events using a programmable filtering mask to control bandwidth and latency, and employing activity monitors to adjust filtering rates.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If traditional image/video sensors are used to provide ultra-high frame rates, then speed of capture is improved, but image/video capture quality deteriorates due to redundancy in data output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the necessary event information from the continuous data stream, filtering out redundant data. Event-driven pixels detect and output only significant changes (events) rather than continuously capturing all image data, thereby reducing bandwidth and latency while maintaining capture quality at ultra-high frame rates.
2Productivity
If event sensing systems detect events asynchronously at ultra-high speeds, then productivity is improved, but device complexity increases due to filtering mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the event filtering process into multiple stages: pixel-level event detection, row-level activity monitoring, and column-level random filtering. This segmentation allows each stage to handle a specific aspect of the filtering task, managing complexity while maintaining ultra-high detection speeds through parallel processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial filtering by randomly dropping a portion of detected events rather than processing all events completely. The activity monitor detects excess event rates and triggers random filtering at a controlled rate, providing sufficient filtering to manage bandwidth without the need for complex complete processing of every event.
3Loss of time
If random filtering is applied to reduce congestion at excess event rates, then loss of time is reduced, but loss of information increases due to randomly dropped events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial filtering by randomly dropping a portion of events rather than all events. The filtering is activated only when activity monitors detect excess event rates, and the random drop rate is controlled to provide sufficient reduction in congestion while preserving the majority of meaningful event information for reconstruction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the filtering parameters based on activity monitor feedback. When event rates exceed thresholds, the system changes the filtering rate parameter to randomly drop events at a controlled proportion, thereby managing latency while minimizing information loss through adaptive parameter adjustment.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables ultra-high frame rates and ultra-high speed capabilities while reducing time stamp errors and avoiding fixed pattern artifacts, thereby improving image/video capture quality and reducing bandwidth and latency.
Implementation Method 1
An event driven pixel circuit includes a photodiode configured to photogenerate charge or photocurrent in response to incident light
Data Source
AI summary
An event sensing system includes a pixel array including a plurality of event driven pixel circuits configured to be illuminated by incident light. The event driven pixel circuits are configured to generate an event current in response to a detection of an event in the incident light. Output signals of a row of the pixel array are configured to be read out from the row of the pixel array to a line buffer in response to the detection of the event in the incident light. A random number generator is configured to randomly generate a filtering mask. A mask circuit is the output signals of the row of the pixel array from the line buffer and the filtering mask from the random number generator to filter the output signals of the row of the pixel array in response to the filtering mask.