Image Sensor Flicker Detection via Timing Shift
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing image capturing devices face difficulties in determining the presence of flicker components under certain combinations of power and vertical synchronization frequencies, leading to challenges in removing these components effectively.
Innovation Solution
An image capturing device that shifts exposure start timings by a fixed time interval synchronized with the vertical synchronization signal, incorporating a determination unit to analyze frequency variations and a removal unit to eliminate flicker components, allowing for effective detection and removal regardless of frequency combinations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the phase variation of flicker component is very small or zero (under certain power frequency and vertical synchronization frequency combinations), then the existing determination method becomes ineffective, but the need for flicker detection and removal remains
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the timing parameter by shifting the exposure start timing of each line by a fixed time interval synchronized with the vertical synchronization signal. This parameter change ensures that even when the natural phase variation of the flicker component is minimal or zero, the artificial timing shift creates sufficient phase difference across multiple frames to enable reliable detection through averaging operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary action by pre-shifting the exposure start timings before the flicker detection process. This preliminary timing adjustment ensures that when multiple frames are averaged, the flicker components from different frames do not align and cancel each other out, thereby enabling effective detection before the actual image processing occurs
2Reliability
If exposure start timings are shifted by a fixed time interval synchronized with vertical synchronization signal, then flicker component determination becomes effective under all frequency combinations, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary timing controller that acts as a mediator between the vertical synchronization signal and the exposure timing control. This intermediary component simplifies the overall system by providing a dedicated function for timing adjustment, rather than requiring complex modifications to multiple existing components
Solution Approach 2:
The timing controller is designed with multi-functionality, serving both to synchronize exposure timing with the vertical synchronization signal and to apply the fixed time interval shift for flicker detection. This universal approach consolidates multiple functions into a single component, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining effectiveness
Data Source
AI summary
[Object] To easily determine whether a flicker component is present.[Solution] An image sensor performs a process of generating image data by exposing a plurality of lines, each of which including a plurality of pixels, in sequence over a predetermined exposure time from exposure start timings that are different from each other whenever a predetermined period of a vertical synchronization signal elapses. A timing controller performs control for shifting each of the exposure start timings by a fixed time interval whenever the period elapses. A determination unit determines whether a component having luminance varying at a predetermined frequency along a direction perpendicular to the plurality of lines in the image data is present. A removal unit removes the component in the image data in a case where the component is determined to be present.