Infrared Bayer Pattern Sensor Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Imaging devices with a Bayer pattern are limited in night and low-lit environments due to their sensitivity only to visible red, blue, and green light, and struggle to effectively incorporate infrared data for enhanced imaging capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a fourth color channel for infrared light into the Bayer pattern imaging devices, allowing for the processing of pixel values using a 4×4 RGBIr pattern remosaiced into a 2×2 Bayer pattern, with techniques for infrared correction, interpolation, and clipping management to enhance image quality and accuracy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a Bayer pattern with three color channels (red, blue, green) is used, then the imaging device can capture visible light effectively, but it cannot effectively capture infrared light for night imaging applications
Solution Approach 1:
The pixel array is segmented into four distinct color channels (red, blue, green, and infrared) instead of the traditional three channels. Each pixel location is assigned a specific channel type in a repeating 4-channel pattern, allowing simultaneous capture of visible and infrared light without mixing signals from different wavelength ranges.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the traditional 2D Bayer pattern by adding a fourth channel dimension. The pattern transitions from RGB (3 channels) to RGBI (4 channels), creating a new dimensional space for color sampling that enables both visible and infrared imaging capabilities within the same sensor array.
2Adaptability or versatility
If infrared sensitivity is added to the imaging device, then night imaging capability is improved, but the complexity of processing pixel values increases due to the 4×4 RGBIr pattern
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary remosaicing of the 4×4 RGBIr pattern into a 2×2 Bayer pattern before applying standard image processing algorithms. This pre-processing step reorganizes the pixel data into a familiar format, allowing conventional demosaicing and processing pipelines to be used with minimal modification, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing step that converts the complex 4-channel RGBIr data into an intermediate 2-channel Bayer representation. This intermediary format serves as a bridge between the raw multi-channel sensor output and the final processed image, simplifying subsequent processing operations.
3Measurement precision
If infrared correction and interpolation techniques are applied, then image quality in low-light conditions is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by adjusting the weighting factors and correction coefficients used in infrared correction and interpolation algorithms. By optimizing these parameters, the system achieves high image quality while minimizing computational overhead and processing time, balancing accuracy with efficiency.
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 effective imaging in low-light conditions by accurately processing infrared data, improving image quality and extending the dynamic range of imaging devices to include non-visible light bands, thereby enhancing night imaging applications.
Implementation Method 1
An imaging device formed on or in combination with an integrated circuit device typically includes an array of pixels formed by filters disposed over photo detectors
Data Source
AI summary
Example methods, apparatuses, and/or articles of manufacture are disclosed that may be implemented, in whole or in part, techniques to process pixel values sampled from a multi color channel imaging device. In particular, methods and/or techniques to process pixel samples for non-visible light from pixels allocated to detection of infrared light are disclosed.