Pixel Analog Operation Circuit for Buffer-Free Image Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional optical sensors require digital frame buffers to store pixel data, necessitating a solution for performing operations on pixel data at the analog phase without initial digital conversion.
Innovation Solution
A pixel circuit that utilizes a photodiode, temporal circuits, and operation circuits to generate and process pulse width signals corresponding to detected light energy, enabling analog operations such as subtraction, addition, and absolute difference, thereby eliminating the need for digital conversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If digital frame buffers are used to store pixel data, then data storage capability is improved, but device complexity and resource usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces digital frame buffer storage with an analog temporal circuit that uses capacitor-based charge storage to hold pixel data in analog form. The temporal circuit maintains voltage levels proportional to light intensity without requiring digital conversion and storage infrastructure, thereby reducing device complexity while preserving data storage capability throughout the integration period.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the state of pixel data from digital to analog representation. By maintaining data as continuous voltage signals in the temporal circuit rather than converting to discrete digital values, the system eliminates the need for frame buffers while preserving the quantitative information through analog parameter (voltage level) variations that correspond to light intensity.
2Measurement precision
If digital conversion is performed before operations, then measurement precision is improved, but processing time and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs analog operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) on pixel data before digital conversion occurs. By completing computational operations while data is still in analog form within the temporal circuit, the system eliminates the need to store and reprocess large volumes of digital data, significantly reducing processing time and energy consumption while maintaining measurement precision through the analog computational results.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuous analog signal processing through the temporal circuit, where voltage levels continuously represent pixel intensity values during the integration period. This continuous analog representation allows operations to be performed without interruption or conversion to digital form, eliminating the time loss associated with analog-to-digital conversion and enabling seamless computational operations on the pixel data.
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 pixel-wise analog operations directly from pulse width signals, reducing the need for digital frame buffers and improving processing efficiency by performing operations in the analog phase.
Implementation Method 1
a photodiode, a first circuit, a second circuit and an absolute difference circuit. The photodiode is configured to generate light energy
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a pixel circuit for performing analog operation including a photodiode, a first circuit, a second circuit and an operation circuit. Within a first interval, the photodiode detects first light energy to be stored in the first circuit. Within a second interval, the photodiode detects second light energy to be stored in the second circuit. Within an operation interval, the first circuit outputs a first detection signal according to the first light energy and outputs a second detection signal according to the second light energy for being calculated by the operation circuit.