Image Sensor Pixel Design with Temporal Analysis for Power Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing imaging sensors consume significant power due to continuous operation and complex infrastructure requirements, limiting their efficacy and applicability in applications like surveillance and scene monitoring, where long periods of inactivity between events result in inefficient power usage.

Innovation Solution

The image sensor design incorporates embedded memories to store temporal and current charge values, allowing pixels to be classified as 'hot' or 'cold' based on historical and current photon flux, enabling reduced power consumption by minimizing charge movement and only processing significant illumination changes, thus reducing the need for continuous power and complex infrastructure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If continuous scene monitoring is implemented using standard camera-processor architecture, then event detection capability is maintained, but power consumption increases significantly and infrastructure complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent detection capabilityVSAvoidpower consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the monitoring function into two parts: a low-power sensor that continuously monitors for events and a processor that only activates when events are detected. This segmentation allows the system to maintain event detection capability while dramatically reducing average power consumption by keeping the processor in sleep mode during idle periods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The sensor performs preliminary event detection before activating the processor. By pre-processing the monitoring task and only triggering the power-intensive processor when actual events occur, the system maintains reliability while minimizing energy consumption during long idle periods between events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If standard camera sensor is used for continuous monitoring, then scene capture capability is maintained, but power consumption increases due to continuous operation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescene monitoring capabilityVSAvoidsensor power consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous operation, the sensor operates periodically by continuously monitoring for events and only activating full processing when events occur. This periodic activation pattern maintains scene monitoring capability while reducing power consumption by keeping the sensor in a low-power state during intervals between events.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

3Area of stationary object

If distributed sensor network is deployed across large areas, then surveillance coverage is improved, but infrastructure complexity and cost increase due to power supply and communication requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurveillance coverage areaVSAvoidinfrastructure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The sensor is designed to be self-sufficient with on-board event detection and processing capabilities, eliminating the need for continuous external power supply and communication infrastructure. The sensor can autonomously detect events and maintain operation independently, enabling dense deployment across large areas without expensive infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If continuous image capture and processing is performed, then event detection accuracy is maintained, but charge movement increases leading to higher power consumption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent detection accuracyVSAvoidenergy lost to charge movement

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs partial processing by only capturing and processing images when events are detected, rather than continuously processing all frames. This partial action approach maintains event detection accuracy for actual events while avoiding the excessive charge movement and power consumption associated with continuous full-frame processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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

This approach significantly reduces power consumption by 90% compared to separate camera-processor architectures, allowing for dense deployment of sensors in applications like smart buildings and surveillance, while maintaining high sensitivity and efficient event detection.

Implementation Method 1

photons that impinge on the active pixel area are transformed into electrons

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectPhotoelectric effect: Photoelectric Effect

Data Source

PatentEP2664130B1Pixel design with temporal analysis capabilities for scene interpretation

Publication Date: 2021.12.29 EMZA VISUAL SENSE

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AI summary

Disclosed is a sensor device with pixels that in addition to sensing an image, performs captured image or scene analysis. The device saves further image processing downstream, is characterized by minimal charge movements and reduces a large fraction (about 90%) of the consumed electric energy as compared to the existing devices.