RGBW Image Sensor Binning Method for Zigzag Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
As image sensor resolution increases, maintaining a high frame rate and reducing power consumption becomes challenging, and existing binning methods in RGBW image sensors often result in noise due to the zigzag phenomenon, degrading image quality.
Innovation Solution
A binning method for RGBW image sensors that selects target pixels for red, green, blue, and white pixels, generates binning pixel data, and rearranges them to maintain a uniform array pattern while being equally spaced, thereby reducing noise and preserving image quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If binning is applied to reduce image data size, then power consumption is reduced and frame rate is maintained, but noise caused by zigzag phenomenon increases and image quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the binning process into distinct stages: selecting binning target pixels from the original array, generating binning pixel data through summation, and rearranging the resulting pixels into a uniform pattern. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each stage to minimize zigzag noise while maintaining the power consumption benefits of binning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing treatments to different pixel types (R, G, B, W) during binning. Specifically, it selects binning target pixels of the same color and sums their values, while rearranging the resulting binning pixels into a uniform pattern with equal spacing. This local quality approach ensures that each color channel is processed optimally, reducing zigzag noise in specific regions while maintaining overall image quality.
2Productivity
If binning is applied to reduce image data size, then productivity is improved, but manufacturing precision of pixel arrangement deteriorates due to non-uniform spacing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary selection of binning target pixels before generating binning pixel data. By pre-selecting pixels of the same color from the original array and organizing them into binning groups, the method ensures that subsequent data generation and rearrangement operations can proceed efficiently while maintaining uniform pixel spacing in the final output.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the arrangement parameters of binning pixels from the original non-uniform pattern to a uniform pattern with equal spacing. Specifically, it rearranges R, G, B, and W binning pixels into alternating rows and columns with consistent intervals, transforming the spatial distribution parameters to achieve both high processing efficiency and precise pixel arrangement.
Data Source
AI summary
An RGBW image sensor, a binning method in an image sensor, and a computer readable medium for performing the method are provided, and the binning method in an image sensor includes selecting one or more binning target pixels for each of a red pixel, a green pixel, a blue pixel, and a white pixel, constituting a pixel array of an RGBW image sensor with a uniform array pattern, generating binning pixel data for each of the red pixel, the green pixel, the blue pixel, and the white pixel, based on pieces of pixel data corresponding to the binning target pixel, and rearranging pixels, represented by the binning pixel data, to be equal to the entirety or a portion of the uniform array pattern and to be equally spaced apart from each other.