U.S. patent application number 11/642867 was filed with the patent office on 2007-09-06 for method, apparatus and system providing an integrated hyperspectral imager.
This patent application is currently assigned to Micron Technology, Inc.. Invention is credited to Scott Smith.
Application Number | 20070206242 11/642867 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38193548 |
Filed Date | 2007-09-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070206242 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; Scott |
September 6, 2007 |
Method, apparatus and system providing an integrated hyperspectral
imager
Abstract
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are disclosed which provide a
plurality of pixel arrays on a common substrate each associated
with a hyperspectral filter. Images from each of the arrays may be
separately analyzed or combined into a composite image.
Inventors: |
Smith; Scott; (Los Angeles,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
DICKSTEIN SHAPIRO LLP
1825 EYE STREET, NW
WASHINGTON
DC
20006
US
|
Assignee: |
Micron Technology, Inc.
|
Family ID: |
38193548 |
Appl. No.: |
11/642867 |
Filed: |
December 21, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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11367580 |
Mar 6, 2006 |
|
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11642867 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
358/505 ;
348/E3.032; 348/E9.007 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04N 5/3415 20130101;
H04N 9/093 20130101; H01L 27/14621 20130101; H04N 3/1593 20130101;
H01L 27/14623 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
358/505 |
International
Class: |
H04N 1/46 20060101
H04N001/46 |
Claims
1. An imager apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixel arrays on a
single die; and a plurality of imaging lenses for focusing an image
on the pixel arrays, each of the pixel arrays being associated with
a respective hyperspectral bandpass filter.
2. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of less than 100
nm.
3. The imager apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of between 50 nm and
100 nm.
4. The imager apparatus of claim 2, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of less than 10
nm.
5. The imager apparatus of claim 4, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of between 5 nm and
10 nm.
6. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is integrated with its associated imaging lens.
7. The imager apparatus of claim 6, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a thin film coating on its associated lens.
8. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a separate element from its associated imaging
lens.
9. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a thin film coating on a surface of its
associated pixel array.
10. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter has a unique bandpass range.
11. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hyperspectral
bandpass filters collectively cover a spectrum of between about 700
nm and about 1000 nm.
12. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hyperspectral
bandpass filters collectively cover a spectrum of between about 200
nm and about 400 nm.
13. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixel
arrays comprise M.times.N pixel arrays arranged in a M.times.N
pattern of arrays on the die.
14. The imager apparatus of claim 13, wherein M equals N.
15. The imager apparatus of claim 13, wherein M does not equal
N.
16. The imager apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pixel arrays are
spaced less than 2 mm apart.
17. The imager apparatus of claim 16, wherein the pixel arrays are
spaced about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm apart.
18. The imager apparatus of claim 16, wherein the imaging lenses
and associated hyperspectral bandpass filters are configured to
capture a full image of a scene.
19. The imager apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical
barrier between adjacent pixel arrays.
20. The imager apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an optical
barrier between adjacent imaging lenses.
21. An imager apparatus comprising: a plurality of pixel arrays
formed on a single die, wherein the plurality of arrays are spaced
apart by less than 2 millimeters; a plurality of hyperspectral
bandpass filters respectively associated with the pixel arrays,
each of the hyperspectral filters having a spectral bandpass of
less than 100 nm; and a plurality of imaging lenses respectively
associated with the pixel arrays.
22. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of between 50 nm and
100 nm.
23. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of less than 10
nm.
24. The imager apparatus of claim 23, wherein each of the
hyperspectral filters has a spectral bandpass of between 5 nm and
10 nm.
25. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein each imaging lens has
a hyperspectral bandpass filter associated with its respective
imaging lens.
26. The imager apparatus of claim 25, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is integrated with its associated imaging lens.
27. The imager apparatus of claim 26, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a thin film coating on its associated lens.
28. The imager apparatus of claim 25, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a separate element from its associated imaging
lens.
29. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a thin film coating on a surface of its
associated pixel array.
30. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter has a unique bandpass range.
31. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein the plurality of
pixel arrays comprise M.times.N pixel arrays arranged in a
M.times.N pattern of arrays on the die.
32. The imager apparatus of claim 31, wherein M equals N.
33. The imager apparatus of claim 31, wherein M does not equal
N.
34. The imager apparatus of claim 21, wherein the pixel arrays and
the imaging lenses are spaced about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm apart.
35. The imager apparatus of claim 34, wherein the imaging lenses
and associated hyperspectral bandpass filters are configured to
capture a full image of a scene.
36. An imager apparatus comprising: an image sensor comprising: a
plurality of pixel arrays; a plurality of imaging lenses
respectively arranged above the pixel arrays; and a hyperspectral
bandpass filter associated with each imaging lens, wherein each
hyperspectral bandpass filter is unique for each imaging lens; and
a readout circuit for reading out respective image signals from
each of the arrays.
37. The imager apparatus of claim 36, further comprising: an image
combining device for combining the respective image signals from
each of the pixel arrays.
38. The imager apparatus of claim 37, wherein the image combining
device performs a parallax adjustment calculation.
39. The imager apparatus of claim 37, wherein a common readout
circuit is provided for all of the pixel arrays.
40. The imager apparatus of claim 37, wherein separate readout
circuits are provided for each of the pixel arrays.
41. The imager apparatus of claim 36, wherein the plurality of
pixel arrays are formed on a single die.
42. The imager apparatus of claim 36, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is integrated with its associated imaging lens.
43. The imager apparatus of claim 42, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a thin film coating on its associated lens.
44. The imager apparatus of claim 36, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a separate element from its associated imaging
lens.
45. The imager apparatus of claim 36, wherein each hyperspectral
bandpass filter is a thin film coating on a surface of its
associated pixel array.
46. The imager apparatus of claim 36, wherein the pixel arrays are
spaced less than 2 mm apart.
47. The imager apparatus of claim 46, wherein the pixel arrays are
spaced about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm apart.
48. The imager apparatus of claim 36, wherein the imager apparatus
is a component of a digital camera.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S.
application Ser. No. 11/367,580 filed Mar. 6, 2006, the disclosure
of which is incorporated by reference herein.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Embodiments of the invention relate generally to the field
of semiconductor devices and more particularly to multi-array image
sensors.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Image sensors, such as multispectral image sensors,
generally produce images with a few relatively broad wavelength
bands from a wavelength of about 400 nm to about 700 nm. These
bands typically correlate to the red, green and blue color filters
(RGB) of a Bayer patterned color filter array (described below)
used in the image sensor. Hyperspectral image sensors, on the other
hand, simultaneously collect image data in dozens or hundreds of
narrow, adjacent hyperspectral bands. Hyperspectral sensors create
a larger number of images from contiguous, rather than disjoint,
regions of the spectrum, typically, with much finer resolution than
can be obtained with a multispectral image sensor. Hyperspectral
imaging involves acquisition of image data in many contiguous
narrow hyperspectral bands, the goal being to produce laboratory
quality reflectance spectra for each pixel in an image.
[0004] The semiconductor industry currently produces different
types of semiconductor-based image sensors, such as charge coupled
devices (CCDs), CMOS active pixel sensors (APS), photodiode arrays,
charge injection devices and hybrid focal plane arrays, among
others. These image sensors use imaging lenses to focus
electromagnetic radiation onto photo-conversion devices, e.g.,
photodiodes. Also, these image sensors can use color filters to
pass particular wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation to the
photo-conversion devices, such that the photo-conversion devices
typically are associated with a particular color.
[0005] FIGS. 1A and 1B respectively show a top view and a
simplified cross sectional view of a portion of a conventional
color image sensor for the visual light spectrum using a Bayer
patterned color filter pixel cell array 100. The array 100 includes
pixel cells 10, each being formed on a substrate 1. The pixel array
100 is covered by a color filter array 30. The color filter array
30 includes color filters 31r, 31g, 31b, each disposed over a
respective pixel cell 10. Each of the filters 31r, 31g, 31b allows
only particular wavelengths of light to pass through to a
respective photo-conversion device. Typically, the color filter
array 30 is arranged in a repeating Bayer pattern that includes two
green color filters 31g for every red color filter 31r and blue
color filter 31b, arranged as shown in FIG. 1A. As shown in FIG.
1B, each pixel cell 10 includes a photo-conversion device 12r, 12g,
for example, a photodiode, having an associated charge collecting
well 13r, 13g. The elements 12r, 12g, 13r, 13g are associated with
red and green colors based on the color being passed to the pixels
of one row of the color filter array 30, however, it should be
appreciated that there may be a photo-conversion device 12 and a
charge collecting well 13 that is associated with the color blue
that is not shown in the cross sectional view of FIG. 1B. The
illustrated array 100 has imaging lenses 20 that collect and focus
light onto respective photo-conversion devices 12r, 12g, which in
turn convert the focused light into electrons that are stored in
the respective charge collecting wells 13r, 13g.
[0006] Between the color filter array 30 and the pixel cells 10 is
a passivation layer 6 which typically covers the gate structure of
transistors of the pixels and an overlying interlayer dielectric
(ILD) region 3. The ILD region 3 typically includes multiple layers
of interlayer dielectrics and conductors that form connections
between devices of the pixel cells 10 and from the pixel cells 10
to circuitry 150 peripheral to the array 100. A dielectric layer 5
may also be provided between the color filter array 30 and imaging
lenses 20.
[0007] As discussed above, a hyperspectral image sensor or camera
system relies on many narrow hyperspectral bandpass filters to
capture the hyperspectral image content of a scene. The
hyperspectral bandpass filters may be applied to an imaging system
of the type illustrated in FIG. 1B. One major disadvantage of this
is that because of the large number of narrow band filters
required, the hyperspectral image sensor becomes very large and
expensive. Further, because the image sensor relies on applying
separate hyperspectral bandpass filters to a lens system over one
or more pixels in each pixel array, the filters do not capture the
full image content and may produce poor quality images.
[0008] Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an integrated
hyperspectral image sensor which better captures the hyperspectral
image content of a scene, which is also compact.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1A is a top plan view of a portion of a conventional
Bayer pattern color image sensor.
[0010] FIG. 1B is a cross sectional view of a row portion of a
conventional Bayer pattern color image sensor.
[0011] FIG. 2A is a plan view of a multi-array image sensor in
accordance with an embodiment described herein.
[0012] FIG. 2B is a cross sectional view along a line A-A of the
FIG. 2A image sensor in accordance with an embodiment described
herein.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a graph showing the measurements of hyperspectral
imaging in accordance with an embodiment described herein.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the measurements of a continuous
spectrum for each hyperspectral image from each pixel in accordance
with an embodiment described herein.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a portion of an image
sensor in accordance to an embodiment described herein.
[0016] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a CMOS image sensor
constructed in accordance with an embodiment described herein.
[0017] FIG. 7 depicts a processor system constructed in accordance
with an embodiment described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0018] In the following detailed description, reference is made to
the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which
are shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which
the invention may be practiced. These embodiments are described in
sufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art to
make and use them, and it is to be understood that structural,
logical or procedural changes may be made to the specific
embodiments disclosed herein.
[0019] The embodiments described herein relate to methods,
apparatuses, and systems for integrating a plurality of pixel
arrays onto a single substrate, each having an associated
hyperspectral bandpass filter and imaging lens. Each imaging array
and its associated lens and bandpass filter form an image of
objects in a scene. If the image sensor arrays and lenses are in
close proximity, on the order of less than 2 mm, e.g., about 0.5 mm
to about 1 mm, then object parallax will be quite small and each
array shared will image the same scene for objects that are all
farther than 1 m from the arrays. A hyperspectral image may be
constructed from individual images respectively acquired by the
pixel arrays such that each pixel in the image contains a
hyperspectral representation of reflectance of that point in the
scene.
[0020] FIG. 2A is a plan view of an embodiment of a hyperspectral
image sensor 200 on a semiconductor, e.g., silicon, substrate 201
of a single die. In the illustrated embodiment, image sensor 200 is
formed as a 4.times.4 array configuration of pixel arrays 203 for a
total of 16 pixel arrays 203, each having an associated lens
element 204. The imaging lenses 204 are formed by molding or by
etching a lens material layer. A hyperspectral bandpass filter 205
(FIG. 2B) may be formed over each optical imaging lens 204. The
hyperspectral bandpass filters 205 may be formed separate from
lenses 204, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, and may be formed above or
below the lenses 204, or may be formed as a coating on the lenses
204, or may be formed as part of the lens 204 by using a colored
material for lens 204. Each hyperspectral bandpass filter 205
associated with an imaging lens 204 has a different narrow
hyperspectral bandpass characteristic. Thus, in the embodiment
illustrated in FIGS. 2A-2B, there are sixteen different narrow
hyperspectral bandpass filters 205, each passing a narrow
wavelength range of light to a respective pixel array 203 below.
Hyperspectral bandpass filters 205 may pass narrow bandwidths that
are narrower than the bandwidths used to simply separate red, green
and blue wavelengths and may have pass bands of and provide a
spectral resolution of less than 100 nm per band, e.g., 50-100 nm
per band, and could include infrared bands from about 700 nm to
about 1000 nm and/or UV bands from about 200 nm to about 400 nm.
The filters 205 may also have a bandwidth resolution that is as
narrow as less than 10 nm per band, for example, 5-10 nm per
band.
[0021] Referring to FIG. 2B, image sensor 200 includes a substrate
201 on which a plurality of pixel arrays 203 and associated support
circuitry (not shown) for each array 203 are fabricated. The
illustrated portion shows one pixel array 203 for one color that
has a corresponding color filter that only allows a limited narrow
spectrum of wavelengths to pass through. Each imaging lens 204 or
pixel array 203 then captures different narrow band hyperspectral
information. For simplicity, the embodiment shown in FIG. 2B shows
pixel arrays 203 that are four pixels wide, but it should be
appreciated that each of the pixel arrays 203 may contain hundreds,
thousands or millions of pixels, as desired. Opaque walls 260
separate the individual arrays 203 and opaque walls 270 separate
the arrays of imaging lenses 204 that are arranged above each
respective pixel array 203. Opaque walls may also optionally
separate the narrow hyperspectral filters 205. The hyperspectral
bandpass filters 205 are unique for each imaging lens 204, meaning
that each imaging lens 204 or pixel array 203 under each lens 204
has a different narrow band color filter that only allows a limited
spectrum of wavelengths to pass through. Thus, each pixel array 203
captures different narrow band hyperspectral information.
[0022] As noted, the pixel arrays 203 preferably are integrated on
a single silicon die substrate with common circuitry. Including a
multi-array color image sensor on a single die provides for a
reduction of color crosstalk artifacts, especially for compact
camera modules with pixel sizes less than 6 microns by 6 microns.
Moreover, an imaging lens with a short focal length can minimize
parallax effects and allow a camera module employing image sensor
200 to be more compact.
[0023] Although FIG. 2B illustrates a single lens 204 over each
array 203, a modified embodiment provides an imaging lens 204 over
one or more pixels in each array 203. For example, each individual
lens 204 may cover and focus light on a sixteen pixel section (in a
4.times.4 pattern) of the pixels in each array 203.
[0024] Because the image sensor 200 employs hyperspectral imaging,
the image data is simultaneously collected in dozens or hundreds of
narrow, adjacent hyperspectral bands, as illustrated in FIG. 3. For
example, a 4.times.4 arrangement of pixel arrays (as illustrated in
FIGS. 2A-2B) has at most 16 hyperspectral bands. For collection of
hundreds of hyperspectral bands, the image sensor must have a
hundred or more individual pixel arrays, e.g., a 10.times.10
arrangement of pixel arrays.
[0025] Each image I.sub.1 . . . I.sub.n from a respective array
represents a hyperspectral image from a respective pixel array 203
(FIG. 2A). The totality of images I.sub.1 . . . I.sub.n represent
an image with all hyperspectral bands, as illustrated in FIG. 4.
The individual images can then be combined and thus, each pixel in
the combined image would contain full hyperspectral information. In
FIG. 3, .beta..sub.1 . . . .beta..sub.n represents the bandpass
optical filter for each image I.sub.1 . . . I.sub.n of FIG. 4. Each
imaging lens 204 with its unique hyperspectral bandpass filter will
image the same scene if the image sensor arrays 203 are in close
proximity to one another, e.g., on the order of less than 2 mm and
with a preferred spacing in the range of about 0.5 mm to about 1
mm. For arrays 203 which have respective lenses 204, the lenses are
similarly spaced. Thus, a hyperspectral or full spectral image may
be constructed such that each pixel in the produced image contains
a full spectral representation of reflectance of that point in the
scene. Further, because the image sensor arrays 203 and imaging
lenses 204 are in close proximity, e.g., on the order of less than
2 mm and preferably about 0.5 mm to about 1 mm, then object
parallax is quite small.
[0026] FIG. 5 is a simplified cross sectional view of a portion of
an image sensor 200 according to any embodiment of the invention.
Sensor 200 includes a substrate 201 on which a plurality of pixel
arrays 203 and associated support circuitry (not shown) for each
array are fabricated. Each color pixel array 203 is associated with
a different color on a wavelength spectrum. As discussed above,
each imaging lens 204 has a unique hyperspectral bandpass filter
205 that is associated with each pixel array 203 which is designed
to pass a limited spectrum of wavelengths. Each pixel array 203
then captures different hyperspectral information.
[0027] As an object to be imaged moves closer to the array of
imaging lenses 204, the individual arrays 203 will exhibit an
increase in parallax distance between them. The magnitude of the
parallax distance between two adjacent arrays is approximated by
the following formula:
P.sub.x=(N/x)*d.sub.x (1)
where N is the pixel array dimension (in pixels), d.sub.x is the
distance between the outer focal points of lenses 204 and where x
is approximated by the following formula:
x=2*O*Tan(.alpha./2) (2)
where O is the object distance from the camera (or distance from
the object to be imaged and the imaging lenses 204) and .alpha. is
the field of view (FOV) angle. Once the object distance O has been
measured or approximated, the parallax distance calculation can be
performed. An example for calculating parallax is discussed below.
This example also shows that small pixel arrays (on the order of
about 1 mm and spaced less than 2 mm apart, e.g., from about 0.5 mm
to about 1 mm) will not produce excessive parallax.
[0028] For an object distance O of about 2 m from a camera and a
field of view angle of 60.degree. , the P.sub.x or parallax
distance at the object plane between adjacent pixel arrays 203
would equal 0.78 pixels by using formulas (1) and (2) above. Thus,
for image sensors with 4.times.4 imaging arrays (i.e., 4.times.4
image sensor), the maximum parallax (at 60.degree. FOV) between
images for objects with a distance of greater than or equal to 2 m
from the camera would equal 2.35 pixels. A 4.times.4 image sensor
would have 16 hyperspectral bands, a pixel element size of 2.2
.mu.m.times.2.2 .mu.m and a target hyperspectral image size of
800.times.600.
[0029] Various image sensor configurations allow tradeoffs in
performance. For example, a 3.times.3 image sensor will have less
maximum parallax than a 4.times.4 image sensor, but will have only
9 hyperspectral bands. A larger FOV will have less parallax but the
user must get closer to objects they want to isolate in a scene.
Further, smaller pixels may be used to reduce maximum parallax with
a tradeoff of a reduction in camera sensitivity.
[0030] FIG. 6 illustrates a block diagram of a CMOS imaging device
500, which employs a multi-array sensor 200 having a plurality of
pixel arrays 203 constructed according to any embodiment described
above. Multiple arrays 203 are arranged to form one large pixel
array 505. The pixels of each row in array 505 are all turned on at
the same time by a row select line, and the pixels of each column
are selectively output onto the output lines by respective column
select lines. A plurality of row and column select lines are
provided for the entire array 505. The row lines are selectively
activated in sequence by a row driver 510 in response to row
address decoder 515. The column select lines are selectively
activated in sequence for each row activation by a column driver
520 in response to column address decoder 525. Thus, a row and
column address is provided for each pixel.
[0031] The CMOS image sensor 500 is operated by a control circuit
530, which controls address decoders 515, 525 for selecting the
appropriate row and column select lines for pixel readout. Control
circuit 530 also controls the row and column driver circuitry 510,
520 so that they apply driving voltages to the drive transistors of
the selected row and column select lines. The pixel output signals
typically include a pixel reset signal V.sub.rst read out of the
storage region after it is reset by the reset transistor and a
pixel image signal V.sub.sig, which is read out of the storage
region after photo-generated charges are transferred to the region.
The V.sub.rst and V.sub.sig signals are sampled by a sample and
hold circuit 535 and are subtracted by a differential amplifier
540, to produce a differential signal V.sub.rst-V.sub.sig for each
readout pixel. V.sub.rst-V.sub.sig represents the amount of light
impinging on the pixels. This difference signal is digitized by an
analog-to-digital converter 545. The digitized pixel signals are
fed to an image processor 550 to form a digital image output. The
digitizing and image processing can be located on or off the
imaging device chip. In some arrangements the differential signal
V.sub.rst-V.sub.sig can be amplified as a differential signal and
directly digitized by a differential analog to digital converter.
The analog-to digital converter 545 supplies the digitized pixel
signals to an image processor 550, which performs appropriate image
processing, which can include combining the outputs of multiple
arrays and performing a parallax adjustment calculation if needed
or desired, before providing digital signals defining an image
output.
[0032] It should be noted that FIG. 6 represents one example of a
readout circuit for multi-array 505. Another embodiment could
employ the readout circuit in FIG. 6 for each individual array 203
with an image processor 550 combining the outputs of the individual
arrays 203. Also, FIG. 6 illustrates a readout circuit suitable for
CMOS arrays 203, but the invention may be used with other solid
state imaging arrays, for example, CCD arrays in which case a
readout circuit suitable for reading out CCD arrays could be
employed.
[0033] FIG. 7 illustrates a processor system 900 including the
image sensor 500 of FIG. 6. The processor system 900 is one example
of a system having digital circuits that could include image sensor
devices. Without being limiting, such a processor system could also
include a computer system, camera system, scanner, machine vision,
vehicle navigation, video phone, surveillance system, auto focus
system, star tracker system, motion detection system, image
stabilization system, and other processor system.
[0034] The processor system 900, for example a digital camera
system, generally comprises a central processing unit (CPU) 995,
such as a microprocessor for common operational control, that
communicates with an input/output (I/O) device 991 over a bus 993.
Image sensor 500 also communicates with the CPU 995 over the bus
993. The processor-based system 900 also includes random access
memory (RAM) 992, and can include removable memory 994, such as
flash memory, which also communicate with CPU 995 over the bus 993.
Image sensor 500 may be combined with a processor, such as a CPU,
digital signal processor, or microprocessor, with or without memory
storage on a single integrated circuit or on a different chip than
the processor. A parallax adjustment calculation may be performed
by the image processor 550 in image sensor 500, or by the CPU
995.
[0035] While the embodiments have been described in detail in
connection with the embodiments known at the time, it should be
readily understood that the claimed invention is not limited to the
disclosed embodiments. Rather, they can be modified to incorporate
any number of variations, alterations, substitutions or equivalent
arrangements not heretofore described. For example, while
embodiments are described in connection with a CMOS pixel image
sensor, they can be practiced with any other type of pixel image
sensor (e.g., CCD, etc.). Furthermore, the various embodiments
could be used in automotive applications and other applications
where the object plane is at a constant distance, parallax is
easily accounted for by using a simple linear shift of pixel data
from each camera to properly register all images, such as in
machine vision or industrial imaging. In addition, various
embodiments may be used in low-cost, solid-state hyperspectral
scanners, in which multiple hyperspectral cameras in one scanning
system may produce high-resolution images very quickly.
* * * * *