Abstract: In one example, a method comprises: exposing a first photodiode to incident light to generate first charge; exposing a second photodiode to the incident light to generate second charge; converting, by a first charge sensing unit, the first charge to a first voltage; converting, by a second charge sensing unit, the second charge to a second voltage; controlling an ADC to detect, based on the first voltage, that a quantity of the first charge reaches a saturation threshold, and to measure a saturation time when the quantity of the first charge reaches the saturation threshold; stopping the exposure of the first photodiode and the second photodiode to the incident light based on detecting that the quantity of the first charge reaches the saturation threshold; and controlling the ADC to measure, based on the second voltage, a quantity of the second charge generated by the second photodiode before the exposure ends.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus includes an array of pixel cells and a peripheral circuit. Each pixel cell of the array of pixel cells includes: a memory to store pixel-level programming data and measurement data, and light measurement circuits configured to, based on the pixel-level programming data from the control memory, perform a light measurement operation to generate the measurement data, and to store the measurement data at the data memory. The peripheral circuit is configured to: receive a pixel array programming map including pixel-level programming data targeted at each pixel cell; extract the pixel-level programming data from the pixel array programming map; and transmit the pixel-level programming data to each pixel cell of the array of pixel cells for storage at the memory of the each pixel cell and to individually control the light measurement operation and a generation of the measurement data at the each pixel cell.

Abstract: In one example, a mobile device comprises: a physical link; a plurality of image sensors, each image sensor being configured to transmit image data via the physical link; and a controller coupled to the physical link, whereby the physical link, the plurality of image sensors, and the controller form a multi-drop network. The controller is configured to: transmit a control signal to configure image sensing operations at the plurality of image sensors; receive, via the physical link, image data from at least a subset of the plurality of image sensors; combine the image data from the at least a subset of the plurality of image sensors to obtain an extended field of view (FOV); determine information of a surrounding environment of the mobile device captured within the extended FOV; and provide the information to an application to generate content based on the information.

Abstract: A projector sequentially generates light pulses to form a sparse grid array. The light pulses reflect off objects in an environment and are reflected towards a sensor array. The sensor array sequentially senses the reflected light pulses across pixels of the sensor array. A depth sensing system calculates depth information of objects in the environment based on the sequential nature of the pulse generation and the pulse sensing. The depth sensing system calculates depth information based on both the positional and temporal information of generated light pulses, and the positional and temporal information of sensed light pulses. The depth sensing system may generate a representation of the environment based on the depth information.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: a first photodiode to generate a first charge; a second photodiode to generate a second charge; a quantizer; a first memory bank and a second memory bank; and a controller configured to: control the quantizer to perform a first quantization operation and a second quantization operation of the first charge to generate, respectively, a first digital output and a second digital output, the first and second quantization operations being associated with different intensity ranges; store one of the first digital output or the second digital output in the first memory bank; control the quantizer to perform a third quantization operation of the second charge to generate a third digital output, the third quantization operation being associated with a different intensity range from at least one of the first or second quantization operations; and store the third digital output in the second memory bank.

Abstract: In some examples, a sensor apparatus comprises: a pixel cell configured to generate a voltages, the pixel cell including a photodiode configured to generate charge in response to incoming light, and a charge storage device to convert the charge to a voltage; an integrated circuit configured to: determine a first captured voltage converted by the charge storage device during a first time period; compare the first captured voltage to a threshold voltage value; and in response to determining that the first captured voltage meets or exceeds the threshold voltage value: determine first time data corresponding to the first time period; and prevent the charge storage device from further generating a charge; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to generate a digital pixel value based on the first captured voltage, and a memory to store the digital pixel value and the first time data.

Abstract: An image-sensing system includes multiple sensing modules. Each of the multiple sensing modules includes multiple optical sensors arranged in an array. Each of the multiple sensors is configured to be switched on and off to generate analog sensing data. The image-sensing system also includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) shared by the multiple optical sensors configured to convert analog sensing data generated by the multiple optical sensors into digital data. The image-sensing system also includes a processor configured to control the multiple sensing modules.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: a photodiode to generate a charge in response to light within an exposure period having a first duration; a charge sensing unit to accumulate at least a part of the charge within the exposure period; a quantizer; and a controller to: determine, using the quantizer and within a measurement period having a second duration, whether a first quantity of the at least a part of the charge accumulated at the charge sensing unit exceeds a threshold, and a time it takes for the first quantity to exceed the threshold, wherein the first duration and the second duration are individually programmable; and based on whether the first quantity exceeds the threshold, output a first value representing the time or a second value representing a second quantity of the charge generated by the photodiode within the exposure period to represent an intensity of the light.

Abstract: An example apparatus having a heterogenous memory system includes a first sensor layer, of a plurality of stacked sensor layers, including an array of pixels; and one or more semiconductor layers of the plurality of stacked sensor layers located beneath the first sensor layer, the one or more semiconductor layers configured to process pixel data output by the array of pixels, the one or more semiconductor layers including a first memory to store most significant bits (“MSBs”) of data involved in the processing of the pixel data; a second memory to store least significant bits (“LSBs”) of the data; and wherein the first memory has a lower bit error rate (“BER”) than the second memory.

Abstract: In one example, a mobile device comprises: a physical link; a plurality of image sensors, each image sensor being configured to transmit image data via the physical link; and a controller coupled to the physical link, whereby the physical link, the plurality of image sensors, and the controller form a multi-drop network. The controller is configured to: transmit a control signal to configure image sensing operations at the plurality of image sensors; receive, via the physical link, image data from at least a subset of the plurality of image sensors; combine the image data from the at least a subset of the plurality of image sensors to obtain an extended field of view (FOV); determine information of a surrounding environment of the mobile device captured within the extended FOV; and provide the information to an application to generate content based on the information.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: a photodiode configured to generate a charge in response to light within an exposure period, a charge sensing unit configured to accumulate at least a part of the charge as an overflow charge, a quantizer, and a controller configured to: within a first time within the exposure period, control the quantizer to perform a first quantization operation to quantize the overflow charge accumulated at the charge sensing unit to generate a first measurement output; within a second time after the first time, and within the exposure period, control the quantizer to perform a second quantization operation to quantize the overflow charge accumulated at the charge sensing unit to generate a second measurement output; and generate a digital output to represent an intensity of the light based on at least one of the first measurement output or the second measurement output.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: a photodiode configured to generate charge in response to incident light within an exposure period; and a quantizer configured to perform at least one of a first quantization operation to generate a first digital output or a second quantization to generate a second digital output, and output, based on a range of an intensity of the incident light, one of the first digital output or the second digital output to represent the intensity of the incident light. The first quantization operation comprises quantizing at least a first part of the charge during the exposure period to generate the first digital output. The second quantization operation comprises quantizing at least a second part of the charge after the exposure period to generate the second digital output.

Abstract: A depth camera assembly (DCA) for depth sensing of a local area. The DCA includes a transmitter, a receiver, and a controller. The transmitter illuminates a local area with outgoing light in accordance with emission instructions. The transmitter includes a fine steering element and a coarse steering element. The fine steering element deflects one or more optical beams at a first deflection angle to generate one or more first order deflected scanning beams. The coarse steering element deflects the one or more first order deflected scanning beams at a second deflection angle to generate the outgoing light projected into the local area. The receiver captures one or more images of the local area including portions of the outgoing light reflected from the local area. The controller determines depth information for one or more objects in the local area based in part on the captured one or more images.

Abstract: A depth camera assembly (DCA) includes a light generator emitting a beam of light into a local area and a detector. The detector captures light from the beam reflected by objects in the local area to a portion of an array of pixels that each include a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD). The location of the portion of the array is based in part on the angle of the beam emitted from the projector. The DCA identifies a set of pixels of the array corresponding to the portion and selectively retrieves current generated from the reflected light by the pixels in the portion of the array without retrieving current generated by pixels in other portions of the array.

Abstract: Examples of an apparatus are disclosed. In some example, an apparatus includes a photodiode configured to generate a charge in response to incident light; a measurement capacitor to store at least a part of the charge to generate a voltage; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit configured to: in a first measurement period, compare the voltage at the measurement capacitor against a static threshold voltage to generate a first output; in a second measurement period, compare the voltage against a varying threshold voltage to generate a second output, wherein the varying threshold voltage varies with time according to a pre-determined pattern; and generate a final output representing an intensity of the incident light based on either the first output or the second output.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises a photodiode, a charge storage unit, and a processing circuits configured to: transfer overflow charge from the photodiode to the charge storage unit to develop a first voltage; compare the first voltage against a first ramping threshold voltage to generate a first decision; generate, based on the first decision, a first digital value; transfer residual charge from the photodiode to the charge storage unit to develop a second voltage; compare the second voltage against a static threshold voltage to determine whether the photodiode saturates to generate a second decision; compare the second voltage against a second ramping threshold voltage to generate a third decision; generate, based on the third decision, a second digital value; and output, based on the second decision, one of the first digital value or the second digital value to represent an intensity of light received by the photodiode.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises an array of pixel cells, each pixel cell including: a photodiode to generate a charge in response to incident light, a charge sensing unit configured to generate a voltage based on the charge, a quantizer configured to generate a digital output based on quantizing the voltage, and an in-pixel memory configured to store the digital output. The apparatus further includes a bus interface, an off-array frame memory, and a frame memory controller configured to: control the frame memory to receive, via the set of parallel interconnects, the digital outputs from the in-pixel memory of each pixel cell of the array of pixel cells; store the digital outputs in the frame memory; fetch the digital outputs from the frame memory; and transmit the digital outputs to a host device via the bus interface.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: an image sensor comprising an array of pixel cells, each pixel cell including a photodiode and circuits to generate image data, the photodiodes formed in a first semiconductor substrate; and a controller formed in one or more second semiconductor substrates that include the circuits of the array of pixel cells, the first and second semiconductor substrates forming a stack and housed within a semiconductor package. The controller is configured to: determine whether first image data generated by the image sensor contain features of an object; based on whether the first image data contain the features of the object, generate programming signals for the image sensor; and control, based on the programming signals, the image sensor to generate second image data.

Abstract: An apparatus comprises a first photodiode, a second photodiode, a quantizer, a memory, and a controller configured to: set a first exposure period in which the first photodiode generates a first charge; set a second exposure period in which the second photodiode generates a second charge, the second exposure period being set based on the first exposure period and at least one of: a first time associated with a read out operation of the memory to a second apparatus, or a second time associated with a quantization operation by the quantizer; perform, using the quantizer, the first quantization operation of the first charge to generate a first digital output; and perform, using the quantizer, a second quantization operation of the second charge to generate a second digital output.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: multiple distinct sets of photodiodes, wherein each set of photodiodes includes one or more photodiodes, one or more charge sensing units, and a controller. The controller is configured to: transfer charge generated by the one or more photodiodes in response to a different component of incident light to the one or more charge sensing units in order to convert the charge to voltages; perform one or more quantization processes of a plurality of quantization processes corresponding to a plurality of intensity ranges, wherein the one or more quantization processes quantizes the voltages from the one or more charge sensing units to digital values representing components of a pixel of different wavelength ranges; and generate a pixel value based on the at least some of the digital values.