Abstract: A method includes coupling a low gain input of a dual stage comparator to establish a low conversion gain mode. An analog-to-digital (ADC) operation is performed to determine a low gain reset voltage. A low gain input is decoupled in response to a DCG control signal. A high gain input is coupled to establish a high conversion gain mode in response to the DCG control signal. The ADC operation is performed with the high gain input to determine a high gain reset voltage. The ADC operation is performed with the high gain input to determine a high gain signal voltage. The high gain input is decoupled in response to a DCG control signal transition. The low gain input is recoupled in response to the DCG control signal, and the ADC operation is performed with the low gain input to determine a low gain signal voltage.

Abstract: A pixel array comprise a green pixel comprising a first green optical filter and a first clear filter, a red pixel comprising a red optical filter and a first special filter, a blue pixel comprising a blue optical filter and a second special filter, and an IR pixel comprising an IR optical filter and one of a second green optical filter and a second clear filter, where the first special filter suppresses a transmission of IR at a stopband centered at 850 nm at a first IR minimum transmission, and the second special filter suppresses a transmission of IR at the stopband centered at 850 nm at a second IR minimum transmission, and where the first minimum IR transmission is different from the second minimum IR transmission.

Abstract: An image sensor pixel comprises a first charge storage node configured to have a first charge storage electric potential; a second charge storage node configured to have a second charge storage electric potential and receive charge from the first charge storage node, wherein the second charge storage electric potential is greater than the first charge storage electric potential; and a transfer circuit coupled between the first and the second charge storage nodes, wherein the transfer circuit comprises at least three transfer regions, wherein: a first transfer region is proximate to the first charge storage node and configured to have a first transfer electric potential greater than the first charge storage electric potential and lower than the second charge storage electric potential; a second transfer region is coupled between the first and a third transfer region and configured to have a second transfer electric potential greater than the first charge storage electric potential and lower than the second cha

Abstract: A system includes an image sensor and a sending controller. The image sensor to generate video data at a source bit rate. The sending controller is coupled to the image sensor to transmit communication data representative of the video data. The sending controller includes one or more processors coupled to memory. The memory includes instructions, which when executed by the sending controller causes the system to perform operations. The operations include determining a first bit rate to encode a first portion of the video data, generating a first video packet representative of the first portion by encoding the first portion at the first bit rate, and determining whether to transmit the first video packet as the communication data with the sending controller based on at least one of a transmission rate threshold, a transmission interval threshold, or a buffer fill threshold.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes disposed in a semiconductor material to convert image light into image charge, and a metal grid, including a metal shield that is coplanar with the metal grid, disposed proximate to a backside of the semiconductor material. The metal grid is optically aligned with the plurality of photodiodes to direct the image light into the plurality of photodiodes, and a contact pad is disposed in a trench in the semiconductor material. The contact pad is coupled to the metal shield to ground the metal shield.

Abstract: A structure light module comprises: a VCSEL substrate comprising a VCSEL array comprising a plurality of individual VCSELs; a first spacer disposed on the VCSEL substrate; a first wafer level lens comprising a glass substrate and at least a replicated lens on a first surface of the glass substrate disposed on the first spacer; a FOE disposed on the first wafer level lens; a second spacer disposes on the FOE; a second wafer level lens comprising a glass substrate and at least a replicated lens on a first surface of the glass substrate disposed on the second spacer; a third spacer disposed on the second wafer level lens; a DOE disposed on the third spacer, where a structure light is projected from the DOE on a target surface for 3D imaging.

Abstract: A method for communicating from a mobile platform includes arranging a plurality of regions in a communication screen on a first mobile platform. Each one of the plurality of regions in the communication screen is populated with communication data. The communication data includes at least one or more of text data, image data, and video data. The communication screen is sent from the first mobile platform to a second mobile platform. A display of the communication screen on the second mobile platform appears substantially identical to a display of the communication screen on the first mobile platform.

Abstract: An active depth imaging system and method of operating the same captures illuminator-on and illuminator-off image data with each of a first and second imager. The illuminator-on image data includes information representing an imaged scene and light emitted from an illuminator and reflected off of objects within the imaged scene. The illuminator-off image data includes information representing the imaged scene without the light emitted from the illuminator. For each image set captured by the first and second imagers, illuminator-off image data is subtracted from the illuminator-on image data to identify the illuminated light within the scene. The depth of an object at which the light is incident on then is determined by the subtracted image data of the first and second imagers.

Abstract: A method for demosaicing a raw image includes: (1) horizontally-interpolating a green channel formed of primary pixel-values Bg(x,y)g to yield a horizontally-interpolated green channel that includes both Bg(x,y)g and non-primary pixel-values Igh(x,y)r,b; (2) modifying each Igh(x,y)r,b, by horizontally-neighboring pixel-values, to yield a refined horizontally-interpolated green channel; (3) vertically-interpolating the green channel to yield a vertically-interpolated green channel that includes pixel-values Igv(x,y)r,b; (4) modifying each Igv(x,y)r,b by vertically-neighboring pixel-values, to yield a refined vertically-interpolated green channel; (5) generating a full-resolution green channel from the refined interpolated green channels and gradients thereof; (6) generating a full-resolution red channel by determining red pixel-values from a local-red mean value of neighboring pixel-values and the full-resolution green channel; (7) generating a full-resolution blue channel by determining pixel-values from a lo

Abstract: A four-surface, near-infrared wafer-level lens system for imaging a scene onto an image plane includes (a) a first wafer-level lens having a first convex lens surface facing the scene and a second concave lens surface facing the image plane, and (b) a second wafer-level lens disposed between the first wafer-level lens and the image plane and including a third concave lens surface facing the scene and a fourth aspheric convex lens surface facing the image plane. The four-surface, near-infrared wafer-level lens system is further characterized by an image resolution corresponding to at least 60% contrast of 2 line pairs per millimeter in object plane across a scene portion having at least 10 millimeters extent in the object plane.

Abstract: An image sensor pixel array comprises a center region and two parallel edge regions, wherein the center region is between the two parallel edge regions. The center region comprises a plurality of image pixels disposed along first sub-array of rows and columns, wherein each of the plurality of image pixels comprises a first micro-lens (ML) formed at an offset position above a first light receiving element as a countermeasure for shortening of exit pupil distance of the image pixel in the center region, and each of the two parallel edge regions comprises a plurality of phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) pixels disposed along second sub-array of rows and columns, wherein each of the plurality of PDAF pixels comprises a second micro-lens (ML) formed at an alignment position above a second light receiving element; and at least one of the PDAF pixels is located at a distance away from center of the edge region to receive incident light along an injection tilt angle.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate, a plurality of light sensitive pixels, a first plurality of color filters, a plurality of reflective sidewalls, and a second plurality of color filters. The light sensitive pixels are formed on said substrate. The first plurality of color filters is disposed over a first group of the light sensitive pixels. The reflective sidewalls are formed on each side of each of the first plurality of color filters. The second plurality of color filters are disposed over a second group of light sensitive pixels and each color filter of the second plurality of color filters is separated from each adjacent filter of said first plurality of color filters by one of the reflective sidewalls. In a particular embodiment an etch-resistant layer is disposed over the first plurality of color filters and the second group of light sensitive pixels.

Abstract: A pixel cell includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to accumulate image charge in response to incident light and a global shutter gate transistor coupled to the photodiode to selectively deplete the image charge from the photodiode. A storage transistor is disposed in the semiconductor material to store the image charge. An isolation structure is disposed in the semiconductor material proximate to the storage transistor to isolate a sidewall of the storage transistor from stray light and stray charge. The isolation structure is filled with tungsten and is coupled to receive a variable bias signal to control a bias of the isolation structure. The variable bias signal is set to a first bias value during a transfer of the image charge to the storage transistor. The variable bias signal is set to a second bias value during a transfer of the image charge from the storage transistor.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes disposed in a semiconductor material to convert image light into image charge. A floating diffusion is disposed proximate to the plurality of photodiodes to receive the image charge from the plurality of photodiodes. A plurality of transfer transistors is coupled to transfer the image charge from the plurality of photodiodes into the floating diffusion in response to a voltage applied to the gate terminal of the plurality of transfer transistors. A first trench isolation structure extends from a frontside of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material and surrounds the plurality of photodiodes. A second trench isolation structure extends from a backside of the semiconductor material into the semiconductor material. The second trench isolation structure is disposed between individual photodiodes in the plurality of photodiodes.

Abstract: A resonant-filter image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels and a microresonator layer above the pixel array. The microresonator layer includes a plurality of microresonators formed of a first material with an extinction coefficient less than 0.02 at a free-space wavelength of five hundred nanometers. Each of the plurality of pixels may have at least one of the plurality of microresonators at least partially thereabove. The resonant-filter image sensor may further include a layer covering the microresonator layer that has a second refractive index less than a first refractive index, the first refractive index being the refractive index of the first material. Each microresonator may be one of a parallelepiped, a cylinder, a spheroid, and a sphere.

Abstract: A method of fanning an electrical connection in a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device, comprising: providing a silicon substrate including a first surface and a second surface, wherein the silicon substrate includes an conductive pad at the first surface; providing a cover glass panel that includes a cover glass, a transparent electrode layer formed upon the cover glass, and a first sealing material layer formed upon the transparent electrode layer; forming a second sealing material layer upon the first surface of the silicon substrate, wherein the second sealing material layer covers the conductive pad; forming a display layer, comprising a liquid crystal portion, a first seal portion, and a second seal portion, upon the second sealing material layer; wherein the first seal portion and the second seal portion are situated to form a space between them; and wherein the space is situated on top of the conductive pad; placing the cover glass panel upon the display layer, wherein the first sealing material la

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-dynamic-range color image sensor includes (a) depositing a color filter layer on a silicon substrate having a photosensitive pixel array with a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels, to form (i) a plurality of first color filters above a first subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels and (ii) a plurality of second color filters above a second subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels, wherein thickness of the second color filters exceeds thickness of the first color filters, and (b) depositing, on the color filter layer, a dynamic-range extending layer including grey filters above the second pixels to attenuate light propagating toward the second pixels, combined thickness of the color filter layer and the dynamic-range extending layer being uniform across the photosensitive pixel array.

Abstract: An image sensor pixel array comprises a plurality of image pixel units to gather image information and a plurality of phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) pixel units to gather phase information. Each of the PDAF pixel units includes two of first image sensor pixels covered by two micro-lenses, respectively. Each of the image pixel units includes four of second image sensor pixels adjacent to each other, wherein each of the second image sensor pixels is covered by an individual micro-lens. A coating layer is disposed on the micro-lenses and forms a flattened surface across the whole image sensor pixel array. A PDAF micro-lens is formed on the coating layer to cover the first image sensor pixels.

Abstract: A liquid-crystal display (LCD) system with reduced artifact has LCD pixel cells with transparent and pixel electrodes. A timing control that switches one of the transparent and pixel electrodes in a sequence of high, common, low, and common voltages; synchronized to a timing control that switches a second electrode in a sequence of a first data-dependent, common, a second data-dependent, and common voltages. This new timing base LC voltage control enables smooth polarity switching that prevents optical side effects by excessive voltage across LC.

Abstract: A method for determining exposure levels of an image-sensor pixel array includes (a) storing a first plurality of pixel values representing a first captured image, captured with the image sensor in an applied exposure configuration, each distinct region of the pixel array having a respective first exposure level, (b) determining pixel-value global statistics, (c) estimating, from the global statistics, a global pixel value of the first captured image, (d) determining, for each distinct region, a respective local statistics of the first pixel values, (e) assigning, to each distinct region, a respective scale factor based on the local statistics of the distinct region, (f) determining a refined exposure configuration including, for each distinct region, a second exposure level proportional to a product of its respective first exposure level and its respective scale factor, and (g) capturing second pixel values with the image sensor configured in the refined exposure configuration.