Abstract: There is provided an image pickup element including a non-planar layer having a non-planar light incident surface in a light receiving region, and a microlens of an inorganic material which is provided on a side of the light incident surface of the non-planar layer, and collects incident light.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel, an A/D conversion portion and an output circuit. The pixel includes first and second photoelectric conversion portions and an accumulation portion configured to accumulate a signal charge in a location other than the photoelectric conversion portions. The A/D conversion portion is configured to perform A/D conversions on signals based on signal charges generated in the photoelectric conversions. The output circuit reads out first and second signals based on first and second signal charges accumulated in the first and second photoelectric conversion portions during an electric charge accumulation period and a third signal based on a third signal charge generated in the second photoelectric conversion portion and accumulated in the accumulation portion during the electric charge accumulation period. Conversion periods for analog-to-digital conversion to be performed on at least two of the first, second, or third signals have different lengths.

Abstract: A method of artificial neural network computations, including: receiving image data having pixel values; generating, from the pixel values, a column of inputs to a set of artificial neurons; identifying a region of memory cells of the integrated circuit device having threshold voltages programmed to represent a weight matrix for the set of artificial neurons; instructing voltage drivers in the integrated circuit device to apply voltages to the region of memory cells according to the column of inputs; obtaining, based on the region of memory cells responsive to the applied voltages, a first column of data from an operation of multiplication and accumulation applied on the weight matrix and the column of inputs; and applying activation functions of the set of artificial neurons to the first column of data to generate a second column of data representative of outputs of the set of artificial neuron.

Abstract: Imaging devices are disclosed. In one example, an imaging device includes a pixel array with light-receiving pixels that are separated pixel lines, and that accumulating electric charge in an accumulation period. An exposure controller sets time lengths of the accumulation such that the time lengths repeat in predetermined order. The accumulation period includes a first accumulation period and a second accumulation period each having a first time length, and a third accumulation period and a fourth accumulation period each having a second time length. A processor generates image data by adding pixel values based on the accumulation result in a first pixel line in the first accumulation period, the accumulation result in a second pixel line in the second accumulation period, the accumulation result in the first pixel line in the third accumulation period, and the accumulation result in the second pixel line in the fourth accumulation period.

Abstract: Analog power savings is achieved by pre-charging only those pixels of a sensor array that are needed as determined responsive to any one of a power configuration, image size, image position of interest, desired/selected frame rate, desired/selected resolution, etc. To that end, the solution presented herein selects one or more sensor segments, each comprising a subset of pixels of the sensor array, and only pre-charges the pixels in the selected segment(s). In so doing, the solution presented herein provides a power savings proportional to the number of uncharged pixel circuits.

Abstract: Provided are a vision sensor, an image processing device including the vision sensor, and an operating method of the vision sensor. The vision sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a sensing circuit configured to output an output voltage by sensing a change of light; a comparison circuit configured to output a comparison signal indicating whether an event has occurred by comparing the output voltage to an event threshold; and an event detection circuit configured to generate internal event signals by sampling the comparison signal at each of a plurality of sampling time points, and configured to output a valid event signal based on the internal event signals.

Abstract: An imaging device that makes it possible to smoothly transfer electric charges from a photoelectric converter to a transfer destination is provided. This imaging device includes: a semiconductor layer having a front surface and a back surface, the back surface being on an opposite side of the front surface; photoelectric converter that is embedded in the semiconductor layer and generates electric charges corresponding to a received light amount; and a transfer section that includes a first trench gate and a second trench gate and transfers the electric charges from the photoelectric converter to a single transfer destination via the first trench gate and the second trench gate, the first trench gate and the second trench gate each extending from the front surface to the back surface of the semiconductor layer into the photoelectric converter.

Abstract: Time deviation between event detection and gradation acquisition is reduced. A solid-state imaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes: a pixel array unit (300) including a plurality of pixel blocks (310) arrayed in a matrix; and a drive circuit (211) that generates a pixel signal in a first pixel block in which firing of an address event has been detected among the plurality of pixel blocks, each of the plurality of pixel blocks including a first photoelectric conversion element (331) that generates an electric charge according to an amount of incident light, a detection unit (400) that detects the firing of the address event based on the electric charge generated in the first photoelectric conversion element, a second photoelectric conversion element (321) that generates an electric charge according to an amount of incident light, and a pixel circuit (322, 323, 324, 325, 326) that generates a pixel signal based on the electric charge generated in the second photoelectric conversion element.

Abstract: A pixel cell includes a pixel set with a plurality of pixels, with each pixel of the pixel set being configured to capture optical information incident upon the respective pixel and generate electrical information representative of the optical information. The pixel cell further includes a readout circuit which is configured to manage collection and output of the electrical information from each pixel of the pixel set and to operate the pixel set in a global shutter mode and in a rolling shutter mode of operation. In the global shutter mode, the electrical information from each pixel is combined for generating a global shutter output signal, while in the rolling shutter mode, the electrical information from each pixel is used to generate individual rolling shutter output signals.

Abstract: In some examples, an apparatus comprises: an array of pixel cells, each pixel cell of the array of pixel cells configured to output a voltage; first analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), each first ADC being associated with a pixel cell or a block of pixel cells; second ADCs, each second ADC being associated with a column of pixel cells of the array of pixel cells; and a controller configured to: in a first mode, enable at least a subset of the first ADCs to perform a quantization operation of the voltages output by at least a subset of the pixel cells in parallel to generate a first image frame; and in a second mode, enable at least a subset of the second ADCs to perform quantization operations sequentially of the voltages output by pixel cells within at least a subset of the columns of pixel cells to generate a second image frame.

Abstract: In an example embodiment, a ramp generator includes a ramp circuit that receives a first ramp enable signal from a control circuit during a first ramp period, the first ramp period including a first reset period and a first sensing period, and the ramp circuit being configured to output a first ramp signal to a correlated double sampling circuit; an emphasis circuit that increases a voltage level of the first ramp signal during the first reset period, based on a first enable signal received from the control circuit; and a pre-emphasis circuit that further increases the voltage level of the first ramp signal during a first pre-emphasis period in the first reset period, based on a second enable signal received from the control circuit.

Abstract: A sensor chip includes: a pixel array unit that has a rectangular-shaped area in which a plurality of sensor elements are arranged in an array pattern; and a global control circuit, in which driving elements simultaneously driving the sensor elements are arranged in one direction, and each of the driving elements is connected to a control line disposed for each one column of the sensor elements, that is arranged to have a longitudinal direction to be along a long side of the pixel array unit. For example, the present technology can be applied to ToF sensor.

Abstract: An event-driven sensor including: a pixel array; a column readout circuit coupled to column output lines of the pixel array, the column readout circuit comprising a plurality of groups of column register cells coupled in series with each other to propagate a first flag signal, wherein each column register cell is configured to activate a column event output signal when it receives the first flag signal while the detection of an event is indicated on the column output line; and a first bypassing circuit for each group of column register cells, the first bypassing circuits being coupled in series with each other to propagate the first flag signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed that use super-resolution (SR) processes to use information from a plurality of low resolution (LR) images captured by an array camera to produce a synthesized higher resolution image. One embodiment includes obtaining input images using the plurality of imagers, using a microprocessor to determine an initial estimate of at least a portion of a high resolution image using a plurality of pixels from the input images, and using a microprocessor to determine a high resolution image that when mapped through the forward imaging transformation matches the input images to within at least one predetermined criterion using the initial estimate of at least a portion of the high resolution image.

Abstract: A device, system, and method of automatically managing a recording device is described. The device includes a sensor monitoring assembly comprising a receiver, a controller, and a transmitter. The sensor monitoring assembly can be in communication with a sensor and a recording device and automatically instruct the recording device to begin recording when the sensor is detected by the sensor monitoring assembly to be in an activated state.

Abstract: An imaging system including: image sensor including pixels arranged on photo-sensitive surface; and processor configured to: obtain information indicative of gaze direction of user's eye; identify gaze position on photo-sensitive surface; determine first region and second region on photo-sensitive surface, wherein first region includes and surrounds gaze position, while second region surrounds first region; read out first pixel data from each pixel of first region; select set of pixels to be read out from second region based on predetermined sub-sampling pattern; read out second pixel data from pixels of selected set; generate, from second pixel data, pixel data of remaining pixels of second region; and process first pixel data, second pixel data, and generated pixel data to generate image frame(s).

Abstract: There is provided an imaging device including: an image processing unit; a face recognition processing unit; a storage unit; and a composition processing unit for generating composite data by a composition process so that persons photographed in each of a plurality of image data are included in one image data. The face recognition processing unit recognizes a first person by performing a face recognition process on first image data. When second image data obtained by photographing a second person at the different photographing timing of the first image data, with the same background as the first image data, is recorded in the storage unit, the composition processing unit generates composite data in which the first person and the second person are superimposed on the same background.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes a processor, an imaging device, and a light source. The processor is configured to determine whether or not the imaging device has gone out of space of which at least part is surrounded by an object when the imaging device is performing imaging after the imaging device is inserted into the space. The processor is configured to execute power-saving control when the processor determines that the imaging device has gone out of the space. In the power-saving control, the processor is configured to make power consumption of a control target less than power consumption of the control target before the power-saving control is executed. The control target is at least one of the imaging device and the light source.

Abstract: A digital-to-analog converter comprising: a plurality of capacitances and a plurality of switches. A capacitance among the plurality of capacitances, of which the number corresponds to the resolution of the analog signal to be output, is used as a voltage value generation capacitance, so as to generate a voltage value based on the reference voltage to be added or subtracted, by switching a node to which the second terminal is connected by a corresponding switch. A remaining capacitance, which is not used as the voltage value generation capacitance among the plurality of capacitances, is used as a gain adjustment capacitance, so as to adjust gain of a voltage value based on the reference voltage to be added or subtracted, by holding a node to which the second terminal is connected by a corresponding switch.

Abstract: An imaging device with a novel structure is provided. The imaging device includes an imaging region provided with a plurality of pixels. The plurality of pixels included in the imaging region include a first pixel and a second pixel. The imaging device has a function of selecting a first region or a second region. The first region includes the same number of pixels as the second region. The first region includes at least the first and second pixels. The second region includes at least the second pixel. The pixels included in the first region or the second region have a function of outputting imaging signals obtained by the pixels. The imaging device generates first image data by concurrently reading the imaging signals output from the pixels included in the first region and performing arithmetic operation on the signals.