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 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: 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: 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 for integrating sensing and display system includes a first semiconductor layer that includes an image sensor; a second semiconductor layer that includes a display; a third semiconductor layer that includes compute circuits configured to support an image sensing operation by the image sensor and a display operation by the display; and a semiconductor package that encloses the first, second, and third semiconductor layers, the semiconductor package further including a first opening to expose the image sensor and a second opening to expose the display. The first, second, and third semiconductor layers form a first stack structure along a first axis. The third semiconductor layer is sandwiched between the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer in the first stack structure.

Abstract: In one example, an apparatus comprises: an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel cells; a frame buffer; and a sensor compute circuit configured to: receive, from the frame buffer, a first image frame comprising first active pixels and first inactive pixels, the first active pixels being generated by a first subset of the pixel cells selected based on first programming data; perform an image-processing operation on a first subset of pixels of the first image frame, whereby a second subset of pixels of the first image frame are excluded from the image-processing operation, to generate a processing output; based on the processing output, generate second programming data; and transmit the second programming data to the image sensor to select a second subset of the pixel cells to generate second active pixels for a second image frame.

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, 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 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 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: Systems and readout methods for foveated sensing may include a pixel array, readout circuitry, and processing logic. The pixel array may have a number of pixels. The readout circuitry may be configured to read image data from the pixel array for each of the plurality of pixels. The processing logic may be configured to identify a number of regions of interest (ROIs) within the pixel array. The processing logic may be configured to associate the image data for the pixels with one or more ROIs. The processing logic may be configured to arrange the image data into data frames. The data frames may include the image data ordered by ROI. Image data for inactive pixels may be removed from the image data and data frames prior to transmission. The processing logic may be configured to transmit the data frames in an order that is based on the ROIs.

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.

Abstract: In some examples, an apparatus comprises an array of pixel cells, and processing circuits associated with blocks of pixel cells of the array of pixel cells and associated with first hierarchical power domains. The apparatus further includes banks of memory devices, each bank of memory devices being associated with a block of pixel cells, to store the quantization results of the associated block of pixel cells, the banks of memory devices further being associated with second hierarchical power domains. The apparatus further includes a processing circuits power state control circuit configured to control a power state of the processing circuits based on programming data targeted at each block of pixel cells and global processing circuits power state control signals, and a memory power state control circuit configured to control a power state of the banks of memory devices based on the programming data and global memory power state control signals.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system instructs, at a first time, a camera having a plurality of pixel sensors to use the plurality of pixel sensors to capture a first image of an environment comprising an object. The computing system predicts, using at least the first image, a projection of the object appearing in a virtual image plane associated with a predicted camera pose at a second time. The computing system determines, based on the predicted projection of the object, a first region of pixels and a second region of pixels. The computing system generates pixel-activation instructions for the first region of pixels and the second region of pixels. The computing system instructs the camera to capture a second image of the environment at the second time according to the pixel-activation instructions.

Abstract: In some examples, a sensor apparatus comprises: an array of pixel cells each including one or more photodiodes configured to generate a charge in response to light, and a charge storage device to convert the charge to output a voltage of an array of voltages, one or more an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured the convert the array of voltages to first pixel data, and an on-sensor controller configured to input the first pixel data into a machine-learning model to generate output data comprising prediction data associated with one or more features of the first pixel data, generate, based on the prediction data, second pixel data, the second pixel data associated with one or more transformed features of the first pixel data, and send, from the sensor apparatus to a separate receiving apparatus, the second pixel data.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a computing system instructs, at a first time, a camera having a plurality of pixel sensors to use the plurality of pixel sensors to capture a first image of an environment comprising an object. The computing system predicts, using at least the first image, a projection of the object appearing in a virtual image plane associated with a predicted camera pose at a second time. The computing system determines, based on the predicted projection of the object, a first region of pixels and a second region of pixels. The computing system generates pixel-activation instructions for the first region of pixels and the second region of pixels. The computing system instructs the camera to capture a second image of the environment at the second time according to the pixel-activation instructions.

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 is provided. The apparatus includes a photodiode, a charge sensing unit, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a controller. The controller is configured to: enable the photodiode to generate charge in response to incident light, accumulate at least a portion of the charge as residual charge until the photodiode becomes saturated by the residual charge, and transfer the remaining portion of the charge to the charge sensing unit as overflow charge if the photodiode becomes saturated by the residual charge. The controller is further configured to: generate, using the ADC, a first digital output based on the residual charge; after generating the first digital output, generate, using the ADC, a second digital output based on the overflow charge; and generate a digital representation of an intensity of the incident light based on at least one of the first digital output or the second digital output.

Abstract: Methods and systems for quantizing a physical quantity, such as light, are provided. In one example, an apparatus comprises an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter configured to generate raw digital outputs based on performing at least one of: (1) a first quantization operation to quantize a physical stimulus within a first intensity range based on a first A/D conversion relationship, or (2) a second quantization operation to quantize the physical stimulus within a second intensity range based on a second A/D conversion relationship; and a raw output conversion circuit configured generate a refined digital output based on a raw digital output obtained from the A/D converter and at least one predetermined conversion parameter. The at least one conversion parameter compensates for a discontinuity between the first A/D conversion relationship and the second A/D conversion relationship.