Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to an image sensor that includes a first sensor portion and a second sensor portion coupled to the first sensor portion. The second sensor portion may be positioned relative to the first sensor portion so that the second sensor portion may initially detect light entering the image sensor, and some of that light passes through the second sensor portion and is be detected by the first sensor portion. In some embodiments, the second sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing visible light. The first sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing IR or NIR light. As a result of the arrangement and structure of the second sensor portion and the first sensor portion, the image sensor captures substantially more light from the light source.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to imaging systems and methods for manufacturing imaging systems and image sensors. The imaging system includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, the pixels configured to generate a charge when exposed to light and disposed on a first layer. The imaging system further includes a plurality of pixel circuits for reading light integrated in the pixels coupled thereto, each of the plurality of pixel circuits comprising one or more transistors shared between a subset of the plurality of the pixels, the one or more transistors disposed on a second layer different than the first layer. The imaging system further includes a plurality of floating diffusion nodes configured to couple each of the plurality of pixels to the plurality of pixel circuits.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to configurable demodulation of image data produced by an image sensor. In some aspects, a method includes receiving information indicating a configuration of the image sensor. In some aspects, the information may indicate a configuration of sensor elements and/or corresponding color filters for the sensor elements. A modulation function may then be generated based on the information. In some aspects, the method also includes demodulating the image data based on the generated modulation function to determine chrominance and luminance components of the image data, and generating the second image based on the determined chrominance and luminance components.

Abstract: Aspects relate to an array camera exhibiting little or no parallax artifacts in captured images. For example, the planes of the central mirror surfaces of the array camera can be located at a midpoint along, and orthogonally to, a line between the corresponding camera location and the virtual camera location. Accordingly, the cones of all of the cameras in the array appear as if coming from the virtual camera location after folding by the mirrors. Each sensor in the array “sees” a portion of the image scene using a corresponding facet of the central mirror prism, and accordingly each individual sensor/mirror pair represents only a sub-aperture of the total array camera. The complete array camera has a synthetic aperture generated based on the sum of all individual aperture rays.

Abstract: Devices and methods for providing seamless preview images for multi-camera devices having two or more asymmetric cameras. A multi-camera device may include two asymmetric cameras disposed to image a target scene. The multi-camera device further includes a processor coupled to a memory component and a display, the processor configured to retrieve an image generated by a first camera from the memory component, retrieve an image generated by a second camera from the memory component, receive input corresponding to a preview zoom level, retrieve spatial transform information and photometric transform information from memory, modify at least one image received from the first and second cameras by the spatial transform and the photometric transform, and provide on the display a preview image comprising at least a portion of the at least one modified image and a portion of either the first image or the second image based on the preview zoom level.

Abstract: One innovation includes an IR sensor having an array of sensor pixels to convert light into current, each sensor pixel of the array including a photodetector region, a lens configured to focus light into the photodetector region, the lens adjacent to the photodetector region so light propagates through the lens and into the photodetector region, and a substrate disposed with photodetector region between the substrate and the lens, the substrate having one or more transistors formed therein. The sensor also includes reflective structures positioned between at least a portion of the substrate and at least a portion of the photodetector region and such that at least a portion of the photodetector region is between the one or more reflective structures and the lens, the one or more reflective structures configured to reflect the light that has passed through at least a portion of the photodetector region into the photodetector region.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for full well capacity extension. For example, a storage capacitor included in the pixel readout architecture can enable multiple charge dumps from a pixel in the analog domain, extending the full well capacity of the pixel. Further, multiple reads can be integrated in the digital domain using a memory, for example DRAM, in communication with the pixel readout architecture. This also can effectively multiply a small pixel's full well capacity. In some examples, multiple reads in the digital domain can be used to reduce, eliminate, or compensate for kTC noise in the pixel readout architecture.

Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to an image sensor that includes a first sensor portion and a second sensor portion coupled to the first sensor portion. The second sensor portion may be positioned relative to the first sensor portion so that the second sensor portion may initially detect light entering the image sensor, and some of that light passes through the second sensor portion and is be detected by the first sensor portion. In some embodiments, the second sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing visible light. The first sensor portion may be configured to have a thickness suitable for sensing IR or NIR light. As a result of the arrangement and structure of the second sensor portion and the first sensor portion, the image sensor captures substantially more light from the light source.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to configurable demodulation of image data produced by an image sensor. In some aspects, a method includes receiving information indicating a configuration of the image sensor. In some aspects, the information may indicate a configuration of sensor elements and/or corresponding color filters for the sensor elements. A modulation function may then be generated based on the information. In some aspects, the method also includes demodulating the image data based on the generated modulation function to determine chrominance and luminance components of the image data, and generating the second image based on the determined chrominance and luminance components.

Abstract: Innovations include a sensing device having a sensor array comprising a plurality of sensors, each sensor having a length dimension and a width dimension and configured to generate a signal responsive to radiation incident on the sensor, and a filter array comprising a plurality of filters, the filter array disposed to filter light before it is incident on the sensor array, the filter array arranged relative to the sensor array so each of the plurality of sensors receives radiation propagating through at least one corresponding filter. Each filter has a length dimension and a width dimension, and a ratio of the length dimension of a filter to the length dimension of a corresponding sensor, a ratio of the width dimension of a filter to the width dimension of a corresponding sensor, or both, is a non-integer greater than 1.

Abstract: Exemplary embodiments are directed to configurable demodulation of image data produced by an image sensor. In some aspects, a method includes receiving information indicating a configuration of the image sensor. In some aspects, the information may indicate a configuration of sensor elements and/or corresponding color filters for the sensor elements. A modulation function may then be generated based on the information. In some aspects, the method also includes demodulating the image data based on the generated modulation function to determine chrominance and luminance components of the image data, and generating the second image based on the determined chrominance and luminance components.

Abstract: One innovation includes an IR sensor having an array of sensor pixels to convert light into current, each sensor pixel of the array including a photodetector region, a lens configured to focus light into the photodetector region, the lens adjacent to the photodetector region so light propagates through the lens and into the photodetector region, and a substrate disposed with photodetector region between the substrate and the lens, the substrate having one or more transistors formed therein. The sensor also includes reflective structures positioned between at least a portion of the substrate and at least a portion of the photodetector region and such that at least a portion of the photodetector region is between the one or more reflective structures and the lens, the one or more reflective structures configured to reflect the light that has passed through at least a portion of the photodetector region into the photodetector region.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for full well capacity extension. For example, a storage capacitor included in the pixel readout architecture can enable multiple charge dumps from a pixel in the analog domain, extending the full well capacity of the pixel. Further, multiple reads can be integrated in the digital domain using a memory, for example DRAM, in communication with the pixel readout architecture. This also can effectively multiply a small pixel's full well capacity. In some examples, multiple reads in the digital domain can be used to reduce, eliminate, or compensate for kTC noise in the pixel readout architecture.

Abstract: Described herein are methods and devices that employ a plurality of image sensors to capture a target image of a scene. As described, positioning at least one reflective or refractive surface near the plurality of image sensors enables the sensors to capture together an image of wider field of view and longer focal length than any sensor could capture individually by using the reflective or refractive surface to guide a portion of the image scene to each sensor. The different portions of the scene captured by the sensors may overlap, and may be aligned and cropped to generate the target image.

Abstract: Aspects relate to an array camera exhibiting little or no parallax artifacts in captured images. For example, the planes of the central mirror surfaces of the array camera can be located at a midpoint along, and orthogonally to, a line between the corresponding camera location and the virtual camera location. Accordingly, the cones of all of the cameras in the array appear as if coming from the virtual camera location after folding by the mirrors. Each sensor in the array “sees” a portion of the image scene using a corresponding facet of the central mirror prism, and accordingly each individual sensor/mirror pair represents only a sub-aperture of the total array camera. The complete array camera has a synthetic aperture generated based on the sum of all individual aperture rays.

Abstract: A method operational on a receiver device for decoding a codeword is provided. At least a portion of a composite code mask is obtained, via a receiver sensor, and projected on the surface of a target object. The composite code mask may be defined by a code layer and a carrier layer. A code layer of uniquely identifiable spatially-coded codewords may be defined by a plurality of symbols. A carrier layer may be independently ascertainable and distinct from the code layer and may include a plurality of reference objects that are robust to distortion upon projection. At least one of the code layer and carrier layer may have been pre-shaped by a synthetic point spread function prior to projection. The code layer may be adjusted, at a processing circuit, for distortion based on the reference objects within the portion of the composite code mask.

Abstract: Structured light active sensing systems transmit and receive spatial codes to generate depth maps. Spatial codes can't be repeated within a disparity range if they are to be uniquely identified. This results in large numbers of codes for single transmitter/single receiver systems, because reflected ray traces from two object locations may be focused onto the same location of the receiver sensor, making it impossible to determine which object location reflected the code. However, the original code location may be uniquely identified because ray traces from the two object locations that focus onto the same location of the first receiver sensor may focus onto different locations on the second receiver sensor. Described herein are active sensing systems and methods that use two receivers to uniquely identify original code positions and allow for greater code reuse.

Abstract: Certain aspects relate to systems and techniques for full well capacity extension. For example, a storage capacitor included in the pixel readout architecture can enable multiple charge dumps from a pixel in the analog domain, extending the full well capacity of the pixel. Further, multiple reads can be integrated in the digital domain using a memory, for example DRAM, in communication with the pixel readout architecture. This also can effectively multiply a small pixel's full well capacity. In some examples, multiple reads in the digital domain can be used to reduce, eliminate, or compensate for kTC noise in the pixel readout architecture.

Abstract: Systems and methods for error correction in structured light are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, via a receiver sensor, a structured light image of at least a portion of a composite code mask encoding a plurality of codewords, the image including an invalid codeword. The method further includes detecting the invalid codeword. The method further includes generating a plurality of candidate codewords based on the invalid codeword. The method further includes selecting one of the plurality of candidate codewords to replace the invalid codeword. The method further includes generating a depth map for an image of the scene based on the selected candidate codeword. The method further includes generating a digital representation of a scene based on the depth map. The method further includes outputting the digital representation of the scene to an output device.

Abstract: Systems, apparatus, and methods for generating a fused depth map from one or more individual depth maps, wherein the fused depth map is configured to provide robust depth estimation for points within the depth map. The methods, apparatus, or systems may comprise components that identify a field of view (FOV) of an imaging device configured to capture an image of the FOV and select a first depth sensing method. The system or method may sense a depth of the FOV with respect to the imaging device using the first selected depth sensing method and generate a first depth map of the FOV based on the sensed depth of the first selected depth sensing method. The system or method may also identify a region of one or more points of the first depth map having one or more inaccurate depth measurements and determine if additional depth sensing is needed.