公开(公告)号：US20250119660A1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-10

申请号：US18483501

申请日：2023-10-09

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Andreas Suess ,  Menghan Guo ,  Shoushun Chen

IPC: H04N25/683

Abstract: Event vision sensors with defect pixel suppression (and associated methods) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event vision sensor includes an array of event vision pixels and an event signal processor. The event signal processor is configured to identify event vision pixels of the array that are defective based on noise event occurrence firing rates corresponding to the event vision pixels. The noise event occurrence firing rate for each event vision pixel can be based on measurements of a probability of that event vision pixel detecting a noise event over time. Each event vision pixel can include internal circuitry (e.g., a memory component, such as a latch) that can, when the event vision pixel is identified as defective, be used to disable the event vision pixel from detecting events or to mask an output of the event vision pixel such that events are not read out of the pixel.

公开(公告)号：US20240040283A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-01

申请号：US17875244

申请日：2022-07-27

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Andreas Suess ,  Shoushun Chen

IPC: H04N5/3745 ,  H03F3/16 ,  H04N5/343 ,  H04N5/369

CPC classification number: H04N5/37452 ,  H03F3/16 ,  H04N5/343 ,  H04N5/3698 ,  H03K19/20

Abstract: Low power event driven pixels and reset control circuits for the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event driven pixel comprises a photosensor; a photocurrent-to-voltage converter coupled to the photosensor; and a difference circuit coupled to the photocurrent-to-voltage converter. The difference circuit includes a source follower transistor and is configured to generate a signal at a gate of the source follower transistor that is based on a voltage output from the photocurrent-to-voltage converter. The difference circuit is further configured to output a difference signal in response to assertion of a row select signal. The event driven pixel can further include a reset control circuit coupled to the difference circuit and configured to initialize the difference circuit, and to reset the difference circuit when the difference signal output from the event driven pixel indicates a change in the voltage greater than a threshold amount.

公开(公告)号：US11991465B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-21

申请号：US17815526

申请日：2022-07-27

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Andreas Suess ,  Shoushun Chen

IPC: H04N25/709 ,  H04N25/50 ,  H04N25/74 ,  H04N25/778

CPC classification number: H04N25/709 ,  H04N25/50 ,  H04N25/74 ,  H04N25/778

Abstract: Low power event driven pixels with passive, differential difference detection circuitry (and reset control circuits for the same) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event driven pixel comprises a photosensor, a photocurrent-to-voltage converter, and a difference circuit. The difference circuit includes (a) a first circuit branch configured to sample a reference light level based on a voltage output by the photocurrent-to-voltage converter, and to output a first analog light level onto a first column line that is based on the reference light level; and (b) a second circuit branch configured to sample a light level based on the voltage, and to output a second analog light level onto a second column line that is based on the light level. A difference between the second analog light level and the first analog light level indicates whether the event driven pixel has detected an event in an external scene.

公开(公告)号：US20230047774A1

公开(公告)日：2023-02-16

申请号：US17402297

申请日：2021-08-13

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Shoushun Chen ,  Menghan Guo ,  Andreas Suess

IPC: H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: An event sensing system includes a pixel array including a plurality of event driven pixel circuits configured to be illuminated by incident light. The event driven pixel circuits are configured to generate an event current in response to a detection of an event in the incident light. Output signals of a row of the pixel array are configured to be read out from the row of the pixel array to a line buffer in response to the detection of the event in the incident light. A random number generator is configured to randomly generate a filtering mask. A mask circuit is the output signals of the row of the pixel array from the line buffer and the filtering mask from the random number generator to filter the output signals of the row of the pixel array in response to the filtering mask.

公开(公告)号：US11563909B1

公开(公告)日：2023-01-24

申请号：US17402297

申请日：2021-08-13

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Shoushun Chen ,  Menghan Guo ,  Andreas Suess

IPC: H04N5/345 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: An event sensing system includes a pixel array including a plurality of event driven pixel circuits configured to be illuminated by incident light. The event driven pixel circuits are configured to generate an event current in response to a detection of an event in the incident light. Output signals of a row of the pixel array are configured to be read out from the row of the pixel array to a line buffer in response to the detection of the event in the incident light. A random number generator is configured to randomly generate a filtering mask. A mask circuit is the output signals of the row of the pixel array from the line buffer and the filtering mask from the random number generator to filter the output signals of the row of the pixel array in response to the filtering mask.

公开(公告)号：US20220239858A1

公开(公告)日：2022-07-28

申请号：US17156290

申请日：2021-01-22

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Tiejun Dai ,  Shoushun Chen ,  Zhe Gao

IPC: H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: An event driven pixel includes a photodiode configured to photogenerate charge in response to incident light received from an external scene. A photocurrent to voltage converter is coupled to the photodiode to convert photocurrent generated by the photodiode to a voltage. A filter amplifier is coupled to the photocurrent to voltage converter to generate a filtered and amplified signal in response to the voltage received from the photocurrent to voltage converter. A threshold comparison stage is coupled to the filter amplifier to compare the filtered and amplified signal received from the filter amplifier with thresholds to asynchronously detect events in the external scene in response to the incident light. A digital time stamp generator is coupled to asynchronously generate a digital time stamp in response to the events asynchronously detected in the external scene by the threshold comparison stage.

公开(公告)号：US12294802B2

公开(公告)日：2025-05-06

申请号：US17875244

申请日：2022-07-27

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Andreas Suess ,  Shoushun Chen

IPC: H04N25/771 ,  H03F3/16 ,  H04N25/42 ,  H04N25/709 ,  H03K19/20

Abstract: Low power event driven pixels and reset control circuits for the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event driven pixel comprises a photosensor; a photocurrent-to-voltage converter coupled to the photosensor; and a difference circuit coupled to the photocurrent-to-voltage converter. The difference circuit includes a source follower transistor and is configured to generate a signal at a gate of the source follower transistor that is based on a voltage output from the photocurrent-to-voltage converter. The difference circuit is further configured to output a difference signal in response to assertion of a row select signal. The event driven pixel can further include a reset control circuit coupled to the difference circuit and configured to initialize the difference circuit, and to reset the difference circuit when the difference signal output from the event driven pixel indicates a change in the voltage greater than a threshold amount.

公开(公告)号：US20240298088A1

公开(公告)日：2024-09-05

申请号：US18177668

申请日：2023-03-02

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Wenlei Yang ,  Shoushun Chen ,  Andreas Suess

IPC: H04N23/60 ,  H04N25/707 ,  H04N25/772

CPC classification number: H04N23/665 ,  H04N25/707 ,  H04N25/772

Abstract: Methods for transmitting asynchronous event data via synchronous communications interfaces (and associated imaging systems) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an imager comprises an array of event vision pixels, a synchronous communications transmitter configured to transmit frames of data to a synchronous communications receiver, and a timer configured to indicate when a threshold amount of time has elapsed. The pixels can generate event data based on activity within an external scene. The imager can be configured to insert available event data into a payload of the current frame during a first time period before the frame timer indicates that the threshold amount of time has elapsed, pad the payload with dummy data during a second time period after the frame timer indicates that the threshold amount of time has elapsed, and transmit (using the synchronous communications transmitter) the current frame of data to the synchronous communications receiver.

公开(公告)号：US20240040278A1

公开(公告)日：2024-02-01

申请号：US17815526

申请日：2022-07-27

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Andreas Suess ,  Shoushun Chen

IPC: H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/351 ,  H04N5/376 ,  H04N5/3745

CPC classification number: H04N5/3698 ,  H04N5/351 ,  H04N5/376 ,  H04N5/37457

Abstract: Low power event driven pixels with passive, differential difference detection circuitry (and reset control circuits for the same) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event driven pixel comprises a photosensor, a photocurrent-to-voltage converter, and a difference circuit. The difference circuit includes (a) a first circuit branch configured to sample a reference light level based on a voltage output by the photocurrent-to-voltage converter, and to output a first analog light level onto a first column line that is based on the reference light level; and (b) a second circuit branch configured to sample a light level based on the voltage, and to output a second analog light level onto a second column line that is based on the light level. A difference between the second analog light level and the first analog light level indicates whether the event driven pixel has detected an event in an external scene.

公开(公告)号：US20250119659A1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-10

申请号：US18483495

申请日：2023-10-09

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Andreas Suess ,  Menghan Guo ,  Shoushun Chen

IPC: H04N25/68 ,  H04N25/47

Abstract: Event vision sensors with defect pixel suppression (and associated methods) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event vision sensor includes an array of event vision pixels and an event signal processor. The event signal processor is configured to identify event vision pixels of the array that are defective based on noise event occurrence firing rates corresponding to the event vision pixels. The noise event occurrence firing rate for each event vision pixel can be based on inter-arrival times or a noise event rate corresponding to that event vision pixel. Each event vision pixel can include internal circuitry (e.g., a memory component, such as a latch) that can, when the event vision pixel is identified as defective, be used to disable the event vision pixel from detecting events or to mask an output of the event vision pixel such that events are not read out of the event vision pixel.