Single-chip camera modules for mosaic image sensor

Abstract

Mosak imagers increase field of view cost effect\ ely, by connecting single-chip cameras in a coordinated manrer equivalen to a large array of snsors Components that would conventionally have been in ceparate chips can be integrated on the same focal plane by using CMOS imagc sensors (CIS) Here a mosaic imaging system is constructed using CIS connected through a bus line (called the irnagc-bus which shares common input controls and output(s), and enables additional cameras to be inserted with little system modification. The imagebus consumes relatively lo power by employing intelligent power control techniques. However, the bandwidth of the bus will still limit the number of camera modules that can be connected in the mosaic array. Hence, signalprocessing components, such as data reduction and encoding, are needed on-chip in order to achieve high readout speed. One such method is described in which the nurnbei and sizes of pixel clusters above an intensity threshold are determined using a novel ' object positioning algorithm" achitecture. This scheme identifies significant events or objec s in the scene before the camcra's data are transmittcd over the bus, thereby reducing the effecti e bandwidth in addition, basic modules in dngle-chip cameia ae suggested for efficient data tiansfer and powei conol in mosaic irnager.Keywords: Mosaic image seno1. CMOS in a°e senso Un-chip piocessing, Data reduc ion Object positioning Fgure I Large field ofviei can be achieved hi (a) increasing s e ofpi el (b) nrrea. iigiiiiinbei o/ _p xe/s or (C) conthinng multiple individual magc' encor c. ups 'th snia1Jpiis