Energy-proportional image sensor
US9503641B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 19, 2013 |
| Grant date | Nov 22, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 21, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/78
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The subject disclosure is directed towards energy saving mechanisms of image sensor circuitry (e.g., in a camera). Image quality data, such as provided by an application, is processed to make energy consumption of image sensor circuitry more proportional to output image quality by controlling the operation of one or more controllable power saving mechanisms of the image sensor circuitry. Power saving mechanisms may include a frequency controlled clock, the ability to turn off unneeded components, an inter-frame standby mode that puts the image sensor circuitry into a standby mode between capturing sequential frames, selectable parallel analog chains having different energy usage properties and column circuitry that allows turning off circuitry corresponding to unneeded columns of the sensor array.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.