US 11,671,581 B2
Method and system for enhanced image sensor timing
David C. Shafer, Menlo Park, CA (US); Jeffrey M. DiCarlo, Austin, TX (US); Ian E. McDowall, Woodside, CA (US); and Max J. Trejo, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/276,061
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/051593
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Mar. 12, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/061104, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 26, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/732,718, filed on Sep. 18, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0360221 A1, Nov. 18, 2021
Int. Cl. H04N 13/296 (2018.01); H04N 13/257 (2018.01); H04N 9/04 (2006.01); H04N 13/239 (2018.01); H04N 5/235 (2006.01); H04N 9/09 (2006.01)
CPC H04N 13/296 (2018.05) [H04N 5/2353 (2013.01); H04N 9/0451 (2018.08); H04N 9/04559 (2018.08); H04N 9/09 (2013.01); H04N 13/239 (2018.05); H04N 13/257 (2018.05)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image capture device comprising:
a first image sensor comprising a first plurality of rows of pixels, the first plurality of rows of pixels comprising a plurality of pixel cells, each of the plurality of pixel cells comprising a plurality of pixels;
a second image sensor comprising a second plurality of rows of pixels;
a first frame timer coupled to the first image sensor to provide image capture timing signals to the first image sensor to cause the first image sensor to capture a first plurality of frames of pixel data at a first frame rate;
a second frame timer coupled to the second image sensor to provide image capture timing signals to the second image sensor to cause the second image sensor to capture a second plurality of frames of pixel data at a second frame rate different than the first frame rate;
a visible light color filter array comprising a plurality of different individual visible light color filters; and
an alternative light filter array comprising a plurality of individual alternative light filters, one individual alternative light filter of the plurality of individual alternative light filters covering both a first set of pixels of a plurality of pixels in a first pixel cell of the plurality of pixel cells and a second set of pixels of a plurality of pixels in a second pixel cell of the plurality of pixel cells, the first pixel cell being adjacent the second pixel cell;
each of the plurality of the different individual visible light color filters covering a different pixel in the first and second sets of pixels, the pixels covered by individual visible light color filters of the plurality of different individual color filters being different from pixels covered by the individual alternative light filters.