US 11,683,608 B2
Method and image sensor device capable of predicting appropriate length of exposure time interval for incoming frame(s)
Wooi Kip Lim, Penang (MY)
Assigned to PixArt Imaging Inc., Hsin-Chu (TW)
Filed by PixArt Imaging Inc., Hsin-Chu (TW)
Filed on Jul. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/364,903.
Prior Publication US 2023/0007201 A1, Jan. 5, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 23/73 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/75 (2023.01) [H04N 23/73 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor device, comprising:
a sensor array, comprising a plurality of pixel units each comprising a photodiode unit and a storage capacitor; for generating an image of a specific frame, the photodiode unit is illuminated by a light ray to generate a photodiode current which is stored in the storage capacitor when the image sensor device performs an exposure operation; and
a processing circuit, coupled to the sensor array, for generating a reference current in response to an amount of at least one photodiode current of at least one photodiode unit of at least one pixel unit when the at least one photodiode unit is exposed and before the exposure operation arranged for the specific frame starts, and then for predicting a length of an exposure time interval of the exposure operation for the specific frame based on the generated reference current;
wherein the processing circuit comprises a current gain circuit which is arranged for generating the reference current based on a current gain value according to a portion or a summation of the at least one photodiode current of the at least one photodiode unit, and the processing circuit is arranged for generating a shutter output signal which is used for determining the length of the exposure time interval.