US 11,910,109 B2
Pixel size reduction method for event driven sensors
Nikolai E. Bock, San Jose, CA (US); Emanuele Mandelli, Mountain View, CA (US); and Dario Clocchiatti, Berkeley, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by APPLE INC., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on Jul. 15, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/376,264.
Application 17/376,264 is a continuation of application No. PCT/US2020/014347, filed on Jan. 21, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/795,777, filed on Jan. 23, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2021/0344854 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. H04N 25/50 (2023.01); H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/50 (2023.01) [H04N 25/75 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An event sensor comprising:
a plurality of pixels, each pixel configured to output pixel data, wherein, in a first state, the pixel data provides a differential value of the intensity of incident illumination and, in a second state, the pixel data provides an absolute value of the intensity of the incident illumination;
an external readout line shared among the plurality of pixels; and
an external processing circuit configured to output a stream of pixel events, each respective pixel event generated when a comparator of the external processing circuit obtains a sample of pixel data from a particular pixel via the external readout line that breaches a threshold value.