US 11,921,285 B2
On-chip signal processing method and pixel-array signal
John Koshel, Tucson, AZ (US); and Emma Landsiedel, Tucson, AZ (US)
Assigned to ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Tucson, AZ (US)
Appl. No. 17/594,457
Filed by ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, Tucson, AZ (US)
PCT Filed Apr. 19, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/028896
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 18, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/215046, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 22, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/836,431, filed on Apr. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0206293 A1, Jun. 30, 2022
Int. Cl. H04N 23/959 (2023.01); G01B 9/02 (2022.01); G01B 11/24 (2006.01); G01J 3/26 (2006.01); G01J 3/45 (2006.01); G02B 27/00 (2006.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/67 (2023.01)
CPC G02B 27/0075 (2013.01) [G01B 9/02 (2013.01); G01B 11/2441 (2013.01); G01J 3/26 (2013.01); G01J 3/45 (2013.01); H04N 23/56 (2023.01); H04N 23/67 (2023.01); H04N 23/959 (2023.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for generating an in-focus image of a scene on a pixel-array sensor, comprising:
receiving a defocused image of the scene by the pixel-array sensor;
storing, in a memory of the pixel-array sensor, the defocused image as plurality of threshold pixel values;
detecting interference fringes from the scene at a plurality of scan depths by a pixel-array in the pixel-array sensor to generate a plurality of detected pixel-values;
processing, with circuitry on the pixel-array sensor, the plurality of detected pixel-values with the plurality of threshold pixel values to generate a thresholded signal for each pixel; and
outputting the in-focus image according to the thresholded signals.