US 12,067,696 B2
Image sensors with variable resolution image format
Anthony Richard Huggett, Tadley (GB)
Assigned to SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed by SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Jan. 13, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/647,870.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/200,127, filed on Feb. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0261963 A1, Aug. 18, 2022
Int. Cl. G06T 3/4092 (2024.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 23/45 (2023.01); H04N 25/44 (2023.01)
CPC G06T 3/4092 (2013.01) [H04N 23/45 (2023.01); H04N 25/44 (2023.01); H01L 27/14609 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An imaging system comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture an image; and
an encoding circuit configured to:
receive unbinned pixel data generated based on the image from the image sensor; and
encode the unbinned pixel data in accordance with a variable resolution image format that specifies a number of windows in the image, a resolution for each of the windows, and edges for each of the windows, wherein different portions of the image are populated by square superpixels of different sizes, wherein the size of the square superpixels within each window is less than or equal to the resolution of that window, and wherein each square superpixel has only one data value that is output from the encoding circuit.