US 12,069,392 B2
Image sensor, image output method and application thereof
Yingyun Zha, Shenzhen (CN); and Jian Deng, Shenzhen (CN)
Assigned to Shenzhen Ruishizhixin Technology Co., Ltd., Shenzhen (CN)
Filed by Shenzhen Ruishizhixin Technology Co., Ltd., Guangdong (CN)
Filed on Nov. 24, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/058,743.
Application 18/058,743 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CN2022/104987, filed on Jul. 11, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 202210250010.5 (CN), filed on Mar. 15, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0297158 A1, Sep. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 25/779 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/779 (2023.01) [H04N 25/77 (2023.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor, having a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels, comprising:
an input circuit;
an Active Pixel Sensor (APS) circuit;
an Event-Based Vision Sensor (EVS) circuit; and
a control circuit;
wherein each of the pixels comprises the APS circuit and the EVS circuit; the input circuit is connected to the APS circuit and the EVS circuit, and the control circuit is connected to the APS circuit and the EVS circuit; wherein a working period unit of the input circuit is a working period of outputting a frame of an APS image; the working period unit comprises an EVS mode working period and an APS mode working period, and the APS mode working period is provided between two adjacent EVS mode working periods;
the input circuit is configured to perform a first photoelectric conversion on incident light to generate a corresponding photoelectric current during the EVS mode working period, and perform a second photoelectric conversion on the incident light to generate corresponding photoelectric charges during the APS mode working period;
the EVS circuit is configured to output a corresponding event signal according to a difference between a first voltage corresponding to the photoelectric current and a reference voltage during a process of the first photoelectric conversion;
the APS circuit is configured to output a corresponding grayscale signal according to a second voltage corresponding to the photoelectric charges during a subsequent process of the first photoelectric conversion; and
the control circuit is configured to output a corresponding EVS image according to the event signal, and output a corresponding APS image according to the grayscale signal.