公开(公告)号：US20240205567A1

公开(公告)日：2024-06-20

申请号：US18540381

申请日：2023-12-14

Applicant: Prophesee

Inventor： Thomas FINATEU ,  Daniel Matolin ,  Christoph Posch

IPC: H04N25/772 ,  H04N25/47 ,  H04N25/57 ,  H04N25/778 ,  H04N25/79

CPC classification number: H04N25/772 ,  H04N25/47 ,  H04N25/57 ,  H04N25/778 ,  H04N25/79 ,  H01L27/14634

Abstract: A pixel circuit is provided for use in an event sensor. In one implementation, the pixel circuit includes a photosensitive element configured to generate a current signal in response to brightness of light impinging on the photosensitive element, a first N-type transistor, a second N-type transistor, a first P-type transistor including a gate connected to a first bias voltage, a second P-type transistor including a gate connected to a second bias voltage, the second bias voltage being an adjustable DC bias voltage that is adjusted according to at least one of a sensed temperature or a fabrication process variation of the pixel circuit, and a voltage output that varies in response to the brightness of light impinging on the photosensitive element. An adjustment of the second bias voltage causes a DC level of the voltage output to shift up or down without changing the overall gain of the pixel circuit. The pixel circuit may also include one or more additional N-type transistors for increasing performance by optimizing contrast sensitivity. The pixel circuit may further include a converter, a capacitor electrically coupled to the converter, and an amplifier electrically coupled to the capacitor. Further, the pixel circuit may be implemented in a stacked wafer configuration and one or more interconnects between wafers.

公开(公告)号：US11979673B2

公开(公告)日：2024-05-07

申请号：US17662412

申请日：2022-05-06

Applicant: Prophesee SA

Inventor： Thomas Finateu ,  Daniel Matolin ,  Christoph Posch

IPC: H04N25/47 ,  H04N25/443 ,  H04N25/583 ,  H04N25/59 ,  H04N25/709 ,  H04N25/75 ,  H04N25/771 ,  H04N25/772 ,  H04N25/778 ,  H04N25/79 ,  H04N25/133

CPC classification number: H04N25/47 ,  H04N25/443 ,  H04N25/583 ,  H04N25/59 ,  H04N25/709 ,  H04N25/75 ,  H04N25/771 ,  H04N25/772 ,  H04N25/778 ,  H04N25/79 ,  H04N25/133

Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to image sensors and methods for image sensing. More specifically, and without limitation, this disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing super-pixels, and implementing and using image sensors with super-pixels. In one implementation, an image sensor includes a plurality of super-pixels. Each super-pixel may include a first photosensitive element; a detector electrically connected to the first photosensitive element and configured to generate a trigger signal when an analog signal proportional to brightness of light impinging on the first photosensitive element matches a condition; a second photosensitive element; an exposure measurement circuit electrically connected to the second photosensitive element and configured to convert an analog signal proportional to brightness of light impinging on the second photosensitive element to a digital signal; and a logic circuit electrically connected to the detector and the exposure measurement circuit and configured to enable the exposure measurement circuit in response to the trigger signal and to disable the exposure measurement circuit when the digital signal is read out from the exposure measurement circuit.

公开(公告)号：US11790663B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-17

申请号：US16982879

申请日：2019-03-19

Applicant: ROBERT BOSCH GMBH ,  PROPHESEE

Inventor： Michael Pfeiffer ,  Jochen Marx ,  Oliver Lange ,  Christoph Posch ,  Xavier Lagorce ,  Spiros Nikolaidis

IPC: G06K9/00 ,  G06V20/58 ,  G06T7/70 ,  B60Q9/00 ,  B60T7/12 ,  B60W30/09 ,  B62D15/02 ,  B64C39/02 ,  G06N3/04 ,  G06N3/08 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G08G1/16 ,  G06V20/10 ,  G06F18/21 ,  G06F18/24 ,  B60W10/04 ,  B60W10/18 ,  B60W10/20 ,  G05D1/02 ,  G05D1/10

CPC classification number: G06V20/58 ,  B60Q9/008 ,  B60T7/12 ,  B60W30/09 ,  B62D15/0265 ,  B64C39/024 ,  G06F18/21 ,  G06F18/24 ,  G06N3/04 ,  G06N3/08 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G06T7/70 ,  G06V20/10 ,  G08G1/166 ,  B60W10/04 ,  B60W10/18 ,  B60W10/20 ,  B60W2420/42 ,  B60W2554/40 ,  B60W2710/18 ,  B60W2710/20 ,  B64U2201/10 ,  G05D1/0214 ,  G05D1/0231 ,  G05D1/101 ,  G06T2207/20084 ,  G06T2207/30241 ,  G06T2207/30261

Abstract: A system (1) for detecting dynamic secondary objects (55) that have a potential to intersect the trajectory (51) of a moving primary object (50), comprising a vision sensor (2) with a light-sensitive area (20) that comprises event-based pixels (21), so that a relative change in the light intensity impinging onto an event-based pixel (21) of the vision sensor (2) by at least a predetermined percentage causes the vision sensor (2) to emit an event (21a) associated with this event-based pixel (21), wherein the system (1) further comprises a discriminator module (3) that gets both the stream of events (21a) from the vision sensor (2) and information (52) about the heading and/or speed of the motion of the primary object (50) as inputs, and is configured to identify, from said stream of events (21a), based at least in part on said information (52), events (21b) that are likely to be caused by the motion of a secondary object (55), rather than by the motion of the primary object (50).
Vision sensors (2) for use in the system (1).
A corresponding computer program.

公开(公告)号：US11412162B2

公开(公告)日：2022-08-09

申请号：US17051148

申请日：2019-04-30

Applicant: PROPHESEE

Inventor： Thomas Finateu ,  Daniel Matolin ,  Christoph Posch

IPC: H04N5/353 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photosensitive element, and a photo-signal converter adapted to provide, on a first output, a current signal linearly proportional to the intensity of light impinging on the photosensitive element and to provide, on a second output, a voltage signal logarithmic with the intensity of light impinging on the photosensitive element. Each pixel further includes a detector adapted to generate a trigger signal when a signal of the detector proportional to the voltage signal of the second output of the photo-signal converter exceeds a threshold, and a light-to-time converter adapted to measure and encode, in the time domain, light intensity on the photosensitive element. A light-to-time conversion cycle may be initiated by the light-to-time converter in response to receipt of the trigger signal.

公开(公告)号：US20210044744A1

公开(公告)日：2021-02-11

申请号：US16963944

申请日：2019-01-25

Applicant: PROPHESEE

Inventor： Amos Sironi ,  Marc Rousseau ,  Christoph Posch ,  Xavier Lagorce

IPC: H04N5/232 ,  H04N5/341 ,  H04N5/225

Abstract: For processing a signal from an event-based sensor having an array of sensing elements facing a scene, the method comprises: receiving the signal including, for each sensing element, successive events originating from said sensing element depending on variations of incident light from the scene; analyzing the signal to detect a frequency pattern in a light profile sensed by at least one sensing element; and extracting information from the scene in response to detection of the frequency pattern.

公开(公告)号：US10904465B2

公开(公告)日：2021-01-26

申请号：US16666387

申请日：2019-10-28

Applicant: Prophesee ,  Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas

Inventor： Thomas Finateu ,  Bernabe Linares Barranco ,  Teresa Serrano Gotarredona ,  Christoph Posch

IPC: H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: This invention relates to a pixel circuit comprising a photo-sensor stage (10) comprising a photodiode (1) delivering a photoreceptor current (Iph), a comparison stage (30) configured for detecting a change in a signal voltage (Vph) derived from said photoreceptor current, a sample-and-hold circuit (50) connected to the converting stage (20) and to the comparison stage (30), said comparison stage (30) configured to output an input signal for the sample-and-hold circuit (50), and for emitting a sampling signal to a control terminal of the sample-and-hold circuit (50) when a change is detected in the signal voltage (Vph).

公开(公告)号：US10567682B2

公开(公告)日：2020-02-18

申请号：US15827422

申请日：2017-11-30

Applicant: Prophesee

Inventor： Daniel Matolin ,  Christoph Posch

IPC: H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N3/14 ,  H04N5/335 ,  H04N5/235 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/341 ,  H04N5/374 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: The invention relates to pixel circuit and an operating method thereof, comprising a front-end circuit comprising a single photodiode and having an output, said front-end circuit being configured for delivering on said output a photoreceptor signal derived from a light exposure of said single photodiode; a transient detector circuit configured for detecting a change in said photoreceptor signal delivered on said output; an exposure measurement circuit configured for measuring said photoreceptor signal delivered on said output upon detection by the transient detector circuit of a change in the photoreceptor signal. The invention also relates to an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel circuits.