EBS/ToF/RGB CAMERA FOR SMART SURVEILLANCE AND INTRUDER DETECTION

Abstract

A sensor system with a plurality of sensors or sensor functions is provided. The sensors can include an event detection sensor, a time of flight sensor, and imaging sensor. The different sensors can be implemented on the same or different substrates. Accordingly, sensors with pixels having different or shared functions can be included in the sensor system. In operation, an event detection signal from an event detection sensor causes the operation of a time of flight sensor to be initiated. In response to the detection of an object within a critical range by the time of flight sensor, the imaging sensor is activated. The image sensing and event detection pixels can be provided as part of different arrays of pixels, or can be included within a common array of pixels.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a light source that outputs light in a selected wavelength range;   a first pixel group that detects a change in light intensity;   a second pixel group that detects an amount of light in the selected wavelength range;   a processor to:
 receive at least one event signal based on the change in light intensity detected by the first pixel group; 
 detect a first event based on the at least one event signal; and 
 activate, in response to detecting the first event, the second pixel group. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processor detects a second event based on an output of the second pixel group 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a third pixel group that detects an amount of light intensity, wherein the processor activates, in response to detecting the second event, the third pixel group. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions, wherein at least two of the first, second, and third pixel groups share the plurality of photoelectric regions.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first pixel group includes event detection pixels, wherein the second pixel group includes time of flight pixels, and wherein the third pixel group includes image sensor pixels. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first pixel group is disposed on a first sensor substrate, wherein the second pixel group is disposed on a second sensor substrate, and wherein the third pixel group is disposed on a third sensor substrate. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first pixel group and the third pixel group are disposed on a first sensor substrate, and wherein the second pixel group is disposed on a second sensor substrate. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein pixels in the first pixel group are interspersed among pixels in the third pixel group. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the number of pixels in the first pixel group is less than the number of pixels in the third pixel group. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the pixels of the first pixel group share photoelectric conversion elements with the pixels of the third pixel group. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the first pixel group is disposed on a first sensor substrate, and wherein the second pixel group and the third pixel group is disposed on a second sensor substrate. 
     
     
         12 . The sensor system of  claim 11 , wherein pixels in the second pixel group are interspersed among pixels in the third pixel group. 
     
     
         13 . The sensor system of  claim 12 , wherein the number of pixels in the second pixel group is less than the number of pixels in the third pixel group. 
     
     
         14 . The sensor system of  claim 3 , wherein the first, second, and third pixel groups are formed on a first substrate. 
     
     
         15 . The sensor system of  claim 3 , wherein a number pixels in the first pixel group is less than a number of pixels in the third pixel group. 
     
     
         16 . The sensor system of  claim 3 , wherein the second event is a determination that an object is within a predetermined range of the sensor system. 
     
     
         17 . The sensor system of  claim 16 , wherein the processor implements a first neural network that issues an intrusion alert based on an analysis of an output of the third pixel group. 
     
     
         18 . The sensor system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor implements a second neural network that triggers the third pixel group based on an analysis of an output of the second pixel group. 
     
     
         19 . An imaging system, comprising:
 a plurality of event based sensor pixels;   a plurality of time of flight sensor pixels; and   a plurality of image sensor pixels, wherein the time of flight sensor pixels are activated in response to an event detection signal from one or more event based sensor pixels, and wherein the image sensor pixels are activated in response to a distance signal from one or more time of flight sensor pixels that places an object within a predetermined distance of the imaging system.   
     
     
         20 . An intrusion detection method, comprising:
 activating a plurality of event based sensor pixels;   in response to an output from at least some of the event based sensor pixels, activating a plurality of time of flight sensor pixels and a light source;   in response to an output from the time of flight sensor pixels, activating a plurality of image sensor pixels;   analyzing an output from the image sensor pixels using a neural network; and   based on analyzing the output from the image sensor pixels using the neural network and determining that an intrusion alert should be issued, issuing an intrusion alert.