Parallel high dynamic exposure range sensor

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are presented for taking a combination of images taken synchronous in time with one another. According to one example, the present disclosure proposes one or more sensor arrays, each of which comprises multiple pixel sensors arranged to capture image data responsive to light exposure. Light is incident on the respective sensor arrays during substantially synchronous exposures. The one or more sensor arrays are configured such that the image data captured by the respective sensor arrays during the synchronous exposure differ in at least one of a luminance output or a color profile from one another.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 exposing a first pixel of an image sensor and a second pixel of the image sensor to light substantially synchronously, wherein the first plurality of pixels are interspersed with the second plurality of pixels in a repeating array, wherein all pixels of the repeating array comprise either the first plurality of pixels or the second plurality of pixels;   controlling the exposing such that the first pixel has a first exposure and the second pixel has a second exposure and the first exposure differs from the second exposure;   determining both a first luminance from the first exposure and a second luminance from the second exposure; and   determining a composite luminance from the first luminance and the second luminance, wherein determining the composite luminance includes interpolating between the first luminance and the second luminance and according to a light condition.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the interpolating comprises one or more of a bicubic, a simple average, a bicubic spline, a cubic nearest-neighbor or a bilinear. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising capturing a series of images over a short time sequence. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first exposure comprises substantially a full exposure and the second exposure comprises substantially fifty percent exposure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein controlling the exposing such that the first pixel has the first exposure and the second pixel has the second exposure and the first exposure differs from the second exposure is performed with an optical device that is configured to transmit a relatively different amount of light to the first pixel as compared to the second pixel. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the optical device comprises a lenslet array that is configured to transmit a relatively different amount of light to the first pixel as compared to the second pixel. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the lenslet array has a repeating pattern corresponding to the repeating array. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first pixel is disposed immediately adjacent the second pixel in the sensing area so that the first pixel and second pixel would be subject to substantially a same amount of light if the optical device were not present. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising a third pixel and the controlling the exposing such that the first pixel has the first exposure and the second pixel has the second exposure and the first exposure differs from the second exposure further includes controlling an amount of exposure of the third pixel such that the third pixel has a third exposure taken simultaneously with and for substantially the same time duration as the first exposure and the second exposure, and wherein the first exposure, the second exposure, and the third exposure all differ from one another. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of pixels includes the first pixel and at least a third pixel, the first pixel and the third pixel both subject to the first exposure, the method further comprising interpolating between first pixel and the third pixel at the first exposure to determine a luminance of the first pixel and the third pixel. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first pixel is one of a first plurality of pixels and the second pixel is one of a second plurality of pixels, and wherein the first plurality of pixels and the second plurality of pixels are interspersed with one another in a non-random pattern in the sensing area. 
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 a first plurality of pixels;   a second plurality of pixels, and wherein the first plurality of pixels and the second plurality of pixels are interspersed with one another in a non-random pattern in a sensing area; an optical device configured to control an amount of exposure of the first plurality of pixels and the second plurality of pixels such that the first plurality of pixels has a first exposure and the second plurality of pixels has a second exposure, wherein the first exposure and the second exposure are taken simultaneously synchronously, and wherein the first exposure differs from the second exposure; and   a non-transitory processor-readable storage medium storing processor executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:   determine both a first luminance from the first exposure and a second luminance from the second exposure; and   determine a composite luminance from the first luminance and the second luminance, wherein the composite luminance is determined by interpolating between the first luminance and the second luminance and according to a light condition.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the interpolating comprises one or more of a bicubic, a simple average, a bicubic spline, a cubic nearest-neighbor or a bilinear. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first exposure comprises substantially a full exposure and the second exposure comprises substantially fifty percent exposure. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the optical device includes an optical filter that is configured to transmit a relatively different amount of light to the first plurality of pixels as compared to the second plurality of pixels. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the optical device comprises a lenslet array with a pattern that is configured to transmit a relatively different amount of light to the first plurality of pixels as compared to the second plurality of pixels. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first plurality of pixel includes at least a first pixel that is disposed immediately adjacent at least a second pixel of the second plurality of pixels in the sensing area so that the first pixel and second pixel would be subject to substantially a same amount of light if the optical device were not present. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a third pixel and the optical device is configured to control an amount of exposure of the third pixel such that the third pixel has third exposure taken simultaneously and for substantially the same time duration as the first exposure and the second exposure, and wherein the first exposure, the second exposure, and the third exposure all differ from one another. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the non-transitory processor-readable storage medium is configured to interpolate between the first plurality of pixels and the at least the third pixel at the first and third exposure to determine a luminance of the first plurality of pixels and the third pixel. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the first plurality of pixels include a first pixel that is disposed immediately adjacent a second pixel of the second plurality of pixels in the sensing area.