Imaging system with multiple sensors for producing high-dynamic-range images

摘要

An electronic device may have an array of image sensors that capture image data using different exposure times. Processing circuitry may be used to combine image data with a first exposure time and image data with a second exposure time to create a high-dynamic-range image. The image sensors may use electronic rolling shutter and global shutter image capture schemes. Using the electronic rolling shutter scheme, the reset signals for each sensor may be staggered and the read signals for each sensor may be aligned to allow synchronized readout from the image sensors. When using the global shutter scheme, image capture operations associated with a shorter exposure time may be centered in time within image capture operation associated with a longer exposure time to minimize motion artifacts. Multiple image sensors may also be used to capture short-exposure-time data that is spaced evenly in time within the longer exposure time data.

主权项

1. A method for capturing image data for a high-dynamic-range image using multiple image sensors in an electronic device each of which receives image light through a respective lens in a lens array in the electronic device, the method comprising:
with a first of the image sensors, capturing image data using a first exposure time; with a second of the image sensors, capturing image data using a second exposure time that is longer than the first exposure time; and in synchronization, reading out data from rows of image pixels in the first and second image sensors using control circuitry in the electronic device, wherein the first and second image sensors use an electronic rolling shutter scheme to capture images; and asserting a first reset signal for the first image sensor at a first time, asserting a second reset signal for the second image sensor at a second time subsequent to the first time, wherein reading out the data from the first and second image sensors comprises asserting a read signal for a given row in the first image sensor at a third time and simultaneously asserting a read signal for the given row in the second image sensor at the third time, wherein the third time is after the first and second times.