A 128 × 128 pixel 120-dB dynamic-range vision-sensor chip for image contrast and orientation extraction

Author

Rüedi, Pierre-François ; Heim, Pascal ; Kaess, François ; Grenet, Eric ; Heitger, Friedrich ; Burgi, Pierre-Yves ; Gyger, Stève ; Nussbaum, Pascal

Author_Institution

Swiss Center for Electron. & Microtechnology, Neuchatel, Switzerland

Volume

38

Issue

12

fYear

2003

Firstpage

2325

Lastpage

2333

Abstract

A vision sensor for low-cost, fast, and robust vision systems is described. The sensor includes an on-chip analog computation of contrast magnitude and direction of image features. A temporal ordering of this information according to the contrast magnitude is used to reduce the amount of data delivered. This sensor, realized in a 0.5-μm two-poly three-metal technology, features a contrast sensitivity of 2%, a contrast direction precision of ±3°, and an illumination dynamic range of 120 dB. Applications with uncontrolled lighting conditions are ideal for this sensor.

Keywords

CMOS image sensors; VLSI; image resolution; image thinning; CMOS sensor; contrast magnitude; dynamic-range vision-sensor chip; image contrast; image features direction; low-cost systems; on-chip analog computation; orientation extraction; robust vision systems; temporal coding; two-poly three-metal technology; Analog computers; Data mining; Dynamic range; Image sensors; Lighting; Machine vision; Pixel; Robustness; Sensor phenomena and characterization; Sensor systems;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Solid-State Circuits, IEEE Journal of

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0018-9200

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/JSSC.2003.819169

Filename

1253880