A 1 K/spl times/1 K high dynamic range CMOS image sensor with on-chip programmable region-of-interest readout

Abstract

An integrated 1024/spl times/1024 CMOS image sensor with programmable region-of-interest (ROI) readout and multiexposure technique has been developed and successfully tested. Size and position of the ROI is programmed based on multiples of a minimum readout kernel of 32/spl times/32 pixels. Since the dynamic range of the irradiance normally exceeds the electrical dynamic range of the imager that can be covered using a single integration time, a multiexposure technique has been implemented in the imager. Subsequent sensor images are acquired using different integration times and recomputed to form a single composite image. A newly developed algorithm performing the recomputation is presented. The chip has been realized in a 0.5-/spl mu/m n-well standard CMOS process. The pixel pitch is 10 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ and the total chip area is 164 mm/sup 2/.