This study introduces a vision system that can acquire images at high speeds and high resolutions. Image sensors are used not only in digital still cameras but also in various applications that require capturing wide luminance differences beyond human perception. For example, fast, high-resolution object recognition, and motion tracking in automatic driving systems are essential, particularly in dark tunnels or the mid-summer sunshine. However, the resolution, frame rate, pixel size, and dynamic range should be traded off to achieve a high performance in capturing moving objects with a high contrast. We have developed a high-speed vision system with a readout operation of 1000 fps, resolution of 4K ${\times }\,4\text{K}$ , dynamic range of 110 dB, and fine pixels of $2.7~{\mu }\text{m}$ . These characteristics were achieved using several technologies such as 1) coded exposure (CE), which divides the image plane into smaller blocks and controls the exposure time of each block individually, 2) arrangement of analog-to-digital converters in parallel for each block, and 3) three-dimensional wafer stacking, which enables high-density integration of circuits and pixels. The proposed system can be applied in CE-based computational imaging in addition to high-dynamic-range applications for handling both the dark and bright areas in a scene.

中文翻译：

---

具有 1 英寸 17-Mpixel 1000-fps 块控制编码曝光堆叠 CMOS 图像传感器的视觉系统，用于计算成像和自适应动态范围控制

本研究介绍了一种可以高速和高分辨率获取图像的视觉系统。图像传感器不仅用于数码相机，还用于需要捕捉超出人类感知范围的宽亮度差异的各种应用。例如，自动驾驶系统中快速、高分辨率的物体识别和运动跟踪是必不可少的，尤其是在黑暗的隧道或盛夏的阳光下。然而，应该权衡分辨率、帧速率、像素大小和动态范围，以在捕获具有高对比度的移动物体时实现高性能。我们开发了一种高速视觉系统，其读出速度为 1000 fps，分辨率为 4K ${\times }\,4\text{K}$ ，动态范围为 110 dB，精细像素为 $2.7~{\mu}\text{m}$ . 这些特性是使用多种技术实现的，例如 1) 编码曝光 (CE)，它将图像平面分成更小的块并单独控制每个块的曝光时间，2) 为每个块并行布置模数转换器, 和 3) 三维晶圆堆叠, 可实现电路和像素的高密度集成。除了用于处理场景中的暗区和亮区的高动态范围应用之外，所提出的系统还可以应用于基于 CE 的计算成像。