Motion Blur-Free High-Speed Hybrid Image Sensing

We propose and demonstrate a novel motion blur-free hybrid image sensing technique. Unlike the previous hybrid image sensors, we developed a homogeneous hybrid image sensing technique including 60 fps CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) and 1440 fps pseudo Dynamic Vision Sensor (DVS) image frames without any performance degradation caused by static bad pixels. To achieve the fast readout, we implemented two one-side ADCs on two photodiodes (PDs) and the pixel output settling time can be reduced significantly by using the column switch control. The high-speed pseudo DVS frame can be obtained by differentiating fast-readout CIS frames, by which, in turn, the world’s smallest pseudo DVS pixel (1.8 μm) can be achieved. In addition, we confirmed that CIS (50 Mp resolution) and DVS (0.78 Mp resolution) data obtained from the hybrid image sensor can be transmitted over the MIPI (4.5 Gb/s four-lane D-PHY) interface without signal loss. The results showed that the motion blur of a 60 fps CIS frame image can be compensated dramatically by using the proposed pseudo DVS frames together with a deblur algorithm. Finally, using the event simulation, we verified that a 1440 fps pseudo DVS frame can compensate the motion blur of the CIS image captured in the situation of jogging at a 3 m distance.