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Sony patents camera pixels that only report when light changes

Sony describes a light sensor where each pixel only sends a signal when the brightness of the light hitting it changes. Instead of constantly recording the full image, the device detects specific changes in light levels and flags them as events.

Why it mattersThis approach could reduce the amount of data a camera needs to process, making it useful for applications that need to react quickly to movement or light shifts without recording every frame.

In the filing’s own words

A light detecting device is provided and includes a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel including an event signal generation circuit and a first photoelectric conversion circuit, wherein the first photoelectric conversion circuit is configured to perform photoelectric conversion of incident light to generate a first charge based on a first change in luminance of the incident light, and the event signal generation circuit is configured to detect the change in luminance based on the first charge and generate an event signal based on the first change.

What exactly they claim (claim 1)

1. A light detecting device comprising: a semiconductor substrate; and a pixel including an event signal generation circuit and a first photoelectric conversion circuit, wherein the first photoelectric conversion circuit is configured to perform photoelectric conversion of incident light to generate a first charge based on a first change in luminance of the incident light, and the event signal generation circuit is configured to detect the change in luminance based on the first charge and generate an event signal based on the first change.

Facts

Company
Sony (Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation)
Official title
LIGHT DETECTING DEVICE
Publication number
US20260282641A1
Application number
19168548
Filed
Aug 2, 2024
Published
Sep 17, 2026
Inventors
4
Claims
44

Classified under

H10K 39/32 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/17 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/20 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/41 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/707 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/77 Electricity & electronics
Read the full filing (official PDF) ↗ Open in the Patent Tracker

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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.