Fullmoonfever
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Hi DHi Fmf,
I haven't tracked down the iniLabs patents yet, so I don't know what their earliest date is or what it covers (probly filed in the name of Zurich Uni), but this is an iniVation DVS patent appliocation from 20210322:
EP4064686A1 EVENT SENSOR AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING A SIGNAL STREAM OF EVENT DATA
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The invention relates to an event sensor and a method for producing a signal stream of event data in reaction to light incident on a pixel array (10) of pixels. The event sensor comprises: for each pixel of the pixel array (10) at least one photodetector (1) configured to produce a detector signal in reaction to light incident on the pixel; for each pixel or a group of the pixels a signal converter (2) connected to the photodetector (1) and configured to repeatedly produce and store digital sample values dependent on the detector signal sampled at sampling intervals; and a readout processor (4) connected to the signal converter (2). The readout processor (4) is configured: to derive a digital accumulated pixel value based on one or multiple of the sample values, wherein the accumulated pixel value corresponds to an accumulation of the detector signal over a sampling count of the sampling intervals; and to generate a pixel event of the event data dependent on the accumulated pixel value and the sampling count.
1. Event sensor comprising a pixel array (10) of pixels and configured to produce a signal stream of event data in reaction to light incident on said pixel array (10), comprising:
- for each pixel of said pixel array (10) at least one photodetector (1) configured to produce a detector signal in reaction to light incident on said pixel;
- for each pixel or a group of said pixels a signal converter (2) connected to said photodetector (1) and configured to repeatedly produce and store digital sample values dependent on said detector signal sampled at sampling intervals; and
- a readout processor (4) connected to said signal converter (2) and configured:
- to derive a digital accumulated pixel value based on one or multiple of said sample values, wherein said accumulated pixel value corresponds to an accumulation of said detector signal over a sampling count of said sampling intervals, and
- to generate a pixel event of said event data dependent on said accumulated pixel value and said sampling count.
Prophesee have patents dating from at least 2013.
US11212470B2 Dynamic, single photodiode pixel circuit and operating method thereof
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The invention relates to pixel circuit and an operating method thereof, comprising—a front-end circuit (1) comprising a single photodiode (PD) and having an output (4), said front-end circuit (1) being configured for delivering on said output a photoreceptor signal derived from a light exposure of said single photodiode (PD);—a transient detector circuit (2) configured for detecting a change in said photoreceptor signal delivered on said output (4);—an exposure measurement circuit (3) configured for measuring said photoreceptor signal delivered on said output (4) upon detection by the transient detector circuit (2) of a change in the photoreceptor signal. The invention also relates to an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel circuits.
Here's a 2016 Brainchip patent which uses a DVS/event camera, probably from the time we were working with iniVation:
US2017236027A1 INTELLIGENT BIOMORPHIC SYSTEM FOR PATTERN RECOGNITION WITH AUTONOMOUS VISUAL FEATURE EXTRACTION
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Embodiments of the present invention provide a hierarchical arrangement of one or more artificial neural networks for recognizing visual feature pattern extraction and output labeling. The system comprises a first spiking neural network and a second spiking neural network. The first spiking neural network is configured to autonomously learn complex, temporally overlapping visual features arising in an input pattern stream. Competitive learning is implemented as spike time dependent plasticity with lateral inhibition in the first spiking neural network. The second spiking neural network is connected by means of dynamic synapses with the first spiking neural network, and is trained for interpreting and labeling output data of the first spiking neural network. Additionally, the output of the second spiking neural network is transmitted to a computing device, such as a CPU for post processing.
We are only using the DVS. We did not have any inventive input to the camera, but I'm sure the company is aware of the potential litigation for Prophesee.
Agree not so much about us and suggest you right about Zurich given the excerpt below. Don't think Inivation implying anything on their behalf, more so a general sense or possibility from others.
"....has long been contention about whether the Prophesee camera is too similar to earlier designs, particularly those invented at INI Zurich."
Be nice to have a bet each way and be doing something with Inivation as well haha