• Proceedings of the Korea Information Processing Society Conference
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• 2024.05a
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• pp.18-19
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• 2024

High Dynamic Range 는 디지털 카메라에 내장된 영상 보정 장치인 Image Signal Processor 의 주요 기능 중 하나로서, 영상의 밝고 어두운 정도의 범위를 넓혀, 피사체가 더 또렷하게 보이도록 한다. 초당 수십 프레임을 촬영하는 경우, 실시간 보정처리를 위해 ISP 에 사용되는 기능 및 알고리즘은 신속성과 효율성이 요구된다. 본 연구는 ISP 에 적합한 HDR 알고리즘을 선정을 목표로 하여, Histogram Equalization 과 Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization 을 소개한다. 이어 해당 알고리즘들을 컴퓨터 프로그래밍으로 구현, CMOS 이미지 센서를 통해 추출한 raw image 를 보정하여 각 알고리즘의 성능을 검토하였다.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.125-133
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• 2010

A versatile micro-robotic platform for micro/nano scale assembly has been demanded in a variety of application areas such as micro-biology and nanotechnology. In the near future, a flexible and compact platform could be effectively used in a scanning electron microscope chamber. We are developing a platform that consists of miniature mobile robots and a compact positioning stage with multi degree-of-freedom. This paper presents the design and the implementation of a low-cost and compact multi degree of freedom position sensor that is capable of measuring absolute translational and rotational displacement. The proposed sensor is implemented by using a CMOS type image sensor and a target with specific hole patterns. Experimental design based on statistics was applied to finding optimal design of the target. Efficient algorithms for image processing and absolute position decoding are discussed. Simple calibration to eliminate the influence of inaccuracy of the fabricated target on the measuring performance also presented. The developed sensor was characterized by using a laser interferometer. It can be concluded that the sensor system has submicron resolution and accuracy of ${\pm}4{\mu}m$ over full travel range. The proposed vision-based sensor is cost-effective and used as a compact feedback device for implementation of a micro robotic platform.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.252-257
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• 2015

This paper proposes a single slope A/D converter (SSADC) that is possible to process the signal of the ultraviolet, visible and infrared rays with a single chip. And the proposed SSADC is a type of single channel ADC. In the conventional SSADC, it is possible to process the only one signal with a kind of the sensor because the speed of the operating frequency and the slope of ramp signal generated by the ramp generator are fixed. In order to improve the disadvantages, a ramp generator which has variable slope in ramp function is designed and $3{\times}1$ MUX(multiplexer) is adopted so that we can change the speed of the operating frequency and the slope of ramp signal. Therefore, the multiple signal processing of the wanted sensors can be possible. The designed circuit is layout by the $0.35-{\mu}m$ CMOS 2-poly 4-metal technology process and is checked through DRC and LVS tools.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.15 no.11
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• pp.2365-2373
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• 2011

This paper propose the hardware IP of real-time face detection system for mobile devices and digital cameras required for high speed, smaller size and lower power. The proposed face detection system is robust against illumination changes, face size, and various face angles as the main cause of the face detection performance. Input image is transformed to LBP(Local Binary Pattern) image to obtain face characteristics robust against illumination changes, and detected the face using face feature data that was adopted to learn and generate in the various face angles using the Adaboost algorithm. The proposed face detection system can be detected maximum 36 faces at the input image size of QVGA($320{\times}240$), and designed by Verilog-HDL. Also, it was verified hardware implementation by using Virtex5 XC5VLX330 FPGA board and HD CMOS image sensor(CIS) for FPGA verification.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.425-430
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• 2013

Robust and high speed underwater communication is severely limited when compared to communications in terrestial. In free space, RF communication operates over long distances at high data rates. However, the obstacle in seawater is the severe attenuation due to the conducting nature. Acoustic modems are capable of long range communication up to several tens of kilometers, but it has low data-rate, high power consumption and low propagation speed. An alternative means of underwater communication is based on optics, wherein high data rates are possible. In this paper, the characteristics of underwater channel in the range of visible wavelength is investigated. And the possibility of optical wireless communication in underwater is also described. The LED-based transceiver and CMOS sensor module are integrated in the system, and the performance of image transmission was demonstrated.

• Journal of the Microelectronics and Packaging Society
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• v.27 no.2
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• pp.1-10
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• 2020

The technology and market size of image sensors continue to develop thanks to the release of image sensors that exceed 100 million pixels in 2019 and expansion of black box camera markets for vehicles in addition to existing mobile applications. We review the technology flow of image sensors that have been constantly evolving for 40 years since Hitachi launched a 200,000-pixel image sensor in 1979. Although CCD has made inroads into image sensor market for a while based on good picture quality, CMOS image sensor (CIS) with active pixels has made inroads into the market as semiconductor technology continues to develop, since the electrons generated by the incident light are converted to the electric signals in the pixel, and the power consumption is low. CIS image sensors with superior characteristics such as high resolution, high sensitivity, low power consumption, low noise and vivid color continue to be released as the new technologies are incorporated. At present, new types of structures such as Backside Illumination and Isolation Cell have been adopted, with better sensitivity and high S/N ratio. In the future, new photoconductive materials are expected to be adopted as a light absorption part in place of the pn junction.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.205-215
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• 2011

Films are sensitive to ultraviolet rays and in contrast, digital camera sensors are extremely sensitive to infrared rays due to the differences in spectral characteristics. As a result, all digital cameras that use CCD or CMOS are equipped with IR Cut-Off Filter on the overall sensor. Complete block out of infrared rays is ideal, but the actual experiment results showed that infrared rays were not being blocked out completely. Infrared permeability was also different for each camera. Therefore, this study aims to analyze the effect of the minute quantities of infrared rays, which get transmitted due to mechanical properties of IR Cut-Off Filters that are installed on digital cameras, on digital picture images. The results obtained by carrying out a comparative analysis of a UV Filter (infrared transmitting state) and a UV-IR Filter (infrared blocked out state) are as follows. It was confirmed that the minute quantities of infrared rays do affect dynamic range and resolution to some extent, despite the little or no difference in noise and color reproduction.

• Journal of the Institute of Convergence Signal Processing
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2007

In this paper, we propose the Real-time Dead-Pixel Detection and Compensation System for mobile camera and its hardware architecture. The CMOS image sensors as image input devices are becoming popular due to the demand for miniaturized, low-power and cost-effective imaging systems. However a conventional Dead-Pixel Detection Algorithm is disable to detect neighboring dead pixels and it degrades image quality by wrong detection and compensation. To detect dead pixels the proposed system is classifying dead pixels into Hot pixel and Cold pixel. Also, the proposed algorithm is processing line-detector and $5{\times}5$ window-detector consecutively. The line-detector and window-detector can search dead pixels by using one-dimensional(only horizontal) method in low frequency area and two-dimensional(vertical and diagonal) method in high frequency area, respectively. The experimental result shows that it can detect 99% of dead pixels. It was designed in Verilog hardware description language and total gate count is 23K using TSMC 0.25um ASIC library.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.12 no.7
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• pp.1227-1234
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• 2008

In this paper is designed a 256-bit synchronous OTP(one-time programmable) memory required in application fields such as automobile appliance power ICs, display ICs, and CMOS image sensors. A 256-bit synchronous memory cell consists of NMOS capacitor as antifuse and access transistor without a high-voltage blocking transistor. A gate bias voltage circuit for the additional blocking transistor is removed since logic supply voltage VDD(=1.5V) and external program voltage VPPE(=5.5V) are used instead of conventional three supply voltages. And loading current of cell to be programmed increases according to RON(on resistance) of the antifuse and process variation in case of the voltage driving without current constraint in programming. Therefore, there is a problem that program voltage can be increased relatively due to resistive voltage drop on supply voltage VPP. And so loading current can be made to flow constantly by using the current driving method instead of the voltage driving counterpart in programming. Therefore, program voltage VPP can be lowered from 5.9V to 5.5V when measurement is done on the manufactured wafer. And the sens amplifier circuit is simplified by using the sens amplifier of clocked inverter type instead of the conventional current sent amplifier. The synchronous OTP of 256 bits is designed with Magnachip $0.13{\mu}m$ CMOS process. The layout area if $298.4{\times}314{\mu}m2$.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.395-400
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• 2007

We propose a design and analysis of an optical system using a prism with a high enough refractive index for wet fingerprint identification. Important parameters including the tilting angle($\beta$) of the $1^{st}$ image plane, an anamorphic distortion, and a tilt of image plane are considered in terms of the apex angle of the prism($\alpha$) and refractive index of the prism material. Our suggestion on refractive index and apex angle of the prism corroborates well with experimental results.