Home High dynamic range CMOS (HDRC) imagers for safety systems
Article
Licensed
Unlicensed Requires Authentication

High dynamic range CMOS (HDRC) imagers for safety systems

  • Markus Strobel

    Markus Strobel received a degree in Electrical Engineering (Dipl.-Ing.) from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and heads the business division Vision at the Institute for Microelectronics Stuttgart (IMS CHIPS). He has been with IMS CHIPS since 1997 and focuses on CMOS imaging, namely the development of high dynamic range CMOS (HDRC) image sensors, optical characterization, optical and electrical test environments, as well as camera systems for industrial, automotive, medical and custom specific applications.

     EMAIL logo     and Dietmar Döttling

    Dietmar Döttling was born in Stuttgart in 1963 and studied Computer Science at Esslingen University. From 1991 to 1999, he was responsible for software development and commissioning of robot systems at Manz Automatisierungstechnik GmbH, Reutlingen. In 1999, Dietmar Döttling joined Pilz GmbH & Co. KG as Project Manager for ‘SafetyEYE development’. Since 2008, he has been Head of the Sensor Systems Division at Pilz GmbH & Co. KG.
Published/Copyright: April 3, 2013
Become an author with De Gruyter Brill
Author Information
Advanced Optical Technologies
From the journal Advanced Optical Technologies Volume 2 Issue 2

Abstract

The first part of this paper describes the high dynamic range CMOS (HDRC®) imager – a special type of CMOS image sensor with logarithmic response. The powerful property of a high dynamic range (HDR) image acquisition is detailed by mathematical definition and measurement of the optoelectronic conversion function (OECF) of two different HDRC imagers. Specific sensor parameters will be discussed including the pixel design for the global shutter readout. The second part will give an outline on the applications and requirements of cameras for industrial safety. Equipped with HDRC global shutter sensors SafetyEYE® is a high-performance stereo camera system for safe three-dimensional zone monitoring enabling new and more flexible solutions compared to existing safety guards.

Keywords: CMOS image sensor; global shutter; high dynamic range CMOS (HDRC); safe camera system; SafetyEYE; OCIS codes: 110.4850; 150.6910; 150.5495; 150.5758; 100.6890
Corresponding author: Markus Strobel, Institut für Mikroelektronik Stuttgart (IMS CHIPS), Allmandring 30a, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany

About the authors

Markus Strobel

Markus Strobel received a degree in Electrical Engineering (Dipl.-Ing.) from the University of Stuttgart, Germany, and heads the business division Vision at the Institute for Microelectronics Stuttgart (IMS CHIPS). He has been with IMS CHIPS since 1997 and focuses on CMOS imaging, namely the development of high dynamic range CMOS (HDRC) image sensors, optical characterization, optical and electrical test environments, as well as camera systems for industrial, automotive, medical and custom specific applications.

Dietmar Döttling

Dietmar Döttling was born in Stuttgart in 1963 and studied Computer Science at Esslingen University. From 1991 to 1999, he was responsible for software development and commissioning of robot systems at Manz Automatisierungstechnik GmbH, Reutlingen. In 1999, Dietmar Döttling joined Pilz GmbH & Co. KG as Project Manager for ‘SafetyEYE development’. Since 2008, he has been Head of the Sensor Systems Division at Pilz GmbH & Co. KG.

The reported work of the HiDRaLoN project [12] (High Dynamic Range and Low Noise CMOS-Image-Sensors) at the end of Section 2 was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), BMBF contract number 16N10370/13N10370, as part of the CATRENE project CA301 HiDRaLoN. We would like to thank BMBF and the CATRENE Office for their support and our colleagues, Heinz-Gerd Graf, Markus Schneider and Astrid Hamala at IMS CHIPS, as well as Daniel Hoberg, Martin Kurth and Sabine Skaletz-Karrer at Pilz and Sabine Strobel for their helpful assistance in putting together this paper.

References

[1] B. Höfflinger, Ed., ‘High-Dynamic-Range (HDR) Vision’ (Springer, Berlin, 2007).10.1007/978-3-540-44433-6Search in Google Scholar

[2] J. N. Burghartz, H.-G. Graf, C. Harendt, W. Klingler, H. Richter, et al., ‘HDR CMOS Imagers and Their Applications’, in Proc. 8th IEEE in ICSICT, (Shanghai, China, 2006) pp. 528–531.10.1109/ICSICT.2006.306343Search in Google Scholar

[3] U. Seger, U. Apel and B. Hoefflinger. in ‘Handbook of Computer Vision and Application’, Vol. 1, (Academic Press, San Diego, London) pp. 223–235.Search in Google Scholar

[4] H. G. Graf, B. Höfflinger, U. Seger and A. Siggelkow, Fachzeitschrift Elektronik 3 (1995).Search in Google Scholar

[5] U. Seger, H.-G. Graf and M. E. Landgraf, IEEE Micro 13, 50–56 (1993).10.1109/40.210524Search in Google Scholar

[6] C. Jansson, P. Ingelhag, C. Svensson and R. Forchheimer. Analog Int. Circ. Sig. Proc. 4, 37–49 (1993).10.1007/BF01240678Search in Google Scholar

[7] O. Yadid-Pecht and R. Ginosar. IEEE Trans. Electron Dev. 38, 1772–1781 (1991).10.1109/16.119013Search in Google Scholar

[8] EMVA 1288 Standard Release 3.0, in ‘Standard for Characterization of Image Sensors and Cameras’, EMVA (2010), available at www.emva.org/cms/upload/Standards/Stadard_1288/EMVA1288-3.0.pdf.Search in Google Scholar

[9] Developer Camera RS, www.ims-chips.de/content/pdftext/HDRC-MDC_04_bw_09.pdf.Search in Google Scholar

[10] Developer Camera GS, www.ims-chips.de/content/pdftext/HDRC-MDC_05_09.pdf.Search in Google Scholar

[11] M. Strobel, Proc. SPIE Photonics Europe 8436, 84360H-1–84360H-14 (2012).Search in Google Scholar

[12] HiDRaLoN Project, http://hidralon.eu.Search in Google Scholar

[13] Directive 2006/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 May 2006 on Machinery and Amending Directive 95/16/EC (recast) (Text with EEA relevance).Search in Google Scholar

[14] IEC 61496, Safety of Machinery – Electro-sensitive Protective Equipment – Part 1: General Requirements and Tests, 3ED 2012.Search in Google Scholar

[15] Certificate no. MHHW 07 021, dated 03/01/2011, Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall, Prüf- und Zertifizierungsstelle, Hebezeuge, Sicherheitskomponenten und Maschinen (HSM), Fachbereich Holz und Metall.Search in Google Scholar

[16] B. Ostermann, ‘Industrial Jointed Arm Robot Evading Dynamic Objects’, Master Thesis, Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (2009), http://www.inf.fh-bonn-rhein-sieg.de/informatikmedia/Downloads/Personen/reinert/ostermann.pdf.Search in Google Scholar

[17] Application Report: Flexible Manufacturing of Fuel Cells with SafetyEYE, http://www.pilz.com/imperia/md/content/editors_mm/o-team/application_story_safetyeye_zbt_en.pdf.Search in Google Scholar

[18] Application Report: Robot Welding Station in the Automotive Industry, http://www.pilz.com/imperia/md/content/editors_mm/o-team/application_story_safetyeye_benteler_en.pdf.Search in Google Scholar

Received: 2012-12-14
Accepted: 2013-3-6
Published Online: 2013-04-03
Published in Print: 2013-04-01

©2013 by THOSS Media & De Gruyter Berlin Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Call for Papers
  4. AOT – Advanced Optical Technologies
  5. Community
  6. News from the European Optical Society
  7. Conference Notes
  8. Conference Calendar
  9. Topical Issue: Image Sensors and Cameras
  10. Editorial
  11. Image sensors and cameras
  12. Tutorials
  13. Camera-based driver assistance systems
  14. Review of up-to date digital cameras interfaces
  15. Review Article
  16. High dynamic range CMOS (HDRC) imagers for safety systems
  17. Research Articles
  18. Color sensitivity of the multi-exposure HDR imaging process
  19. Eight considerations when evaluating a smart camera
  20. Global shutter pixels with correlated double sampling for CMOS image sensors
  21. Research Article
  22. Practical optimization of a coating deposition process by application of hybrid monitoring strategies in an industrial production environment
https://doi.org/10.1515/aot-2012-0081
Keywords for this article
CMOS image sensor; global shutter; high dynamic range CMOS (HDRC); safe camera system; SafetyEYE; OCIS codes: 110.4850; 150.6910; 150.5495; 150.5758; 100.6890

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Masthead
  2. Masthead
  3. Call for Papers
  4. AOT – Advanced Optical Technologies
  5. Community
  6. News from the European Optical Society
  7. Conference Notes
  8. Conference Calendar
  9. Topical Issue: Image Sensors and Cameras
  10. Editorial
  11. Image sensors and cameras
  12. Tutorials
  13. Camera-based driver assistance systems
  14. Review of up-to date digital cameras interfaces
  15. Review Article
  16. High dynamic range CMOS (HDRC) imagers for safety systems
  17. Research Articles
  18. Color sensitivity of the multi-exposure HDR imaging process
  19. Eight considerations when evaluating a smart camera
  20. Global shutter pixels with correlated double sampling for CMOS image sensors
  21. Research Article
  22. Practical optimization of a coating deposition process by application of hybrid monitoring strategies in an industrial production environment
Sign up now to receive a 20% welcome discount
Institutional Access
How does access work?
Have an idea on how to improve our website?
Please write us.
© 2025 De Gruyter Brill
Downloaded on 7.9.2025 from https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/aot-2012-0081/pdf
Scroll to top button