Patent ID: 8154610

Claim:
A multi-sensor imaging system comprising: a first image sensor chip including a first image signal processor (ISP) and a first image sensor, wherein the first image sensor is configured to generate first raw image data for an image sensed by the first image sensor, wherein the first ISP is configured to convert raw image data into first formatted image frame data, and wherein each pixel data of the first formatted image frame data includes red, green, and blue color information; a second image sensor chip external to, and configured to communicate with, the first image sensor chip, wherein the second image sensor chip includes a second image sensor configured to generate second raw image data for an image sensed by the second image sensor and a second ISP configured to convert the second raw image data into second formatted image frame data, and wherein each pixel data of the second formatted image frame data includes red, green, and blue color information; and an image pathway selector on the first image sensor chip having a first input configured to receive the first raw image data and a second input configured to receive the second formatted image frame data, wherein the image pathway selector is configured to operate in: a first image switch mode in which the first raw image data is switched from the first input of the image pathway selector to an input of the first ISP to the exclusion of the second formatted image frame data; and a second image switch mode in which the second formatted image frame data from the second image sensor chip is switched from the second input of the image pathway selector to the input of the first ISP to the exclusion of the first raw image data; wherein the first ISP is further configured to: process the first raw image data acquired during the first image switch mode to generate formatted image frame data output; and process the second formatted image frame data acquired during the second image switch mode to generate the formatted image frame data output.