公开(公告)号：US20010019080A1

公开(公告)日：2001-09-06

申请号：US09736663

申请日：2000-12-12

Applicant: U.S. Philips Corporation

Inventor： Gerard F. Harkin

IPC: G06K007/10

CPC classification number: H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/37452

Abstract: An image sensor (39) comprises a plurality of pixels (10), each pixel comprising a light sensor element (12), wherein a sensor voltage across the element varying depending on the light incident on the element. First and second transistors (14,16) are connected in series between voltage supply lines (18,20). A gate voltage (Vg1) on the first transistor is dependent upon the sensor voltage so that the current flowing through the first transistor (14) is a function of the sensor voltage. The gate voltage (Vg2) of the second transistor is supplied by a feedback circuit (22,24,26) which provides that the current through the first and second transistors (14,16) is substantially equal. The output of the pixel (10) is the gate voltage (Vg2) of the second transistor (16). The image sensor design of the invention avoids the need for storage capacitors to provide pixel gain.

Abstract translation: 图像传感器（39）包括多个像素（10），每个像素包括光传感器元件（12），其中跨越元件的传感器电压根据入射到元件上的光而变化。 第一和第二晶体管（14,16）串联连接在电压供应线（18,20）之间。 第一晶体管上的栅极电压（Vg1）取决于传感器电压，使得流过第一晶体管（14）的电流是传感器电压的函数。 第二晶体管的栅极电压（Vg2）由反馈电路（22,24,26）提供，该反馈电路提供通过第一和第二晶体管（14,16）的电流基本相等。 像素（10）的输出是第二晶体管（16）的栅极电压（Vg2）。 本发明的图像传感器设计避免了存储电容器提供像素增益的需要。