公开(公告)号：US20250159372A1

公开(公告)日：2025-05-15

申请号：US18507301

申请日：2023-11-13

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Yoshiyuki Matsunaga ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Lindsay Grant

IPC: H04N25/65 ,  H04N23/745

Abstract: An image sensor includes: a photodiode configured to be reset for each one frame period, to accumulate charges corresponding to incident light for one frame period, and to output an output voltage corresponding to the accumulated charges; and a holding capacitor configured to accumulate charges corresponding to an output signal of the photodiode. The output signal of the photodiode for one frame is integrated, the integrated output signal is accumulated in the holding capacitor, and a first signal is output. After the holding capacitor is refreshed, a voltage corresponding to the output voltage of the photodiode is held in the holding capacitor, and a second signal is output.

公开(公告)号：US12281937B1

公开(公告)日：2025-04-22

申请号：US18542439

申请日：2023-12-15

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Yoshiyuki Matsunaga ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Lindsay Grant

IPC: G01J1/44

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes: a photodiode configured to operate in a photovoltaic mode and to accumulate charges corresponding to an incident light amount; a reset transistor configured to reset the accumulated charges of the photodiode; and a peak hold circuit configured to hold an output corresponding to the accumulated charges of the photodiode, the peak hold circuit including a peak hold transistor connected to an output end of the photodiode, a switching transistor configured to turn on/off an output of the peak hold transistor, and a holding capacitor configured to hold an output of the switching transistor. The peak hold transistor operates in a state where no carrier charge or only one carrier charge is present on a channel.

公开(公告)号：US12279060B2

公开(公告)日：2025-04-15

申请号：US17957451

申请日：2022-09-30

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H04N25/75 ,  H04N5/33 ,  H04N23/10

Abstract: A method of operating an imaging system is described. The method comprising transferring first image charges accumulated during a long exposure period of a first image frame to respective floating diffusion regions of a first pixel and a second pixel, reading out long exposure image signals from the respective floating diffusion regions to a first storage capacitor associated with the first pixel and a second storage capacitor associated with the second pixel, transferring second image charges accumulated during a short exposure period of the first image frame to the respective floating diffusion regions of the first pixel and the second pixel, reading out a short exposure image signal from a corresponding one of the floating diffusion regions to the second storage capacitor, and reading out storage charge signals from the first storage capacitor and the second storage capacitor to generate image data for the first image frame.

公开(公告)号：US20250080876A1

公开(公告)日：2025-03-06

申请号：US18457015

申请日：2023-08-28

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Yoshiyuki Matsunaga ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Lindsay Alexander Grant

IPC: H04N25/77 ,  H04N25/63

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes: a phototransistor configured to receive, by one region of a source and a drain, inflow of photo-carriers generated by light entering a substrate, and configured to output a voltage signal from the one region; and a blocking layer provided on another region of the drain and the source and on a side of a channel far from a surface, and configured to prevent the photo-carriers from directly flowing into the other region. The phototransistor causes a sub-threshold current to flow between the source and the drain in a pinch-off state. Each of the source and the drain of the phototransistor is periodically reset to a reset voltage. The reset voltage is set to a voltage between a voltage at which a dark current of the phototransistor becomes zero and a voltage at which a bias voltage of the phototransistor becomes zero.

公开(公告)号：US12062670B2

公开(公告)日：2024-08-13

申请号：US17243024

申请日：2021-04-28

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Hui Zang ,  Yuanliang Liu ,  Keiji Mabuchi ,  Gang Chen ,  Bill Phan ,  Duli Mao ,  Takeshi Takeda

IPC: H01L27/146

CPC classification number: H01L27/14607 ,  H01L27/14612 ,  H01L27/1463

Abstract: An image sensor comprises a first photodiode region and circuitry. The first photodiode region is disposed within a semiconductor substrate proximate to a first side of the semiconductor substrate to form a first pixel. The first photodiode region includes a first segment coupled to a second segment. The circuitry includes at least a first electrode associated with a first transistor. The first electrode is disposed, at least in part, between the first segment and the second segment of the first photodiode region such that the circuity is at least partially surrounded by the first photodiode region when viewed from the first side of the semiconductor substrate.

公开(公告)号：US20240015414A1

公开(公告)日：2024-01-11

申请号：US17810966

申请日：2022-07-06

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi ,  Tiejun Dai

IPC: H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/347 ,  H04N5/369

CPC classification number: H04N5/3559 ,  H04N5/3591 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/347 ,  H04N5/379

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode. The first and second photodiodes photogenerate charge in response to incident light. A first transfer transistor is coupled to the first photodiode. A first floating diffusion is coupled to the first transfer transistor. A second transfer transistor is coupled to the second photodiode. A second floating diffusion is coupled to the second transfer transistor. A dual floating diffusion transistor is coupled between the first and second floating diffusions. An overflow transistor is coupled to the second photodiode. A capacitor is coupled between a voltage source and the overflow transistor. A capacitor readout transistor is coupled between the capacitor and the second floating diffusion. An anti-blooming transistor coupled between the first photodiode and a power line.

公开(公告)号：US11348956B2

公开(公告)日：2022-05-31

申请号：US16717768

申请日：2019-12-17

Applicant: OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

Inventor： Woon Il Choi ,  Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/355

Abstract: A pixel circuit includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion, and a conduction gate channel of a multi-gate transfer block disposed in a semiconductor material layer. The multi-gate transfer block is coupled to the photodiode, the floating diffusion, and an overflow capacitor. The multi-gate transfer block also includes first, second, and third gates that are disposed proximate to the single conduction gate channel region. The conduction gate channel is a single region shared among the first, second, and third gates. Overflow image charge generated in the photodiode leaks from the photodiode into the conduction gate channel to the overflow capacitor in response to the first gate, which is coupled between the photodiode and the conduction gate channel, receiving a first gate OFF signal and the second gate, which is coupled between the conduction gate channel and the overflow capacitor, receiving a second gate ON signal.

公开(公告)号：US10986290B2

公开(公告)日：2021-04-20

申请号：US15983954

申请日：2018-05-18

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Sohei Manabe ,  Keiji Mabuchi

IPC: H04N5/353 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378

Abstract: An image sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to generate image charge in response to incident light, and a first transfer gate is coupled to the photodiode to extract image charge from the photodiode in response to a first transfer signal. A first storage gate is coupled to the first transfer gate to receive the image charge from the first transfer gate, and a first output gate is coupled to the first storage gate to receive the image charge from the first storage gate. A first capacitor is coupled to the first output gate to store the image charge.

公开(公告)号：US20210029322A1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-28

申请号：US16523850

申请日：2019-07-26

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi ,  Sohei Manabe ,  Lindsay Grant

IPC: H04N5/3745 ,  H01L27/146

Abstract: An image sensor has an array of pixel blocks, and each pixel block having associated shutter transistors with each coupled to transfer an image signal comprising a charge dependent on light exposure of a selected pixel onto an image storage capacitor of a plurality of image storage capacitors associated with the pixel block, the image storage capacitors of the pixel block configured to be read through a differential amplifier into an analog to digital converter. The differential amplifier of each pixel block receives a second input from a single reset-sampling capacitor associated with the pixel block. The single reset-sampling capacitor is loaded when the pixels of the pixel block are reset.

公开(公告)号：US20210014440A1

公开(公告)日：2021-01-14

申请号：US16506693

申请日：2019-07-09

Applicant: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.

Inventor： Keiji Mabuchi ,  Sohei Manabe ,  Lindsay Grant

IPC: H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/369 ,  H04N5/3745

Abstract: An image sensor has an array of pixels, each pixel having an associated shutter transistor coupled to transfer a charge dependent on light exposure of the pixel onto an image storage capacitor, the image-storage capacitors being configured to be read into an analog to digital converter. The shutter transistors are P-type transistors in N-wells, the wells held at an analog power voltage to reduce sensitivity of pixels to dark current; in an alternative embodiment the shutter transistors are N-type transistors in P-wells, the wells held at an analog ground voltage.