公开(公告)号：US08829407B2

公开(公告)日：2014-09-09

申请号：US12907465

申请日：2010-10-19

申请人： John Ladd ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li

发明人： John Ladd ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li

IPC分类号： H01L27/00 ,  G01J1/44 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/374

CPC分类号： H01L27/14641 ,  G01J1/44 ,  H04N5/3741 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： This is generally directed to systems and methods for reduced metal lines and control signals in an imaging system. For example, in some embodiments a pixel cell of an imaging system can operate without a row select transistor, and therefore can operate without a row select metal control line. As another example, in some embodiments a pixel cell can share its reset transistor control line with a transfer transistor control line of another pixel cell. In this manner, an imaging system can be created that averages a single metal line per pixel cell. In some embodiments, operation of such reduced-metal line imaging systems can use modified timing schemes of control signals.

摘要翻译： 这通常涉及用于在成像系统中减少金属线和控制信号的系统和方法。 例如，在一些实施例中，成像系统的像素单元可以在没有行选择晶体管的情况下工作，因此可以在没有行选择金属控制线的情况下操作。 作为另一示例，在一些实施例中，像素单元可以与另一像素单元的传输晶体管控制线共享其复位晶体管控制线。 以这种方式，可以创建对每个像素单元进行平均单个金属线的成像系统。 在一些实施例中，这种简化金属线成像系统的操作可以使用控制信号的修改的定时方案。

公开(公告)号：US20120091317A1

公开(公告)日：2012-04-19

申请号：US12907465

申请日：2010-10-19

申请人： John Ladd ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li

发明人： John Ladd ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li

IPC分类号： H01L27/146 ,  G01J1/42

CPC分类号： H01L27/14641 ,  G01J1/44 ,  H04N5/3741 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： This is generally directed to systems and methods for reduced metal lines and control signals in an imaging system. For example, in some embodiments a pixel cell of an imaging system can operate without a row select transistor, and therefore can operate without a row select metal control line. As another example, in some embodiments a pixel cell can share its reset transistor control line with a transfer transistor control line of another pixel cell. In this manner, an imaging system can be created that averages a single metal line per pixel cell. In some embodiments, operation of such reduced-metal line imaging systems can use modified timing schemes of control signals.

摘要翻译： 这通常涉及用于在成像系统中减少金属线和控制信号的系统和方法。 例如，在一些实施例中，成像系统的像素单元可以在没有行选择晶体管的情况下工作，因此可以在没有行选择金属控制线的情况下操作。 作为另一示例，在一些实施例中，像素单元可以与另一像素单元的传输晶体管控制线共享其复位晶体管控制线。 以这种方式，可以创建对每个像素单元进行平均单个金属线的成像系统。 在一些实施例中，这种简化金属线成像系统的操作可以使用控制信号的修改的定时方案。

公开(公告)号：US07378635B2

公开(公告)日：2008-05-27

申请号：US11055105

申请日：2005-02-11

申请人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Parker Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

发明人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Parker Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

IPC分类号： H01L27/00 ,  H01L31/062 ,  H01L31/00 ,  G01J1/44 ,  H04N3/14

CPC分类号： H04N5/3591 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/14654 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： A method of operating an imager pixel that includes the act of applying a relatively small voltage on the gate of a transfer transistor during a charge acquisition period. If a small positive voltage is applied, a depletion region is created under the transfer transistor gate, which creates a path for dark current electrons to be transferred to a pixel floating diffusion region. The dark electrons are subsequently removed by a pixel reset operation. If a small negative voltage is applied to the transfer gate, electrons that would normally create dark current problems will instead recombine with holes thereby substantially reducing dark current.

摘要翻译： 一种操作成像器像素的方法，其包括在电荷采集周期期间在传输晶体管的栅极上施加相对小的电压的动作。 如果施加小的正电压，则在传输晶体管栅极之下产生耗尽区，其产生用于暗电流电子被传送到像素浮动扩散区的路径。 随后通过像素复位操作去除暗电子。 如果向传输栅极施加小的负电压，则通常会产生暗电流问题的电子将与空穴复合，从而显着减少暗电流。

公开(公告)号：US20120274744A1

公开(公告)日：2012-11-01

申请号：US13353593

申请日：2012-01-19

申请人： CHUNG CHUN WAN ,  Xiangli Li ,  Gennadiy Agranov

发明人： CHUNG CHUN WAN ,  Xiangli Li ,  Gennadiy Agranov

IPC分类号： H04N13/02 ,  H04N5/335

CPC分类号： H04N13/296 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H04N5/2354 ,  H04N5/37452 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N13/254

摘要： Structured light imaging method and systems are described. An imaging method generates a stream of light pulses, converts the stream after reflection by a scene to charge, stores charge converted during the light pulses to a first storage element, and stores charge converted between light pulses to a second storage element. A structured light image system includes an illumination source that generates a stream of light pulses and an image sensor. The image sensor includes a photodiode, first and second storage elements, first and second switches, and a controller that synchronizes the image sensor to the illumination source and actuates the first and second switches to couple the first storage element to the photodiode to store charge converted during the light pulses and to couple the second storage element to the photodiode to store charge converted between the light pulses.

摘要翻译： 描述了结构光成像方法和系统。 成像方法产生光脉冲流，通过场景反射后的流转换为电荷，将在光脉冲期间转换的电荷存储到第一存储元件，并将在光脉冲之间转换的电荷存储到第二存储元件。 结构化光图像系统包括产生光脉冲流的照明源和图像传感器。 图像传感器包括光电二极管，第一和第二存储元件，第一和第二开关以及使图像传感器与照明源同步并且致动第一和第二开关以将第一存储元件耦合到光电二极管以存储电荷转换的控制器 并且将第二存储元件耦合到光电二极管以存储在光脉冲之间转换的电荷。

公开(公告)号：US20080266435A1

公开(公告)日：2008-10-30

申请号：US12127706

申请日：2008-05-27

申请人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Parker Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

发明人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Parker Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

IPC分类号： H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/335

CPC分类号： H04N5/3591 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/14654 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： A method of operating an imager pixel that includes the act of applying a relatively small voltage on the gate of a transfer transistor during a charge acquisition period. If a small positive voltage is applied, a depletion region is created under the transfer transistor gate, which creates a path for dark current electrons to be transferred to a pixel floating diffusion region. The dark electrons are subsequently removed by a pixel reset operation. If a small negative voltage is applied to the transfer gate, electrons that would normally create dark current problems will instead recombine with holes thereby substantially reducing dark current.

摘要翻译： 一种操作成像器像素的方法，其包括在电荷采集周期期间在传输晶体管的栅极上施加相对小的电压的动作。 如果施加小的正电压，则在传输晶体管栅极之下产生耗尽区，其产生用于暗电流电子被传送到像素浮动扩散区的路径。 随后通过像素复位操作去除暗电子。 如果向传输栅极施加小的负电压，则通常会产生暗电流问题的电子将与空穴复合，从而显着减少暗电流。

公开(公告)号：US20060180741A1

公开(公告)日：2006-08-17

申请号：US11055105

申请日：2005-02-11

申请人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

发明人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

IPC分类号： H01L27/00

CPC分类号： H04N5/3591 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/14654 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： A method of operating an imager pixel that includes the act of applying a relatively small voltage on the gate of a transfer transistor during a charge acquisition period. If a small positive voltage is applied, a depletion region is created under the transfer transistor gate, which creates a path for dark current electrons to be transferred to a pixel floating diffusion region. The dark electrons are subsequently removed by a pixel reset operation. If a small negative voltage is applied to the transfer gate, electrons that would normally create dark current problems will instead recombine with holes thereby substantially reducing dark current.

摘要翻译： 一种操作成像器像素的方法，其包括在电荷采集周期期间在传输晶体管的栅极上施加相对小的电压的动作。 如果施加小的正电压，则在传输晶体管栅极之下产生耗尽区，其产生用于暗电流电子被传送到像素浮动扩散区的路径。 随后通过像素复位操作去除暗电子。 如果向传输栅极施加小的负电压，则通常会产生暗电流问题的电子将与空穴复合，从而显着减少暗电流。

公开(公告)号：US09083905B2

公开(公告)日：2015-07-14

申请号：US13353593

申请日：2012-01-19

申请人： Chung Chun Wan ,  Xiangli Li ,  Gennadiy Agranov

发明人： Chung Chun Wan ,  Xiangli Li ,  Gennadiy Agranov

IPC分类号： H04N5/235 ,  H04N9/73 ,  G03B7/00 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89

CPC分类号： H04N13/296 ,  G01S17/10 ,  G01S17/89 ,  H04N5/2354 ,  H04N5/37452 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N13/254

摘要： Structured light imaging method and systems are described. An imaging method generates a stream of light pulses, converts the stream after reflection by a scene to charge, stores charge converted during the light pulses to a first storage element, and stores charge converted between light pulses to a second storage element. A structured light image system includes an illumination source that generates a stream of light pulses and an image sensor. The image sensor includes a photodiode, first and second storage elements, first and second switches, and a controller that synchronizes the image sensor to the illumination source and actuates the first and second switches to couple the first storage element to the photodiode to store charge converted during the light pulses and to couple the second storage element to the photodiode to store charge converted between the light pulses.

摘要翻译： 描述了结构光成像方法和系统。 成像方法产生光脉冲流，通过场景反射后的流转换为电荷，将在光脉冲期间转换的电荷存储到第一存储元件，并将在光脉冲之间转换的电荷存储到第二存储元件。 结构化光图像系统包括产生光脉冲流的照明源和图像传感器。 图像传感器包括光电二极管，第一和第二存储元件，第一和第二开关以及使图像传感器与照明源同步并且致动第一和第二开关以将第一存储元件耦合到光电二极管以存储电荷转换的控制器 并且将第二存储元件耦合到光电二极管以存储在光脉冲之间转换的电荷。

公开(公告)号：US08928792B1

公开(公告)日：2015-01-06

申请号：US13153369

申请日：2011-06-03

申请人： Jaroslav Hynecek ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Hirofumi Komori ,  Xia Zhao ,  Chung Chun Wan

发明人： Jaroslav Hynecek ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Hirofumi Komori ,  Xia Zhao ,  Chung Chun Wan

IPC分类号： H04N5/335 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/3745

CPC分类号： H01L27/14612 ,  H01L27/14605 ,  H01L27/14614 ,  H01L27/14645 ,  H01L27/14656 ,  H01L27/14679 ,  H04N5/3591 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： The invention describes a solid-state CMOS image sensor array and discloses image sensor array pixels with global and rolling shutter capabilities that utilize multiple BCMD transistors for a single photodiode, for charge storage and sensing. Thus, the valuable pixel area saved by employing the BCMD transistor for charge storage and sensing is used by placing several BCMD transistors coupled to one photodiode. This increases the Dynamic Range (DR) of the sensor, since the same photodiode can integrate charge for different integration times, both long and short. This allows sensing of two different image signals from a single pixel without saturation, a low level signal with long integration time followed by a high level signal with short integration time. The signal processing circuits located at the periphery of the array can then process these signals into a single Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) output. Further disclosed is an image sensor array with pixels that use BCMD transistors for charge storage and sensing having multiple concentric gates, which allows changing the conversion gain of the BCMD transistors by applying various biases to the gates. Variable conversion gain is a useful feature when building WDR sensors since low conversion gain and high well capacity allows detection of high level signals and the same structure can be used to detect, at the same time, low level signals with high conversion gain and thus low noise.

摘要翻译： 本发明描述了一种固态CMOS图像传感器阵列，并公开了具有全局和滚动快门功能的图像传感器阵列像素，其利用用于单个光电二极管的多个BCMD晶体管用于电荷存储和感测。 因此，通过使用耦合到一个光电二极管的几个BCMD晶体管来使用通过使用用于电荷存储和感测的BCMD晶体管节省的有价值的像素区域。 这增加了传感器的动态范围（DR），因为相同的光电二极管可以集成不同集成时间的电荷，包括长和短。 这允许感测来自不饱和的单个像素的两个不同图像信号，具有长积分时间的低电平信号，随后是具有短积分时间的高电平信号。 位于阵列外围的信号处理电路然后可以将这些信号处理成单个宽动态范围（WDR）输出。 进一步公开的是具有使用BCMD晶体管的像素的图像传感器阵列，用于具有多个同心门的电荷存储和感测，这允许通过向栅极应用各种偏压来改变BCMD晶体管的转换增益。 可变转换增益是构建WDR传感器的有用特征，因为低转换增益和高容量能够允许检测高电平信号，并且可以使用相同的结构同时检测具有高转换增益的低电平信号，从而低 噪声。

公开(公告)号：US20070188642A1

公开(公告)日：2007-08-16

申请号：US11737186

申请日：2007-04-19

申请人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

发明人： Gennadiy Agranov ,  Xiangli Li ,  Peter Altice ,  Rick Mauritzson

IPC分类号： H04N5/225

CPC分类号： H04N5/3591 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/14654 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/3745

摘要： A method of operating an imager pixel that includes the act of applying a relatively small voltage on the gate of a transfer transistor during a charge acquisition period. If a small positive voltage is applied, a depletion region is created under the transfer transistor gate, which creates a path for dark current electrons to be transferred to a pixel floating diffusion region. The dark electrons are subsequently removed by a pixel reset operation. If a small negative voltage is applied to the transfer gate, electrons that would normally create dark current problems will instead recombine with holes thereby substantially reducing dark current.

摘要翻译： 一种操作成像器像素的方法，其包括在电荷采集周期期间在传输晶体管的栅极上施加相对小的电压的动作。 如果施加小的正电压，则在传输晶体管栅极之下产生耗尽区，其产生用于暗电流电子被传送到像素浮动扩散区的路径。 随后通过像素复位操作去除暗电子。 如果向传输栅极施加小的负电压，则通常会产生暗电流问题的电子将与空穴复合，从而显着减少暗电流。

公开(公告)号：US20090103827A1

公开(公告)日：2009-04-23

申请号：US11875101

申请日：2007-10-19

申请人： John Ladd ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Johannes Solhusvik ,  Trygve Willassen

发明人： John Ladd ,  Gennadiy Agranov ,  Johannes Solhusvik ,  Trygve Willassen

IPC分类号： G06K9/40 ,  H04N5/217

CPC分类号： H04N5/374 ,  G06K9/40 ,  H04N5/3575 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/3651

摘要： Methods, systems and apparatuses for using regular and/or dark pixels of a pixel array in either a fixed or dynamic fashion to compensate for fixed pattern noise.

摘要翻译： 以固定或动态方式使用像素阵列的规则和/或暗像素以补偿固定图案噪声的方法，系统和装置。