公开(公告)号：US20180331138A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-15

申请号：US15939347

申请日：2018-03-29

申请人： APPLE INC.

发明人： Gennadiy A. Agranov ,  QingFei Chen ,  Oray O. Cellek ,  Xiangli Li

IPC分类号： H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/378

CPC分类号： H01L27/14603 ,  H01L27/14636 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/378

摘要： Imaging apparatus includes a photosensitive medium and a bias electrode, which is at least partially transparent, overlying the photosensitive medium. An array of pixel circuits is formed on a semiconductor substrate. Each pixel circuit includes a pixel electrode coupled to collect the charge carriers from the photosensitive medium; a readout circuit configured to output a signal indicative of a quantity of the charge carriers collected by the pixel electrode; a skimming gate coupled between the pixel electrode and the readout circuit; and a shutter gate coupled in parallel with the skimming gate between a node in the pixel circuit and a sink site. The shutter gate and the skimming gate are opened sequentially in each of a sequence of image frames so as to apply a global shutter to the array and then to read out the collected charge carriers via the skimming gate to the readout circuit.

公开(公告)号：US20180316864A1

公开(公告)日：2018-11-01

申请号：US16030632

申请日：2018-07-09

申请人： Apple Inc.

发明人： Claus Molgaard ,  Marius Tico ,  Rolf Toft ,  Paul M. Hubel

IPC分类号： H04N5/232 ,  G06T5/00 ,  G06T5/50 ,  H04N5/235 ,  G06T7/20 ,  H04N5/91 ,  G06T7/254 ,  H04N5/355 ,  G06T11/60 ,  H04N5/359

CPC分类号： H04N5/23277 ,  G06T5/002 ,  G06T5/003 ,  G06T5/50 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G06T7/254 ,  G06T11/60 ,  G06T2207/10004 ,  G06T2207/10144 ,  G06T2207/20221 ,  H04N5/23229 ,  H04N5/23254 ,  H04N5/23267 ,  H04N5/2355 ,  H04N5/2356 ,  H04N5/35581 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/91

摘要： Techniques to capture and fuse short- and long-exposure images of a scene from a stabilized image capture device are disclosed. More particularly, the disclosed techniques use not only individual pixel differences between co-captured short- and long-exposure images, but also the spatial structure of occluded regions in the long-exposure images (e.g., areas of the long-exposure image(s) exhibiting blur due to scene object motion). A novel device used to represent this feature of the long-exposure image is a “spatial difference map.” Spatial difference maps may be used to identify pixels in the short- and long-exposure images for fusion and, in one embodiment, may be used to identify pixels from the short-exposure image(s) to filter post-fusion so as to reduce visual discontinuities in the output image.

公开(公告)号：US20180278810A1

公开(公告)日：2018-09-27

申请号：US15469812

申请日：2017-03-27

申请人： OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

发明人： Eric A. G. Webster

IPC分类号： H04N3/14 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H03K19/00

CPC分类号： H04N3/1568 ,  H03K19/0027 ,  H04N3/1506 ,  H04N3/1518 ,  H04N3/1525 ,  H04N5/3559 ,  H04N5/3597

摘要： Image sensors with precharge boost are disclosed herein. An example image sensor may include pixels that each include a photodiode to receive image light and produce image charge in response, a floating diffusion to receive the image charge, a transfer gate to couple the photodiode to the floating diffusion in response to a transfer control signal, a reset gate to couple a reset voltage to the floating diffusion in response to a reset control signal, and a boost capacitor coupled between the floating diffusion and a boost voltage source, wherein, during a precharge operation, the boost voltage is provided to the boost capacitor for a portion of time the transfer gate is enabled and while the reset gate is disabled.

公开(公告)号：US10009560B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-26

申请号：US15594259

申请日：2017-05-12

申请人： CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA

发明人： Masahiro Kobayashi ,  Yusuke Onuki ,  Kazunari Kawabata ,  Hiroshi Sekine

IPC分类号： H04N5/335 ,  H04N5/357 ,  H04N3/14 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/3745

CPC分类号： H04N5/3575 ,  H04N3/1525 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/37452 ,  H04N5/37457

摘要： Provided is an imaging device that includes a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit configured to accumulate charges generated by an incident light, a first holding unit and a second holding unit configured to hold the charges, an amplification unit configured to output a signal based on the charges, a first transfer switch provided between the photoelectric conversion unit and the first holding unit, a second transfer switch provided between the photoelectric conversion unit and the second holding unit, a third transfer switch provided between the first holding unit and the amplification unit, and a fourth transfer switch provided between the second holding unit and the amplification unit, and outputs a signal including a signal based on actual signal charges and a signal including a signal based on false signal charges.

公开(公告)号：US09998696B2

公开(公告)日：2018-06-12

申请号：US15216043

申请日：2016-07-21

申请人： OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

发明人： Zheng Yang

IPC分类号： H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/374 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/372

CPC分类号： H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/372 ,  H04N5/374 ,  H04N5/3741 ,  H04N5/37457

摘要： A shared pixel includes a plurality of transfer gates coupled between respective photodiodes and a shared floating diffusion. Each transfer gate is coupled to receive a transfer control signal to independently control a transfer of the image charge from the corresponding photodiodes to the shared floating diffusion. Each transfer control signal is set to one of an ON value, a first OFF value, and a second OFF value. One of the control signals that is coupled to an active transfer gate is set to the ON value during a transfer operation. The control signals coupled to idle transfer gates are set to the first OFF value during a reset period prior to the transfer operation, and are set to the second OFF value during the transfer operation.

公开(公告)号：US20180077373A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-15

申请号：US15814741

申请日：2017-11-16

申请人： Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

发明人： Takeshi Takeda

IPC分类号： H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/355

CPC分类号： H04N5/378 ,  H04N5/3559 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/3698 ,  H04N5/3745 ,  H04N5/37452

摘要： A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels in a two-dimensional array. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion element that converts incident light into electric charge, and a charge holding element that receives the electric charge from the photoelectric conversion element, and transfers the electric charge to a corresponding floating diffusion. The charge holding element further includes a plurality of electrodes.

公开(公告)号：US20180063441A1

公开(公告)日：2018-03-01

申请号：US15797768

申请日：2017-10-30

申请人： Apple Inc.

发明人： Claus Molgaard ,  Marius Tico ,  Rolf Toft ,  Paul M. Hubel

IPC分类号： H04N5/232 ,  H04N5/359

CPC分类号： H04N5/23277 ,  G06T5/002 ,  G06T5/003 ,  G06T5/50 ,  G06T7/20 ,  G06T7/254 ,  G06T11/60 ,  G06T2207/10004 ,  G06T2207/10144 ,  G06T2207/20221 ,  H04N5/23229 ,  H04N5/23254 ,  H04N5/23267 ,  H04N5/2355 ,  H04N5/2356 ,  H04N5/35581 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/91

摘要： Techniques to capture and fuse short- and long-exposure images of a scene from a stabilized image capture device are disclosed. More particularly, the disclosed techniques use not only individual pixel differences between co-captured short- and long-exposure images, but also the spatial structure of occluded regions in the long-exposure images (e.g., areas of the long-exposure image(s) exhibiting blur due to scene object motion). A novel device used to represent this feature of the long-exposure image is a “spatial difference map.” Spatial difference maps may be used to identify pixels in the short- and long-exposure images for fusion and, in one embodiment, may be used to identify pixels from the short-exposure image(s) to filter post-fusion so as to reduce visual discontinuities in the output image.

公开(公告)号：US20170359545A1

公开(公告)日：2017-12-14

申请号：US15181819

申请日：2016-06-14

申请人： OMNIVISION TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

发明人： Xianmin Yi

IPC分类号： H04N5/372 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H04N5/361 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/353

CPC分类号： H04N5/3597 ,  H01L27/14605 ,  H01L27/14612 ,  H01L27/14812 ,  H01L27/14831 ,  H04N5/361

摘要： An image sensor pixel having a hybrid transfer storage gate-storage diode storage node is disclosed herein. An example image sensor includes a photodiode, a storage diode, a transfer gate, and a buried storage well. The photodiode, storage diode, and buried storage well are all disposed in a semiconductor material. The transfer storage gate may be disposed on a surface of the semiconductor material between the photodiode and the storage diode. Further, the buried storage well may be disposed under the storage diode and partially under the transfer storage gate. Additionally, a length of the transfer storage gate and a length of the storage diode may be equal, and the storage diode may passivate a surface of the semiconductor material between the transfer storage gate and an output gate.

公开(公告)号：US20170317138A1

公开(公告)日：2017-11-02

申请号：US15640968

申请日：2017-07-03

申请人： STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS ,  STMicroelectronics (Research & Development) Limited

发明人： Graeme Storm ,  Christophe Mandier

IPC分类号： H01L27/148 ,  H04N5/359 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H01L27/146 ,  H04N5/3745

CPC分类号： H01L27/14812 ,  H01L27/14609 ,  H01L27/14638 ,  H01L27/14643 ,  H04N5/355 ,  H04N5/3559 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/37452

摘要： A pixel arrangement includes a photodiode, a reset transistor configured to be controlled by a reset signal and coupled to a reset input voltage, a transfer gate transistor configured to transfer charge from the photodiode to a node, wherein the transfer gate transistor is controlled by a transfer gate voltage, and a source follower transistor controlled by the voltage on the node and coupled to a source follower voltage. A capacitor is coupled between the node and an input voltage. During a read operation the input voltage is increased to boost the voltage at the node. The increased input voltage may, for example, be one the reset input voltage, said source follower voltage, said transfer gate voltage and a boosting voltage.

公开(公告)号：US20170256580A1

公开(公告)日：2017-09-07

申请号：US15438224

申请日：2017-02-21

申请人： Shinji SAKAGUCHI ,  Tohru KANNO

发明人： Shinji SAKAGUCHI ,  Tohru KANNO

IPC分类号： H01L27/146 ,  H01L27/148 ,  H04N5/378 ,  H04N9/04 ,  H04N5/374

CPC分类号： H01L27/14645 ,  H01L27/14868 ,  H04N5/3535 ,  H04N5/3537 ,  H04N5/3597 ,  H04N5/374 ,  H04N9/045

摘要： An imaging device includes a plurality of arranged imaging elements each including: a light-receiving element configured to generate charge from received light by photoelectric conversion, a floating diffusion configured to convert the charge generated by the light-receiving element into voltage, a charge transfer switch configured to transfer the charge from the light-receiving element to the floating diffusion, a reset switch configured to reset the voltage of the floating diffusion, and a source follower configured to amplify the voltage of the floating diffusion. The reset switch is configured to reset the voltage of the floating diffusion a plurality of times for each of predetermined pixel groups in a single image data acquisition period. The charge transfer switch is configured to transfer the charge from the light-receiving element to the floating diffusion a plurality of times for each of the pixel groups in the single image data acquisition period.