公开(公告)号：US06836290B1

公开(公告)日：2004-12-28

申请号：US09302090

申请日：1999-04-29

申请人： Randall M. Chung ,  Ferry Gunawan ,  Dino D. Trotta

发明人： Randall M. Chung ,  Ferry Gunawan ,  Dino D. Trotta

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/335

摘要： A data interface for CMOS imagers is disclosed that can be either a single-ended interface or a differential interface. The single-ended interface provides compatibility with many existing external devices. Further providing a differential interface allows a lower noise and a lower power interface for external devices that can support a differential signal. The combined single-ended and differential signal interface does not increase the number of pins required for a single-ended only interface. The data transfer width is set to the word width, which allows a fixed timing relationship between the clock edge and data transfer in both single-ended and differential modes. In single-ended mode, the data is transferred once per clock, but in the differential mode, the data is transferred twice per clock, once on each clock edge. This fixed timing relationship eliminates the need for and cost of explicit bit synchronization.

摘要翻译： 公开了一种用于CMOS成像器的数据接口，其可以是单端接口或差分接口。 单端接口提供与许多现有外部设备的兼容性。 进一步提供差分接口可以为能够支持差分信号的外部设备提供更低的噪声和更低的电源接口。 组合的单端和差分信号接口不会增加单端只接口所需的引脚数。 数据传输宽度设置为字宽，这允许在单端和差模两种方式之间的时钟边沿和数据传输之间的固定时序关系。 在单端模式下，数据每时钟传输一次，但在差分模式下，数据每个时钟传输两次，每个时钟沿一次。 这种固定的时序关系消除了显式位同步的需要和成本。

公开(公告)号：US06831689B2

公开(公告)日：2004-12-14

申请号：US09837525

申请日：2001-04-18

申请人： Orly Yadid-Pecht

发明人： Orly Yadid-Pecht

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/3535 ,  H04N5/35563

摘要： Method and apparatus for expanding the dynamic range of an optical imager, comprising individually controlling the integration time of each pixel of a sensor array, and providing a corresponding scaling factor for the electrical output of each individual pixel during the frame time. The integration time of each pixel is controlled as a function of light intensity received by each individual pixel, by resetting the pixel after a predetermined threshold for the output signal, has been reached.

摘要翻译： 用于扩展光学成像器的动态范围的方法和装置，包括单独控制传感器阵列的每个像素的积分时间，以及在帧时间期间为每个像素的电输出提供相应的缩放因子。 通过在达到输出信号的预定阈值之后复位像素，每个像素的积分时间被控制为由每个像素接收的光强度的函数。

公开(公告)号：US06809767B1

公开(公告)日：2004-10-26

申请号：US09268913

申请日：1999-03-16

申请人： Lester J. Kozlowski ,  David L. Standley

发明人： Lester J. Kozlowski ,  David L. Standley

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H01L27/14609

摘要： An active-pixel low-noise imaging system for implementation in CMOS or in other semiconductor fabrication technologies uses three transistors and a single capacitance per pixel. The first transistor serves as a reset and a transimpedance amplifier to facilitate high impedance and suppress reset noise without requiring expensive on-chip or off-chip memory. The second transistor is an access MOSFET used to read the signal from each pixel and multiplex the signal outputs from an array of pixels. The third MOSFET resets the detector after the integrated signal has been read. Since the detector sense node is “pinned” by the feedback amplifier, reset noise is reduced to that generated by the much smaller feedback capacitance. In addition, by using a small but well-defined feedback capacitor, an amplifier with a narrow bandwidth can be used, provided its unity-gain frequency is sufficient. Since the pixel-base amplifier's output capacitance is far smaller than the bus capacitance, the total energy consumed during reset is very small and overall power consumption is kept at a level consistent with battery-powered operation.

摘要翻译： 用于在CMOS或其他半导体制造技术中实现的有源像素低噪声成像系统使用三个晶体管和每像素一个电容。 第一晶体管用作复位和跨阻放大器，以便于高阻抗和抑制复位噪声，而不需要昂贵的片上或片外存储器。 第二晶体管是用于从每个像素读取信号并对来自像素阵列的信号输出进行复用的访问MOSFET。 集成信号读取后，第三个MOSFET复位检测器。 由于检测器感测节点被反馈放大器“固定”，所以复位噪声降低到由较小的反馈电容产生的噪声。 另外，通过使用小而良好的反馈电容器，可以使用具有窄带宽的放大器，只要其单位增益频率足够。 由于像素基放大器的输出电容远远小于总线电容，因此复位期间消耗的总能量非常小，总体功耗保持在与电池供电操作一致的水平。

公开(公告)号：US06778214B1

公开(公告)日：2004-08-17

申请号：US09261217

申请日：1999-03-03

申请人： Tetsuo Toma

发明人： Tetsuo Toma

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/3765 ,  H04N5/3592 ,  H04N5/3728

摘要： Signal charges photo-excited and stored in photodiodes are read by two field read operations of interlace drive. At least during a period of reading a first field, a predetermined voltage is applied to the semiconductor substrate to set the potential barrier of a region between each photodiode and a corresponding overflow drain region higher than the channel potential barrier between the photodiode and a corresponding vertical transfer path. It is therefore possible to prevent signal charges to be read during the next field read operation from leaking to the overflow drain during the first field read operation.

摘要翻译： 光激发并存储在光电二极管中的信号电荷通过隔行驱动的两个场读取操作来读取。 至少在读取第一场的期间，将预定电压施加到半导体衬底，以将每个光电二极管和相应的溢出漏极区之间的区域的势垒设置为高于光电二极管与相应垂直线之间的沟道势垒 传输路径。 因此，可以防止在第一场读取操作期间在下一场读取操作期间读取信号电荷泄漏到溢出漏极。

公开(公告)号：US06760072B1

公开(公告)日：2004-07-06

申请号：US09346163

申请日：1999-07-01

申请人： Masayuki Furumiya

发明人： Masayuki Furumiya

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/3728 ,  H04N5/3765

摘要： There is provided a method of driving a solid-state image sensor, including the steps of transferring signal charges from photoelectric transfer devices to vertical CCDs constituted of a plurality of pixels, when a pulse is applied to the pixel, the pulse being applied to the pixels in at least two pixel lines so that a trailing edge of a first pulse to be applied in a first pixel line corresponds with a leading edge of a second pulse to be applied in a second pixel line, transferring the signal charges from the vertical CCDs to a horizontal CCD, and outputting the signal charges from horizontal CCD to an external circuit. The method makes it possible to prevent an increase in a substrate voltage at which charges are reversely transferred to photodiodes, which increase is caused by simultaneously applying pulses to all signal readers.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种驱动固态图像传感器的方法，包括以下步骤：当向像素施加脉冲时，将信号电荷从光电转移装置转移到由多个像素构成的垂直CCD，将脉冲施加到 至少两个像素线中的像素，使得要施加在第一像素线中的第一脉冲的后沿对应于要施加在第二像素线中的第二脉冲的前沿，从垂直CCD传送信号电荷 到水平CCD，并将信号电荷从水平CCD输出到外部电路。 该方法使得可以防止电荷反向转移到光电二极管的衬底电压的增加，这是由同时向所有信号读取器施加脉冲而引起的。

公开(公告)号：US06760069B2

公开(公告)日：2004-07-06

申请号：US09184639

申请日：1998-11-03

申请人： Toshikazu Yanai

发明人： Toshikazu Yanai

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N9/045 ,  H04N5/347 ,  H04N5/3728 ,  H04N5/3765

摘要： Charges in the pixels of a solid state image pickup device, which senses an object via a color filter, are processed by: first selecting a group of pixels in two horizontal lines from a group of at least three lines; adding together the charges in those corresponding pixels of the two horizontal lines which are diagonally adjacent to each other; and adding together the charges in those corresponding pixels of the two horizontal lines which are vertically adjacent to each other.

摘要翻译： 通过以下步骤处理通过滤色器感测对象的固态图像拾取装置的像素的充电：首先从至少三行的一组中选择两条水平线中的一组像素; 将彼此对角地相邻的两条水平线的相应像素中的电荷加在一起;以及将彼此垂直相邻的两条水平线的那些对应像素中的电荷相加在一起。

公开(公告)号：US06734908B1

公开(公告)日：2004-05-11

申请号：US09538713

申请日：2000-03-30

申请人： Takashi Watanabe ,  Eiji Koyama

发明人： Takashi Watanabe ,  Eiji Koyama

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/3658 ,  H04N5/3575 ,  H04N5/3742 ,  H04N5/378

摘要： A correlated double sampling circuit that remarkably suppresses a fixed pattern noise and an amplification type solid state imaging device employing the circuit are provided. An input changeover switch 200 is switched to the vertical signal line 145 side in a first period, and the signal of the vertical signal line 145 is clamped by first clamping circuit (201, 202) in the first half of the first period. Thereafter, a signal on the output side of the clamping capacitor 201 is sampled and held by first sample hold circuit (203, 204) in the last half of the first period. Next, the input changeover switch 200 is switched to the fixed potential side in a second period, and the clamping potential is sampled and held by the first clamping circuit with respect to a fixed potential in the first half of the second period. Thereafter, a signal on the output side of the clamping capacitor 201 is sampled and held by the first sample hold circuit. Then, a difference between the signals sampled and held before and after the second sample hold operation executed by the first sample hold circuit is taken.

摘要翻译： 提供了显着抑制固定图案噪声的相关双采样电路和采用该电路的放大型固态成像装置。 输入切换开关200在第一周期中切换到垂直信号线145侧，并且在第一周期的前半段，垂直信号线145的信号被第一钳位电路（201,202）钳位。 此后，钳位电容器201的输出侧的信号在第一周期的后半段由第一采样保持电路（203,204）采样保持。 接下来，输入切换开关200在第二时段中切换到固定电位侧，并且钳位电位在第二周期的前半部分中相对于固定电位被第一钳位电路采样和保持。 此后，钳位电容器201的输出侧的信号被第一采样保持电路采样并保持。 然后，采取由第一采样保持电路执行的第二采样保持操作之前和之后采样和保持的信号之间的差异。

公开(公告)号：US06734906B1

公开(公告)日：2004-05-11

申请号：US09386345

申请日：1999-08-31

申请人： Seiji Hashimoto

发明人： Seiji Hashimoto

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/37457 ,  H01L27/14641 ,  H04N5/3575 ,  H04N5/378

摘要： In order to reduce a chip area, an image pickup apparatus includes unit cells arranged in a plurality of lines, each having a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions disposed at least in a horizontal direction and a common circuit to which signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions are input and a subtracting circuit shared by respective photoelectric conversion portions of at least one of the unit cells.

摘要翻译： 为了减少芯片面积，图像拾取装置包括布置在多行中的单元单元，每个单元具有至少在水平方向上设置的多个光电转换部分和多个光电转换器的信号的公共电路 输入部分和由至少一个单元电池的各个光电转换部分共享的减法电路。

公开(公告)号：USRE38499E1

公开(公告)日：2004-04-20

申请号：US09896920

申请日：2001-06-29

申请人： Richard B. Merrill ,  Kevin Brehmer

发明人： Richard B. Merrill ,  Kevin Brehmer

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/37457 ,  H04N5/3653

摘要： An active pixel sensor cell array in which a two-stage amplifier amplifies the output of each cell. The two-stage amplifier design reduces fixed pattern noise in the image data generated by reading the array, by providing increased gain for the output of each cell without impractically increasing the size and complexity of each cell. For each column of cells of the array, one part of the two-stage amplifier for each cell is shared by all cells of the column, and another part of the two-stage amplifier for each cell is included within the cell itself. Preferably, each cell includes only NMOS transistors (no cell includes a PMOS transistor). In preferred embodiments, a differential amplifier within each cell is the primary stage of the cell's output amplifier, PMOS load circuitry including a secondary output amplifier stage is shared by all cells of the column, and the two amplifier stages for each cell together comprise an op amp. In some such preferred embodiments, the op amp is provided with capacitor feedback for increased gain. Another aspect of the invention is an active pixel sensor cell including a differential amplifier, and PMOS transistor load circuitry coupled to the cell. Preferably, the differential amplifier is the first stage of an op amp, and the remainder of the op amp, including optional capacitor feedback circuitry, is coupled to the cell but is not included within the cell.

公开(公告)号：US06700611B1

公开(公告)日：2004-03-02

申请号：US09438584

申请日：1999-11-12

申请人： Masayuki Masuyama

发明人： Masayuki Masuyama

IPC分类号： H04N314

CPC分类号： H04N5/3658 ,  H04N5/376

摘要： A time an ith row reset signal RSi is generated and sent out for electronic shuttering is shifted from a conventionally defined time. In this manner, it is possible to avoid overlapping between a period during which the reset signal RSi is provided and a period during which an nth pixel row is selected to perform a readout operation thereon (i.e., a period when a row select signal SLn is at “High” level). As a result, reset potentials, which could otherwise be variable depending on whether or not readout operation is being performed on any other row, can be equalized among all the rows, thus eliminating the cause of horizontal noise.

摘要翻译： 产生并且发送用于电子快门的第i行重置信号RSi的时间从传统的限定时间转移。 以这种方式，可以避免提供复位信号RSi的周期与选择第n个像素行的周期之间的重叠，以在其上执行读出操作（即，行选择 信号SLn处于“高”电平）。 结果，可以根据是否在任何其他行上进行读出操作而变化的复位电位可以在所有行中相等，从而消除了水平噪声的原因。