Two-dimensional semiconductor image sensor with regulated integration time
US4496980A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 19, 1982 |
| Grant date | Jan 29, 1985 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 19, 2002 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/76
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A two-dimensional image sensor integrated on a semiconductor substrate has a plurality of sensor elements disposed in rows and columns. The sensors in each row and column are individually selected in succession via parallel outputs of a vertical shift register for readout of the sensor elements. Regulation of the integration time during which charge carriers collect in the sensor elements due to incident light is achieved by selecting the sensor elements in each even-numbered row for readout a further number of times after an initial readout of the charges optically generated therein, and within the time span during which transfer of the charges from the sensor elements of the next odd-numbered rows to the column lines takes place. The further selections eliminate charges formed in the interim in a particular row. The next readout of the particular row is undertaken with an integration time for the sensor elements therein which is variably shortened by the duration of the readout for (2N-1) rows, where N is the number of even or odd numbered rows.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.