Patent · US Expired

Color image sensor

US4709259A · kind A · utility

40Cited by
6References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 8, 1986
Grant dateNov 24, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 8, 2006

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N25/76
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A color image sensor has: photodiodes for the color blue for converting blue light into a charge signal and storing it; photodiodes for the color green for converting green light into a charge signal and storing it; and photodiodes for the color red for converting red light into a charge signal and storing it, the blue, green and red photodiodes being arranged in a matrix. Three vertical lines are provided for each column to pick up the charge signals stored in the photodiodes via vertical MOS switches. The vertical MOS switches are serially connected to respective horizontal MOS switches which are turned on by a horizontal scan shift register. If the concurrent readout of color signals is not used, a single horizontal scan shift register is used. For sequentially turning on the vertical MOS switches for each color, three vertical scan shift registers are provided. By varying the operating timings of the three vertical scan shift registers, the charge storage time for each color can be controlled. The photodiodes in the matrix are grouped into units each comprised by M rows and N columns. A single-pixel measuring unit is comprised by one grouped unit. Within the same grouped unit, …

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.