Two-dimensional image sensing device for having a storage gate for plural photo detectors
US5227887A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 20, 1991 |
| Grant date | Jul 13, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Dec 20, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/7795
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An image sensing device uses photodiodes arranged in a matrix. Each photodiode is connected to one of p serially-coupled input gate and transfer gate combinations, were p is an integer greater than or equal to 2. Channel terminals of the p transfer gates are commonly-coupled to a serially-coupled storage gate and output switch combination. The serially-coupled storage gate and output switch combination and its associated p input gate and transfer gate combinations can be repeatedly provided in rows and columns, and addressed so that pixels determined by the photodiodes can be serially output from the image sensing device. Among other advantages, by using serially-coupled input gate and transfer gate combinations, the area provided for a storage gate can be increased so that the sensitivity, dynamic range and/or signal-to-noise ratio is increased relative to conventional devices.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.