Digital pixel sensor with integrated charge transfer amplifier
US6380880B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 30, 2001 |
| Grant date | Apr 30, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 30, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/772
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A digital image sensor includes a sensor array of digital pixels which output digital signals as pixel data. Each of the digital pixels includes a photodetector producing an analog signal indicative of the amount of light impinging on the sensor array and a charge transfer amplifier coupled to receive the analog signal and generate an amplified pixel voltage signal. The digital image sensor further includes analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) circuits located within the sensor array. Each of the ADC circuits is connected to one or more charge transfer amplifiers of the digital pixels for converting the amplified pixel voltage signal of each digital pixel to a digitized pixel voltage signal. The charge transfer amplifier operates to increase the sensitivity of the digital image sensor. The charge transfer amplifier can be implemented as a transfer gate with a floating diffusion as a measuring capacitor.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.