Pixel sensor column amplifier architecture
US6476864B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 11, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 5, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 11, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10F39/803
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A pixel column amplifier architecture creates a reduced noise differential image signal from an pixel sensor array. The pixel column amplifier architecture comprises a first double sampling (DS) circuit and a second DS circuit that has the same configuration as the first DS circuit. An image signal containing a combination of noise components created on a substrate is coupled to the first DS circuit. A reference image signal, held in a reset state, represents the noise component of the image signal and is coupled to the second DS circuit. Further, a reference voltage source is coupled to a reference input of both the first DS and the second DS circuits. The first DS circuit provides the first side of the differential image signal, and the second DS circuit provides the second side of the differential image signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.