Event-driven charge-coupled device design and applications therefor
US6917041B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 18, 2003 |
| Grant date | Jul 12, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jun 20, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/443
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An event-driven X-ray CCD imager device uses a floating-gate amplifier or other non-destructive readout device to non-destructively sense a charge level in a charge packet associated with a pixel. The output of the floating-gate amplifier is used to identify each pixel that has a charge level above a predetermined threshold. If the charge level is above a predetermined threshold the charge in the triggering charge packet and in the charge packets from neighboring pixels need to be measured accurately. A charge delay register is included in the event-driven X-ray CCD imager device to enable recovery of the charge packets from neighboring pixels for accurate measurement. When a charge packet reaches the end of the charge delay register, control logic either dumps the charge packet, or steers the charge packet to a charge FIFO to preserve it if the charge packet is determined to be a packet that needs accurate measurement. A floating-diffusion amplifier or other low-noise output stage device, which converts charge level to a voltage level with high precision, provides final measurement of the charge packets. The voltage level is eventually digitized by a high linearity ADC.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.