CMOS image sensor for providing wider dynamic range
US6952227B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 28, 2000 |
| Grant date | Oct 4, 2005 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 10, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/57
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A CMOS image sensor for providing a wider dynamic range even at a low power supply voltage level includes a plurality of unit pixels and a control unit. Each unit pixel includes: a light sensing element for sensing an incident light to generate photoelectric charges to a sensing node; a first switching unit, coupled between a power terminal and the sensing node, for transferring a reset voltage level from a voltage source to the light sensing element; an amplification unit for amplifying a voltage level of the sensing node to output an amplified signal, wherein one terminal of the amplification unit is coupled to a ground terminal; a second switching unit, coupled between an output node and the other terminal of the amplification unit, for outputting the amplified signal as an image data via the output node. The control unit, which is coupled between the power terminal and the output node, controls an output resistance of the output node.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.