Method and architecture for an improved CMOS color image sensor
US7129978B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 13, 1999 |
| Grant date | Oct 31, 2006 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 13, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/76
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
According to the principles of this invention, an improved CMOS image sensor is disclosed. The improved CMOS image sensor comprises a pair of controllable column and row decoders, a signal conditioning circuit and a pixel processor in addition to an array of photo sensors. With the pair of controllable column and row decoders, photo sensors can selectively and dynamically accessed to improve signal throughput for applications that do not require the full set of signals from the array of photo sensors. The digitized signals from the selected photo sensors can be processed in the pixel processor for auto focus, pixel signals decimation and interpolation, data conversation and compression. Consequently, the design complexity of an overall imaging system using the disclosed CMOS image sensor is considerably reduced and the performance thereof is substantially increased.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.