Patent · US Expired

Method, apparatus and system providing configurable current source device for image sensors

US7157683B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
1References
43Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 16, 2004
Grant dateJan 2, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 2, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N25/78
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A configurable current source for imager readout system that can be operated as a simple-current-source or as a cascode-current-source. The configurable current source can be operated in a simple-current-source mode during circumstances when a low power supply voltage or large output signal swing is needed to output a pixel signal. The configurable current source can also be operated in a cascode-current-source mode for reduced nonlinearity and column-wise fixed pattern noise when power from a power supply is not a limitation. The configurable current source provides design flexibility and pixel optimization for imager development.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.