Ultra-small CMOS image sensor pixel using a photodiode potential technique
US7382008B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 2, 2006 |
| Grant date | Jun 3, 2008 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 2, 2026 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/78
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An image sensor includes a photosensitive region that accumulates charge corresponding to received incident light; a transfer gate for transferring all or a portion of the charge from the photosensitive region; a voltage supply having an increasing voltage over time that is applied to the transfer gate; a floating diffusion for receiving the all or a portion of the charge from the photosensitive region and converting the charge to a voltage; an amplifier for receiving and amplifying a signal from the floating diffusion; a pulse detector for detecting a voltage pulse from the amplifier; and a counter for counting clock cycles between initiation of the increasing voltage until a signal is received from the detector which indicates initiation of charge transfer from the photosensitive region to the floating diffusion.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.