Method, apparatus, and system providing multi-column shared readout for imagers
US7746400B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 31, 2007 |
| Grant date | Jun 29, 2010 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 14, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/78
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An imager and method of operating an imager employing multi-column shared readout circuitry. Columns of a pixel array are organized into groups, each group having a respective multi-column shared readout circuit. The columns of each group are readout serially but in parallel with the columns of other groups. Each multi-column shared readout circuit may comprise a black level correction clamp, a multi-column analog gain amplifier, a analog-to-digital converter, a digital offset correction block, and a digital gain calibration block. A single-column analog gain amplifier may amplify an analog pixel signal value of each column prior to processing by a respective multi-column shared readout circuit.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.