Patent · US Active

Methods and apparatus for performing code correction for hybrid analog-to-digital converters in imaging devices

US8581761B1 · kind B1 · utility

13Cited by
8References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 12, 2012
Grant dateNov 12, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 12, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03M1/56
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Electronic devices may include image sensors having image sensor pixels. The pixels may be coupled to analog to digital converter (ADC) circuitry. The ADC may include a hybrid successive approximation register (SAR) ADC and ramp-compare ADC. The ramp-compare ADC may be controlled by count bits. The hybrid ADC may be subject to non-idealities at the transition between data conversion using the SAR ADC and the ramp-compare ADC. A voltage offset may be injected to the ramp-compare ADC to compensate for voltage glitches. The ramp-compare ADC may have an output range that is insufficiently matched to a least significant bit of the SAR ADC. An error correction bit may be added to the count bits to increase the output range of the ramp-compare ADC to match the SAR least significant bit. The ramp-compare ADC may include gain control circuitry to further match the output range to the SAR least significant bit.

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