Imaging device comprising a circuit for analog-digital conversion by means of the injection of a quantity of charges that varies as a function of the number of previous injections
US9379730B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignees
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 2012 |
| Grant date | Jun 28, 2016 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 7, 2033 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03M1/60
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In the field of imaging devices comprising a detector generating electric charges in response to incident photon radiation, and an analog-to-digital conversion circuit forming means for reading the quantity of electric charges generated, an analog-to-digital conversion circuit comprises: a comparator which can switch depending on the comparison between a potential on an integration node and a predetermined threshold potential, a counter incrementing with each switch of the comparator, a counter-charge injection circuit injecting a quantity Qc of counter-charges on the integration node with each switch of the comparator, and control means which determine the quantity Qc of counter-charges injected. The analog-to-digital conversion circuit is characterized in that the control means determine the quantity Qc of counter-charges injected as a function of a value of the counter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.