Patent · US Active

Image sensor

US9380233B2 · kind B2 · utility

2Cited by
7References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 20, 2014
Grant dateJun 28, 2016
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 20, 2034

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04N25/633
  • WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

An image sensor includes a pixel array including at least one active pixel and at least one line-optical black (L-OB) pixel arranged in a matrix including first to nth rows and first to mth columns, the pixel array configured to output a pixel signal and a dark-level offset signal in units of columns during a read-out operation in one of the first to nth rows; a row driver configured to output a selection control signal to the first to nth rows; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) block configured to digitize the pixel signal and the dark-level offset signal. In the pixel array, a dark-level offset signal is simultaneously output from an L-OB pixel in another row during the read-out operation in one of the first to nth rows. Here, ‘n’ and ‘m’ each denote an integer that is equal to or greater than ‘2’.

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