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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 8188903 | Ramp wave output circuit, analog/digital conversion circuit, and camera A ramp wave output circuit includes a ramp wave generation circuit generating a ramp wave, and a low-pass filter having a variable cutoff frequency, which receives the ramp wave. The low-pass filter operates at a first cutoff frequency for a predetermined time perio... | 05/29/2012 |
| 8174427 | A/D converter and solid-state imaging device According to one embodiment, an A/D converter includes a determination circuit configured to determine whether a first analog signal is greater than a second analog signal or not, the first analog signal being a present A/D conversion target, the second analog signa... | 05/08/2012 |
| 8068046 | Methods of quantizing signals using variable reference signals Methods for reading a data location coupled to an electrical conductor. A counter receives a signal from an analog-to-digital converter coupled to the electrical conductor. The counter produces two or more counts, and in some embodiments, the counts are based in par... | 11/29/2011 |
| 8054210 | Analog to digital converter An image sensor includes a pixel array, and a correlated double sample circuit coupled to one of the pixels in the pixel array. The correlated double sample circuit includes first and second inputs, and first and second sample capacitors respectively coupled to the ... | 11/08/2011 |
| 8040269 | Analog-to-digital conversion in pixel array An analog-to-digital converter generates an output digital value equivalent to the difference between two analog signals. The converter forms part of a set of converters. The converter receives a first analog signal and a second analog signal (Vreset, V | 10/18/2011 |
| 7973695 | Electronic apparatus, AD converter, and AD conversion method An electronic apparatus includes: an AD conversion section that has a comparing section, which receives a reference signal whose level changes gradually from a reference signal generating section that generates the reference signal and which compares the reference s... | 07/05/2011 |
| 7928889 | Analog-to-digital converter, solid-state imaging device including the same, and method of digitizing analog signal An analog-to-digital converter receives first and second analog signal voltages, and first and second comparison voltages. The first and second comparison voltages decrease by the same fixed inclination from a first reference voltage to below the first signal voltag... | 04/19/2011 |
| 7924207 | Single slope analog-to-digital converter A single-slope ADC, particularly suitable for use in a massive-parallel ADC architecture in a readout circuit of a CMOS imager. A plurality of ramp signals are generated which define non-overlapping sub-ranges of the full input range. For each ADC channel, the sub-r... | 04/12/2011 |
| 7907079 | Delta sigma modulator for analog-to-digital converter A method for operating a single slope analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes providing a ramp generator to provide at least one voltage-ramp segment; applying delta-sigma modulation to the voltage-ramp generator to generate a delta-sigma modulated voltage ramp; ... | 03/15/2011 |
| 7880662 | Analog-to-digital conversion in pixel arrays An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) generates an output digital value equivalent to the difference between two analog signal values. The ADC 30 receives a first analog signal level, a second analog signal level and a ramp signal. A counter 32 is opera... | 02/01/2011 |
| 7864094 | Solid-state image sensing device, imaging method, and imaging apparatus A solid-state image sensing device includes: a pixel unit that has plural pixels and outputs analog pixel signals; a ramp signal generator unit that generates a ramp signal having a predetermined initial voltage and a fixed gradient; and an analog-digital converter ... | 01/04/2011 |
| 7750836 | Solid-state imaging device, method of driving solid-state imaging device and camera A solid-state imaging device including: an analog-digital converter unit in column parallel arrangement, the analog-digital converter unit having a plurality of pixels arranged to convert an incident light quantity to an electric signal, in which an analog signal ob... | 07/06/2010 |
| 7746263 | Method and arrangement for the digital transmission of an analogue measuring signal The invention relates to a method for the digital transmission of an analogue measuring signal (M), comprising the following steps: comparing momentary values of a triangular signal (D) with a value of the measuring signal (M) for ... | 06/29/2010 |
| 7741988 | Analog-digital converter, solid-state image capturing apparatus, and electronic information device An analog-digital converter is provided. The analog-digital converter includes: a comparing section for comparing an input signal voltage and an analog ramp voltage in which a voltage level gradually increases; and a latch section for storing a digital value of a di... | 06/22/2010 |
| 7710306 | Ramp generation circuit and A/D converter A ramp generation circuit including, a charge supply unit which generates predetermined charges every predetermined time, an integration circuit which accumulates the charges generated from the charge supply unit and converts the charges into a voltage, and, an atte... | 05/04/2010 |
| 7679542 | Image sensor using auto-calibrated ramp signal for improved image quality and driving method thereof An image sensor comprises an active pixel sensor (APS) array, a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) and a ramp signal generator. The APS array includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, wherein the APS array generates a reset signal and... | 03/16/2010 |
| 7659844 | Optical-to-electrical converter and analog-to-digital converter thereof An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) for converting an optical signal into an electrical signal is disclosed. The ADC includes a detection module, a first P-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistor, a first N-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistor,... | 02/09/2010 |
| 7642947 | Data processing method, data processing device, solid-state imaging device, imaging apparatus, and electronic device A data processing device includes a comparing unit that compares a reference signal and respective processing object signals, a count-period control unit that determines a count period to perform count processing, a count unit that performs the count processing in t... | 01/05/2010 |
| 7626532 | A/D converter An A/D converter comprises a ramp voltage generation circuit, a voltage comparison circuit comprising an arithmetic unit comparing an analog voltage to be converted with a reference voltage showing the voltage change of a ramp voltage, and changing an output when th... | 12/01/2009 |
| 7616147 | Analog-to-digital converter An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented. The ADC includes an error amplifier, a ramp generator, and a counting circuit. The error amplifier is used for receiving an output voltage and a reference voltage, and amplifying a difference between the output volt... | 11/10/2009 |
| 7586432 | A/D converter An A/D converter compares one or more analog voltages to be converted with a reference voltage given by a voltage change value of ramp voltage whose voltage value changes monotonically for a certain period or a voltage proportional to the voltage change value, conve... | 09/08/2009 |
| 7554478 | Single slope analog to digital converter using hysteresis property and analog to digital converting method A single slope ADC using a hysteresis property includes a first comparator, a second comparator, and a code generating unit. The first comparator outputs a compared signal by receiving and comparing an input signal having a constant level with a ramp signal, the sec... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7554479 | Pseudo-multiple sampling methods, systems and devices for analog-to-digital conversion An analog signal is converted to a digital value having a given number of bits that define given quantization levels, by repeatedly sampling the analog signal at a resolution that is less than that which is defined by the given number of bits. Lower resolution sampl... | 06/30/2009 |
| 7532148 | Method and apparatus for AD conversion, semiconductor device for detecting distribution of physical quantity, and electronic apparatus A column analog-to-digital converter having a voltage comparator and a counter is arranged for each a vertical signal line. The voltage comparator compares a pixel signal inputted via the vertical signal line at each row control signal line with a reference voltage,... | 05/12/2009 |
| 7479916 | High resolution column-based analog-to-digital converter with wide input voltage range for dental X-ray CMOS image sensor An imaging system including column-parallel ADCs that operate in response to a single slope global ramp signal and a matched global ramp line signal that has a voltage representative of a dark pixel value. The signal paths of the global ramp signal and the matched g... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7471231 | Column parallel readout with a differential sloped A/D converter A dual slope A/D converter uses two opposite sense ramps added to its differential input. The value in a digital counter is latched at the time when the two ramps intersect. This enables a more consistent switching point, allowing the amplifier to the linear over a ... | 12/30/2008 |
| 7414565 | Efficient approach for reducing image transfer time in wireless portable x-ray detectors Certain embodiments of the present invention provide for an imaging system including an index value source, a transmitter, a receiver, and an image processing component. The index value source is capable of generating an index value. The index value source is part o... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7405688 | Analogue-to-digital converter and method for converting an analogue input signal into a digital information An analogue-to-digital converter comprises a window comparator. The window comparator comprises an input for an analogue input signal and an output for a comparison result indicating a result of a comparison of the analogue input signal with an upper bound and a low... | 07/29/2008 |
| 7379011 | Lossless nonlinear analog gain controller in image sensor and manufacturing method thereof An image sensor comprises an active pixel sensor (APS) array, a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and a ramp signal generator. The APS array has includes a plurality of pixels of arranged in a second order two-dimensional matrix, and wherein the APS array gen... | 05/27/2008 |
| 7366046 | DRAM density enhancements In one embodiment, a sense amplifier includes: a differential amplifier adapted to amplify a voltage difference between a pair of bit lines; and a self-bias generation circuit adapted to reduce an offset bias in the differential amplifier with regard to the amplific... | 04/29/2008 |
| 7345613 | Image processing circuit, imaging circuit, and electronic device An image processing circuit for reducing noise. The image processing circuit includes a CDS circuit for taking a potential difference between a pixel signal at a reset of an image pickup device and a pixel signal after exposure, and an AD conversion circuit. The AD ... | 03/18/2008 |
| 7340219 | Method and system for multisite RF transceiver testing According to one embodiment of the invention, a system for testing electronic devices includes a first RF source operable to output a first signal, a second RF source operable to output a second signal, a combiner coupled to the first and second RF sources and opera... | 03/04/2008 |
| 7336212 | Apparatus and methods for measurement of analog voltages in an integrated circuit The present disclosure relates to apparatus and methods for measurement of analog voltages in an integrated circuit. In particular, the apparatus includes an on-chip digital-to-analog converter configured to receive a variable digital input code and output a corresp... | 02/26/2008 |
| 7319424 | Measuring and correcting non-linearity of an internal multi-bit analog-to-digital converter in a delta-sigma analog-to-digital converter An internal ADC in a delta-sigma ADC is characterized using inherent delta-sigma ADC circuitry. In one embodiment, a constant DC value is applied as the input signal. The sum of the constant DC value and a feedback signal is integrated. Then, a digital approximation... | 01/15/2008 |
| 7304599 | Analog-to-digital converter with reduced power consumption in CMOS image sensor An analog-to-digital converter includes a comparator, a latch, and a bias control unit. The comparator is turned on by an applied bias voltage for comparing an analog voltage with a ramp voltage. The latch activates an end signal when the ramp voltage becomes greate... | 12/04/2007 |
| 7274319 | Ramp generators for imager analog-to-digital converters An imager with an analog-to-digital converter having at least one ramp generator that precisely and efficiently produces the desired ramp voltages required by the analog-to-digital converter. The analog-to-digital converter can use differential or two ramp generator... | 09/25/2007 |
| 7256724 | Image sensor including variable ramping slope and method An image sensor an image sensor includes an image sensing element which converts incident light into an analogue signal, a voltage generator which includes a variable resistor circuit and which generates a ramping voltage, where a slope of the ramping voltage is var... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7250897 | CMOS image sensor capable of performing analog correlated double sampling A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor capable of performing an analog correlated double sampling method is provided. The CMOS image sensor includes an image capturing unit for capturing an analog signal corresponding to an image of a subject;... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7233277 | Image pick-up semiconductor device capable of testing operating characteristics of an analog-digital converter thereof Provided is an image pick-up semiconductor device capable of testing operating characteristics of an analog-digital converter while the image pick-up semiconductor device operates. The device includes an active pixel sensor array having a plurality of pixels convert... | 06/19/2007 |
| 7233521 | Apparatus and method for storing analog information in EEPROM memory A storage device that is capable of receiving an analog signal and storing it as a digital signal. The storage device includes an input node configured to receive an analog input voltage and two non-volatile storage cells. A second non-volatile memory cell is couple... | 06/19/2007 |
