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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7483067 | Column-parallel sigma-delta analog-to-digital conversion for imagers A sigma-delta modulation sensing circuit and an analog-to-digital converter for an imager that do not rely on the ratio of the reset and pixel voltage levels being sensed. The sensing circuit includes a regulation branch based on a reference voltage common across mu... | 01/27/2009 |
| 7479999 | Photodetection device and method The photo-detecting device includes of a photodetector for detecting incident light, an input J FET for reading the sensing signal from the photodetector, an amplifier for amplifying the signal detected by the input J FET, a feed-back circuit for feeding the output ... | 01/20/2009 |
| 7477306 | Method and apparatus for improving pixel output swing in imager sensors A bias readout circuit is disclosed for use in reading out a pixel of an imager system. The bias readout circuit includes a circuit portion which mirrors an output and bias transistor of a pixel to amplify an output signal produced by a pixel and increase the dynami... | 01/13/2009 |
| 7468750 | Solid state imaging device having transition time relationship for drive signals A CMOS sensor has unit pixels each structured by a light receiving element and three transistors, to prevent against the phenomenon of saturation shading and the reduction of dynamic range. The transition time (fall time), in switching off the voltage on a drain lin... | 12/23/2008 |
| 7460165 | Photo-array layout for monitoring image statistics An imaging apparatus including a photo sensor array having an array of sensors is disclosed, each sensor having an active area and a support hardware area adjoining the active area. In the prior art, the support hardware area of each sensor adjoins the active area o... | 12/02/2008 |
| 7456888 | Photoelectric conversion device and image pick-up system using the photoelectric conversion device In a photoelectric conversion device with a photoelectric conversion region for accumulating electric charges that correspond to incident light and an amplifying filed effect transistor into which a signal charge from the photoelectric conversion region is inputted,... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7456884 | Method and circuit for determining the response curve knee point in active pixel image sensors with extended dynamic range An apparatus and method for measuring the breakpoint of a response curve representing the voltage output of an image array having an extended dynamic range. By flooding a light-opaque pixel with a charge and then applying an intermediate reset voltage to the pixel, ... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7456887 | APS soft reset circuit for reducing image lag An improved active pixel sensor soft reset circuit for reducing image lag while maintaining low reset kTC noise. The circuit pulls down the sensor potential to a sufficiently low level before the soft reset function is completed. The level to which the sensor potent... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7456886 | Image pickup apparatus A solid-state image pickup apparatus including an array of a plurality of unit cells each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements for converting an photosignal to signal charge and storing it and one amplification element for receiving signal char... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7456885 | Per column one-bit ADC for image sensors A per column one-bit analog-to-digital converter for an image sensor. The analog-to-digital converter utilizes the difference between a reference signal current and a pixel signal current to obtain a digital output representative of the analog pixel signal in an eff... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7456889 | Solid-state imaging device with gate contacts overlapping both an isolation region and an active region A solid-state imaging device has an imaging region in which unit cells, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion section and a signal scanning circuit section, are disposed on a semiconductor substrate in a two-dimensional manner. The signal scanning circui... | 11/25/2008 |
| 7446807 | Imager pixel with capacitance for boosting reset voltage A pixel cell in which a capacitance is coupled between a storage node and a row select transistor and another capacitance is coupled between a storage node and a voltage supply or ground source potential to boost a reset voltage. ... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7446806 | Single chip, noise-resistant, one-dimensional, CMOS sensor for target imaging A linear sensor array for imaging coded indicia includes an analog front end and a digital back end integrated on a single CMOS chip. A real-time, correlated double sampling circuit is used for noise suppression. ... | 11/04/2008 |
| 7443438 | Solid-state image-sensing device with selectively grouped pixels A solid-state image-sensing element 1 is fed with, from a coupling controller 4, a signal φSv that couples together the photoelectric conversion portions of every predetermined number of vertically adjacent pixels and a signal φSh that couples togeth... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7443435 | Column amplifier with automatic gain selection for CMOS image sensors A column amplifier architecture having automatic gain selection for CMOS image sensors, which reduces the effect of analog noise, while maintaining a system's dynamic range. A comparator compares an amplified column buffer output signal to a reference voltage. The o... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7443427 | Wide dynamic range linear-and-log active pixel A pixel circuit having an improved dynamic range is disclosed. When incoming light detected by the photodiode is strong, the accumulated (integrated) charge on a signal capacitor becomes large. To compensate, the excess signal component becomes compressed and the pi... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7443437 | Image sensor with a gated storage node linked to transfer gate A CMOS imaging system with increased charge storage of pixels yet decreased physical size, kTC noise and active area. A storage node is connected to the transfer gate and provides a storage node for a pixel, allowing for kTC noise reduction prior to readout. The pix... | 10/28/2008 |
| 7440017 | Photoelectric conversion apparatus and photoelectric conversion system having the apparatus In order to provide a photoelectric conversion apparatus, which is an apparatus excellent in reading speed, high S/N, high tone level, and low cost, the photoelectric conversion apparatus has a photoelectric conversion circuit section comprising a plurality of photo... | 10/21/2008 |
| 7435937 | Photodetection apparatus with operation-mode switching between current output mode and voltage output mode A set of voltage output units outputs the light intensity detected by a photodetection device in the form of a voltage value. With the set of voltage output units, the capacitance of the cathode terminal of a photodiode PD provided within the pixel is charged or dis... | 10/14/2008 |
| 7432964 | Solid-state imaging device with plural CDS circuits per column sharing a capacitor and/or clamping transistor A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array area having pixels including photoelectric transducers arranged as an array; signal lines wired for every pixel column in the pixel array area; and a plurality of noise reducers provided for the corresponding signa... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7432968 | CMOS image sensor with reduced 1/noise A CMOS image sensor includes a plurality of pixel circuits. Each pixel circuit includes a plurality of transistors. The image sensor includes a controller for controlling operation of the plurality of pixel circuits, wherein the controller is configured to cause at ... | 10/07/2008 |
| 7429722 | Pattern layout of CMOS image sensor A solid-state image pickup device comprises pixels and output circuits. The pixels are arranged two-dimensionally with a vertical and a horizontal, with pixels vertically adjacent to each other forming a pair. The output circuits are provided so as to extend from th... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7430005 | Camera module and method for electronically recording images A camera module for electronically recording images has an image sensor with a plurality of image cells. Each image cell provides an electric image signal as a function of the intensity of incident light. Each image cell has a light-sensitive element for generating ... | 09/30/2008 |
| 7427790 | Image sensor with gain control An image sensor having a plurality of pixels; each pixel includes one or more photosensitive elements that collect charge in response to incident light; one or more transfer mechanisms that respectively transfer the charge from the one or more photosensitive element... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7428015 | Image sensor and offset-able reference voltage generator thereof An image sensor and offset-able reference voltage generator thereof are provided. The image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels, an offset-able reference voltage generator and a pixel sampling circuit. The pixel senses light from an image and generate an image si... | 09/23/2008 |
| 7423679 | Imaging system having extended useful latitude The invention provides an image sensor that has an array of photosensors and an array of micro-lenses with each micro-lens confronting more than one of the photosensors and concentrating light striking each micro-lens onto less than all of the confronted photosensor... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7423680 | Apparatus and method for clamping reset voltage in image sensor For clamping a reset voltage within an image sensor, an active pixel generates a first reset voltage, and an optical black pixel generates a second reset voltage. In addition, a reset voltage selector selects one of the first and second reset voltages as a selected ... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7420604 | Image-processing device with image-pickup validity indication and processing method thereof An image-processing device and a processing method thereof are provided. The device includes a solid-state image-pick up device, a signal-processing unit that processes an output from the solid-state image-pick up device into an image signal, and an output circuit i... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420154 | Pixel circuit with non-destructive readout circuit and methods of operation thereof A pixel cell allows both correlated double sampling (CDS) and automatic light control (ALC) operations through a non-destructive, parallel readout. An image sensor may include an array of pixel cells, some or all of which include a photosensor with two readout circu... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420600 | Photoelectric conversion apparatus with circuitry to offset dark noise The invention relates to a technique removing a dark voltage noise signal occurring at the time of light shielding of a photoelectric conversion device, simplifying the system configuration such that the cost and occupying area is reduced, and suppressing variation ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420602 | Cmos imager for cellular applications and methods of using such Systems, methods and devices related to detecting and transmitting images. Imaging systems and devices, as well as methods of using such that are provided herein include flicker detection and/or correction; and/or built-in self test associated with various analog ci... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7420603 | Solid-state image pickup device and module type solid-state image pickup device A solid-state image pickup device comprises a plurality of pixels arrayed in an XY matrix fashion, each pixel including a photoelectric-converting portion 1 for photoelectrically converting incident light into signal electric charges and accumulating therein ... | 09/02/2008 |
| 7417677 | Lag cancellation in CMOS image sensors A pixel cell with improved lag characteristics without increased noise. The pixel cell according to embodiments of the invention includes a photo-conversion device and a floating diffusion region switchably coupled to the photo-conversion device. The pixel cell incl... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7417675 | On-chip black clamp system and method An image sensing system includes an image sensor and a black clamping circuit which reside on the same substrate. Particular embodiments use common components for both imaging and black clamping, and digital control of an analog black clamp function. ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7417212 | Solid-state image-sensing device Solid-state image-sensing device for acquisition of sensed-image data is described. A photoelectric converter disconnecting switch is turned on to make a forcible reset switch perform resetting. Then, the logarithmic conversion MOS transistor is reset according to t... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7417678 | Precise CMOS imager transfer function control for expanded dynamic range imaging using variable-height multiple reset pulses A sense node voltage relating to light intensity incident upon a light-detecting element is measured. To realize this measurement, a first integration reset pulse is generated to enable a resetting of the sense node voltage to a voltage value substantially equal to ... | 08/26/2008 |
| 7414653 | Dark reduction via feedback control of photodiode bias An active pixel sensor comprises a photodiode providing a photodiode output current indicative of an intensity of light incident the photodiode and an integrator circuit electrically coupled to the photodiode. The integrator circuit is configured to provide a pixel ... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414233 | Pixel circuit with surface doped region between multiple transfer transistors and image sensor including the same A pixel circuit of an image sensor includes a photo-converting unit such as a photo-diode for generating charge from incident light. The pixel circuit also includes a charge storing capacitor for storing the charge generated by the photo-converting unit. The pixel c... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7414652 | Image sensor and method An image sensor comprising a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements each representing a unit pixel, which is capable of reading out sensor signals from respective pixels in a time series by sequentially selecting pixels on a line-by-line basis and sequentially ... | 08/19/2008 |
| 7411621 | Apparatus and method for eliminating artifacts in active pixel sensor (APS) imagers An active pixel sensor (APS) that includes circuitry to eliminate artifacts in digital images. The APS includes a comparator for comparing a signal level from a pixel to an adjusted saturation voltage to determine if the pixel is saturated. If the pixel is saturated... | 08/12/2008 |
