US 10,257,451 B2 · Comparison device and CMOS image sensor using the same

Abstract

Provided are a comparison device capable of achieving a small area by using one small sampling capacitor for an input terminal and improving linearity by using a fixed reference voltage and a CMOS image sensor using the same. The comparison device may include a comparator configured to compare a pixel signal inputted through a positive input terminal with a ramp signal, a first sampling capacitor configured to be provided between an input terminal of the ramp signal and the positive input terminal of the comparator, a sampling switch configured to be provided between an output terminal of the comparator and a negative input terminal of the comparator, and a second sampling capacitor configured to be provided between a ground terminal and the negative input terminal of the comparator.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A comparison device comprising:

a comparator having a first and a second input terminal, the comparator being suitable for comparing a pixel signal including a reset signal and an image data signal with a ramp signal, both signals being inputted through the first input terminal;
a first sampling capacitor operatively coupled between the first input terminal of the comparator and an input terminal of the ramp signal;
a sampling switch operatively coupled between an output terminal of the comparator and the second input terminal of the comparator;
and
a second sampling capacitor operatively coupled between a ground terminal and the second input terminal of the comparator,
wherein the sampling switch and the second sampling capacitor sample the reset signal of the pixel signal to set an input common mode voltage to a specific voltage level, and the second sampling capacitor stores the input common mode voltage before the ramp signal start to ramp.

3 more elements

A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels each suitable for outputting a pixel signal including a reset signal and an image data signal corresponding to incident light;
a row decoder suitable for selecting a pixel in the pixel array according to row lines;
a ramp signal generation device suitable for generating a ramp signal;
a comparison unit suitable for sampling the reset signal from the pixel array to set an input common mode voltage, store an offset between a reference voltage of the ramp signal from the ramp signal generation device and the reset signal, and determine the reset signal and the image data signal based on the sampled input common mode voltage according to the ramp signal;
a counting unit suitable for counting a clock from the control unit according to each output signal from the comparison unit;
a memory unit suitable for storing counting information from the counting unit;
a control unit suitable for controlling operations of the row decoder, the ramp signal generation device, the counting unit, and the memory unit;
and
a column readout circuit suitable for outputting data of the memory unit under the control of the control unit,
wherein the comparison unit comprises a comparator suitable for comparing the pixel signal inputted through a first input terminal with the ramp signal, and
wherein the comparison unit samples the reset signal outputted from the comparator to set the input common mode voltage, and the comparison unit stores the input common mode voltage after a reset operation of the unit pixels and before the ramp signal start to ramp.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Comparison device and CMOS image sensor using the same

Life of this patent

Comparison device and CMOS image sensor using the same

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9