Image sensor and pixel array which generate a pixel signal based on a plurality of pixels, and operation method of the image sensor
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsYun-Hwan Jung, Sun-Yool Kang, Kyung-Min Kim, Hee-Sung Chae, Jae-Seung Han
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Abstract
An image sensor includes a pixel array including a first pixel and a second pixel which are connected to a first column line, and a row driver configured to control a read operation of the second pixel. A voltage of the first column line is determined based on a higher voltage among a voltage of a floating diffusion node of the first pixel and a voltage of a floating diffusion node of the second pixel during the read operation of the second pixel.
Claims20
An image sensor comprising:
- a pixel array comprising a first pixel and a second pixel which are connected to a first column line;
- and
- a row driver configured to control a read operation of the second pixel,
- wherein a voltage of the first column line is determined based on a comparison between a voltage of a floating diffusion node of the first pixel and a voltage of a floating diffusion node of the second pixel during the read operation of the second pixel, and the larger of the voltage of the floating diffusion node of the first pixel and the voltage of the flouting diffusion node of the second pixel based on the comparison is output as the voltage of the first common line.
A pixel array comprising:
- a first row pixel configured to generate a first pixel signal in response to receiving a clamp signal from outside;
- and
- a second row pixel configured to generate a second pixel signal based on an output of a photodiode,
- wherein a voltage applied to a column line connected to the first row pixel and the second row pixel is a voltage based on at least one of the first pixel signal and the second pixel signal,
- wherein the clamp signal has a value of either a first voltage or a second voltage, and
- wherein the first pixel signal is a voltage value based on a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.
An operation method of an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixels, the operation method comprising:
- resetting the plurality of pixels in a reset operation;
- applying a clamp signal, a voltage level of which decreases from a first voltage to a second voltage which is less than the first voltage during the reset operation, to a first capacitor in a first row pixel to adjust a voltage of a floating diffusion node of the first row pixel, wherein the floating diffusion node is connected to the first capacitor;
- and
- turning on a transfer transistor to receive an output of a photodiode of a second row pixel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.