Image sensor, electronic system including the same, and method of operating the same

An electronic system comprising:

• an image sensor configured to generate a plurality of digital signals in response to incident light;
• and
• a controller configured to control an operation of the image sensor,
• wherein the image sensor comprises:
• a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels and configured to generate a plurality of analog pixel signals in response to the incident light;
• an analog-to-digital conversion block including a plurality of analog-to-digital converters that are connected to a plurality of columns of the pixel array and configured to convert the plurality of analog pixel signals into the plurality of digital signals;
• and
• an output block including a plurality of output circuits that are connected to the plurality of analog-to-digital converters and configured to control output timings of the plurality of digital signals,
• wherein each of the plurality of output circuits is connected to two or more output lines to simultaneously output two or more bits of a digital signal among the plurality of digital signals,
• wherein an analog operation performed by the analog-to-digital conversion block and a data transmission operation performed by the output block do not overlap each other,
• wherein the analog operation includes a first analog operation extracting reset components and a second analog operation extracting image components, and
• the data transmission operation is performed after the first analog operation and before the second analog operation.

A method of operating an image sensor comprising a pixel array comprising a plurality of unit pixels, the method comprising:

• generating a plurality of analog pixel signals in response to incident light;
• converting the plurality of analog pixel signals into a plurality of digital signals;
• and
• controlling output timings of the plurality of digital signals in response to a plurality of read enable signals such that two or more bits of a digital signal to be output among the plurality of digital signals are simultaneously output via two or more output lines connected to one column among a plurality of columns of the pixel array,
• wherein an analog operation in which the plurality of analog pixel signals are converted into the plurality of digital signals and a data transmission operation in which the two or more bits of the digital signal are simultaneously output via the two or more output lines do not overlap each other,
• wherein the analog operation includes a first analog operation extracting reset components and a second analog operation extracting image components, and
• the data transmission operation is performed after the first analog operation and before the second analog operation.