US 11,444,109 B2Granted

Global shutter pixel circuit and method for computer vision applications

AssigneeMagic Leap, Inc.

InventorsErez Tadmor, David Cohen, Giora Yahav

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Abstract

An image sensor device includes a plurality of pixel cells arranged in a pixel array, a control circuit for controlling an exposure phase and a sampling phase of the image sensor device. Each of the plurality of pixel cells includes a photodiode, a storage diode, and a floating diffusion region. The control circuit is configured to activate the photodiode in a plurality of time windows to sense light reflected from a target as a result of a corresponding plurality of emitted light pulses, with a pre-determined delay time between each time window and a corresponding emitted light pulse. The photodiode can be activated using a plurality of bias voltage pulses or a plurality of global shutter signal pulses.

Claims8

Dependent claims

An image sensor device, comprising:

a plurality of pixel cells arranged in a pixel array;
a control circuit for controlling an exposure phase and a sampling phase of the image sensor device;
and
a switching circuit for coupling a pixel power supply line to a first voltage in an exposure phase and to a second voltage in a sampling phase, the first voltage being higher than the second voltage;
wherein each of the plurality of pixel cells comprises:
a photodiode in a semiconductor substrate, a first end of the photodiode coupled to a bias voltage through a shutter gate controlled by a global shutter signal;
a ground contact for coupling a second end of the photodiode to an electrical ground through an electrical ground conductive line;
a storage diode in the semiconductor substrate and coupled to a second end of the photodiode through a first transfer gate controlled by a first transfer signal;
and
a floating diffusion region in the semiconductor substrate and coupled to the storage diode through a second transfer gate controlled by a second transfer signal.

7 more elements

A pixel cell for time-of-flight (ToF) distance measurement, comprising:

a substrate;
a photodiode;
a ground contact for coupling a second end of the photodiode to an electrical ground through an electrical ground conductive line;
a drain region adjacent to the photodiode and coupled to a bias voltage;
a shutter gate disposed between the photodiode and the drain region, the shutter gate controlled by a global shutter signal to apply the bias voltage to bias the photodiode for light sensing;
a storage diode coupled to the photodiode through a first transfer gate controlled by a first transfer signal;
and
a floating diffusion region coupled to the storage diode through a second transfer gate controlled by a second transfer signal.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/131,346Filed 22 Dec 2020 · division
Priority: 13 Dec 2017
Published: US 2021/0183923 A117 Jun 2021
Granted: 13 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification19 codes

H10F 39/8023
Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes: disposition of the elements in pixels, e.g. smaller elements…
G01S 7/4814
Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements: of transmitters alone
G01S 7/4816
Constructional features, e.g. arrangements of optical elements: of receivers alone
G01S 7/4863
Circuits for detection, sampling, integration or read-out: detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates

Family

Application62/598,390Us provisional application · filed 13 Dec 2017
Application16/219,829Parent of this division · filed 13 Dec 2018
US 2021/0183923 A1Pre-grant publication · published 17 Jun 2021
US 10,923,515 B2Parent of this division
US 2019/0181171 A1Published application
US 11,444,109 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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