# US 12,225,301 B2 · Systems and methods for pixel on-off switching in focal plane arrays > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,225,301 B2 - Document ID: US12225301B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/833,681 - Filed: 2022-06-06 - Published: 2023-12-07 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2022-06-06 - Assignees: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Applicants: LG Innotek Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Harold Hwang; Matthew T. O'Grady; Brian Edward Piccione; Mark Itzler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12225301B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/40: Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled - H04N 25/42: by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode - G01S 7/4813: {Housing arrangements} - G01S 7/4815: {using multiple transmitters} - G01S 7/4816: {of receivers alone} - G01S 17/86: Combinations of lidar systems with systems other than lidar, radar or sonar, e.g. with direction finders - G01S 17/931: of land vehicles - H04N 25/60: Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise - H04N 25/68: applied to defects - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/767: Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers - H04N 25/773: comprising photon counting circuits, e.g. single photon detection [SPD] or single photon avalanche diodes [SPAD] - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES ## Abstract Systems and methods are described for optical processing. According to some aspects an optical processing apparatus may include a pixelated photodiode array (PDA), each pixel in the PDA includes a radiation detector. The apparatus also includes a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) that includes a logic circuit and a plurality of switch elements. The plurality of switch elements being switchable between an armed state for arming its corresponding radiation detector and transmitting a signal received from the corresponding detector to the ROIC, and a disarmed state for disarming its corresponding detector and blocking transmittal of the signal, wherein in the armed state, the PDA is configured to detect an incoming optical signal and in the disarmed state, the PDA is configured to disregard the incoming optical signal. Moreover, the logic circuit controls a switch state of a selectable switch element associated with a radiation detector. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus comprising: a pixelated photodiode array (PDA), wherein each pixel in the PDA includes a radiation detector; a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) comprising: a plurality of switch elements each being connected to a respective radiation detector of each pixel, each switch element of the plurality of switch elements being switchable between an armed state for arming its corresponding radiation detector and receiving an output signal from its corresponding detector, and a disarmed state for disarming its corresponding radiation detector and blocking the output signal, wherein in the armed state, the PDA is configured to detect an incoming optical signal and in the disarmed state, the PDA is configured to disregard the incoming optical signal, and a logic circuit configured to control a switch state of each switch element of the plurality of switch elements; and a circuit fuse configured to electrically disengage each respective radiation detector, wherein the circuit fuse comprises a pair of transistors configured to control a voltage across the circuit fuse, and wherein the logic circuit is further configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the pair of transistors, and the predetermined voltage causes the fuse to burn out and create a permanent open circuit between the PDA and the ROIC. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to: arm the PDA, and place a first switch element of the plurality of switch elements associated with a first radiation detector in the disarmed state in response to detecting a faulty operation of the radiation detector. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the PDA comprises one or more Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes (GmAPDs). ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to: place a first switch element of the plurality of switch elements associated with a first radiation detector in the disarmed state by applying a net reverse voltage value below a detected breakdown voltage of the one or more GmAPDs. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to: place a second switch element of the plurality of switch elements associated with a second radiation detector in the armed state by increasing a reverse voltage value to a bias level above a detected breakdown voltage of the one or more GmAPDs, the first and second switch elements being different. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to: determine an operation status of each respective radiation detector, wherein the determined operation status corresponds to a stored select/deselect mapping for each respective radiation detector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operation status corresponds to an observed dark current value above a predetermined dark current threshold value. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operation status corresponds to an observed noise level above a predetermined noise threshold value. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operation status corresponds to an observed leakage current level above a predetermined leakage current threshold value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuit fuse is configured to electrically disengage each respective radiation detector in response to an operation of the radiation detector being associated with an observed leakage current above a predetermined leakage current threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the circuit fuse is incorporated within the ROIC. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to apply the predetermined voltage in response to the observed leakage current being above the predetermined leakage current threshold. ### Claim 13 A method comprising: receiving an optical signal at a pixelated photodiode array (PDA); arming, by a logic circuit, a radiation detector of a pixel of the PDA by controlling a selectable switch element of a read out integrated circuit (ROIC) connected to the PDA to power the radiation detector and transmit a received output signal of the radiation detector; and disarming, by the logic circuit, the radiation detector of the pixel of the PDA by controlling the selectable switch element to disconnect the radiation detector from power and to block the radiation detector from outputting the signal; and permanently disengaging, using a circuit fuse, a radiation detector associated with a detected operation, wherein the circuit fuse comprises a pair of transistors configured to control a voltage across the circuit fuse, and wherein the logic circuit is further configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the pair of transistors, and the predetermined voltage causes the fuse to burn out and create a permanent open circuit between the PDA and the ROIC. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: disarming the radiation detector by applying a net reverse voltage value below a detected breakdown voltage of the radiation detector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising: arming the radiation detector by increasing a reverse voltage value to a bias level above the breakdown voltage of the radiation detector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein the detected operation is a faulty operation of the radiation detector.