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US 12,671,914 B2Granted
Thermal imaging sensor, and camera module and electronic device including thermal imaging sensor
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsKi Ho Kong, Jin Myoung Kim, Se Yoon Kim, Du Hyun Lee
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal imaging sensor may include: a pixel array in which pixels with microbolometers are arranged in an M×N matrix, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2; a row controller configured to output a row control signal through one or more row control signal lines to select and control a predetermined row from among multiple rows; switches connected to the one or more row control signal lines and disposed at each pixel; and a plurality of column integrators configured to read a current signal from the pixel array obtained through a pixel output line and convert it into a voltage signal.
Claims19
A thermal imaging sensor comprising:
- a pixel array in which pixels with microbolometers are arranged in an M×N matrix, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2;
- a row controller configured to output a row control signal through one or more row control signal lines to select and control a predetermined row from among multiple rows;
- switches connected to the one or more row control signal lines and disposed at each of the pixels;
- and
- a plurality of column integrators configured to read a current signal from the pixel array obtained through a pixel output line of the pixel array and convert the current signal into a voltage signal,
- wherein the row controller is further configured to:
- drive sequentially from a first row to an Mth row during a first time, by driving the switches in odd columns for odd rows and driving the switches in even columns for even rows to form a first frame;
- drive sequentially from the first row to the Mth row during a second time, by driving the switches in the even columns for the odd rows and driving the switches in the odd columns for the even rows to form a second frame;
- and
- drive sequentially from the first row to the Mth row during a third time, by driving the switches in the odd columns for the odd rows and driving the switches in the even columns for the even rows to form a third frame.
7 more elements
A camera module comprising:
- an optical lens;
- and
- a microbolometer thermal imaging sensor configured to detect infrared radiation emitted from an object to obtain an image based on temperature, wherein the microbolometer thermal imaging sensor comprises:
- a pixel array in which pixels with microbolometers are arranged in an M×N matrix, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2;
- a row controller configured to output a row control signal through one or more row control signal lines to select and control a predetermined row from among multiple rows;
- switches connected to the one or more row control signal lines and disposed at each of the pixels;
- and
- a plurality of column integrators configured to read a current signal from the pixel array obtained through a pixel output line of the pixel array and convert the current signal into a voltage signal,
- wherein the row controller is further configured to:
- drive sequentially from a first row to an Mth row during a first time, by driving the switches in odd columns for odd rows and driving the switches in even columns for even rows to form a first frame;
- drive sequentially from the first row to the Mth row during a second time, by driving the switches in the even columns for the odd rows and driving the switches in the odd columns for the even rows to form a second frame;
- and
- drive sequentially from the first row to the Mth row during a third time, by driving the switches in the odd columns for the odd rows and driving the switches in the even columns for the even rows to form a third frame.
10 more elements
An electronic device comprising:
- a camera module comprising an optical lens and a microbolometer thermal imaging sensor configured to detect infrared radiation emitted from an object to obtain an image based on temperature;
- and
- at least one processor configured to perform one or more image processing operations on the image,
- wherein the microbolometer thermal imaging sensor comprises:
- a pixel array in which pixels with microbolometers are arranged in an M×N matrix, where M and N are integers greater than or equal to 2;
- a row controller configured to output a row control signal through one or more row control signal lines to select and control a predetermined row from among multiple rows;
- switches connected to the one or more row control signal lines and disposed at each of the pixels;
- and
- a plurality of column integrators configured to read a current signal from the pixel array obtained through a pixel output line of the pixel array and convert the current signal into a voltage signal,
- wherein the row controller is further configured to:
- drive sequentially from a first row to an Mth row during a first time, by driving the switches in odd columns for odd rows and driving the switches in even columns for even rows to form a first frame;
- drive sequentially from the first row to the Mth row during a second time, by driving the switches in the even columns for the odd rows and driving the switches in the odd columns for the even rows to form a second frame;
- and
- drive sequentially from the first row to the Mth row during a third time, by driving the switches in the odd columns for the odd rows and driving the switches in the even columns for the even rows to form a third frame.
11 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.