Image sensor and method
AssigneeHonda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorSukeyuki Shinotsuka
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Abstract
An image sensor comprising a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements each representing a unit pixel, which is capable of reading out sensor signals from respective pixels in a time series by sequentially selecting pixels on a line-by-line basis and sequentially selecting pixels in a selected line, wherein each pixel line is divided into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of the same specified number of pixels and a first scanning means sequentially reads pixel sensor signals on the block-by-block basis starting from the first block and a second scanning means reads pixel sensor signals of the readout block. The image sensor thus constructed can achieve high speed scanning of respective pixels with a minimal increase in power consumption.
Claims22
An image sensor comprising a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements, each of which represents a unit pixel and is capable of reading out in a time series sensor signals of respective pixels by sequentially selecting pixel lines one by one and sequentially selecting sensor signals one by one in a selected pixel line, characterized in that each of the pixel lines is evenly divided into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of a specified number of pixels, a first scanning means is provided for sequentially reading out pixel sensor signals on a block-by-block basis starting from a first block, a second scanning means is provided for sequentially reading out pixel sensor signals on a pixel-by-pixel basis from a selected block and a bias circuit is provided for converting a pixel sensor signal scanned by the first scanning means into a voltage value by using a reference resistance with a bias voltage applied thereto.
An image sensor as defined in claim 2, characterized in that the first scanning means comprises a pixel selecting circuit for providing signals for sequentially selecting pixels on the line-by-line basis and a switch circuit for outputting sensor signals according to the pixel selecting signals from the pixel selecting circuit, and the second scanning means comprises a pixel selecting circuit for providing a signal for sequentially selecting pixels on the block-by-block basis and a switch circuit for outputting sensor signals according to the pixel selecting signals from the pixel selecting circuit.
An image sensor comprising a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements, each of which represents a unit pixel and is capable of reading out in a time series sensor signals of respective pixels by sequentially selecting pixel lines one by one and sequentially selecting sensor signals one by one in a selected pixel line, characterized in that each of the pixel lines is evenly divided into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of a specified number of pixels and a first scanning means is provided for sequentially reading out pixel sensor signals on a block-by-block basis starting from a first block, a buffer means is provided for temporally storing pixel sensor signals of a readout block and a second scanning means is provided for sequentially reading out the pixel sensor signals temporally stored in the buffer means.
A method of scanning the pixels of an image sensor comprised of a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements, each of which represents a unit pixel and is capable of reading out in a time series sensor signals of respective pixels by sequentially selecting pixel lines one by one and sequentially selecting sensor signals one by one in a selected pixel line, comprising the steps of dividing each of the pixel lines into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of a specified number of pixels, first scanning the pixels for sequentially reading out pixel sensor signals on a block-by-block basis starting from a first block, then scanning the pixels for sequentially reading out pixel sensor signals on a pixel-by-pixel basis from a selected block, and converting a pixel sensor signal scanned in the first scanning step into a voltage value by using a reference resistance with a bias voltage applied thereto.
A method of scanning the pixels of an image sensor comprised of a matrix of solid-state light sensor elements, each of which represents a unit pixel and is capable of reading out in a time series sensor signals of respective pixels by sequentially selecting pixel lines one by one and sequentially selecting sensor signals one by one in a selected pixel line, comprising the steps of dividing each of the pixel lines into a plurality of blocks with each block composed of a specified number of pixels, first scanning the pixels for sequentially reading out pixel sensor signals on a block-by-block basis starting from a first block, temporally storing the pixel sensor signals of a readout block, and then scanning the pixels for sequentially reading out the temporally stored pixel sensor signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.