Wide Dynamic Range Sensor
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsEzra D. Hall, Anthony J. Perri
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A sensor and method for widening a dynamic range of sensor circuitry for sensing energy, such as light energy. The sensor circuitry includes a sensor and recharge circuitry for sharing additional charge with the sensor as needed during an integration period. Readout circuitry is provided to read out, after the integration period, the sense voltage remaining across the sensor and recharge information indicating whether the recharge circuitry shared charge with the sensor during the integration period. The sense voltage and recharge information read out of the sensor circuitry is used in a function to determine the total amount of energy sensed by the sensor during the integration period.
Claims30
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- sensor circuitry for sensing energy and having an integration period, said sensor circuitry including:
- a sensor precharged to a sense voltage and having a means for storing charge, said sensor being reactive to said energy by experiencing a decrease in said sense voltage;
- recharge circuitry in electrical communication with said sensor, said recharge circuitry configured to share charge with said sensor during said integration period as a function of said sense voltage;
- and
- readout circuitry configured to read out after said integration period said sense voltage and information indicating whether said recharge circuitry shared charge with said sensor during said integration period.
An integrated circuit, comprising:
- imaging sensor circuitry for sensing photons and having an integration period, said imaging sensor circuitry including:
- an array of sensors each for holding a sense voltage and each having a means for storing charge, each sensor being reactive to said photons by experiencing a decrease in said sense voltage;
- a plurality of recharge circuitries each in electrical communication with a corresponding respective one of said sensors and configured to share charge with said corresponding respective one of said sensors during said integration period as a function of said sense voltage;
- and
- readout circuitry configured to read out after said integration period each said sense voltage and information indicating whether each of said plurality of recharge circuitries triggered during said integration period.
A method of increasing a dynamic range of a sensor during an integration period, comprising:
- providing a sensor having a sense voltage and a means for storing charge, said sensor responsive to energy by experiencing a decrease in said sense voltage during an integration period;
- monitoring said sense voltage during said integration period;
- if said sense voltage reaches a predetermined value during said integration period, providing additional charge to said sensor during said integration period;
- and
- reading out, at or after the end of said integration period, said sense voltage and information indicating whether said additional charge was provided to said sensor.
A photosensor circuit for sensing light energy and having an integration period, the photosensor circuit comprising:
- a photosensor having a capacitance and configured to be precharged to a sense voltage, said photosensor being reactive to the light energy by experiencing a decrease in said sense voltage;
- and
- recharge circuitry in electrical communication with said photosensor, said recharge circuitry configured to share charge with said photosensor, if needed, at least once during said integration period as a function of said sense voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.