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US 2008/0164404 A1Published application
Electronic Neutral Density Filter
AssigneeForza Silicon Corporation
InventorBarmak Mansoorian
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An image sensor with an electronic neutral density filter. Each pixel of the image sensor is capable of being electronically adjusted such that the total charge integration is effectively changed by an amount of the adjustment. The adjustment uses a variable capacitor, here are paper wrapped are formed by an MOS transistor. The capacitor may be within each pixel, or may be shared between multiple pixels.
Claims14
An image sensor comprising:
- a group of photoreceptor elements;
- an electronically variable capacitor element, connectable in parallel with each of said photoreceptor elements of said group during a time which shares the charge integrated by each photoreceptor, and during said readout time, said outputs caused by said photoreceptor elements receiving charge are shared between the photoreceptor and said variable capacitor element;
- and
- an output element, receiving an output electrical signal that has a magnitude which is based on a value of said variable capacitor element.
1 more element
(canceled)
An image sensor element comprising:
- a photoreceptor;
- an electronically variable capacitor element,
- connected in parrallel with said photoreceptor;
- and
- an output element, receiving an output electrical signal that has a magnitude which is based on a value of said variable capacitor element, wherein said electrically variable capacitor element is an MOS transistor configured as a varactor diode.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving photogenerated charge in an array of receiving photogenerated charge in an array of photoreceptors;
- and
- varying a capacitance that is associated with each said photoreceptor in the array, to produce an neutral-density filtered output from said array, that has a magnitude which is based on a value of the varied capacitance and where the output of all the pixels forming the output are varied based on this capacitance.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.