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US 2008/0186395 A1Published application
Photo diode fuse-id for cmos imagers
OwnerJeff D. Bruce, Roger Panicacciinventors
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A CMOS image pixel array formed on a chip is used for storing programmed information within the pixel array. Manufacturing lot and other data is written to the array during manufacturing and testing by applying a laser to pixels to render the photodiode defective. The programmed data is read from the pixel array using existing circuitry.
Claims17
1-36. (canceled)
An imaging system with data storage, comprising:
- a chip having a sensor array, said sensor array comprising a plurality of pixels, wherein a first portion of said pixels are used for providing a signal representative of light incident to said sensor array, wherein a second portion of said pixels are used for providing programmed data storage, said second portion of said pixels comprising pixels representing data of one of a first and second logic state.
A method of operating an image sensor, comprising:
- storing data in a pixel array of said image sensor by programming selected pixels of said pixel array, wherein said programming further comprises:
- disabling at least one of said selected:
- pixels to store data representing a first logic state;
- and
- not disabling at least one of said selected pixels to store data representing a second logic state,
- wherein the disabling of a selected pixel comprises making a photosensor of said disabled selected pixel defective.
3 more elements
A semiconductor chip, comprising:
- a sensor array, comprising:
- a plurality of pixels, wherein a first portion of said pixels are used for providing a signal representative of light incident to said sensor array, wherein a second portion of said pixels are used for providing data as different signal states, wherein said second portion of said pixels comprises pixels with intentionally defective photodiodes to represent data of a first logic state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.