Wide dynamic range image sensor with global shutter
AssigneeOmniVision Technologies, Inc.
InventorsSohei Manabe, Keiji Mabuchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to generate image charge in response to incident light, and a first transfer gate is coupled to the photodiode to extract image charge from the photodiode in response to a first transfer signal. A first storage gate is coupled to the first transfer gate to receive the image charge from the first transfer gate, and a first output gate is coupled to the first storage gate to receive the image charge from the first storage gate. A first capacitor is coupled to the first output gate to store the image charge.
Claims20
An image sensor, comprising:
- a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to generate image charge in response to incident light;
- a first transfer gate coupled to the photodiode to extract image charge from the photodiode in response to a first transfer signal;
- a first storage gate coupled to the first transfer gate to receive the image charge from the first transfer gate;
- a first output gate coupled to the first storage gate to receive the image charge from the first storage gate;
- and
- a first capacitor coupled to the first output gate to store the image charge.
A method of capturing an image with an image sensor, comprising:
- absorbing incident light with a photodiode to generate image charge;
- transferring the image charge from the first photodiode to a first lateral overflow integration circuit (LOFIC) at a first frame rate, wherein the fist LOFIC includes a first storage gate and a first capacitor;
- and
- transferring the image charge from the first photodiode to a second LOFIC at a second frame rate, wherein the second LOFIC includes a second storage gate and a second capacitor, wherein the second frame rate is faster than the first frame rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.