# US 2025/0168531 A1 · Image sensor and operating method of image sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2025/0168531 A1 - Document ID: US20250168531A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 18/950,632 - Filed: 2024-11-18 - Published: 2025-05-22 - Earliest claimed: 2023-11-20 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Hyukbin Kwon; Joosung Moon; Sungjae Byun; Minwoong Seo - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20250168531A1 ## CPC - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/779: Circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array - H02M 1/0045: {Converters combining the concepts of switch-mode regulation and linear regulation, e.g. linear pre-regulator to switching converter, linear and switching converter in parallel, same converter or same transistor operating either in linear or switching mode} - H02M 1/007: {Plural converter units in cascade (push-pull DC/DC converters with pre-regulator H02M3/3374; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC stage including a high frequency transformer H02M7/4807; DC-AC converters following a DC-DC conversion stage generating periodically varying voltages H02M7/4826)} - H02M 3/07: using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H02M: APPARATUS FOR CONVERSION BETWEEN AC AND AC, BETWEEN AC AND DC, OR BETWEEN DC AND DC, AND FOR USE WITH MAINS OR SIMILAR POWER SUPPLY SYSTEMS; CONVERSION OF DC OR AC INPUT POWER INTO SURGE OUTPUT POWER; CONTROL OR REGULATION THEREOF (transformers H01F; dynamo-electric converters H02K47/00; controlling transformers, reactors or choke coils, control or regulation of electric motors, generators or dynamo-electric converters H02P) ## Abstract An image sensor including a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in rows and columns, a voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of voltages including a first power supply voltage and a second power supply voltage. The first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage have a same voltage level. The image sensor further including a row driver configured to generate a pixel control signal provided to the plurality of pixels based on the first power supply voltage during a first period and generate the pixel control signal based on the second power supply voltage during a second period after the first period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An image sensor comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in rows and columns; a voltage generator configured to generate a plurality of voltages including a first power supply voltage and a second power supply voltage, wherein the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage have a same voltage level; and a row driver configured to generate a pixel control signal provided to the plurality of pixels based on the first power supply voltage during a first period and generate the pixel control signal based on the second power supply voltage during a second period after the first period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the row driver includes: a first transistor, to which the first power supply voltage is applied, providing the first power supply voltage to an output node in response to an activation level of a first input signal during the first period; and a second transistor, to which the second power supply voltage is applied, providing the second power supply voltage to the output node in response to an activation level of a second input signal during the second period. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the voltage generator includes: a charge pump configured to generate a reference power supply voltage based on an input voltage; a first voltage regulator circuit configured to regulate the reference power supply voltage to generate the first power supply voltage; a first capacitor connected to an output terminal of the first voltage regulator circuit; a second voltage regulator circuit configured to regulate the reference power supply voltage to generate the second power supply voltage; and a second capacitor connected to an output terminal of the second voltage regulator circuit. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein the row driver includes: a first pull-up transistor, to which the first power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a first input signal; a first control transistor connected between a first terminal of the first pull-up transistor and an output node; a first pull-down transistor, to which a third power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a second input signal; a second control transistor connected between a first terminal of the first pull-down transistor and the output node; a second pull-up transistor, to which the second power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a third input signal; a third control transistor connected between a first terminal of the second pull-up transistor and the output node; a second pull-down transistor, to which a fourth power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a fourth input signal; and a fourth control transistor connected between a first terminal of the second pull-down transistor and the output node, wherein a level of the third power supply voltage is the same as a level of the fourth power supply voltage, and a level of the third power supply voltage and a level of the fourth power supply voltage are lower than voltage levels of the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image sensor of claim 4, wherein the row driver outputs, as the pixel control signal, the first power supply voltage or the third power supply voltage through the output node during the first period, and outputs, as the pixel control signal, the second power supply voltage or the fourth power supply voltage through the output node during the second period. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The image sensor of claim 4, wherein the voltage generator includes: a first charge pump circuit configured to generate a first reference power supply voltage based on an input voltage; a second charge pump circuit configured to generate a second reference power supply voltage based on the input voltage, wherein a voltage level of the second reference power supply voltage is lower than a voltage level of the first reference power supply voltage; a first voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the first power supply voltage based on the first reference power supply voltage; a first capacitor connected to an output terminal of the first voltage regulator circuit; a second voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the second power supply voltage based on the first reference power supply voltage; a second capacitor connected to an output terminal of the second voltage regulator circuit; a third voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the third power supply voltage based on the second reference power supply voltage; a third capacitor connected to an output terminal of the third voltage regulator circuit; a fourth voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the fourth power supply voltage based on the second reference power supply voltage; and a fourth capacitor connected to an output terminal of the fourth voltage regulator circuit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The image sensor of claim 6, wherein capacitance of the fourth capacitor is less than capacitance of the third capacitor. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The image sensor of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a photodiode configured to generate a charge based on received light; and a transmission transistor configured to transmit the charge generated by the photodiode to a floating diffusion node in response to a transmission control signal; and a sampling circuit configured to sample a reset signal and an image signal respectively corresponding to a reset level and a signal level of the floating diffusion node, wherein, during a global reset period and a signal dumping period, the row driver simultaneously provides the transmission control signal, as the pixel control signal, to a plurality of rows of the pixel array. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The image sensor of claim 8, wherein the first period and the second period are included in at least one of the global reset period and the signal dumping period. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The image sensor of claim 8, wherein the first period is included in the global reset period, and the second period is included in the signal dumping period. ### Claim 11 An image sensor comprising: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns; a voltage generating circuit configured to generate a first power supply voltage, a second power supply voltage, a third power supply voltage, and a fourth power supply voltage, wherein the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage have a first voltage level, and the third power supply voltage and the fourth power supply voltage have a second voltage level that is lower than the first voltage level; and a row driver configured to generate a pixel control signal provided to the plurality of pixels based on the first power supply voltage and the third power supply voltage during a first period and generate a pixel control signal provided to the plurality of pixels based on the second power supply voltage and the fourth power supply voltage during a second period after the first period. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The image sensor of claim 11, wherein the row driver includes: a first pull-up transistor, to which the first power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a first input signal; a first control transistor connected between a first terminal of the first pull-up transistor and an output node; a first pull-down transistor, to which the third power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a second input signal; a second control transistor connected between a first terminal of the first pull-down transistor and the output node; a second pull-up transistor, to which the second power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a third input signal; a third control transistor connected between a first terminal of the second pull-up transistor and the output node; a second pull-down transistor, to which the fourth power supply voltage is applied, operating in response to a fourth input signal; and a fourth control transistor connected between a first terminal of the second pull-down transistor and the output node, ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The image sensor of claim 12, wherein the first control transistor, the second control transistor, the third control transistor, and the fourth control transistor are turned on during the first period and the second period, the first pull-down transistor and the first pull-up transistor output the first power supply voltage or the third power supply voltage as the pixel control signal during the first period, and the second pull-down transistor and the second pull-up transistor output the second power supply voltage or the fourth power supply voltage as the pixel control signal during the second period. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The image sensor of claim 11, wherein the voltage generating circuit includes: a first charge pump circuit configured to generate a first reference power supply voltage based on an input voltage; a second charge pump circuit configured to generate a second reference power supply voltage based on the input voltage, wherein a voltage level of the second reference power supply voltage is lower than a voltage level of the first reference power supply voltage; a first voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the first power supply voltage based on the first reference power supply voltage; a first capacitor connected to an output terminal of the first voltage regulator circuit; a second voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the second power supply voltage based on the first reference power supply voltage; a second capacitor connected to an output terminal of the second voltage regulator circuit; a third voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the third power supply voltage based on the second reference power supply voltage; a third capacitor connected to an output terminal of the third voltage regulator circuit; a fourth voltage regulator circuit configured to generate the fourth power supply voltage based on the second reference power supply voltage; and a fourth capacitor connected to an output terminal of the fourth voltage regulator circuit. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The image sensor of claim 11, wherein the plurality of pixels operate according to a global shutter method, and the pixel control signal is provided simultaneously to the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image sensor of claim 15, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes: a photodiode configured to change received light into a charge; a transmission transistor configured to transmit the charge generated by the photodiode to a floating diffusion node in response to a transmission control signal; and a sampling circuit configured to sample a reset level and a signal level of the floating diffusion node, wherein the pixel control signal includes a transmission control signal provided to the transmission transistor. ### Claim 17 An operating method of an image sensor including a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a row driver driving the pixel array, and a voltage generating circuit providing a power supply voltage to the row driver, the operating method comprising: generating, by the voltage generating circuit, a first power supply voltage and a second power supply voltage; generating, by the row driver, a pixel control signal provided to the plurality of pixels corresponding to a plurality of rows of the pixel array based on the first power supply voltage during a first period; and generating, by the row driver, the pixel control signal based on the second power supply voltage during a second period after the first period. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The operating method of claim 17, wherein an exposure start time of each of the plurality of pixels is the same. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The operating method of claim 17, wherein the first period and the second period are included in a shuttering period of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The operating method of claim 17, wherein the first period is included in a shuttering period of the plurality of pixels, and the second period is included in a signal sampling period of the plurality of pixels.