US 6,552,746 B1Granted

Apparatus having an image sensor that is variable in spatial resolution and bit resolution and associated method

AssigneePixim, Inc.

InventorsXiao D. Yang, Zhonghan Deng

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Abstract

The invention relates to a CMOS image sensor that can be embedded in portable imaging systems. This high spatial resolution and low bit resolution CMOS area image sensor not only enables portable imaging systems such as cellular fax phone, portable copy machines, barcode reader, but also it can be fabricated in standard digital CMOS processes, particularly at 0.35 micron and below. This invention also discloses several portable imaging systems using such a CMOS image sensor. This invention further discloses a CMOS image sensor that has variable spatial resolution and bit resolution. Starting as a high spatial resolution low-bit resolution image sensor, the high bit-resolution is achieved by combining information from a group of nearest-neighbor pixels into a single super-pixel via spatial oversampling. This variable CMOS image sensor can be used in a multiple function imaging device for both document and video imaging, or photography.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An apparatus producing image signals adaptive to a predefined application, said apparatus comprising:

an image sensor configurable to produce said image signals having a spatial resolution and an N-bit resolution in accordance with said predefined application, said image sensor having a sensor spatial resolution, said spatial resolution being upper limited by said sensor spatial resolution and N being equal to or greater than 1, wherein said image sensor includes a plurality of sensor circuits configured in a two-dimensional array, each of said sensor circuits including:
a sensor pixel producing one of said sensor signals when being exposed to said incident light;
and
a first circuit causing said one of said sensor signals adjusted in accordance with one or more of parameters arranged in a two-dimensional array, wherein the size of said two-dimensional array for said parameters is substantially smaller than the size of said image sensor and each of said parameters is selectively configurable to be different from each other in accordance with said predefined application;
an optical system, in front of said image sensor, collecting and focusing incident light reflected from an object onto said image sensor;
and
an output circuit, coupled to said image sensor, receiving said image signals and outputting said image signals thereof after said image signals are processed therein with respect to said predefined application.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 09/337,473Filed 21 Jun 1999 · continuation
Priority: 22 Sep 1998
Granted: 22 Apr 2003
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04N 1/195
Using multi-element arrays: the array comprising a two-dimensional [2D] array
H04N 25/46
Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled: by…
H04N 25/76
SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith: addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
H04N 25/78
Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors: readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters