Driving an image sensor with reduced area and high image quality
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorTetsuo Asaba
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor includes a set of at least two pixels each sensing light of a same color coupled to a signal converter. A driver simultaneously turns on a respective switching element for transferring a respective photocurrent from a respective photodiode within each of such pixels to the signal converter, for capturing a moving image. Alternatively, the driver separately turns on the respective switching element for sequentially transferring a respective photocurrent from a respective photodiode within each of such pixels to the signal converter, for capturing a still image.
Claims20
An image sensor comprising:
- a first set of at least two pixels each sensing light of a same first color;
- a signal converter coupled to the first set of pixels;
- and
- a driver for turning on a respective switching element within each pixel of the first set for simultaneously coupling a respective photocurrent from a respective photodiode for each pixel of the first set to the signal converter,
- wherein each pixel of the first set has a transfer transistor, and wherein at least two transfer transistors of the first set are electrically connected to a common floating diffusion node.
A method of driving an image sensor comprising:
- coupling simultaneously a respective photocurrent from a respective photodiode for each pixel of a first set of at least two pixels to a signal converter, for capturing a moving image;
- wherein each pixel of the first set has a transfer transistor, and wherein at least two transfer transistors of the first set are electrically connected to a common floating diffusion node;
- and wherein each pixel of the first set is for sensing light of a same first color;
- and
- coupling separately the respective photocurrent from the respective photodiode for each pixel of the first set to the signal converter, for capturing a still image.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.