Method and image sensor pixel without address transistor
AssigneeIntellectual Ventures II LLC
InventorJaroslav Hynecek
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Abstract
The invention describes in detail a solid-state CMOS image sensor, specifically the CMOS image sensor pixel that has only two row lines per pixel, pinned photodiode for sensing light, and one or two column lines. The pixel does not have an address transistor and the sensing and reset transistors are both MOS p-channel type. This architecture results in a low noise operation with a very small output transistor random noise. In addition this new pixel architecture allows for the standard CDS signal processing operation, which reduces the pixel to pixel non-uniformities and minimizes kTC reset noise. The pixel has high sensitivity, high conversion gain, high response uniformity, and low noise, which is enabled by the efficient 3T pixel layout.
Claims21
A method, comprising:
- transitioning a reset control line associated with an image sensor pixel to a non-reset signal level;
- pulsing a reference voltage line associated with the image sensor pixel while the reset control line has the non-reset signal level;
- and
- generating, in response to said pulsing a reference voltage line, an output signal representative of charge for a floating diffusion node of the image sensor pixel.
A method, comprising:
- transitioning a reset control line associated with a row of image sensor pixels to a non-reset signal level;
- pulsing a reference voltage line associated with a column of image sensor pixels while the reset control line has the non-reset signal level;
- and
- generating, in response to said pulsing a reference voltage line, an output signal representative of charge for a floating diffusion node of a selected image sensor pixel in both the row of image sensor pixels and the column of image sensor pixels.
A method, comprising:
- turning off reset transistors of image sensor pixels in a row of image sensor pixels, wherein the reset transistors are configured to reset respective image sensor pixels when turned on;
- selecting an image sensor pixel in the row of image sensor pixels by pulsing a reference voltage line associated with a column of image sensor pixels while the reset transistors for the row of image sensor pixels are turned off;
- and
- generating, in response to said pulsing a reference voltage line, an output signal representative of charge for a floating diffusion node of the selected image sensor pixel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.