Image sensor
AssigneeArnold & Richter Cine Technik GmbH & Co. Betriebs KG
InventorMichael Cieslinski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor for electronic cameras includes a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column can be read out via a respective column line and includes a plurality of data outputs, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with the respective data output via at least one multiplexer device. The column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein the respective column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another; and wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output.
Claims29
An image sensor for electronic cameras, comprising
- a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column can be read out via at least one respective column line;
- and
- a plurality of data outputs, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one multiplexer device;
- wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein each column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another;
- and wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output;
- wherein at least one switch network is provided between the column lines and the data outputs, the at least one switch network being adapted to associate the column lines of the respective column line group with different data outputs, with a control device being provided for controlling the switch network;
- and
- wherein said at least one multiplexer device has a plurality of inputs and outputs and wherein the number of inputs is larger than the number of outputs.
An image sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of light-sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns;
- a plurality of column lines;
- a plurality of data outputs;
- at least one multiplexer device;
- and
- at least one switch network, the at least one multiplexer device and the at least one switch network being arranged between the column lines and the data outputs;
- and
- a control device;
- wherein the plurality of column lines form a plurality of column line groups, each column line group comprising a plurality of adjacent column lines, each column line belonging only to one of the plurality of column line groups, and the number of column line groups corresponding to the number of data outputs such that each column line group is associated with one of the data outputs;
- wherein the control device is adapted to control the at least one switch network such that the at least one switch network connects the column lines of each column line group not only to the associated data output, but also to at least one further data output associated with another column line group;
- and
- wherein said at least one multiplexer device has a plurality of inputs and outputs and wherein the number of inputs is larger than the number of outputs.
A method of reading out an image sensor for electronic cameras, wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns and a plurality of data outputs, wherein the pixels of a respective column are read out via at least one respective column line, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one respective multiplexer device, wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein the respective column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another, wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output, and
- wherein the column lines of the respective column line group are associated with different data outputs;
- and
- wherein said at least one multiplexer device has a plurality of inputs and outputs and wherein the number of inputs is larger than the number of outputs.
An image sensor for electronic cameras, comprising
- a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column can be read out via at least one respective column line;
- and
- a plurality of data outputs, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one multiplexer device;
- wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein each column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another;
- and wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output;
- wherein at least one switch network is provided between the column lines and the data outputs, the at least one switch network being adapted to associate the column lines of the respective column line group with different data outputs, with a control device being provided for controlling the switch network;
- wherein each column line of the respective column line group has an association probability with a respective data output which corresponds to a relative frequency at which the respective column line is associated with said respective data output;
- and
- wherein the association probability is smaller, the further the respective data output is remote from the respective column line group of the respective column line.
An image sensor for electronic cameras, comprising
- a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column can be read out via at least one respective column line;
- and
- a plurality of data outputs, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one multiplexer device;
- wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein each column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another;
- and wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output;
- wherein at least one switch network is provided between the column lines and the data outputs, the at least one switch network being adapted to associate the column lines of the respective column line group with different data outputs, with a control device being provided for controlling the switch network;
- wherein the at least one switch network comprises a single switch network;
- and
- wherein the at least one multiplexer device comprises a first multiplexer device arranged between the column lines and the single switch network and a second multiplexer device arranged between the single switch network and the plurality of data outputs.
An image sensor for electronic cameras, comprising
- a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column can be read out via at least one respective column line;
- and
- a plurality of data outputs, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one multiplexer device;
- wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein each column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another;
- and wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output;
- wherein at least one switch network is provided between the column lines and the data outputs, the at least one switch network being adapted to associate the column lines of the respective column line group with different data outputs, with a control device being provided for controlling the switch network;
- wherein the at least one switch network comprises a first switch network and a second switch network;
- wherein the at least one multiplexer device comprises a first multiplexer device arranged between the column lines and the first switch network and a second multiplexer device arranged between the first switch network and the second switch network;
- and
- wherein the second switch network is arranged between the second multiplexer device and the plurality of data outputs.
An image sensor for electronic cameras, comprising
- a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein the pixels of a respective column can be read out via at least one respective column line;
- and
- a plurality of data outputs, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one multiplexer device;
- wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein each column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another;
- and wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output;
- wherein at least one switch network is provided between the column lines and the data outputs, the at least one switch network being adapted to associate the column lines of the respective column line group with different data outputs, with a control device being provided for controlling the switch network;
- wherein the control device includes a plurality of control lines;
- wherein the at least one switch network includes a plurality of switch rows, the switch rows being connected after one another, each switch row comprising a plurality of switches;
- wherein the control device is adapted to control each switch row via a respective one of the plurality of control lines;
- wherein the switches of each switch row include a plurality of intermediate switches;
- and
- wherein the at least one switch network comprises a plurality of crossover connections arranged between two sequential switch rows.
An image sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of light-sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns;
- a plurality of column lines;
- a plurality of data outputs;
- at least one multiplexer device;
- and
- at least one switch network, the at least one multiplexer device and the at least one switch network being arranged between the column lines and the data outputs;
- and
- a control device;
- wherein the plurality of column lines form a plurality of column line groups, each column line group comprising a plurality of adjacent column lines, each column line belonging only to one of the plurality of column line groups, and the number of column line groups corresponding to the number of data outputs such that each column line group is associated with one of the data outputs;
- wherein the control device is adapted to control the at least one switch network such that the at least one switch network connects the column lines of each column line group not only to the associated data output, but also to at least one further data output associated with another column line group;
- wherein the at least one switch network comprises a single switch network;
- and
- wherein the at least one multiplexer device comprises a first multiplexer device arranged between the column lines and the single switch network and a second multiplexer device arranged between the single switch network and the plurality of data outputs.
A method of reading out an image sensor for electronic cameras, wherein the image sensor includes a plurality of light sensitive pixels arranged in rows and columns and a plurality of data outputs, wherein the pixels of a respective column are read out via at least one respective column line, wherein a plurality of column lines are associated with a respective data output via at least one respective multiplexer device, wherein the column lines are divided into a plurality of column line groups, wherein the respective column line group includes a plurality of column lines arranged next to one another, wherein the number of column lines of the respective column line group corresponds to the number of the column lines associated with the respective data output, and
- wherein the column lines of the respective column line group are associated with different data outputs;
- and
- wherein the column lines of the respective column line group are associated with the different data outputs via at least one first multiplexer device, a following switch network and a following second multiplexer device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.