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US 9,000,966 B2Granted
Integrated circuit, analog-digital converter and CMOS image sensor with the same
AssigneeSK hynix Inc.
InventorYoung-Chul Sohn
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A integrated circuit includes an analog power domain circuit having more than one stages, a digital power domain circuit having at least one stage receiving the output signal of the analog power domain circuit, and a voltage regulating unit suitable for supplying at least one scaled power to the latter part of the stages to reduce a voltage level difference between the analog power domain circuit and the digital power domain circuit.
Claims19
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an analog power domain circuit having more than one stages;
- a digital power domain circuit having at least one stage receiving an output signal of the analog power domain circuit;
- and
- a voltage regulating unit suitable for supplying at least one scaled power to the latter part of the stages of the analog power domain circuit to reduce a voltage level difference between the analog power domain circuit and the digital power domain circuit.
1 more element
An analog-digital converter comprising:
- a voltage scaling unit suitable for scaling a voltage for each stage of an analog power domain circuit to produce a scaled voltage and to supply the scaled voltage to the stage of the analog power domain circuit to reduce a voltage level difference between the analog power domain circuit and a digital power domain circuit;
- a comparison block suitable for comparing a value of a pixel signal with a value of a ramp signal based on a comparator control signal to produce a comparison result;
- and
- a counting block suitable for performing a counting operation based on the comparison result of the comparison block by using a digital voltage,
- wherein the comparison block is operated by supplying an analog voltage or the scaled voltage obtained in the voltage scaling unit.
2 more elements
A CMOS image sensor comprising:
- a pixel array suitable for outputting pixel signals corresponding to incident light;
- a voltage scaling unit suitable for scaling a voltage for each stage of an analog power domain circuit to produce a scaled voltage and for supplying the scaled voltage to the stage of the analog power domain circuit to reduce a voltage level difference between the analog power domain circuit and a digital power domain circuit;
- a comparison block suitable for comparing values of the pixel signals with a value of a ramp signal based on a comparator control signal to produce a comparison result;
- a counting block suitable for performing a counting operation based on the comparison result of the comparison block by using a digital voltage;
- a buffer memory block suitable for operating by using the digital voltage and for storing count information obtained in the counting block;
- a column controlling block suitable for controlling operations of the counting block and the buffer memory block;
- and
- a sense amplifying block suitable for reading data stored in the buffer memory block and for outputting digital pixel data,
- wherein the comparison block is operated by supplying an analog voltage or the scaled voltage obtained in the voltage scaling unit.
6 more elements
An integrated circuit comprising:
- an analog power domain circuit operating by using an analog power;
- a digital power domain circuit operating by using a digital power;
- and
- a scaled-down power domain circuit, which is disposed between the analog power domain circuit and the digital power domain circuit, operating by using at least one scaled-down power,
- wherein the scaled-down power has a voltage level higher than a voltage level of the digital power and lower than a voltage level of the analog power.
2 more elements
A CMOS image sensor comprising:
- a pixel array suitable for outputting pixel signals corresponding to incident light;
- a comparison block suitable for comparing voltage levels of the pixel signals with a voltage level of a ramp signal by using a first power, and for outputting a comparison result by using a second power, which has a voltage level that is lower than a voltage level of first power;
- and
- a counting block suitable for performing a counting operation based on the comparison results by using a third power, which has a voltage level that is lower than a voltage level of second power.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.