US 9,001,250 B2Granted

Method and apparatus for reading image data from an image sensor

AssigneeOmni Vision Technologies, Inc.

InventorsTiejun Dai, Zheng Yang, Shijing Yao

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Abstract

A method of reading image data from an image sensor includes accumulating image charges in photosensitive elements of an array of pixel cells. The accumulated image charges are transferred to corresponding transistors in multi-phase transfer channels that are coupled to corresponding columns of the pixel array. Multi-phase transfer signals are generated. Each set of the multi-phase transfer signals includes a plurality of control signals that are out-of-phase with one another and are coupled to control respective transistors in the multi-phase transfer channels. The accumulated image charges from a first variable number of pixel cells of a selected column are output in response to the multi-phase transfer signals. The accumulated image charges from a second variable number of pixel cells of another selected column are output in response to the multi-phase transfer signals.

Claims23

Dependent claims

A method of reading image data from an image sensor, comprising:

accumulating image charges in photosensitive elements of an array of pixel cells arranged into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
transferring the image charges accumulated in each one of the photosensitive elements to a corresponding one of a plurality of transistors included in a corresponding one of a plurality of multi-phase transfer channels, wherein each one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels is coupled to a corresponding column of the array of pixel cells;
generating a plurality of sets of multi-phase transfer signals, wherein each set of the multi-phase transfer signals includes a plurality of control signals that are out-of-phase with one another, wherein each one of the sets of multi-phase transfer signals is coupled to control the plurality of transistors of a respective one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels;
selecting a first one of the plurality of columns;
outputting the accumulated image charges from a first variable number of pixel cells of the selected first one of the plurality of columns in response to a first set of multi-phase transfer signals, wherein outputting the accumulated image charges from the first variable number of pixel cells of the selected first one of the plurality of columns comprises transferring the accumulated image charges transistor-to-transistor along a first one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels coupled to the selected first one of the plurality of columns in response to the first set of multi-phase transfer signals;
selecting a second one of the plurality of columns;
and
outputting the accumulated image charges from a second variable number of pixel cells of the selected second one of the plurality of columns in response to a second set of multi-phase transfer signals.

5 more elements

An image sensing system, comprising:

an array of pixel cells arranged into a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns;
a plurality of multi-phase transfer channels coupled to the array of pixel cells, wherein each one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of columns of the array of pixel cells, wherein each one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels comprises a plurality of transistors coupled together in series, wherein each pixel cell of the respective one of the plurality of columns is coupled to a respective one of the plurality of transistors of a respective one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels;
readout circuitry coupled to the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels to readout image data from the array of pixel cells;
and
column control circuitry coupled to generate multi-phase transfer signals coupled to be received by the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels to control an output of image data from a variable number of pixel cells for each one of the plurality of columns of the array of pixels, wherein each one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels is coupled to transfer the image data from the variable number of pixel cells for each one of the plurality of columns of the array of pixels to the readout circuitry in response to the multi-phase transfer signals, wherein image charges received from the variable number of pixel cells for each one of the plurality of columns of the array of pixels are coupled to be transferred through the respective one of the plurality of multi-phase transfer channels transistor-to-transistor along the plurality of transistors coupled together in series to the readout circuitry in response to the multi-phase transfer signals.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.