# US 9,438,866 B2 · Image sensor with scaled filter array and in-pixel binning

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- Number: US 9,438,866 B2
- Document ID: US9438866B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 14/259,567
- Filed: 2014-04-23
- Published: 2015-10-29
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2014-04-23
- Assignees: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
- Applicants: Omnivision Technologies, Inc.
- Inventors: Johannes Solhusvik; Per Olaf Pahr
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9438866B2

## CPC

- H04N 25/447: by preserving the colour pattern with or without loss of information
- H04N 25/133: including elements passing panchromatic light, e.g. filters passing white light
- H04N 25/134: {based on three different wavelength filter elements}
- H04N 25/135: {based on four or more different wavelength filter elements}
- H04N 25/42: by switching between different modes of operation using different resolutions or aspect ratios, e.g. switching between interlaced and non-interlaced mode
- H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels
- H04N 25/70: SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
- H04N 25/778: comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself
- H04N 2209/045: using mosaic colour filter
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

Embodiments of an apparatus including a pixel array including a plurality of individual pixels grouped into pixel kernels having two or more individual pixels, wherein each pixel kernel includes a floating diffusion electrically coupled to all individual pixels in the kernel. A color filter array (CFA) is positioned over and optically coupled to the pixel array, the CFA comprising a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each including a plurality of scaled filters having a photoresponse selected from among two or more different photoresponses. Individual pixels within each pixel kernel are optically coupled to a scaled filter. Circuitry and logic coupled to the pixel array cause the apparatus to operate in a first mode wherein signals from a subset of individual pixels are individually transferred to their floating diffusion and read, resulting in a high-resolution, low-sensitivity sub-image and a second mode wherein signals from individual pixels in every pixel kernel are binned into the kernel's floating diffusion and read, resulting in a low-resolution, high-sensitivity image.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a pixel array including a plurality of individual pixels grouped into pixel kernels having two or more individual pixels, wherein each pixel kernel includes a floating diffusion that is electrically coupled to all individual pixels in the kernel;
a color filter array positioned over and optically coupled to the pixel array, the color filter array comprising a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit including a plurality of scaled filters, each scaled filter having a photoresponse selected from among two or more different photoresponses, wherein the individual pixels within each pixel kernel are optically coupled to a corresponding scaled filter; and
circuitry and logic coupled to the pixel array to cause the apparatus to operate in multiple image-capture modes, including:
a first mode wherein signals from individual pixels within the pixel array are individually transferred to their floating diffusion and read, resulting in a high-resolution, low-sensitivity image, and
a second mode wherein signals from all individual pixels in a pixel kernel are binned into the floating diffusion of the kernel and read, resulting in a low-resolution, high-sensitivity image;
wherein the circuitry and logic further operate the first mode and the second mode in a first sequence or a second sequence, the first sequence comprising:
using the first mode to capture the high-resolution, low-sensitivity image,
identifying a feature of interest in the high-resolution, low-sensitivity image,
processing only a subset of pixels from the high-resolution, low-sensitivity image that include at least the feature of interest to create a high-resolution, low-sensitivity sub-image, and
using the second mode to capture a low-resolution, high-sensitivity sub-image of the subset of pixels that include at least the feature of interest.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each pixel kernel includes M×N pixels and wherein M, N, or both, are greater than 1.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein M equals N or wherein M does not equal N.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The apparatus of claim 2 wherein each scaled filter is optically coupled to M×N pixels.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
G
R
B
G
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
B represents a scaled filter with a blue photoresponse, and
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
C
R
G
C
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
C represents a scaled filter with a colorless photoresponse, and
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
G
R
B
C
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
B represents a scaled filter with a blue photoresponse,
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse, and
C represents a scaled filter with a colorless photoresponse.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
C
Y
Y
M
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
C represents a scaled filter with a colorless photoresponse, and
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pixel array has a first dimension and a second dimension, and wherein the subset pixels comprises a strip of pixels extending the entire first dimension of the pixel array but less than the entire second dimension.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein each scaled filter is a contiguous filter optically coupled to the pixels in a corresponding pixel kernel.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first mode is executed before the second mode.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein only one of the first mode and the second mode is executed.

### Claim 13

A process comprising:
in an image sensor including:
a pixel array including a plurality of individual pixels grouped into pixel kernels having two or more individual pixels, wherein each pixel kernel includes a floating diffusion that is electrically coupled to all individual pixels in the kernel, and
a color filter array positioned over and optically coupled to the pixel array, the color filter array comprising a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit including scaled filters, each scaled filter having a photoresponse selected from among two or more photoresponses, wherein the individual pixels within each pixel kernel are optically coupled to a corresponding scaled filter,
programming circuitry and logic coupled to the pixel array to cause the image sensor, when operated, to include multiple image-capture modes, including:
a first mode wherein signals from individual pixels within the pixel array are individually transferred to their floating diffusion and read, resulting in a high-resolution, low-sensitivity image, and
a second mode wherein signals from all individual pixels in every pixel kernel are binned into the floating diffusion of the kernel and read, resulting in a low-resolution, high-sensitivity image;
wherein the circuitry and logic are further programmed to operate the first mode and the second mode in a first sequence or a second sequence, the first sequence comprising:
using the first mode to capture the high-resolution, low-sensitivity image,
identifying a feature of interest in the high-resolution, low-sensitivity image,
processing only a subset of pixels from the high-resolution, low-sensitivity image that include at least the feature of interest to create a high-resolution, low-sensitivity sub-image, and
using the second mode to capture a low-resolution, high-sensitivity sub-image of the subset of pixels that include at least the feature of interest.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein each pixel kernel includes M×N pixels and wherein M, N, or both, are greater than 1.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14 wherein M equals N or wherein M does not equal N.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The process of claim 14 wherein each scaled filter is optically coupled to M×N pixels.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
G
R
B
G
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
B represents a scaled filter with a blue photoresponse, and
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
C
R
G
C
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
C represents a scaled filter with a colorless photoresponse, and
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse.

### Claim 19 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
G
R
B
C
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
B represents a scaled filter with a blue photoresponse,
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse, and
C represents a scaled filter with a colorless photoresponse.

### Claim 20 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the minimal repeating unit is:
C
Y
Y
M
wherein
G represents a scaled filter with a green photoresponse,
C represents a scaled filter with a colorless photoresponse, and
R represents a scaled filter with a red photoresponse.

### Claim 21 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the pixel array has a first dimension and a second dimension, and wherein the subset pixels comprises a strip of pixels extending the entire first dimension of the pixel array but less than the entire second dimension.

### Claim 22 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein each scaled filter is a contiguous filter optically coupled to the pixels in a corresponding pixel kernel.

### Claim 23 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein the first mode is executed before the second mode.

### Claim 24 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein only one of the first mode and the second mode is executed.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1 wherein second sequence comprises:
using the second mode to capture the low-resolution, high-sensitivity image,
processing the low-resolution, high-sensitivity image to identify a feature of interest in the low-resolution, high-sensitivity image, and
invoking the first sequence if the feature of interest requires a high-resolution image.

### Claim 26 (depends on 13)

The process of claim 13 wherein second sequence comprises:
using the second mode to capture the low-resolution, high-sensitivity image,
processing the low-resolution, high-sensitivity image to identify a feature of interest in the low-resolution, high-sensitivity image, and
invoking the first sequence if the feature of interest requires a high-resolution image.