# US 9,521,349 B2 · Image sensor architecture with power saving readout > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,349 B2 - Document ID: US9521349B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/727,869 - Filed: 2015-06-02 - Published: 2015-12-24 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-06-19 - Assignees: Rambus Inc. - Applicants: Rambus Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Vogelsang; Jay Endsley; Michael Guidash - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521349B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/40: Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled - H04N 25/443: by reading pixels from selected two-dimensional [2D] regions of the array, e.g. for windowing or digital zooming - H04N 25/46: by combining or binning pixels - H04N 25/535: by dynamic region selection - H04N 25/583: with different integration times - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Pixels within an image sensor pixel array are sampled by corresponding conditional read circuitry. A zero pixel value is outputted for each pixel associated with a sample less than a conversion threshold, and a saturated pixel value is outputted for each pixel associated with a sample greater than or equal to a saturation threshold. Samples greater than or equal to the conversion threshold and less than the saturation threshold are converted by an ADC, and a converted pixel value is output for each associated above threshold pixel. The ADC (along with any corresponding amplifiers) are powered on for a variable period depending on the number of pixels needing conversion during the conversion of such samples during a read period, and are powered off for the remainder of the read period. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An integrated-circuit image sensor comprising: a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels, each readable through at least one corresponding pixel readout circuit; conditional read circuitry for a selected subgroup of the pixels and corresponding pixel readout circuits, to determine whether any of the subgroup of pixels are selected for readout, and perform a corresponding selection for parallel conditional full pixel sampling of the selected pixels in the subgroup for readout; an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC); and a controller configured to, for the selected subgroup of pixels: operate the ADC during a power-on period, where the length of the power-on period varies in relation to the number of parallel conditional full pixel samplings performed by the conditional read circuitry, and select samples corresponding to those pixels in the subgroup of pixels with conditional full pixel sampling for serial conversion by the ADC during the power-on period. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 1, wherein the conditional read circuitry comprises: a plurality of comparators operable in a parallel readout operation, each comparator in a first parallel operation associated with at least one sample from a different selected pixel readout circuit, each comparator configured to: access a sample from the selected readout circuit; and determine whether a charge associated with a pixel corresponding to the accessed sample is less than a conversion threshold based on the accessed sample. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 2, wherein the controller is further configured to output a zero pixel value for the pixel in response to a determination by one of the comparators that the charge associated with the pixel is less than the conversion threshold. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 2, wherein each comparator is further configured to: determine whether a charge associated with the pixel corresponding to the accessed sample is greater than or equal to a saturation threshold based on the accessed sample. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to output a saturation pixel value for the pixel in response to a determination by one of the comparators that the charge associated with the pixel is greater than or equal to the saturation threshold. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 4, wherein the controller is further configured to, for each pixel based on the output of the corresponding comparator: determine whether a charge associated with the pixel corresponding to the accessed sample is greater than or equal to the conversion threshold and less than the saturation threshold based on the accessed sample; and select the pixel for readout if the charge associated with the pixel is greater than or equal to the conversion threshold and less than the saturation threshold. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to, for the selected subgroup of pixels: operate an amplifier during the power-on period, the amplifier configured to amplify the selected samples corresponding to the pixels in the subgroup of pixels before the samples are converted by the ADC. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: selecting a subset of pixels in a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels for readout, each pixel in the subset readable through at least one corresponding pixel readout circuit; performing a parallel conditional full pixel sampling for each of the selected subset of pixels; operating an ADC during a variable power-on period of a readout period, where the length of the power-on period varies in relation to the number of parallel conditional full pixel samplings performed, and powering down the ADC in another portion of the readout period; and converting, with the ADC, samples corresponding to those pixels in the set of pixels during the power-on period. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: accessing a sample from a selected readout circuit; and determining whether a charge associated with a pixel corresponding to the accessed sample is less than a conversion threshold based on the access sample. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: outputting a zero pixel value for the pixel in response to a determination that the charge associated with the pixel is less than the conversion threshold. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: determining whether a charge associated with the pixel corresponding to the accessed sample is greater than or equal to a saturation threshold based on the accessed sample. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: outputting a saturation pixel value for the pixel in response to a determination that the charge associated with the pixel is greater than or equal to the saturation threshold. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining whether a charge associated with the pixel corresponding to the accessed sample is greater than or equal to the conversion threshold and less than the saturation threshold based on the accessed sample; and selecting the pixel for readout if the charge associated with the pixel is greater than or equal to the conversion threshold and less than the saturation threshold. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: operating an amplifier during the power-on period, the amplifier configured to amplify samples corresponding to the pixels in the subset of pixels before the samples are converted by the ADC, and powering down the amplifier in another portion of the readout period. ### Claim 15 An integrated-circuit image sensor comprising: a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels and corresponding readout circuitry configured to sample a subset of the plurality of pixels in parallel; a plurality of classifiers each configured to classify a different one of the pixels in a sampled subset, wherein a pixel is classified as an above threshold pixel in response to a determination that a sample associated with the pixel is greater than or equal to a conversion threshold and less than a saturation threshold; an Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC); and a controller configured to operate the ADC during a power-on period of a readout period, wherein the ADC converts samples associated with above threshold pixels in the sampled subset during the power-on period to produce converted pixel values, the length of the power-on period based on the number of above threshold pixels, the controller further configured to power down the ADC during at least one portion of the readout period when the ADC is not converting samples associated with above threshold pixels. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 15, wherein a pixel is classified as below threshold in response to a determination that a sample associated with the pixel is less than the conversion threshold, and wherein the controller is further configured to output a zero pixel value for each pixel classified as a below threshold pixel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 16, wherein a pixel is classified as saturated in response to a determination that a sample associated with the pixel is greater than or equal to the saturation threshold, and wherein the controller is further configured to output a saturated pixel value for each pixel classified as a saturated pixel. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 17, wherein the power-on period begins at the beginning of readout of pixel values associated with the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to output at least some of the zero pixel values or the saturated pixel values during the power-on period. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The integrated-circuit image sensor of claim 15, wherein the controller is further configured to: operate an amplifier during the power-on period, the amplifier configured to amplify a sample associated with an above threshold pixel before the sample is converted by the ADC, and to power down the amplifier during at least one portion of the readout period.