DIE SEAL RING FOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT SYSTEM WITH STACKED DEVICE WAFERS
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140124889
An integrated circuit system includes a first device wafer bonded to a second device wafer at a bonding interface of dielectrics. Each wafer includes a plurality of dies, where each die includes a device, a metal stack, and a seal ring that is formed at an edge region of the die. Seal rings included in dies of the second device wafer each include a first conductive path provided with metal formed in a first opening that extends from a backside of the second device wafer, through the…
Alternative Color Image Array And Associated Methods
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140118572
An image sensor includes an array of light sensitive elements and a filter array. Each filter element is in optical communication with a respective light sensitive element. The image sensor receives filtered light having a repeating pattern. Light sensitive elements in at least two successive rows alternately receive light having a first color and a second color, and light sensitive elements in common columns of the successive rows alternately receive light having the first color and the…
NEGATIVELY CHARGED LAYER TO REDUCE IMAGE MEMORY EFFECT
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140117485
An image sensor pixel includes a photodiode region having a first polarity doping type disposed in a semiconductor layer. A pinning surface layer having a second polarity doping type is disposed over the photodiode region in the semiconductor layer. The second polarity is opposite from the first polarity. A first polarity charge layer is disposed proximate to the pinning surface layer over the photodiode region. An contact etch stop layer is disposed over the photodiode region proximate…
Infrared Reflection/Absorption Layer For Reducing Ghost Image of Infrared Reflection Noise And Image Sensor Using the Same
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140117203
An image sensor includes a photo sensing element for receiving infrared (IR) radiation and detecting the IR radiation and generating an electrical signal indicative of the IR radiation. A redistribution layer (RDL) is disposed under the photo sensing element, the RDL comprising pattern of conductors for receiving the electrical signal. An IR reflection layer, an IR absorption layer or an isolation layer is disposed between the photosensing element and the RDL. The IR reflection layer, IR…
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NETWORK-BASED REAL-TIME VIDEO DISPLAY
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140112633
A method for network-based real-time video display is disclosed. The method includes: setting up a connection between an imaging apparatus and a website via a wireless network; producing a video by the imaging apparatus and displaying the video by the website if the imaging apparatus is successfully authenticated, wherein producing a video by the imaging apparatus includes: recording a video and splitting the video into video segments; processing and converting the video segments into a…
IMAGE SENSOR APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR SCENE ILLUMINANT ESTIMATION
Granted: April 24, 2014
Application Number:
20140111666
An image sensor apparatus is disclosed. The image sensor apparatus includes an image sensor for generating pixel data corresponding to a scene under a scene illuminant and a processor. The processor includes an illuminant estimation module for receiving a subset of the pixel data associated with a subset of a color space and finding a chromaticity trend in the pixel data subset to estimate the scene illuminant. A white balance and color correction module in the processor applies white…
STACKED CHIP IMAGE SENSOR WITH LIGHT-SENSITIVE CIRCUIT ELEMENTS ON THE BOTTOM CHIP
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140103411
An example imaging sensor system includes a backside-illuminated CMOS imaging array formed in a first semiconductor layer of a first wafer. The CMOS imaging array includes an N number of pixels, where each pixel includes a photodiode region. The first wafer is bonded to a second wafer at a bonding interface between a first metal stack of the first wafer and a second metal stack of the second wafer. A storage device is disposed in a second semiconductor layer of the second wafer. The…
PARTIAL BURIED CHANNEL TRANSFER DEVICE IN IMAGE SENSORS
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140103410
An image sensor pixel includes a photosensitive element, a floating diffusion (“FD”) region, and a transfer device. The photosensitive element is disposed in a substrate layer for accumulating an image charge in response to light. The FD region is dispose in the substrate layer to receive the image charge from the photosensitive element. The transfer device is disposed between the photosensitive element and the FD region to selectively transfer the image charge from the…
Compact In-Pixel High Dynamic Range Imaging
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140103189
Embodiments of the invention describe providing a compact solution to provide high dynamic range imaging (HDRI or simply HDR) for an imaging pixel by utilizing a control node for resetting a floating diffusion node to a reference voltage value and for selectively transferring an image charge from a photosensitive element to a readout node. Embodiments of the invention further describe control node to have to a plurality of different capacitance regions to selectively increase the overall…
RANDOM ESTIMATION ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTER
Granted: April 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140091201
A random estimation analog-to-digital converter for converting a first analog signal into a digital signal includes a random bit generator, a digital-to-analog converter, a summer, an M-bit analog-to-digital converter, and a digital combiner. The random bit generator generates random least significant bits (LSBs) and the digital-to-analog converter then converts the random LSBs into a second analog signal. The summer subtracts the second analog signal from the first analog signal in the…
WAFER LEVEL BONDING METHOD FOR FABRICATING WAFER LEVEL CAMERA LENSES
Granted: March 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140087491
A wafer-level bonding method for fabricating wafer level camera lenses is disclosed. The method includes: providing a lens wafer including lenses arranged in an array and a sensor wafer including sensors arranged in an array; measuring and analyzing an FFL of each lens to obtain a corresponding FFL compensation value for each lens; forming a thin transparent film (TTF) on each sensor of the sensor wafer, and the thickness of TTF is determined by the FFL compensation value of the…
LCOS PANEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Granted: March 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140085579
A method of manufacturing LCOS panel is disclosed. The method includes: providing a silicon substrate on which at least one conductive pad is formed and a transparent substrate on which a transparent electrode layer is formed; dispensing or coating a sealing material on a predetermined area of the silicon substrate or the transparent substrate; bonding the silicon substrate with the transparent substrate; singulating the bonded silicon substrate and transparent substrate such that at…
Systems And Methods For Sychronizing Multiple Video Sensors
Granted: March 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140085497
A system and method for producing an image include a plurality of sensors detecting light from a subject being imaged, each sensor generating an associated video signal indicative of its detected light, each video signal comprising a predefined time interval. A decoder receives the video signals from their associated sensors, detects the predefined time intervals of the received video signals, generates a synchronization signal, and transmits the synchronization signal to each sensor…
Backside-Illuminated Photosensor Array With White, Yellow ad Red-Sensitive Elements
Granted: March 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140084135
A monolithic backside-sensor-illumination (BSI) image sensor has a sensor array is tiled with a multiple-pixel cells having a first pixel sensor primarily sensitive to red light, a second pixel sensor primarily sensitive to red and green light, and a third pixel sensor having panchromatic sensitivity, the pixel sensors laterally adjacent each other. The image sensor determines a red, a green, and a blue signal comprising by reading the red-sensitive pixel sensor of each multiple-pixel…
HOUSING FOR WAFER-LEVEL CAMERA MODULE
Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140078387
A housing for protecting a wafer-level camera module and fixing the wafer-level camera module to a printed circuit board (PCB) includes: four side plates, defining a quadrilateral frame; four supporting plates each fixed to a lower portion of an inner face of a corresponding one of the four side plates, each supporting plate having a top face supporting a portion of the camera module; and four bottom plates each fixed to a lower portion of an outer face of a corresponding one of the four…
IMAGE BASED SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING INFORMATION ON MOVING OBJECTS
Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140078314
Systems and methods for generating images of an object having a known object velocity include imaging electromagnetic radiation from the object onto a sensor array of an imaging system, adjusting at least one of a shutter rate and a shutter direction of the imaging system in accordance with an image velocity of the image across the sensor array, and sampling output of the sensor array in accordance with the shutter rate and the shutter direction to generate the images. Systems and…
Systems and Methods for Controlling Lighting Strength of a Camera System by Time-Matched Intermittent Illumination
Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140078278
A camera system with lighting strength control includes: an image sensor for capturing images of a scene; a light source for illumination of the scene; and a signal generator, in communication with the image sensor and the light source, for generation of (a) a first signal for controlling image capture by the image sensor and (b) a second signal for controlling a duty cycle of the light source. A method for controlling the lighting strength of a camera system, which includes an image…
ACQUIRING GLOBAL SHUTTER-TYPE VIDEO IMAGES WITH CMOS PIXEL ARRAY BY STROBING LIGHT DURING VERTICAL BLANKING PERIOD IN OTHERWISE DARK ENVIRONMENT
Granted: March 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140078277
Introduce CMOS pixel array into dark environment and acquiring video image frames. During a first frame, reset each row of pixels sequentially, and one row at a time, and then read each row of pixels sequentially, and one row at a time. During a second frame, reset each row of pixels sequentially, and one row at a time, and then read each row of pixels sequentially, and one row at a time. Control a light source to illuminate the dark environment during at least a portion of a vertical…
LOW Z-HEIGHT PROJECTION SYSTEM FOR PROJECTING STRUCTURED LIGHT FOR 3D IMAGING
Granted: March 13, 2014
Application Number:
20140071404
A low Z-height projection system includes a display panel for displaying a grating pattern that has gratings extended in a first direction. A projection lens system is also included and projects the grating pattern displayed on the display panel onto a surface. The projection lens system is a truncated circular lens system that has a first lens width in the first direction and a second lens width in a second direction. The first lens width is less than the second lens width. The first…
SELECTIVE GAIN CONTROL CIRCUIT
Granted: March 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140062599
A circuit for providing signal amplification with reduced fixed pattern noise. In an embodiment, the circuit includes an amplifier and a plurality of legs coupled in parallel with one another between a first node for an input of the amplifier and a second node for an output of the amplifier. Control logic selects a first combination of the plurality of legs for a first configuration of the circuit to provide a first loop gain with the amplifier. In another embodiment, the control logic…
