System And Method For Scan-Testing Of Idle Functional Units In Operating Systems
Granted: July 30, 2015
Application Number:
20150212151
A system has in an integrated circuit a seed memory coupled to seed a vector generator that provides a vector to at least one scan chain of a first functional unit. A signature generator is configured to generate a signature from scan chain data, the signature is compared to an expected signature in a signature memory. A state memorizer is provided for saving a state of the functional unit and to restore the state of the functional unit as testing is completed. The system also has…
BACK SIDE ILLUMINATED SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODE IMAGING SENSOR WITH HIGH SHORT WAVELENGTH DETECTION EFFICIENCY
Granted: July 16, 2015
Application Number:
20150200314
A single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) includes an n doped epitaxial layer disposed in a first semiconductor layer. A p doped epitaxial layer is above the n doped epitaxial layer on a back side of the first semiconductor layer. A multiplication junction is defined at an interface between the n doped epitaxial layer and the p doped epitaxial layer. A multiplication junction is reversed biased above a breakdown voltage such that a photon received through the back side of the first…
SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODE IMAGING SENSOR FOR COMPLEMENTARY METAL OXIDE SEMICONDUCTOR STACKED CHIP APPLICATIONS
Granted: July 16, 2015
Application Number:
20150200222
An imaging sensor system includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) imaging array including N pixels formed in a first semiconductor layer of a first wafer. Substantially an entire thickness of the first semiconductor layer of each pixel is fully depleted such that a multiplication region included in each pixel near a front side is configured to be illuminated with photons through a back side and through the substantially entire thickness of the fully depleted first semiconductor…
Image Device Having Efficient Heat Transfer, And Associated Systems
Granted: July 9, 2015
Application Number:
20150195433
An imaging device provides efficient heat transfer by orienting components of the imaging device such that heat is transferred out of the imaging device instead of within the imaging device assembly. Heat is transferred out of the imaging device assembly through a printed circuit board to which the assembly housing is mounted thereon and/or through the housing itself.
Digital Calibration-Based Skew Cancellation for Long-Reach MIPI D-PHY Serial Links
Granted: July 9, 2015
Application Number:
20150192949
A Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) physical layer (D-PHY) serial communication link and a method of reducing clock-data skew in a MIPI D-PHY serial communication link include apparatus including a clock transmitting circuit for transmitting a clock signal on a first lane of the MIPI D-PHY serial link, a data transmitting circuit for transmitting a data signal on a second lane of the MIPI D-PHY serial link, a clock receiving circuit for receiving the clock signal on the first…
IMAGE SENSOR PIXEL FOR HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE SENSOR
Granted: June 25, 2015
Application Number:
20150179695
An image sensor pixel for use in a high dynamic range image sensor includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode. The first photodiode include a first doped region, a first lightly doped region, and a first highly doped region disposed between the first doped region and the first lightly doped region. The second photodiode disposed in has a second full well capacity substantially equal to a first full well capacity of the first photodiode. The second photodiode includes a second…
METHOD OF READING OUT AN IMAGE SENSOR WITH TRANSFER GATE BOOST
Granted: June 18, 2015
Application Number:
20150172579
An image sensor includes photosensitive regions, transfer transistors, and one or more shared charge-to-voltage mechanism. A method for reading out the image sensor includes enabling a first transfer transistor to transfer photo-generated charge from a first photosensitive region to a shared charge-to-voltage mechanism. The method also includes no more than partially enabling a second transfer transistor to partially turn on the second transfer transistor to increase a capacitance of the…
LOW POWER IMAGING SYSTEM WITH SINGLE PHOTON AVALANCHE DIODE PHOTON COUNTERS AND GHOST IMAGE REDUCTION
Granted: June 11, 2015
Application Number:
20150163429
An imaging system includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels. Each one of the pixels includes a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) coupled to detect photons in response to incident light. A photon counter included in readout circuitry coupled to each pixel to count a number of photons detected by each pixel. The photon counter is coupled to stop counting photons in each pixel when a threshold photon count is reached for each pixel. Control circuitry is coupled to the pixel…
Image Sensors For Capturing Both Visible Light Images And Infrared Light Images, And Associated Systems And Methods
Granted: June 11, 2015
Application Number:
20150163418
An image sensor for capturing both visible light images and infrared light images includes a semiconductor substrate having length, width, and height, a plurality of visible light photodetectors disposed in the semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of combination light photodetectors disposed in the semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of visible light photodetectors has a respective depth in the height direction, and each of the plurality of combination light photodetectors…
Image Data Aggregating High Dynamic Range Imaging Systems And Associated Methods
Granted: June 4, 2015
Application Number:
20150156412
An image data aggregating high dynamic range imaging system includes an image sensor for generating N image data sets from an array of photodiodes, where N is an integer greater than one. The image sensor is adapted to generate each of the N image data sets with a different respective exposure time duration of the array of photodiodes. The system further includes an image data aggregating module for aggregating the N image data sets to obtain a virtual long exposure image data set.
Thermal Carrier For An LCOS Display Panel And Associated Methods
Granted: May 21, 2015
Application Number:
20150138483
A thermal carrier and method control a temperature of an LCOS display panel. The temperature of the LCOS display panel is determined Electrical power to a heating element within a thermal carrier carrying the LCOS display panel is increased when the temperature of the LCOS display panel is below a first temperature threshold and electrical power to the heating element is decreased when the temperature of the LCOS display panel is above a second temperature threshold.
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGE SENSOR READ OUT ARCHITECTURE
Granted: May 21, 2015
Application Number:
20150138410
A method of controlling a pixel array includes reading out image data from pixel cells of a row i of the of the pixel array with second transfer control signals that are coupled to be received by transfer transistors included in the pixels cells of the row of the of the pixel array that is being read out. Exposure times for pixel cells are independently controlled in other rows of the pixel array that are not being read out with first transfer control signals coupled to be received by…
Self-Adaptive Lens Shading Calibration and Correction
Granted: May 14, 2015
Application Number:
20150130972
A CMOS imaging system is capable of self-calibrating to correct for lens shading by use of images captured in the normal environment of use, apart from a production calibration facility.
Dual Pixel-Sized Color Image Sensors And Methods For Manufacturing The Same
Granted: May 14, 2015
Application Number:
20150130010
A dual pixel-size color image sensor, including an imaging surface, for imaging of incident light, and a plurality of color pixels, each color pixel including (a) four large photosites, including two large first-color photosites sensitive to a first color of the incident light, and (b) four small photosites including two small first-color photosites sensitive to the first color of the incident light. The large and small first-color photosites are arranged such that connected regions of…
BIG-SMALL PIXEL SCHEME FOR IMAGE SENSORS
Granted: May 7, 2015
Application Number:
20150123172
An image sensor pixel for use in a high dynamic range image sensor includes a first photodiode, a plurality of photodiodes, a shared floating diffusion region, a first transfer gate, and a second transfer gate. The first photodiode is disposed in a semiconductor material. The first photodiode has a first light exposure area and a first doping concentration. The plurality of photodiodes is also disposed in the semiconductor material. Each photodiode in the plurality of photodiodes has the…
COMPACT SPACER IN MULTI-LENS ARRAY MODULE
Granted: April 30, 2015
Application Number:
20150116562
An apparatus includes an image sensor partitioned into N image sensor regions. The image sensor is attached to a circuit board. A lens array having including N lenses is disposed proximate to the image sensor. Each one of the N lenses is arranged to focus a single image onto a respective one of the N image sensor regions. A spacer structure is stacked between to the lens array and the circuit board to separate the lens array from the image sensor, wherein the spacer structure surrounds a…
STACKED CHIP SPAD IMAGE SENSOR
Granted: April 30, 2015
Application Number:
20150115131
An example imaging sensor system includes a Single-Photon Avalanche Diode (SPAD) imaging array formed in a first semiconductor layer of a first wafer. The SPAD imaging array includes an N number of pixels, each including a SPAD region formed in a front side of the first semiconductor layer. The first wafer is bonded to a second wafer at a bonding interface between a first interconnect layer of the first wafer and the second interconnect layer of the second wafer. An N number of digital…
IMAGE SENSOR INCLUDING SPREAD SPECTRUM CHARGE PUMP
Granted: April 23, 2015
Application Number:
20150109500
A method of reducing harmonic tones of noise in an image sensor includes generating a system clock and generating a random clock in response to the system clock. A charge pump is clocked with the random clock to generate a boosted voltage. The boosted voltage is provided to a pixel array of the image sensor. Image charge is readout from pixel cells of the pixel array using the boosted voltage from the charge pump.
IMAGE SENSOR WITH DOPED SEMICONDUCTOR REGION FOR REDUCING IMAGE NOISE
Granted: April 23, 2015
Application Number:
20150108507
A backside illuminated image sensor includes a semiconductor layer having a back-side surface and a front-side surface. The semiconductor layer includes a pixel array region including a plurality of photodiodes configured to receive image light through the back-side surface of the semiconductor layer. The semiconductor layer also includes a peripheral circuit region including peripheral circuit elements for operating the plurality of photodiodes that borders the pixel array region. The…
PROJECTOR-CAMERA SYSTEM WITH AN INTERACTIVE SCREEN
Granted: April 16, 2015
Application Number:
20150102993
A projector-camera system includes a projector coupled to back project a first image on a translucent diffusing screen. A camera is coupled to capture a second image from a back side of the translucent diffusing screen. The second image includes the first image back projected on the translucent diffusing screen and a shadow of a pointing device cast on a front side of the translucent diffusing screen. The pointing device is on the front side of the translucent diffusing screen and is in…
