Adaptive correlated multiple sampling
Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number:
12294804
An arithmetic logic unit (ALU) includes a front end latch stage coupled to a Gray code (GC) generator to latch GC outputs, a signal latch stage coupled to latch outputs of the front end latch stage, a GC to binary stage coupled to generate a binary representation of the GC outputs, an adder stage including first inputs coupled to receive outputs of the GC to binary stage, a pre-latch stage coupled to latch outputs of the adder stage, and a feedback latch stage coupled to latch outputs of…
Low power event driven pixels with active difference detection circuitry, and reset control circuits for the same
Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number:
12294802
Low power event driven pixels and reset control circuits for the same are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an event driven pixel comprises a photosensor; a photocurrent-to-voltage converter coupled to the photosensor; and a difference circuit coupled to the photocurrent-to-voltage converter. The difference circuit includes a source follower transistor and is configured to generate a signal at a gate of the source follower transistor that is based on a voltage output from the…
CAPMID design in VRFD for HDR structure
Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number:
12294801
A pixel circuit includes a photodiode configured to photo generate image charge in response to incident light, a floating diffusion coupled to receive the image charge from the photodiode, a transfer transistor coupled between the photodiode and the floating diffusion to transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion, a reset transistor coupled between a variable voltage source and the floating diffusion, wherein the reset transistor is configured to be switched…
Fixed pattern noise reduction in image sensors operated with pulsed illumination
Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number:
12294794
Fixed pattern noise (FPN) reduction techniques in image sensors operated with pulse illumination are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method includes, during a first sub-exposure period of a frame, (a) operating a first tap of a pixel to capture a first signal corresponding to first charge at a first floating diffusion, the first charge corresponding to first light incident on a photosensor, and (b) operating a second tap of the pixel to capture a first parasitic signal…
Phase detection auto focus with horizontal/vertical quad phase detection
Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number:
12294796
An imaging device includes a pixel array with 2×2 pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns. Each 2×2 pixel circuit includes 4 photodiodes. Bitlines are coupled to the 2×2 pixel circuits and a color filter array is disposed over photodiodes of the pixel array. The color filter array includes color filters having a first color, color filters having a second color, color filters having a third color. The photodiodes of each 2×2 pixel circuits are covered by one of the color filters.…
High dynamic range CMOS image sensor pixel with reduced metal-insulator-metal lateral overflow integration capacitor lag
Granted: May 6, 2025
Patent Number:
12294799
A pixel circuit includes a photodiode configured to photogenerate image charge in response to incident light. A floating diffusion is coupled to receive the image charge from the photodiode. A transfer transistor is coupled between the photodiode and the floating diffusion to transfer the image charge from the photodiode to the floating diffusion. A reset transistor is coupled between a bias voltage source and the floating diffusion. A drain of the reset transistor is coupled to the bias…
Multi-element wide-field lens for wafer-assembled chip-cube cameras
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12287464
A chip-level camera includes an image sensor; a concave L1 lens element on an inside surface of a first substrate; a convex L2 lens element on a first surface of a second substrate; a diaphragm stop on a second surface of the second substrate or on a first surface of a third substrate, the diaphragm stop between the second and third substrates; a convex L3 lens element on a second surface of the third substrate spaced from the image sensor; a first spacer holding first substrate at a…
Photo-voltaic phototransistor in forward bias
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12289553
A pixel circuit includes: a phototransistor configured to receive, by one region of a source and a drain, inflow of photo-carriers generated by light entering a substrate, and configured to output a voltage signal from the one region; and a blocking layer provided on another region of the drain and the source and on a side of a channel far from a surface, and configured to prevent the photo-carriers from directly flowing into the other region. The phototransistor causes a sub-threshold…
Transistors having increased effective channel width
Granted: April 29, 2025
Patent Number:
12289924
An image sensor includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A floating diffusion is disposed in the semiconductor substrate. A transfer transistor is configured for coupling the photodiode to the floating diffusion. The transfer transistor includes a vertical transfer gate extending a first depth in a depthwise direction from the first surface into the semiconductor substrate. A transistor is…
Dual depth junction structures and process methods
Granted: April 22, 2025
Patent Number:
12284839
Transistors, electronic devices, and methods are provided. Transistors include a gate trench formed in a semiconductor substrate and extending to a gate trench depth, and a source and a drain formed as doped regions in the semiconductor substrate and having a first conductive type. The source and the drain are formed along a channel length direction of the transistor at a first end and a second end of the gate trench, respectively, and the source and the drain each includes a first doped…
Image sensor including peak hold circuit
Granted: April 22, 2025
Patent Number:
12281937
A pixel circuit includes: a photodiode configured to operate in a photovoltaic mode and to accumulate charges corresponding to an incident light amount; a reset transistor configured to reset the accumulated charges of the photodiode; and a peak hold circuit configured to hold an output corresponding to the accumulated charges of the photodiode, the peak hold circuit including a peak hold transistor connected to an output end of the photodiode, a switching transistor configured to turn…
Method of operation for visible-infrared image capture with imaging system
Granted: April 15, 2025
Patent Number:
12279060
A method of operating an imaging system is described. The method comprising transferring first image charges accumulated during a long exposure period of a first image frame to respective floating diffusion regions of a first pixel and a second pixel, reading out long exposure image signals from the respective floating diffusion regions to a first storage capacitor associated with the first pixel and a second storage capacitor associated with the second pixel, transferring second image…
Phase-detection image sensor remosaicing
Granted: April 15, 2025
Patent Number:
12279050
An imaging system comprising a phase-detection image sensor comprising a plurality of phase-detection pixel units and a processor configured to: interpolate a green image to obtain a full resolution interpolated green image including defocused portions having artifacts and in-focus portions having sharp image, low-pass filter the full resolution interpolated green image to obtain a blurred image of the interpolated green image, combine the full resolution interpolated green image and the…
Electrical phase detection auto focus
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12273639
Electrical Phase Detection Auto Focus. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array disposed in a semiconductor material. Each pixel includes a plurality of photodiodes configured to receive incoming light through an illuminated surface of the semiconductor material. The plurality of pixels includes at least one autofocusing phase detection (PDAF) pixel having: a first subpixel without a light shielding, and a second…
Hybrid dynamic vision sensor and CMOS device for motion compensation
Granted: April 8, 2025
Patent Number:
12273623
An image processing method and a device configured to implement the same are disclosed. The device comprises: a hybrid imaging device configured to obtain optical input; and a processing device in signal communication with the hybrid imaging device. The processing device comprises: a motion detection circuit that performs feature tracking based on a first component of an obtained optical input; a motion estimation circuit that performs motion compensation based on output of the motion…
Pixel cell having anti-blooming structure and image sensor
Granted: March 25, 2025
Patent Number:
12262563
A pixel cell is formed on a semiconductor substrate having a front surface. The pixel cell includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion region, and a transfer gate. The photodiode is disposed in the semiconductor substrate. The floating diffusion region includes a first doped region disposed in the semiconductor substrate, wherein the first doped region extends from the front surface to a first junction depth in the semiconductor substrate. The transfer gate is configured to selectively…
Image sensor with varying depth deep trench isolation structure for reduced crosstalk
Granted: March 25, 2025
Patent Number:
12262562
An image sensor comprises a first photodiode, a second photodiode, and a deep trench isolation structure. The first photodiode and the second photodiode are each disposed within a semiconductor substrate. The first photodiode is adjacent to the second photodiode. The deep trench isolation structure has a varying depth disposed within the semiconductor substrate between the first photodiode and the second photodiode. The DTI structure extends the varying depth from a first side of the…
Image processing method and apparatus implementing the same
Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number:
12254607
An image processing method and a device configured to implement the same are disclosed. The method comprises: obtaining optical input from a hybrid imaging device, wherein an obtained optical input comprises a first component and a second component that temporally corresponds to the first component; wherein the first component of the obtained optical input corresponds to a first temporal resolution, while the second component of the obtained optical input corresponds to a second temporal…
Endoscope tip assembly using truncated trapezoid cavity interposer to allow coplanar camera and LEDs in small-diameter endoscopes
Granted: March 18, 2025
Patent Number:
12251081
A cavity interposer has a cavity, first bondpads adapted to couple to a chip-type camera cube disposed within a base of the cavity at a first level, the first bondpads coupled through feedthroughs to second bondpads at a base of the interposer at a second level; and third bondpads adapted to couple to a light-emitting diode (LED), the third bondpads at a third level. The third bondpads coupled to fourth bondpads at the base of the interposer at the second level; and the second and fourth…
Single bitline SRAM pixel and method for driving the same
Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number:
12249299
A novel bit storage circuit includes a first voltage supply line, a second voltage supply line, a bit line, a latch, a first switching transistor, and a blocking transistor. The latch includes an input and an output. The first switching transistor includes a first terminal, a second terminal, and a control terminal. The first switching transistor is operative to provide a conductive path and a non-conductive path between the bit line and the input of the latch responsive to a first…
