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…
Low power single photon avalanche diode photon counter with peak current suppression technique
Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number:
12247873
A method of counting photons using a plurality of single photon avalanche diodes (SPADs), including initiating a detection phase, enabling each single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) of the plurality of SPADs for a period of time within the detection phase, accumulating a SPAD event from each SPAD of the plurality of SPADs, wherein each SPAD event corresponds to a detection of a single photon, determining a counter code at an end of the detection phase, where the counter code corresponds…
Low power current integration DAC ramp settling assist circuit
Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number:
12250485
A ramp generator includes an operational amplifier having an output to generate a ramp signal. An integration current source is coupled to a first input and a reference voltage is coupled to a second input of the operational amplifier. A feedback capacitor and a reset switch are coupled between the first input and the output of the operational amplifier. The reset switch is turned on to reset the ramp generator. A ramp event is configured to be generated in the ramp signal at the output…
Dual gain column structure for column power area efficiency
Granted: March 11, 2025
Patent Number:
12249999
A pixel cell readout circuit comprises a ramp generator having a ramp generator output. A first gain network is coupled to the ramp generator output and configured to provide a first variable comparator gain. A second gain network is coupled to the ramp generator output and configured to provide a second variable comparator gain. A first comparator has a first input coupled to the first gain network. The first comparator further has a second input selectively coupled to a first bitline…
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…
Fisheye image transformation algorithm based on virtual spheres
Granted: March 4, 2025
Patent Number:
12243183
A fisheye image transformation algorithm based on virtual spheres is provided, comprising: defining a real camera coordinate system O-XYZ and a virtual camera coordinate system O2-X2Y2Z2, wherein a small virtual sphere centered at O with a radius of 1 and a large virtual sphere centered at O2 with a radius of n are defined, the small sphere is internally tangent to the large sphere; transforming a fisheye image to 3D unit vectors in the real camera coordinate system, transforming the 3D…
Camera having video stream indicator
Granted: February 25, 2025
Patent Number:
12238415
An image sensor comprises: a control block generating a video interface enabled signal, a video interface for receiving the video interface enabled signal, a pixel array for providing a video stream to the video interface, an output port for receiving the video stream from the video interface and outputting the video stream to outside of the image sensor, a stream indicator pin for receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block when the video interface is receiving…
Multiple read image sensors, and associated methods for the same
Granted: January 14, 2025
Patent Number:
12200390
Multiple read image sensors, and associated methods for the same, are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method comprises reading out a reset level from a pixel to a corresponding sample and hold circuit; storing the reset level to a first storage device and to a second storage device of the sample and hold circuit; reading out a signal level from the pixel to the sample and hold circuit; and storing the signal level to a third storage device and to a fourth storage device of the…
Adaptive correlated multiple sampling
Granted: January 14, 2025
Patent Number:
12200389
A readout circuit includes a comparator having a first input coupled to receive a ramp signal from a ramp generator and a second input coupled to receive an analog image data signal from one of a plurality of bitlines. The comparator is configured to generate a comparator output in response to a comparison of the ramp signal and the analog image data signal. A sampling circuit has a first input coupled to receive a sampling control signal and a second input coupled to receive the…
Real GS and OFG timing design for 1-by-2 shared HDR VDGS
Granted: January 14, 2025
Patent Number:
12200388
An imaging system includes a pixel array with odd and even pixel cells. Each of the odd and even pixel cells includes a photodiode, a floating diffusion, a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, a lateral overflow integration capacitor (LOFIC), and an overflow gate (OFG) transistor. The imaging system further includes a readout circuit with a sample and hold (SH) circuit and an analog to digital converter. The OFG transistor of each of the odd and even pixel cells is configured to…
Dynamic current control for column ADC
Granted: January 14, 2025
Patent Number:
12199632
A tail current source of a comparator includes a first transistor and a second transistor configured to operate as current sources, wherein the first and second transistors are coupled between a tail node of the comparator and a voltage node, and wherein the tail comprises a node coupled to first and second inputs of the comparator. The tail current source also includes a switch configured to selectively couple the second transistor between the tail and the voltage node, and a bias…
Sensor watermarking on raw images
Granted: January 7, 2025
Patent Number:
12189727
A method and apparatus for embedding a digital watermark in image content that is not visible to the human eye is performed on single-sensor digital camera images (often called ‘raw’ images) from a pixel-array. The raw image is transformed to generate preprocessed image coefficients, a watermark message is encrypted using a first key; the encrypted watermark message is randomized using a second key to form a watermark; and the watermark is embedded in randomly selected preprocessed…
Color-infrared sensor with a low power binning readout mode
Granted: December 31, 2024
Patent Number:
12184956
An imaging device includes a pixel array including a 4×4 grouping of pixel circuits. The 4×4 grouping of pixel circuits includes four rows and four columns of the pixel array. A plurality of bitlines includes a first bitline, a second bitline, a third bitline, and a fourth bitline. Each one of the first, second, third, and fourth bitlines is coupled to a respective four pixel circuits in the 4×4 grouping of pixel circuits. Each one of the first, second, third, and fourth bitlines is…
Pixel circuit for high dynamic range image sensor
Granted: December 31, 2024
Patent Number:
12185000
A pixel circuit includes a first photodiode and a second photodiode. The first and second photodiodes photogenerate charge in response to incident light. A first transfer transistor is coupled to the first photodiode. A first floating diffusion is coupled to the first transfer transistor. A second transfer transistor is coupled to the second photodiode. A second floating diffusion is coupled to the second transfer transistor. A dual floating diffusion transistor is coupled between the…
Methods for transmitting asynchronous event data via synchronous communications interfaces, and associated imaging systems
Granted: December 31, 2024
Patent Number:
12184973
Methods for transmitting asynchronous event data via synchronous communications interfaces (and associated imaging systems) are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, an imager comprises an array of event vision pixels, a synchronous communications transmitter configured to transmit frames of data to a synchronous communications receiver, and a timer configured to indicate when a threshold amount of time has elapsed. The pixels can generate event data based on activity within an external…
