Low complexity loudness equalization
Granted: February 16, 2021
Patent Number:
10924077
An electronic device to equalize sound includes a microphone coupled to receive the sound and output sound data. The sound has amplitude that changes with respect to time, and the sound includes one or more frequencies. The sound data indexes the amplitude with respect to the time. The electronic device also includes a controller coupled to microphone, and the controller includes logic that when executed by the controller causes the electronic device to perform operations. The operations…
Touch screen rear projection display
Granted: January 26, 2021
Patent Number:
10901548
A touch screen display includes a diffuser screen, a projector, a camera, an infrared (IR) light source, and a controller. The diffuser screen has a front surface and a rear surface. The projector is disposed to project images onto the rear surface of said diffuser screen, and the images are visible to a user through the diffuser screen. The camera is disposed behind the diffuser screen and aimed to capture images of a pointer near the front surface of the diffuser screen. The IR light…
Interconnect layer contact and method for improved packaged integrated circuit reliability
Granted: January 12, 2021
Patent Number:
10892290
Packaged photosensor ICs are made by fabricating an integrated circuit (IC) with multiple bondpads; forming vias from IC backside through semiconductor to expose a first layer metal; depositing conductive metal plugs in the vias; depositing interconnect metal; depositing solder-mask dielectric over the interconnect metal and openings therethrough; forming solder bumps on interconnect metal at the openings in the solder-mask dielectric; and bonding the solder bumps to conductors of a…
Optical spacer including controlled located aperture and method of manufacturing the same
Granted: January 12, 2021
Patent Number:
10889078
A method of manufacturing an optical spacer includes dispensing thermal glue within a mold; pressing the thermal glue using an optical spacer substrate to generate an optical spacer including an aperture; and, releasing the mold from the optical spacer. The thermal glue may be cured prior to releasing the mold from the optical spacer.
Image sensors with phase detection auto-focus pixels
Granted: December 29, 2020
Patent Number:
10880467
An image sensor pixel array comprises a plurality of image pixel units to gather image information and a plurality of phase detection auto-focus (PDAF) pixel units to gather phase information. Each of the PDAF pixel units includes two of first image sensor pixels covered by a shared micro-lens. Each of the image pixel units includes four of second image sensor pixels adjacent to each other, wherein each of the second image sensor pixels is covered by an individual micro-lens. A coating…
Light-field camera and method using wafer-level integration process
Granted: December 15, 2020
Patent Number:
10868945
A camera module has light-field camera(s) and high resolution camera(s), the light-field camera(s) have multiple-lens arrays above an image sensor. The light-field camera(s) have a lens element at a same level as a lens element of the high resolution camera, the lens elements bearing apertures. The multiple-lens array of the light-field camera is above the image sensor at a same level as a flat transparent plate of the high resolution camera. The cameras lens cubes are made…
LCOS pixel film layer design for reflection rate improvement
Granted: December 1, 2020
Patent Number:
10852603
A novel liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) device includes an array of pixel electrodes having a highly reflective material formed thereon. In a particular embodiment, the pixel electrodes are aluminum and have silver pixel mirrors electroplated thereon. In a more particular embodiment, the LCoS device includes auxiliary circuitry facilitating the electroplating of the pixel mirrors.
Digital CDS readout with 1.5 ADC conversions per pixel
Granted: November 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10848703
A CMOS image sensor comprises an array of pixels. A column of the pixel array is coupled to a readout column. The readout column is couple to a readout circuitry (RC) that reads out image data from the pixel array. The RC comprises two sampling switches which are coupled to a 2-column successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The 2-column SAR ADC comprises a differential comparator, a local SAR control, and two digital-to-analog converters (DACs). The two…
Image sensors with phase detection auto focus pixels
Granted: November 24, 2020
Patent Number:
10848697
An image sensor pixel array comprises a center region and two parallel edge regions, wherein the center region is between the two parallel edge regions. The center region comprises a plurality of image pixels disposed along first sub-array of rows and columns, wherein each of the plurality of image pixels comprises a first micro-lens (ML) formed at an offset position above a first light receiving element as a countermeasure for shortening of exit pupil distance of the image pixel in the…
Aligning two images by matching their feature points
Granted: November 17, 2020
Patent Number:
10841558
A multiple camera imaging system comprises a first camera image sensor to obtain a first image of a scene and a second camera image sensor to obtain a second image. The system further comprises an image signal processor (ISP) to produce a first roughly-aligned image from the first image and a second roughly-aligned image from the second image. A feature point in the first roughly-aligned image is identified. A center of a search zone is created, which is a combination of the position of…
Image data readout circuit with shared data bus
Granted: November 17, 2020
Patent Number:
10841525
Apparatuses and methods for data transmission in an image sensor are disclosed herein. An example data transmission circuit may include a plurality of transmission banks coupled in series with a first one of the plurality of transmission banks coupled to function logic, where each of the plurality of transmission banks are coupled to provide image data to a subsequent transmission bank in a direction toward the function logic in response to a clock signal, a plurality of delays coupled…
Configurable interface alignment buffer between DRAM and logic unit for multiple-wafer image sensors
Granted: November 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10834352
An image sensor has an array of pixels configured in multiple blocks; each block coupled to a separate analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to provide digitized image data. The ADCs feed digitized images into an image RAM; and the image RAM feeds digitized images to an alignment buffer in a first pixel order. The alignment buffer provides digitized images to an image processor in a second pixel order different from the first pixel order. In an embodiment, the alignment buffer uses a…
Bitline settling speed enhancement
Granted: November 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10834351
An image sensor includes pixel circuitry with a photodiode to receive light and output a pixel signal. The image sensor also includes readout circuitry with a first sample and hold transistor coupled to the pixel circuitry, and a first capacitor coupled to the first sample and hold transistor to receive the pixel signal. A second sample and hold transistor is coupled to the pixel circuitry, and a second capacitor is coupled to the second sample and hold transistor to receive the pixel…
Image sensor having separate, stacked, pixel array, DRAM, and logic/analog-digital converter integrated circuit die
Granted: November 10, 2020
Patent Number:
10834347
A multiple IC, buffered, image sensor has a first IC with pixels, selection transistors, and interconnect coupling selected pixels with first inter-die bond pads that convey image data to a second IC having logic and ADCs. The ADCs having inputs coupled to selected pixels and outputting through-silicon vias and inter-die bond pads to a third IC coupled to buffer raw image data in DRAM. A method includes capturing images with array pixel IC divided into sub-arrays each coupled to a…
CMOS image sensor clamping method with divided bit lines
Granted: November 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10827143
An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels. A bit line is coupled to a column of pixels of the pixel array. The bit line is separated in to a plurality of portions coupled to the column of pixels. The portions of the bit line are electrically isolated from one another. A readout circuit is coupled to a first portion of the bit line coupled to a first portion of rows of pixels from the column of pixels to read image data from the first portion of rows of pixels…
Integrating ramp circuit with reduced ramp settling time
Granted: November 3, 2020
Patent Number:
10826470
A ramp generator includes an integrator including a first stage having first and second inputs and first and second outputs, and a second stage including first and second transistors coupled between a power supply rail and ground. A node between the first and second transistors is coupled to the output of the integrator amplifier. A control terminal of the first transistor is coupled to the first output of the first stage, and a control terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the…
Bias circuit for use with divided bit lines
Granted: October 27, 2020
Patent Number:
10819936
An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels. Each pixel is coupled to generate image data in response to incident light. A bit line is coupled to a column of pixels of the pixel array and is separated into first and second portions. Each portion is coupled to a corresponding portion of rows of pixels of the pixel array. A readout circuit coupled to the bit line to read out the image data from the pixel array. The readout circuit includes a cascode device…
Image sensor with self-testing black level correction
Granted: October 27, 2020
Patent Number:
10819927
An imaging system comprises an image sensor and black level correction (BLC) circuitry. The image sensor includes an image pixel array adapted to generate an image signal in response to incident light and a dark pixel array adapted to generate a black reference signal representative of a black level value of the image sensor. The BLC circuitry is adapted to adjust the image signal of the image pixel array based, at least in part, on the black reference signal of the dark pixel array. The…
Pillar structures for suppressing optical cross-talk
Granted: October 20, 2020
Patent Number:
10811453
An image sensor includes a plurality of photodiodes arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array that is disposed in a semiconductor substrate. Individual photodiodes of the pixel array are configured to receive incoming light through a backside of the semiconductor substrate. A front side of the semiconductor substrate is opposite from the backside. A plurality of deep trench isolation (DTI) structures are formed laterally with respect to the photodiodes on the backside of the…
Image sensor for infrared sensing and fabrication method thereof
Granted: September 29, 2020
Patent Number:
10790322
An image sensor include a semiconductor substrate, a first epitaxial layer, a second epitaxial layer, a plurality of photodiodes, and a plurality of pixel isolation structures. The first epitaxial layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and the second epitaxial layer is formed on the first epitaxial layer. Each photodiode includes a first diffusion region formed in the first epitaxial layer and a second diffusion region formed in the second epitaxial layer. The second diffusion…
