Variably biased isolation structure for global shutter pixel storage node
Granted: February 18, 2020
Patent Number:
10566359
A pixel cell includes a photodiode disposed in a semiconductor material to accumulate image charge in response to incident light and a global shutter gate transistor coupled to the photodiode to selectively deplete the image charge from the photodiode. A storage transistor is disposed in the semiconductor material to store the image charge. An isolation structure is disposed in the semiconductor material proximate to the storage transistor to isolate a sidewall of the storage transistor…
Methods for high-dynamic-range color imaging
Granted: February 11, 2020
Patent Number:
10559615
A method for manufacturing a high-dynamic-range color image sensor includes (a) depositing a color filter layer on a silicon substrate having a photosensitive pixel array with a plurality of first pixels and a plurality of second pixels, to form (i) a plurality of first color filters above a first subset of each of the plurality of first pixels and the plurality of second pixels and (ii) a plurality of second color filters above a second subset of each of the plurality of first pixels…
Drive system for TN LC base LCOS displays
Granted: February 4, 2020
Patent Number:
10553172
A liquid-crystal display (LCD) system with reduced artifact has LCD pixel cells with transparent and pixel electrodes. A timing control that switches one of the transparent and pixel electrodes in a sequence of high, common, low, and common voltages; synchronized to a timing control that switches a second electrode in a sequence of a first data-dependent, common, a second data-dependent, and common voltages. This new timing base LC voltage control enables smooth polarity switching that…
Pixel readout structure and timing to provide fixed pattern noise reduction in image sensors
Granted: January 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10547804
Systems and methods for fixed pattern noise reduction in image sensors is disclosed herein. An example method may include simultaneously providing a pixel reference voltage of a pixel to a reference sampling capacitor and a signal sampling capacitor, decoupling the reference sampling capacitor from the pixel, providing a signal voltage to the signal sampling capacitor, and decoupling the signal sampling capacitor from the pixel.
Exposure level control for high-dynamic-range imaging, system and method
Granted: January 28, 2020
Patent Number:
10546369
A method for determining exposure levels of an image-sensor pixel array includes (a) storing a first plurality of pixel values representing a first captured image, captured with the image sensor in an applied exposure configuration, each distinct region of the pixel array having a respective first exposure level, (b) determining pixel-value global statistics, (c) estimating, from the global statistics, a global pixel value of the first captured image, (d) determining, for each distinct…
Plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixel
Granted: January 14, 2020
Patent Number:
10535701
A first plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixel includes a semiconductor substrate and a plurality of metal pillars. The semiconductor substrate has a top surface and a photodiode region therebeneath. The plurality of metal pillars is at least partially embedded in the substrate and extends from the top surface in a direction substantially perpendicular to the top surface. A second plasmonic-nanostructure sensor pixel includes (a) a semiconductor substrate having a top surface, (b) an oxide…
Small pixels having dual conversion gain providing high dynamic range
Granted: December 17, 2019
Patent Number:
10510796
A group of shared pixels comprises: a first shared pixel comprising a first photodiode and a first transfer gate; a second shared pixel comprising a second photodiode and a second transfer gate; a third shared pixel comprising a third photodiode and a third transfer gate; a fourth shared pixel comprising a fourth photodiode and a first transfer gate; a first floating diffusion shared by the first shared pixel and the second shared pixel; a second floating diffusion shared by the third…
Photogate for front-side-illuminated infrared image sensor and method of manufacturing the same
Granted: December 10, 2019
Patent Number:
10504956
An image sensor includes a substrate and a plurality of infrared pixels formed in a front side of the substrate and configured to detect infrared light incident on the front side of the substrate. Each of the infrared pixels includes a photodiode, a region free of implants located above the photodiode, and a photogate formed over the substrate and above the photodiode. The image sensor also includes a plurality of color pixels dispersed among the infrared pixels, where each of the color…
Low latency display system and method
Granted: December 10, 2019
Patent Number:
10504417
A novel display system includes a host and a display. In a particular embodiment the host includes a data scaler and a dual frame buffer. Frames of image data are down-scaled before being transferred to the display, and is up-scaled while being loaded into the frame buffer or the display. The down-scaled frames of image data include less data than the frames of image data. In another embodiment, the process of loading the image data into the display begins before an entire frame of data…
Comparator for double ramp analog to digital converter
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498999
A comparator includes a first stage coupled to compare a reference voltage to an image charge voltage signal. The first stage includes first and second NMOS input transistors coupled between an enabling transistor and respective first and second cascode devices to receive the reference voltage and the image charge voltage signal. A first auto-zero switch is between a gate of the first NMOS input transistor and a first node. The first node is between the first NMOS input transistor and…
Ramp signal settling reduction circuitry
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498993
Comparison circuitry includes a comparator having a first input configured to receive a pixel signal. A switch is coupled to a second input of the comparator, a reference generator, and a ramp generator. A first capacitance is coupled to the switch. The switch is configured to couple the first capacitance to the reference generator to charge the first capacitance to a reference voltage from the reference generator prior to a ramp event in a ramp signal, and to couple the first…
Comparator output circuitry for single slope analog to digital converter
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10498322
An output circuit for use with a comparator includes a first transistor having a control terminal coupled to receive an output signal from a first stage of the comparator. A second transistor is coupled between the first transistor and a reference voltage. The second transistor has a control terminal coupled to receive a first reset signal. The second transistor is coupled to precharge a first output node of the first transistor between the first and second transistors to the reference…
First photon correlated time-of-flight sensor
Granted: December 3, 2019
Patent Number:
10497738
A time-of-flight (TOF) sensor includes a light source, a plurality of avalanche photodiodes, and a plurality of pulse generators. Control circuitry is coupled to the light source, the plurality of avalanche photodiodes, and the plurality of pulse generators, and the control circuitry includes logic that when executed by the control circuitry causes the time-of-flight sensor to perform operations. The operations include emitting the light from the light source, and receiving the light…
Method and system for streaming low-delay high-definition video with partially reliable transmission
Granted: November 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10491651
Methods and systems for streaming low-delay, high-definition video with partially reliable transmission are disclosed herein. An example method includes determining a per-frame maximum retransmission allocation for a plurality of video packets based at least in part on a frame priority, where the plurality of video packets form at least a portion of the frame, determining a retransmission timeout for each video packet of the plurality of video packets based at least in part on a round…
Liquid crystal on silicon packaging
Granted: November 26, 2019
Patent Number:
10488721
A method of forming an electrical connection in a liquid crystal on silicon (LCOS) device, comprising: providing a silicon substrate including a first surface and a second surface, wherein the silicon substrate includes an conductive pad at the first surface; providing a cover glass panel that includes a cover glass, a transparent electrode layer formed upon the cover glass, and a first sealing material layer formed upon the transparent electrode layer; forming a second sealing material…
Image sensor having mirror-symmetrical pixel columns
Granted: November 19, 2019
Patent Number:
10483303
An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes: a first pixel column, including: a first pixel unit; a second pixel unit, vertically adjacent to the first pixel unit; a first column bit line coupled to the first pixel unit, wherein image data acquired by the first pixel unit is read out through the first column bit line; and a second column bit line coupled to the second pixel unit, wherein image data acquired by the second pixel unit is read out through the second column bit…
System and method for protecting a liquid crystal display by controlling ion migration
Granted: November 19, 2019
Patent Number:
10481439
A liquid crystal display includes a display area and a border area at least partially surrounding the display area, where the display area displays images for viewing and the border area displays display-protection images, which are used to control ion migration in the liquid crystal layer. In a more particular embodiment, the border area displays a series of checkerboard pattern(s), where the checkerboard patterns can alternate between initial and inverted values. The display-protection…
Multi-pixel detector and associated method for increasing angular sensitivity
Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number:
10475838
An image sensor includes a multi-pixel detector. The multi-pixel detector includes a first pixel formed in a substrate and having a first photodiode region, a second pixel formed in the substrate adjacent to the first pixel and having a second photodiode region, and a microlens above both the first pixel and the second pixel. The microlens includes (a) in a first cross-sectional plane perpendicular to a top surface of the substrate and including both the first and the second photodiode…
Camera module having baffle between two glass substrates
Granted: November 5, 2019
Patent Number:
10469718
A camera module comprises an image sensor and a lens module disposed on the image sensor. The lens module comprises a top glass structure at top of the lens module. The top glass structure includes a first glass substrate, a second glass substrate, and a baffle disposed immediately between the first and the second glass substrates. The top glass structure is an outermost layer of the camera module. The lens module also comprises a bottom glass substrate at bottom of the lens module. The…
Lens barrel, lens-barrel wafer, and associated method
Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number:
10459189
A method for forming a lens barrel includes aligning each of a plurality of upper apertures of an upper wafer to (i) a respective one of a plurality of middle apertures of a middle wafer and (ii) a respective one of a plurality of lower apertures of a lower wafer. The middle wafer is between the upper wafer and the lower wafer. The method also includes bonding the middle wafer to the upper wafer to form a lens barrel wafer. Each triad of co-aligned upper, middle, and lower apertures…
