Event-triggered imaging pixels

• US 10,154,207 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sensors Unlimited Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Original Assignee: Sensors Unlimited Inc. (Raytheon Technologies Corporation d/b/a RTX)
• Inventors: Lund, Joshua, Liobe, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Frank F
• Application Number:
  US15/426,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20180227508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/894 3D imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a 2D array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/4863 Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 7/487 Extracting wanted echo signals , e.g. pulse detection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1463 Pixel isolation structures
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/214 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/56 provided with illuminating means
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/702 SSIS architectures characterised by non-identical, non-equidistant or non-planar pixel layout
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An imaging pixel includes a photodetector for generating a charge signal, an input buffer, a control device, and a switch. The input buffer is connected to the photodetector for amplifying the charge signal. The control device is connected to the photodetector and the input buffer to separate high-frequency charge signals from low frequency charge signals. The switch is operably connected to the input buffer for sampling of high-frequency charge signals in a charge storage device triggered by amplitude of high-frequency charge signals provided by the input buffer.

Claims

1. An imaging pixel, comprising:

a photodetector for generating a charge signal;

an input buffer connected to the photodetector for amplifying the charge signal;

a control device connected to the photodetector and the input buffer separating high-frequency charge signals from low-frequency charge signals;

a switch operably connected to the input buffer for sampling of high-frequency charge signals in a charge storage device triggered by amplitude of high-frequency charge signals provided by the input buffer, wherein the switch has an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal of the switch is connected to the input buffer to receive an amplified charge signal therefrom, wherein the output terminal of the switch is connected to a charge storage device to generate image data according to state of the switch; and

a comparator having an input terminal, a threshold terminal, and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is connected to the input buffer to receive therefrom an amplified charge signal, wherein the threshold terminal is connected to a trigger voltage source, and wherein the output terminal is operably connected to the switch to change state of the switch according to a comparison of the amplified charge signal and a trigger voltage signal received from the trigger voltage source, the comparison generating a sample signal, which closes the switch to generate the amplified signal, thereby detecting an event.

2. The pixel as recited in claim 1, wherein the switch is dedicated to a single photodiode of the photodetector.

3. The pixel as recited in claim 1, wherein the photodetector is a shortwave infrared pixel.

4. The pixel as recited in claim 1, further comprising a comparator connected between the input buffer and the switch to change a state of the switch according to an amplified charge signal provided by the input buffer.

5. The pixel as recited in claim 1, wherein the input buffer includes an input terminal, a reference terminal, and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is connected to the photodetector to receive a charge signal therefrom, wherein the reference terminal is connected to a reference voltage source to receive a reference signal therefrom, and wherein the input buffer is arranged to apply an amplified charge signal to the output terminal based on the charge signal and reference signal.

6. The pixel as recited in claim 1, wherein the control device includes a transistor with a gate terminal, wherein the gate terminal is connected to the input buffer.

7. The pixel as recited in claim 6, wherein the transistor includes a source terminal, wherein the source terminal is connected to the photodetector.

8. The pixel as recited in claim 6, wherein the transistor includes a drain terminal, wherein the drain terminal is connected to an integration capacitor for generating image data according to low-frequency charge signals received from the photodetector.

9. An imaging device, comprising:

a first imaging pixel as recited in claim 1; and

a second imaging pixel also as recited in claim 1, the switch of the first imaging pixel being electrically isolated from the switch of the second imaging pixel for connection to the charge storage device of the first imaging pixel independent of state of the second imaging pixel switch.

10. The imaging device as recited in claim 9, wherein each switch is dedicated to a single photodiode of the imaging pixel photodetector.

11. The imaging device as recited in claim 9, wherein the each switch has an input terminal and an output terminal, wherein the respective switch input terminals connect to the input buffer to receive an amplified charge signal from the respective imaging pixel input buffer, wherein respective output terminals of the switches connect to respective charge storage devices of the respective imaging pixels generate image data according to state of the respective switch.

12. The imaging device as recited in claim 9, wherein each imaging pixel includes a comparator connected between the input buffer and the switch to change a state of the switch according to an amplified charge signal provided by the input buffer of the imaging pixel.

13. The imaging device as recited in claim 12, wherein each comparator has an input terminal, a threshold terminal, and an output terminal, wherein the input terminal is connected to the input buffer to receive therefrom an amplified charge signal, wherein the threshold terminal is connected to a trigger voltage source, and wherein the output terminal is operably connected to the switch to change state of the switch according to a comparison of the amplified charge signal and a trigger voltage signal received from the trigger voltage source.