Digital readout method and apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a sensor array comprising a sensor to generate an analog signal;
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) array comprising an ADC operably coupled to the sensor, the ADC comprising a capacitance to be charged by the signal, the capacitance defining a least significant bit (LSB) of the ADC and configured to convert the analog signal into digital data; and
transfer circuitry, operably coupled to the ADC array, to transfer the digital data among ADCs in the ADC array synchronously with motion of an image across the sensor array,wherein the ADC comprises a counter to store at least a portion of the digital data as a digital number and to increment and/or decrement the digital number in response to digital data transferred from another ADC in the ADC array.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Autonomously operating analog to digital converters are formed into a two dimensional array. The array may incorporate digital signal processing functionality. Such an array is particularly well-suited for operation as a readout integrated circuit and in combination with a sensor array, forms a digital focal plane array.
65 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. An apparatus comprising:
-
a sensor array comprising a sensor to generate an analog signal; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) array comprising an ADC operably coupled to the sensor, the ADC comprising a capacitance to be charged by the signal, the capacitance defining a least significant bit (LSB) of the ADC and configured to convert the analog signal into digital data; and transfer circuitry, operably coupled to the ADC array, to transfer the digital data among ADCs in the ADC array synchronously with motion of an image across the sensor array, wherein the ADC comprises a counter to store at least a portion of the digital data as a digital number and to increment and/or decrement the digital number in response to digital data transferred from another ADC in the ADC array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
-
-
8. A method comprising:
-
generating an analog signal with a sensor in a sensor array; converting the analog signal to digital data at a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in an ADC array; storing at least a portion of the digital data as a first digital number in a first counter; and transferring the digital data from the first ADC to a second ADC in the ADC array synchronously with motion of an image across the sensor array, wherein transferring the digital data comprises incrementing and/or decrementing a second digital number stored in a second counter. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
-
-
16. An apparatus comprising:
-
a sensor array comprising a sensor to generate an analog signal; an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) array comprising an ADC operably coupled to the sensor, the ADC comprising a capacitance to be charged by the signal, the capacitance defining a least significant bit (LSB) of the ADC and configured to convert the analog signal into digital data; transfer circuitry, operably coupled to the ADC array, to transfer the digital data among ADCs in the ADC array synchronously with motion of an image across the sensor array; and a controller, operably coupled to the transfer circuitry, to control shifts of the digital data among the ADC array and to vary a charge accumulation time of the capacitance.
-
-
17. A method comprising:
-
generating an analog signal with a sensor in a sensor array; converting the analog signal to digital data at a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in an ADC array; and transferring the digital data from the first ADC to a second ADC in the ADC array synchronously with motion of an image across the sensor array; controlling shifts of the digital data among the ADC array with a controller operably coupled to the ADC array; and varying a charge accumulation time of a capacitance of the first ADC.
-
Specification