Image sensor
First Claim
1. An image sensor comprising rows and columns of image sensing pixels, each row of pixels being associated with a respective row conductor, and each column of pixels being associated with a column conductor, each pixel comprising an image sensing element and a switching device, the switching device enabling a signal of the image sensing element to be provided to the associated column conductor, wherein the switching device is controlled by two inputs, a first input defined by the row conductor, and a second input, characterised in that two adjacent columns of pixels are associated with each column conductor, the two adjacent columns of pixels being located on opposite sides of the column conductor, the column conductors thereby having a pitch of twice the pitch of the pixel columns, and in that the two columns of pixels between adjacent column conductors are associated with a respective shared control line providing the second input.
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Abstract
An image sensor comprises rows and columns of pixels. Each pixel comprises an image sensing element (26) and a switching device (32, 34). The switching device (32, 34) enables a signal of the image sensing element (26) to be provided to the associated column conductor (30). The switching device has two inputs—a first input defined by the row conductor (22), and a second input. Two adjacent columns of pixels are associated with each column conductor (30), and the two columns of pixels (P1, P2; P3, P4; P5,P6) between adjacent column conductors are associated with a respective shared control line (CS0;CS1;CS2;CS3) providing the second input.
The switch arrangement with two inputs enables individual pixels to be isolated. The sharing of control lines between pairs of columns of pixels means that each pixel requires the same number of connections as in a conventional array with only a single switch control input.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. An image sensor comprising rows and columns of image sensing pixels, each row of pixels being associated with a respective row conductor, and each column of pixels being associated with a column conductor, each pixel comprising an image sensing element and a switching device, the switching device enabling a signal of the image sensing element to be provided to the associated column conductor, wherein the switching device is controlled by two inputs, a first input defined by the row conductor, and a second input,
characterised in that two adjacent columns of pixels are associated with each column conductor, the two adjacent columns of pixels being located on opposite sides of the column conductor, the column conductors thereby having a pitch of twice the pitch of the pixel columns, and in that the two columns of pixels between adjacent column conductors are associated with a respective shared control line providing the second input.
Specification