Image sensor having clamp circuit

• US 20040155973A1
• Filed: 12/30/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures II LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Magnachip Semiconductor Limited (Magnachip Semiconductor)
• Inventors: Bea, Chang-Min, Yoon, Kwang-Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,394,491 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/616 involving a correlated sampling function, e.g. correlated double sampling [CDS] or triple sampling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/627 Detection or reduction of inverted contrast or eclipsing effects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array

Abstract

An image sensor of the present invention prevents the phenomenon that surrounding background of a bright object reflecting or emitting strong light like the sun is presented at dark and improves image quality of the image sensor by controlling the brightness of the bright object. The image sensor using correlated double sampling technology which outputs data of an object by using difference between a reset voltage signal and a data voltage signal of a unit pixel includes a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix, each outputting the reset voltage signal and the data voltage signal; a plurality of clamping means, each coupled to each unit pixels for clamping up the reset signal to a predetermined voltage level; and a voltage controlling block for adjusting voltage level supplied to a gate of each of clamping means.

Claims

1. An image sensor using correlated double sampling technology which outputs data of an object by using difference between a reset voltage signal and a data voltage signal of a unit pixel, comprising:

a plurality of unit pixels arranged in a matrix, each outputting the reset voltage signal and the data voltage signal;

a plurality of clamping means, each coupled to each unit pixels for clamping up the reset signal to a predetermined voltage level; and

a voltage controlling block for adjusting voltage level supplied to a gate of each of clamping means.

2. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein the voltage controlling block includes:

a D/A converting means for receiving a digital code and outputting an analog voltage;

a first switch coupled between the D/A converting means and the clamping means and controlled by a first control signal; and

a second switch coupled between a ground voltage and the clamping means and controlled by the inverse first control signal.

3. The image sensor as recited in claim 2, wherein the voltage controlling block includes an inverter, connected to the second switch, for inverting the first control signal.

4. The image sensor as recited in claim 2, wherein each clamping means is composed of one MOS transistor coupled between supply voltage and an output node of each pixel.

5. The image sensor as recited in claim 4, wherein the first switch is coupled to a gate of the MOS transistor of clamping means.

6. The image sensor as recited in claim 1, wherein each clamping means is included in each column of the matrix and one voltage controlling block is in whole chip of one image sensor.