Image sensor with charge binning and dual channel readout
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An image sensor comprising:
- (a) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array and at least a portion of the elements have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements which permits selective color reception by the light measuring elements;
(b) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements; and
c) an output structure electrically connected to two or more of the floating diffusions;
wherein the at least two light receiving elements receiving the same color are transferred to the output structure substantially simultaneously.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An image sensor includes: (a) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array and at least a portion of the elements have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements which permits selective color reception by the light measuring elements; (b) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements; and c) an output structure electrically connected to two or more of the floating diffusions; wherein the at least two light receiving elements receiving the same color are transferred to the output structure substantially simultaneously.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. An image sensor comprising:
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(a) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array and at least a portion of the elements have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements which permits selective color reception by the light measuring elements;
(b) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements; and
c) an output structure electrically connected to two or more of the floating diffusions;
wherein the at least two light receiving elements receiving the same color are transferred to the output structure substantially simultaneously. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A camera comprising:
(a) an image sensor comprising;
(a1) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array and at least a portion of the elements have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements which permits selective color reception by the light measuring elements;
(a2) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements; and
(a3) an output structure electrically connected to two or more of the floating diffusions;
wherein the at least two light receiving elements receiving the same color are transferred to the output structure substantially simultaneously.- View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. An image sensor comprising:
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(a) a plurality of light measuring elements a portion of which have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements, and the light receiving elements are arranged in an array;
(b) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements;
(c) two column circuits used to store the signal from the light receiving elements one row at a time; and
(d) a select switch used to control which column circuit a particular signal from a light receiving is stored. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A camera comprising:
(a) an image sensor comprising;
(a1) a plurality of light measuring elements a portion of which have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements, and the light receiving elements are arranged in an array;
(a2) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements;
(a3) two column circuits used to store the signal from the light receiving elements one row at a time; and
(a4) a select switch used to control which column circuit a particular signal from a light receiving is stored. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. An x-y addressable image sensor comprising:
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(a) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array of rows and columns that convert the light to a signal;
(b) at least two signal storage banks comprised of individual signal storage elements;
the at least two storage banks having enough individual storage elements to store the signals from at least one row of light measuring elements in the array; and
(c) at least two select mechanisms which can direct signals from the plurality of light measuring elements to any single or combination of the signal storage banks. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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- 12. The image sensor as in claim 111 further comprising a plurality of color filters mated with the plurality of light measuring elements, and the select mechanism is used to send signals from the light measuring elements mated to a single color filter type to a desired signal storage bank such that, for any given row, a single signal storage bank contains signals from a single color type.
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22. An image sensor comprising:
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(a) a plurality of light measuring elements each having a photodetector and a transfer mechanism; and
(b) a plurality of charge to voltage conversion regions;
wherein at least two adjacent light measuring elements share a charge to voltage conversion region;
wherein charge of adjacent light measuring elements is combined in the shared charge to voltage conversion region. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25)
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26. A camera comprising:
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an x-y addressable image sensor comprising;
(a) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array of rows and columns that convert the light to a signal;
(b) at least two signal storage banks comprised of individual signal storage elements;
the at least two storage banks having enough individual storage elements to store the signals from at least one row of light measuring elements in the array; and
(c) at least two select mechanisms which can direct signals from the plurality of light measuring elements to any single or combination of the signal storage banks. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A camera comprising:
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an image sensor comprising;
(a) a plurality of light measuring elements each having a photodetector and a transfer mechanism; and
(b) a plurality of charge to voltage conversion regions;
wherein at least two adjacent light measuring elements share a charge to voltage conversion region;
wherein charge of adjacent light measuring elements is combined in the shared charge to voltage conversion region. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification