Method and apparatus for controlling pixel sensor elements

• US 20050185075A1
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Published: 08/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dialog Semiconductor GmbH (Renesas Electronics Corporation)
• Inventors: Neter, Sarit
• Granted Patent: US 8,164,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/843 Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/633 by using optical black pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/21 Circuitry for suppressing or minimising disturbance, e.g. moiré or halo

Abstract

An imaging method and system that flexibly accesses light, sensor elements and processes imaging signals. The imaging system comprises an array of pixel sensor cells, an array controller and a readout control circuit.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. A method of processing in parallel a plurality of pixel sensor elements, the method comprising:

exposing an array of pixel sensor elements to light;

selecting a plurality of pixel sensor elements from an array of pixel sensor elements; and

reading in parallel a plurality of analog values associated with the plurality of pixel sensor elements.

33. A method of averaging two or more pixel sensor elements, the method comprising:

exposing an array of pixel sensor elements to light;

selecting a plurality of pixel sensor elements from an array of pixel sensor elements; and

averaging a first analog value associated with a first pixel sensor element and a second analog value associated with a second pixel sensor element within the array to produce an average readout value.

34. A pixel sensor element control system configured to readout and process analog values from a plurality of pixel sensor elements, the system comprising:

an array of pixel sensor elements;

a readout and processing circuit configured to readout and process a plurality of analog values associated with a plurality of pixel sensor elements within the array, the readout and processing circuit being configured to readout and process the analog values in a first mode and in a second mode

a comparitor circuit adapted to compare an address of a pixel sensor element currently being read by the readout controller with a stored list of defective pixel sensor addresses; and

at least one delay element for storing at least one previous analog pixel value read by the readout and processing circuit, wherein if the address of the current pixel sensor element matches a defective pixel address in the stored list, the readout and processing circuit reads the previous analog pixel value.

35. A method of correcting defective pixel sensor elements during an analog readout, the method comprising:

comparing an address of a pixel sensor element currently being read by a readout control circuit with stored list of defective pixel sensor addresses;

storing at least one previous analog pixel value read by the readout control circuit, wherein if the address of the current pixel sensor element matches a defective pixel address in the stored list, the readout control circuit read

the previous analog pixel value.