Suppression of row-wise noise in an imager
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of operating an imaging device, said method comprising the acts of:
- inputting a first signal from each of a plurality of reference pixels;
determining a row-wise noise component from the input first signals;
inputting a second signal from each of a plurality of active pixels; and
applying at least one offset to the second signals based on the determined row-wise noise component.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An imager having special light shielded, optically black pixels in each row of the imager'"'"'s pixel array. Ideally, the optically black pixels should only output black pixel and reset signals. Since the optically black pixels of each row experience the same row-wise noise as the active pixels in the associated row, the optically black signals are used as reference signals to cancel out the row-wise noise, from reset and pixel signals, seen in a particular row.
95 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A method of operating an imaging device, said method comprising the acts of:
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inputting a first signal from each of a plurality of reference pixels;
determining a row-wise noise component from the input first signals;
inputting a second signal from each of a plurality of active pixels; and
applying at least one offset to the second signals based on the determined row-wise noise component. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method of operating an imaging device comprising the acts of:
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reading out signals from pixels of a pixel array; and
applying a row-wise noise correction to each readout signal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. An imaging device comprising:
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an array of imaging pixels, said array being organized into a plurality of rows and columns, each row comprising a plurality of reference pixels and active pixels; and
a readout path connected to each column of the array, wherein said readout path substantially suppresses row-wise noise for each row in said array by inputting a first signal from each reference pixel in a selected row, determining a row-wise noise component from the input first signals, inputting a second signal from each of a plurality of active pixels in the selected row as the reference pixels, and applying at least one offset to the second signals based on the determined row-wise noise component. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An imaging device comprising:
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an array of imaging pixels, said array being organized into a plurality of rows and columns, each row comprising a plurality of reference pixels and active pixels;
means for inputting a first signal from each of a plurality of reference pixels from a selected row;
means for determining a row-wise noise component from the input first signals;
means for inputting a second signal from each of a plurality of active pixels in the selected row; and
means for applying at least one offset to the second signals based on the determined row-wise noise component. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A processor system comprising:
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a processor; and
an imaging device coupled to said processor, said device comprising;
an array of imaging pixels, said array being organized into a plurality of rows and columns, each row comprising a plurality of reference pixels and active pixels, and a readout path connected to each column of the array, wherein said readout path substantially suppresses row-wise noise for each row in said array by inputting a first signal from each reference pixel in a selected row, determining a row-wise noise component from the input first signals, inputting a second signal from each of a plurality of active pixels in the selected row as the reference pixels, and applying at least one offset to the second signals based on the determined row-wise noise component. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. A processor system comprising:
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a processor; and
an imaging device coupled to said processor, said device comprising;
an array of imaging pixels, said array being organized into a plurality of rows and columns, each row comprising a plurality of reference pixels and active pixels, means for inputting a first signal from each of a plurality of reference pixels from a selected row, means for determining a row-wise noise component from the input first signals, means for inputting a second signal from each of a plurality of active pixels in the selected row, and means for applying at least one offset to the second signals based on the determined row-wise noise component.
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44. A processor system comprising:
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a processor; and
an imaging device coupled to said processor, said device comprising;
means for reading out signals from pixels of a pixel array; and
means for applying a row-wise noise correction to each readout signal.
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Specification