SHARED TERMINAL OF AN IMAGE SENSOR SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING IMAGE DATA AND CONTROL SIGNALS

• US 20130264465A1
• Filed: 04/05/2012
• Published: 10/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Inventors: Dai, Tiejun, Lei, Junzhao
• Granted Patent: US 8,890,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14601 Structural or functional details thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/65 Control of camera operation in relation to power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Abstract

An example image sensor system includes an image sensor having a first terminal and a host controller coupled to the first terminal. Logic is included in the image sensor system, that when executed transfers analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal of the image sensor and also transfers one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the same first terminal.

Claims

1. In an image sensor system having an image sensor and a host controller, a method of executing logic included in the image sensor system, the method comprising:

transferring analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through a first terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, the method further comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases; and

transferring the one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during a vertical blanking period of the readout phases.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, the method further comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases; and

transferring the one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during a header information period of the readout phases.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, the method further comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases;

transferring a first digital control signal between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during a vertical blanking period of the readout phases; and

transferring a second digital control signal between the image sensor and the host through the first terminal during a header information period of the readout phases.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring of one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal comprises transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transferring a clock signal from the host controller to the image sensor through a second terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the second terminal of the image sensor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring of one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal comprises transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the first terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transferring a clock signal from the host controller to the image sensor through a second terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the second terminal of the image sensor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferring of one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal comprises:

transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the first terminal; and

transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital control signals comprise more than two discrete voltage levels.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital control signals comprise pulses of varying pulse width.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital control signals comprise pulses and wherein a time between the pulses varies.

13. A tangible non-transitory machine-accessible medium containing a design structure for logic of an image sensor system having an image sensor and a host controller that, when executed will perform operations comprising:

transferring analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through a first terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal.

14. The tangible non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 13, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, and wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases; and

transferring the one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during one or more periods of the readout phases selected from the group consisting of a vertical blanking period and a header information period.

15. The tangible non-transitory machine-accessible medium of claim 13, wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the first terminal; and

transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal.

16. An image sensor for use in an image sensor system having a host controller, the image sensor comprising logic that when executed performs operations comprising:

transferring analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through a first terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal.

17. The image sensor of claim 16, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, and wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases; and

transferring the one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during one or more periods of the readout phases selected from the group consisting of a vertical blanking period and a header information period.

18. The image sensor of claim 16, wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the first terminal.

19. The image sensor of claim 16, wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal.

20. A host controller for use in an image sensor system having an image sensor, the host controller comprising logic that when executed performs operations comprising:

transferring analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through a first terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal.

21. The host controller of claim 20, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, and wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases; and

transferring the one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during one or more periods of the readout phases selected from the group consisting of a vertical blanking period and a header information period.

22. The host controller of claim 20, wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the first terminal; and

transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal.

23. An image sensor system, comprising:

an image sensor having a first terminal;

a host controller coupled to the first terminal; and

logic that when executed performs operations comprising;

transferring analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal of the image sensor; and

transferring one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal.

24. The image sensor system of claim 23, wherein the analog image data is transferred to the host controller in a series of readout phases, and wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring the analog image data from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal during an image data output period of the readout phases;

transferring the one or more digital control signals between the image sensor and the host controller through the first terminal during one or more periods of the readout phases selected from the group consisting of a vertical blanking period and a header information period.

25. The image sensor system of claim 23, wherein execution of the logic performs further operations, comprising:

transferring an instruction signal from the host controller to the image sensor through the first terminal; and

transferring a command signal from the image sensor to the host controller through the first terminal.