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Integrating imaging systgem having wide dynamic range with sample/hold circuits

  • US 5,324,958 A
  • Filed: 07/30/1992
  • Issued: 06/28/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1991
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. An integrating imaging array disposed on a single piece of semiconductor substrate material, including:

  • a plurality of integrating photosensors arranged in an array of rows and columns, each of said photosensors comprising a bipolar phototransistor having a collector connected to a fixed voltage source, an emitter connected to a sense node, and a base connected to one end of a capacitor, the other end of said capacitor connected to a select node;

    a plurality of row lines, each one of said row lines associated with a different row in said array;

    each of said row lines connected to the select nodes of all of the integrating photosensors associated with its row; and

    a plurality of sense lines, each one of said sense lines associated with a different column in said array, each of said sense lines connected to the sense nodes of all of the integrating photosensors associated with its row;

    a plurality of sense amplifiers, each one of said sense amplifiers associated with a different column of said array, each of said sense amplifiers having an inverting input and an output, said inverting input of each of said sense amplifiers connected to the one of said sense lines associated with its column, each of said sense amplifiers further including a varactor element connected between said inverting input and said output;

    means for placing a signal on a selected one of said row lines to activate the select nodes of the integrating photosensors associated with said selected one of said row lines;

    a plurality of sample/hold circuits, each one of said sample/hold circuits associated with a different column of said array, each of said sample/hold circuits having a control input, a data input and a data output, the data input of each of said sample/hold circuits connected to the output of the one of said sense amplifiers associated with its column; and

    means for selectively activating the control inputs of said sample/hold circuits.

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