Photoreceptor arrangement for receiving light beams having coupling elements

• US 6,180,936 B1
• Filed: 01/27/1999
• Issued: 01/30/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Haft, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Que T.
• Application Number:
  US09/230,536
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 250/214.1, 250/214.R, 250/214.LA, 250/214.LS, 250/221, 250/214.P, 348/302, 348/311, 348/309, 348/294, 396/111
• US Class Current: 250/214.1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers

Abstract

The photoreceptor arrangement has at least two photoreceptors (P) with which light rays are registered and converted into electrical signals. The photoreceptors (P) are coupled to one another, whereby the couplings (K) of the photoreceptors (P) are couplings.

Claims

1. A photoreceptor arrangement for receiving light rays, comprising:

at least two photoreceptors with which light rays that impinge the photoreceptor arrangement are detected and converted into electrical signals;

the at least two photoreceptors being coupled to one another;

the coupling of the at least two photoreceptors being a variable coupling;

at least one coupling element that is respectively coupled to an output of a corresponding photoreceptor for at least a part of the photoreceptors;

coupling elements being variably coupled to one another;

an output of at least a part of the coupling elements coupled to a first input of a respective adder unit; and

at least a part of the outputs of the corresponding photoreceptors coupled to a second input of the adder unit.

2. The arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the coupling of the at least two photoreceptors is dependent on luminous intensity of the light rays incident on the arrangement, and

wherein the coupling of the at least two photoreceptors becomes more intense with decreasing luminous intensity.

3. The arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the coupling of the at least two photoreceptors is dependent on signal-to-noise ratio of the light rays incident on the arrangement, and

wherein the coupling of the at least two photoreceptors becomes more intense with decreasing signal-to-noise ratio.

4. The arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the coupling of the at least two photoreceptors is dependent on semantics of an image that is formed by the light rays.

5. The arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein the at least two photoreceptors are respectively arranged at a common spacing from one another.

6. The arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein a respective photoreceptor is coupled only to photoreceptors in a surrounding area of the respective photoreceptor the surrounding area having a predetermined size.

7. The arrangement according to claim 6,

wherein a respective photoreceptor is coupled only to photoreceptors arranged directly neighboring the respective photoreceptor.

8. The arrangement according to claim 1,

wherein a substrate is provided via which the photoreceptors are coupled to one another, and

wherein the substrate has a variable conductivity.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8,

wherein the coupling of the coupling elements to the first input of the adder unit is respectively structured such that output signals of the coupling elements are supplied to the adder unit inverted and arbitrarily weighted.

10. The arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement is utilized in a video chip.