CMOS image sensor unit with serial transmitting function

• US 6,515,271 B1
• Filed: 05/19/2000
• Issued: 02/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Olympus Optical Company Ltd. (Olympus Corporation)
• Inventors: Shimizu, Kazuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Robert H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Song, Hoon K.
• Application Number:
  US09/574,380
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 250/208.1, 250/214.1, 250/214.P, 348/294, 348/308, 348/298, 348/300, 348/301, 257/292, 257/443, 257/444
• US Class Current: 250/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

A CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function is disclosed. A CMOS sensor unit as a two-dimensional sensor constituted by a plurality of CMOS elements arranged in a regular array in the row and column directions, a clock unit for obtaining a clock signal at a predetermined oscillation frequency, a PLL circuit unit receiving the clock signal from the clock unit and a parallel-to-serial converter unit for converting parallel data read out from the CMOS sensor to serial data in synchronism to the clock signal from the PLL circuit are mounted on a single image sensor unit.

Claims

1. A CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function comprising:

a CMOS sensor unit as a two-dimensional sensor constituted by a plurality of CMOS elements arranged in a regular array in the row and column directions;

a clock unit for obtaining a clock signal at a predetermined oscillation frequency;

a phase locked loop circuit unit receiving the clock signal from the clock unit; and

a parallel-to-serial converter unit for converting parallel data read out from the CMOS sensor to serial data in synchronism to the clock signal from the phase locked loop circuit;

these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit.

2. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function of claim 1 further comprising:

a drive circuit unit for converting the serial image data obtained by conversion in the parallel-to-serial converter unit to a signal complying with an LVDS (low voltage differential signalling) signal transmitting system and providing the signal thus obtained as LVSD data;

these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit.

3. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory for storing image data provided from the CMOS sensor unit;

these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit.

4. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory for storing image data provided from the CMOS sensor unit;

a drive circuit unit for converting the serial image data obtained by conversion in the parallel-to-serial converter unit to a signal complying with an LVDS (low voltage differential signalling signal transmitting system and providing the signal thus obtained as LVDS data;

these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit.

5. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 3, wherein the memory is a line memory or a frame memory.

6. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function of claim 1 further comprising:

a memory for storing the serial data from the parallel-to-serial converter unit;

these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit.

7. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 1, wherein the clock unit includes an oscillator for generating the clock signal by oscillation.

8. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 1, wherein the clock unit includes a means for introducing a clock signal generated from an external oscillator.

9. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 1, wherein the PLL circuit unit includes a program type PLL circuit.

10. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 1, which further comprises a pick-up lens.

11. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 6, wherein a drive circuit unit for converting the serial image data read out from the memory to a signal complying with an LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signalling) signal transmitting system and providing the signal thus obtained as LVDS data is also mounted on the single image sensor unit.

12. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 1, wherein the image data is sent out from the parallel-to-serial converter unit, the drive circuit unit or the memory according to an external transfer enable signal.

13. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 6, wherein predetermined image data is stored in the memory and read out with image data obtained by pick-up.

14. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 6, wherein predetermined image data is stored in the memory and read out in such a form that it is combined with image data obtained by pick-up.

15. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 6, wherein preset data is stored in the memory and read out together with the image data obtained by pick-up.

16. The CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function according to claim 6, wherein preset data is stored in the memory and read out together with the image data obtained by pick-up and the preset data includes at least either sensor number data specifying a sensor unit or master/slave data specifying the master/slave relation of a sensor unit.

22. An image data transmitting and receiving system, in which the CMOS image sensor unit according to claim 1 is provided on transmitting side, and which comprises only a single data receiving unit for receiving data sent out from the transmitting side.

23. An image data transmitting and receiving system, in which a plurality of CMOS image sensor units according to claim 1 are provided on transmitting side units, and which comprises only a single data receiving unit provided on receiving side for receiving data sent out from the transmitting side.

24. An image data transmitting and receiving system, in which only a single CMOS image sensor unit according to claim 1 is provided on transmitting side, and which comprises a plurality of data receiving units provided on receiving side for receiving data sent out from the transmitting side, the transmitting side CMOS image sensor unit being accessed independently by the receiving side data receiving units for receiving image data.

25. An image data transmitting and receiving system, which comprises a plurality of CMOS image sensor units according to claim 1, one of the CMOS sensor units being used as master data receiving unit having a right of main control, the other CMOS image sensor units being all used as slave units, the master data receiving unit generating a synchronizing signal and accessing the slave units in synchronism with the synchronizing signal for receiving image data.

26. An image data transmitting and receiving system, wherein a plurality of CMOS image sensor units according to claim 1 are provided on transmitting and receiving sides, the transmitting and receiving sides being connected by common bus lines, vacant ones thereof being used for transmitting and receiving data.

17. An image pick-up unit comprising a card-like body, a CMOS image sensor unit with serial data transmitting function comprising a CMOS sensor unit as a two-dimensional sensor constituted by a plurality of CMOS elements arranged in a regular array in the row and column directions, a clock unit for obtaining a clock signal at a predetermined oscillation frequency, a phase locked loop circuit unit receiving the clock signal from the clock unit and a parallel-to-serial converter unit for converting parallel data read out from the CMOS sensor to serial data in synchronism to the clock signal from the phase locked loop circuit, these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit being mounted on one surface of the card-like body, the card-like body having a card insertion hole formed in one surface of it, the card insertion hole permitting a card-like memory, which can store image data provided from the CMOS image sensor unit, to be inserted and taken out through it into and out of the body.

18. The image pick-up unit of claim 17 further comprising a drive circuit unit for converting the serial image data obtained by conversion in the parallel-to-serial converter unit to a signal complying with an LVDS (low voltage differential signalling) signal transmitting system and providing the signal thus obtained as LVDS data, these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit being mounted on one surface of the card-like body, the card-like body having a card insertion hole formed in one surface of it, the card insertion hole permitting a card-like memory, which can store image data provided from the CMOS image sensor unit, to be inserted and taken out through it into and out of the body.

19. The image pick-up unit of claim 17 further comprising a memory for storing image data provided from the CMOS sensor unit, these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit being mounted on one surface of the card-like body, the card-like body having a card insertion hole formed in one surface of it, the card insertion hole permitting a card-like memory, which can store image data provided from the CMOS image sensor unit, to be inserted and taken out through it into and out of the body.

20. The image pick-up unit of claim 17 further comprising a memory for storing image data provided from the CMOS sensor unit, and a drive circuit unit for converting the serial image data obtained by conversion in the parallel-to-serial converter unit to a signal complying with an LVDS (low voltage differential signalling) signal transmitting system and providing the signal thus obtained as LVDS data, these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit being mounted on one surface of the card-like body, the card-like body having a card insertion hole formed in one surface of it, the card insertion hole permitting a card-like memory, which can store image data provided from the CMOS image sensor unit, to be inserted and taken out through it into and out of the body.

21. The image pick-up unit of claim 17 further comprising a memory for storing the serial data from the parallel-to-serial converter unit, these units being mounted on a single image sensor unit being mounted on one surface of the card-like body, the card-like body having a card insertion hole formed in one surface of it, the card insertion hole permitting a card-like memory, which can store image data provided from the CMOS image sensor unit, to be inserted and taken out through it into and out of the body.

27. A method for generating image data comprising:

a) reading out an image signal from each of a plurality of CMOS elements;

b) converting the image signals to digital image data;

c) providing the digital image data to a parallel to serial converter to generate serial digital image data; and

d) providing the serial digital image data to an low voltage differential signaling driver to generate a high-rate low voltage differential signaling encoded image signal.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

amplifying the image signals before the act of converting the image signals to digital image data.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein the act of reading out an image signal from each of a plurality of CMOS elements is performed in synchronism with a clock signal.

30. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

generating a vertical synchronizing signal;

generating a horizontal synchronizing signal; and

generating an image clock signal,

wherein the serial digital image data is generated based on at least two of the vertical synchronizing signal, the horizontal synchronizing signal and the image clock signal.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

accepting a transfer enable signal,

wherein the vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals are generated based on the transfer enable signal.

32. The method of claim 30 further comprising:

accepting a transfer enable signal; and

generating a serial enable signal based on the transfer enable signal,

wherein the vertical and horizontal synchronizing signals are generated based on the serial enable signal.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

supplying a clock signal to a phase locked loop circuit from a clock unit; and

supplying a clock signal from the phase locked loop circuit for converting the digital image data to the serial digital image data in synchronism to the clock signal from the phase locked loop circuit.