CMOS TDI image sensor
First Claim
1. A sensor comprising:
- a column bus;
a column of pixels;
a first plurality of switches, each switch being coupled between the column bus and a corresponding pixel of the column of pixels;
a column of accumulators;
a second plurality of switches, each switch being coupled between the column bus and a corresponding accumulator of the column of accumulators;
a first switch control circuit operable to control a switch of the first plurality of switches to connect the signal from the pixel of the column of pixels to the column bus while controlling all remaining switches of the first plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining pixels of the column of pixels;
a second switch control circuit operable to control a switch of the second plurality of switches to connect the signal on the column bus to the accumulator of the column of accumulators while controlling all remaining switches of the second plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining accumulators of the column of accumulators;
a first increment control circuit operable to increment the first switch control circuit to control a next in succession switch of the first plurality of switches to connect a signal from a next in succession pixel of the column of pixels to the column bus while controlling all remaining switches of the first plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining pixels of the column of pixels;
a second increment control circuit operable to increment the second switch control circuit to control a next in succession switch of the second plurality of switches to connect the signal on the column bus to a next in succession accumulator of the column of accumulators while controlling all remaining switches of the second plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining accumulators of the column of accumulators;
a first repeat control circuit operable to repetitively operate the first increment control circuit, the first switch control circuit, the second increment control circuit, and the second switch control circuit; and
a second repeat control circuit operable to operate the first increment control circuit and then operate the first repeat control circuit each time the second repeat control circuit is operated.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A column slice of a CMOS TDI sensor includes a column bus, a column of pixels, plural first switches, a column of accumulators, plural second switches, plural third switches and output bus 39. Each of the plural first switches is coupled between the column bus and a corresponding pixel of the column of pixels, and each of the plural second switches is coupled between the column bus and a corresponding accumulator of the column of accumulators. In operation, only one switch at a time of plural first switches is “on” to connect the voltage signal from a corresponding pixel to the column bus while all remaining plural first switches are “off” to isolate the column bus from all remaining pixels. Only one of the plural second switches is “on” to connect the signal on the column bus to an accumulator while all remaining plural second switches are “off” to isolate the bus from all remaining accumulators. A main control circuit includes first and second shift registers to control the plural first and second switches to couple a signal from each pixel of the column of pixels into a corresponding accumulator of the column of accumulators while updating the accumulator until signals from all pixels have been transferred into corresponding accumulators. After this update cycle, an accumulated signal from the one accumulator that is currently addressed by a third shift register is read to the output. Then, the first and third shift registers are incremented. A new update cycle begins when a point in a moving image focused on the column slice crosses a pixel boundary. The same pattern repeats continuously. Valid TDI data is produced at the output after a number of full cycles of the transfer of pixels signals to the accumulators has been complete, the number being equal to the number of pixels.
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Citations
10 Claims
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1. A sensor comprising:
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a column bus;
a column of pixels;
a first plurality of switches, each switch being coupled between the column bus and a corresponding pixel of the column of pixels;
a column of accumulators;
a second plurality of switches, each switch being coupled between the column bus and a corresponding accumulator of the column of accumulators;
a first switch control circuit operable to control a switch of the first plurality of switches to connect the signal from the pixel of the column of pixels to the column bus while controlling all remaining switches of the first plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining pixels of the column of pixels;
a second switch control circuit operable to control a switch of the second plurality of switches to connect the signal on the column bus to the accumulator of the column of accumulators while controlling all remaining switches of the second plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining accumulators of the column of accumulators;
a first increment control circuit operable to increment the first switch control circuit to control a next in succession switch of the first plurality of switches to connect a signal from a next in succession pixel of the column of pixels to the column bus while controlling all remaining switches of the first plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining pixels of the column of pixels;
a second increment control circuit operable to increment the second switch control circuit to control a next in succession switch of the second plurality of switches to connect the signal on the column bus to a next in succession accumulator of the column of accumulators while controlling all remaining switches of the second plurality of switches to isolate the column bus from all remaining accumulators of the column of accumulators;
a first repeat control circuit operable to repetitively operate the first increment control circuit, the first switch control circuit, the second increment control circuit, and the second switch control circuit; and
a second repeat control circuit operable to operate the first increment control circuit and then operate the first repeat control circuit each time the second repeat control circuit is operated. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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Specification