CMOS image sensor having block scanning capability
First Claim
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1. A CMOS image sensor, comprising:
- pixel sensors arranged in the form of a two-dimensional array, each pixel sensor comprising a photodiode at a signal detection node and a pair of pass transistors, which passes a photodiode reset signal to a gate of a transistor that resets said photodiode, only when said pixel sensor is selected;
means, disposed in each pixel sensor, for obtaining a signal whose reset noise is reduced and that corresponds to the absolute value of the amount of incident light; and
means for outputting said signal in a block-scanning fashionwherein said photodiode reset signal is given as the logical AND of a column block selection signal and a pixel reset signal.
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Abstract
A CMOS image sensor includes a plurality of pixel sensors arranged in a two-dimensional array. In each pixel sensor, a signal corresponding to the absolute value of the amount of incident light with reduced reset noise is obtained. The signals of the respective pixel sensors are then output in a block scanning fashion. The CMOS image sensor does not need to include a preprocessing circuit for discrete cosine transform or a high-capacity frame memory for raster scanning.
50 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A CMOS image sensor, comprising:
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pixel sensors arranged in the form of a two-dimensional array, each pixel sensor comprising a photodiode at a signal detection node and a pair of pass transistors, which passes a photodiode reset signal to a gate of a transistor that resets said photodiode, only when said pixel sensor is selected; means, disposed in each pixel sensor, for obtaining a signal whose reset noise is reduced and that corresponds to the absolute value of the amount of incident light; and means for outputting said signal in a block-scanning fashion wherein said photodiode reset signal is given as the logical AND of a column block selection signal and a pixel reset signal. - View Dependent Claims (3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12)
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2. A CMOS image sensor, comprising:
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pixel sensors arranged in a two-dimensional array, each pixel sensor comprising floating diffusion at a signal detection mode and a pair of pass transistors, which passes a transfer signal to a gate of a transistor that transfers a signal charge of a photodiode, only when said pixel sensor is selected; means, disposed in each pixel sensor, for obtaining a signal whose rest noise is reduces and that corresponds to the absolute value of the amount of incident light; and means for outputting said signal in a block-scanning fashion; wherein said transfer signal is given as the logical AND of a column block selection signal and a pixel transfer signal. - View Dependent Claims (4, 6, 9, 11)
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Specification