CMOS imager for pointing and tracking applications
First Claim
1. An integrated semiconductor device comprising:
- an active pixel sensor array;
a diagonal switch array coupled with the active pixel sensor array;
a memory array coupled with the diagonal switch array;
a readout block coupled with the memory array; and
a controller configurable to operate the diagonal switch array, the memory array, and the readout block in a tracking mode to read out two or more windows in the active pixel sensor array.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and techniques to realize pointing and tracking applications with CMOS imaging devices. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: sampling multiple rows and multiple columns of an active pixel sensor array into a memory array (e.g., an on-chip memory array), and reading out the multiple rows and multiple columns sampled in the memory array to provide image data with reduced motion artifact. Various operation modes may be provided, including TDS, CDS, CQS, a tracking mode to read out multiple windows, and/or a mode employing a sample-first-read-later readout scheme. The tracking mode can take advantage of a diagonal switch array. The diagonal switch array, the active pixel sensor array and the memory array can be integrated onto a single imager chip with a controller. This imager device can be part of a larger imaging system for both space-based applications and terrestrial applications.
27 Citations
36 Claims
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1. An integrated semiconductor device comprising:
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an active pixel sensor array; a diagonal switch array coupled with the active pixel sensor array; a memory array coupled with the diagonal switch array; a readout block coupled with the memory array; and a controller configurable to operate the diagonal switch array, the memory array, and the readout block in a tracking mode to read out two or more windows in the active pixel sensor array. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method comprising:
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sampling multiple rows and multiple columns of an active pixel sensor array into an on-chip analog memory array; and reading out the multiple rows and multiple columns sampled in the on-chip memory array to provide image data with reduced motion artifact; wherein said sampling multiple rows and multiple columns comprises sampling multiple arbitrarily placed windows in the active pixel sensor array; and wherein said sampling multiple arbitrarily placed windows comprises sampling in a first of two or more operation modes, the first operation mode comprising a tracking mode having low power operation based at least in part on drawing current for sampling only on pixels from the active pixel sensor array that fall in the multiple arbitrarily placed windows. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An imaging system comprising:
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an active pixel sensor array; a memory array coupled with the active pixel sensor array; a readout block coupled with the memory array; and a controller configurable to operate the memory array, the readout block in multiple modes, including a first mode employing a sample-first-read-later readout scheme, and a diagonal switch array coupled between the active pixel sensor array and the memory array. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. An imaging system comprising:
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an active pixel sensor array; a memory array coupled with the active pixel sensor array; a readout block coupled with the memory array; and a controller configurable to operate the memory array, and the readout block in multiple modes, including a first mode employing a sample-first-read-later readout scheme, and wherein the memory array comprises adjacent capacitors in a common centroid layout, and the controller arranges correlated values on the adjacent capacitors to reduce fixed pattern noise when performing correlated sampling of signal levels and reset levels, and wherein the active pixel sensor array comprises a photodiode array, each photodiode having a common photo-conversion and sense node. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. An integrated semiconductor device comprising:
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an active pixel sensor array; a memory array coupled with the active pixel sensor array; a readout block coupled with the memory array; and a controller configurable to operate the memory array and the readout block to perform four-point correlated double sampling, wherein the controller operates the memory array and the readout block to perform four-point correlated double sampling by placing correlated signals on adjacent capacitor blocks that have been laid out in the memory array in a common centroid fashion. - View Dependent Claims (34)
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35. An integrated semiconductor device comprising:
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an active pixel sensor array; a memory array coupled with the active pixel sensor array; a readout block coupled with the memory array; and a controller configurable to operate the memory array and the readout block to perform four-point correlated double sampling, wherein the controller operates the memory array and the readout block to perform four-point correlated double sampling by placing differential signals on capacitor blocks in the memory array such that only one subtraction is used for each four samples.
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36. An integrated semiconductor device comprising:
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an active pixel sensor array; a memory array coupled with the active pixel sensor array; a readout block coupled with the memory array; a controller configurable to operate the memory array and the readout block to perform four-point correlated double sampling, and a diagonal switch array coupled between the active pixel sensor array and the memory array, wherein the controller is further configurable to operate the diagonal switch array, the memory array, and the readout block in a tracking mode to read out multiple windows per frame in the active pixel sensor array.
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Specification