Frame shuttering scheme for increased frame rate

• US 7,092,021 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2001
• Issued: 08/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Fossum, Eric R., Barna, Sandor L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ometz, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/792,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20010024238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,000 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.6, 348/208.3, 348/216.1, 348/217.1, 348/218.1, 348/305, 348/308, 348/309, 348/307, 348/317, 348/316, 348/320, 348/296, 348/321, 348/322, 348/323, 348/324, 348/312, 348/335, 348/220.1
• US Class Current: 348/305
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/441 by reading contiguous pixels from selected rows or columns of the array, e.g. interlaced scanning
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors

Abstract

A frame shutter apparatus comprising a controller for controlling multiple groups of pixels and for reading out values corresponding to the charge collected by different groups of pixels at different times. A method of reading out multiple groups of pixels is provided wherein values corresponding to the charge collected by one group of pixels is readout at a different time than the values corresponding to the charge collected by another group of pixels.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

integrating light indicative of a scene being imaged in a plurality of pixels forming an array of pixel rows and columns, said integrating comprising integrating each of said pixels in said array beginning and ending at substantially the same time;

reading out pixel signals corresponding to said light for all of said rows a row at a time, said reading out comprising dividing the pixels in each row into at least two groups of pixels and reading out one of said at least two groups of pixels of each said row at a different time than another of said at least two groups of pixels of said each row; and

forming at least two different image fields from the at least two different groups of pixels for each row when all rows are read out.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein pixels of one of said at least two groups are adjacent pixels from another of said at least two groups.

3. A method as in claim 2, wherein there are two groups of pixels for each row with the pixels of one group alternating with the pixels of the other group, and wherein said forming at least two different image fields comprises reading alternate pixels of each row for each group to provide two separate image fields when all rows are read out.

4. A method as in claim 2, wherein said forming at least two different image fields comprises reading one of every N pixels in a row to provide N separate image fields when all rows are read out.

5. A method as in claim 2, wherein said reading out produces multiple interleaved images each corresponding to said at least two groups of pixels when all rows are read, said method further comprising separating said multiple interleaved images.

6. A method as in claim 2, wherein said forming at least two different image fields reads out a single interleaved image at a time.

7. An apparatus, comprising:

an array of active pixel sensors arrayed in rows and columns, each including a photoreceptor portion for integrating charge, and a control portion, said control portion enabling activation of said photoreceptors portions between an integrating state and a non integrating state, and also enabling transfer of charge from said photoreceptors portions to an output; and

a controller, controlling said pixel sensors to integrate charge and, for each row of pixels in the array, to cause said transfer of charge to be performed for multiple rows, one row at a time in a plurality of different pixel sensor groups, such that charge from at least a first pixel sensor group in each row is read out at a different time than charge from a second pixel sensor group in each row.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said plurality is two.

9. An apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said control portion includes a follower buffer transistor, and a selector.

10. An apparatus as in claim 7, further comprising respective signal lines for receiving an output from said different pixel sensor groups of each row, and wherein said controller controls said pixel sensors to read out charge from respective pixel sensor groups of each row onto respective signal lines.

11. An apparatus as in claim 7, further comprising an image processor which separates a first image field produced by said first pixel sensor group of said array when all rows are read out from a second image field produced by said second pixel sensor group of said array when all rows are read out.

12. An imager array comprising:

a plurality of pixels arrayed in rows and columns;

a control circuit for controlling the integration time and read out of pixel signals such that pixel signals are read out for multiple rows a row at a time, said control circuit causing pixels in a row to be divided into at least two operational groups of pixels, each group having associated column lines, and the pixel signals of one group of said row being read out via its associated column lines at a different time from the pixel signals of another group of said row.

13. an imager array as in claim 12 wherein each operational group of pixels integrates at a different time from at least one other of said operational group of pixels.

14. An imager array comprising:

a plurality of pixels arrayed in rows and columns;

a control circuit for controlling the integration time and read out of pixel signals such that pixel signals are read out for multiple rows a row at a time, said control circuit causing pixels in a row to be divided into at least two operational groups of pixels, each group having associated column lines, and each of the pixels in a group producing a row image output of lower resolution than a row image output obtained using all pixels in a row.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of pixels arrayed in rows and columns for integrating photo-generated charges to produce pixel signals representing an image;

a control element which selects pixels in a specified row for read out, causing the pixels to be read out a row at a time, wherein the pixels are divided into at least two groups for the specified row such that pixels in one group read out charge at a different time than pixels in another group.

16. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein the pixels of one group alternate with the pixels of said another group in said specified row such that two separate image fields are provided from said array when the pixels in all rows are read out.

17. An apparatus as in claim 16, further comprising an image processor, receiving pixel signals from said pixel groups including two interleaved images and providing said two separate image fields.

18. An apparatus as in claim 16, further comprising a readout system, reading out a first image field at a first time to produce a first image, and a second image field at a second time to produce a second image.

19. An apparatus as in claim 15, wherein N groups of pixels are provided for each row, the pixels of one of said N groups being integrated and read out at a different time than the pixels of the other groups in each specified row such that N separate image fields are provided from said array when all rows are read out.

20. An apparatus as in claim 15, further comprising an image processor for receiving signals from said at least two groups of pixels for each row to provide respective outputs indicative of separate image fields for each pixel group.

21. An apparatus as in claim 19, further comprising a readout system for reading out pixels from each row in a specified order in which at least one pixel in each row is skipped between each two read pixels, to read out pixels in the order 0, N, 2N . . . to provide a first image, and 1, N+1, 2N+1 to provide a next image and so on to provide the N images when all rows are read out.