Camera sensor

• US 7,443,421 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2005
• Issued: 10/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Stavely, Donald J., Wanger, Mark E., Miller, Casey L., Anderson, James H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): HSU, AMY R
• Application Number:
  US11/099,149
• Publication Number:
  US 20060221194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,302 Days
• Field of Search: 348/208.99, 348/208.1, 348/208.6
• US Class Current: 348/208.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/68 for stable pick-up of the scene, e.g. compensating for camera body vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/681 Motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/6842 by controlling the scanning position, e.g. windowing

Abstract

A camera has a motion detector and a sensor with a plurality of pixels. Each pixel includes shift transistors to shift charge between pixels as a function of motion sensed by the motion detector.

Claims

1. A method of movement correction in a digital camera having a sensor with a plurality of pixels, including a first, second, third and fourth pixel, wherein each pixel includes a photodiode and one or more shift transistors connected so as to shift charge to other pixels, the method comprising:

dividing an exposure into two or more sub-exposures, including a first and a second sub-exposure;

exposing the first and second pixels to electromagnetic energy during the first sub-exposure;

accumulating charge on the photodiodes of the first and second pixels as a function of the electromagnetic energy incident on the first and second pixels during the first sub-exposure;

shifting the accumulated charge from the photodiodes of the first and second pixels to the photodiodes of the third and fourth pixels, wherein shifting includes determining motion of the digital camera and shifting as a function of the motion of the digital camera;

exposing the photodiodes in the third and fourth pixels to electromagnetic energy during the second sub-exposure; and

accumulating additional charge on the photodiodes of the third and fourth pixels as a function of the electromagnetic energy incident of the photodiodes during the second sub-exposure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged as repeated arrays of colored pixels and wherein shifting the accumulated charge includes shifting charge between like-color pixels.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises reading the accumulated charge on each photodiode.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of pixels are arranged as repeated 2 by 2 arrays of red-green and green-blue pixels and wherein shifting the accumulated charge includes shifting charge between like-color pixels.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein shifting the accumulated charge includes shifting charge in both horizontal and vertical directions.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein shifting the accumulated charge includes applying clocking signals to transfer gates.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein accumulating additional charge includes shifting charge accumulated over the first and second sub-exposures to another pixel.

8. A digital camera, comprising:

a lens;

a sensor, wherein the sensor includes a plurality of pixels configured as a first, second, third and fourth pixel; and

a motion detector;

wherein each pixel includes a photodiode and shift transistors for shifting charge between pixels as a function of motion sensed by the motion detector;

wherein the sensor is configured to;

divide an exposure into two or more sub-exposures, including a first and a second sub-exposure;

expose the first and second pixels to electromagnetic energy during the first sub-exposure;

accumulate charge on the photodiodes of the first and second pixels as a function of the electromagnetic energy incident on the first and second pixels during the first sub-exposure;

shift the accumulated charge from the photodiodes of the first and second pixels to the photodiodes of the third and fourth pixels and determine motion of the digital camera and shifting as a function of the motion of the digital camera;

expose the photodiodes in the third and fourth pixels to electromagnetic energy during the second sub-exposure; and

accumulate additional charge on the photodiodes of the third and fourth pixels as a function of the electromagnetic energy incident of the photodiodes during the second sub-exposure.

9. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein each pixel further includes a reset transistor, a read transistor and a source follower transistor.

10. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein the shift transistors are designed with overlapping gates such that they act as a Charge Couple Device (CCD).

11. The digital camera of claim 10, wherein each pixel further includes a reset transistor, a read transistor and a source follower transistor.

12. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein the plurality of pixels include first and second colored pixels, wherein the colored pixels are arranged as repeated arrays of colored pixels and wherein the shift transistors are arranged to shift accumulated charge between like-color colored pixels.

13. The digital camera of claim 12, wherein the shift transistors are designed with overlapping gates such that they act as a Charge Couple Device (CCD).

14. The digital camera of claim 8, wherein the plurality of pixels includes pixels arranged as repeated 2 by 2 arrays of red-green and green-blue pixels and wherein the shift transistors transfer charge between like-color pixels.

15. The digital camera of claim 14, wherein the shift transistors are designed with overlapping gates such that they act as a Charge Couple Device (CCD).