Semiconductor image sensor array device, apparatus comprising such a device and method for operating such a device

• US 20090190019A1
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teledyne Digital Imaging, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Teledyne Dalsa Incorporated (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: O, Nixon
• Granted Patent: US 8,119,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14643 Photodiode arrays; MOS imagers

Abstract

A plural line CMOS sensor array device is provided with sensor cells arranged in a matrix of coordinate-wise rows and columns. Each cell comprises a photosensitive area, an output node, and a transfer gate for selectively interconnecting the photosensitive area and the output node. Along at least a first coordinate direction adjacent cells are functionally configured as mutually mirror-symmetric structures in that their proximate output nodes are facing each other and are arranged for separately feeding a respective output channel.

Preferably, also in a second coordinate direction adjacent cells are functionally configured as mutually mirror-symmetric structures in that their proximate output nodes are facing each other and all such facing output nodes are separately feeding a respective column-directed output channel.

Claims

1. A method of using a line-scan sensor device to scan an image, the device comprising sensor cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, the method comprising:

determining when a pixel signal value from a pixel in a first row and in a column deviates from a pixel signal value from a pixel in a second row and in said column; and

removing the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column when the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column deviates from the pixel signal value from the pixel in the second row and in said column, wherein the pixel in the first row and in said column images a portion of the image and the pixel in the second row and in said column images the same portion of the image.

2. A method of using a plural-line image sensor device according to claim 1, the method further comprising replacing the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column with a column-wise filtered pixel signal value comprised of the pixel signal value from the pixel in the second row and in said column.

3. A method of using a line-scan sensor device to scan an image, the device comprising sensor cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns, the method comprising:

determining when a pixel signal value from a pixel in a first row and in a column deviates from a composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column; and

removing the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column when the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column deviates from the composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column, wherein the pixel in the first row and in said column images a portion of the image and each of the pixels in plural other rows and all in said column images the same portion of the image.

4. A method of using a plural-line image sensor device according to claim 3, the method further comprising replacing the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column with a column-wise filtered pixel signal value comprised of the composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column.

5. A sensor comprising:

a plural-line image sensor device operable to scan an image, the device comprising sensor cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; and

a processor operable to determine when a pixel signal value from a pixel in a first row and in a column deviates from a pixel signal value from a pixel in a second row and in said column, and to remove the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column when the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column deviates from the pixel signal value from the pixel in the second row and in said column, wherein the pixel in the first row and in said column images a portion of the image and the pixel in the second row and in said column images the same portion of the image.

6. A sensor according to claim 5, wherein the processor is further operable to replace the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column with a column-wise filtered pixel signal value comprised of the pixel signal value from the pixel in the second row and in said column.

7. A sensor comprising:

a plural-line image sensor device operable to scan an image, the device comprising sensor cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns; and

a processor operable to determine when a pixel signal value from a pixel in a first row and in a column deviates from a composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column, and to remove the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column when the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column deviates from the composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column, wherein the pixel in the first row and in said column images a portion of the image and each of the pixels in plural other rows and all in said column images the same portion of the image.

8. A sensor according to claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to replace the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column with a column-wise filtered pixel signal value comprised of the composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column.

9. A processor readable medium comprising plural modules for controlling a processor, the modules comprising:

a module operable to control the processor to determine when a pixel signal value from a pixel in a first row and in a column of a plural-line image sensor device operable to scan an image deviates from a pixel signal value from a pixel in a second row and in said column; and

a module operable to control the processor to remove the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column when the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column deviates from the pixel signal value from the pixel in the second row and in said column, wherein the pixel in the first row and in said column images a portion of the image and the pixel in the second row and in said column images the same portion of the image.

10. A processor readable medium according to claim 9, wherein the modules further comprise a module operable to control the processor to replace the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column with a column-wise filtered pixel signal value comprised of the pixel signal value from the pixel in the second row and in said column.

11. A processor readable medium comprising plural modules for controlling a processor, the modules comprising:

a module operable to control the processor to determine when a pixel signal value from a pixel in a first row and in a column of a plural-line image sensor device operable to scan an image deviates from a composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column; and

a module operable to control the processor to remove the pixel signal value of the pixel in the first row and in said column when the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column deviates from the composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column, wherein the pixel in the first row and in said column images a portion of the image and each of the pixels in plural other rows and all in said column images the same portion of the image.

12. A processor readable medium according to claim 11, wherein the modules further comprise a module operable to control the processor to replace the pixel signal value from the pixel in the first row and in said column with a column-wise filtered pixel signal value comprised of the composite value composed from pixels in plural other rows and all in said column.