Image sensor with charge binning and dual channel readout

• US 7,859,581 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2003
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnivision Technologies Incorporated (Will Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Shanghai)
• Original Assignee: Eastman Kodak Company
• Inventors: Guidash, Robert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ye; Lin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Yoder, III; Chriss S
• Application Number:
  US10/620,060
• Publication Number:
  US 20050012836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,723 Days
• Field of Search: 348/302, 348/308, 348/310, 348/311, 348/316, 348/319, 348/272, 348/273, 348/281, 348/282, 348/283, 348/220.1, 348/221.1, 348/235, 348/241, 348/364, 348/367, 348/247, 348/230.1, 348/294, 348/304, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 348/302
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/84 for processing colour signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/1562 for selective scanning, e.g. windowing, zooming

Abstract

An image sensor includes: (a) a plurality of light measuring elements arranged in an array and at least a portion of the elements have a color filter mated with the light receiving elements which permits selective color reception by the light measuring elements; (b) a plurality of floating diffusions respectively mated with the plurality of light receiving elements; and c) an output structure electrically connected to two or more of the floating diffusions; wherein the at least two light receiving elements receiving the same color are transferred to the output structure substantially simultaneously.

Claims

1. An x-y addressable image sensor comprising:

(a) a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in an array of rows and columns that convert the light to a signal;

(b) means for reading out two or more equivalent samples of a same signal from each light receiving element in at least one row, wherein the same signal is produced after a single integration period for all of the light receiving elements in the at least one row;

(c) at least two signal storage banks comprised of individual signal storage elements;

each of the at least two storage banks having enough individual storage elements to store the two or more signals from the at least one row of light receiving elements in the array, wherein the two or more samples of the same signal are concurrently stored in different individual signal storage elements; and

(d) at least two select mechanisms which can direct signals from the plurality of light receiving elements to any single or combination of the signal storage banks.

2. The image sensor as in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of color filters mated with the plurality of light receiving elements, and the select mechanism is used to send signals from the light receiving elements mated to a single color filter type to a desired signal storage bank such that, for any given row, a single signal storage bank contains signals from a single color type.

3. The image sensor as in claim 2 wherein the color filter is a Bayer pattern in which signals from a single color type are sent to only one of the two signal storage banks.

4. The image sensor as in claim 3, wherein the single color type sent to only one of the storage regions is green.

5. The image sensor as in claim 1, wherein the individual signal storage elements in the signal storage banks are larger than light measuring element pitch.

6. The image sensor as in claim 1, wherein the at least two select mechanisms direct signals from the each of the plurality of light receiving elements to both signal storage banks.

7. The image sensor as in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of signal storage banks and the at least two select mechanisms direct signals to multiple signal storage banks.

8. The image sensor as in claim 1, wherein a single pixel can be directed to multiple single storage elements within any signal storage bank.

9. The image sensor of claim 8, wherein adjacent signals from the light receiving elements in the adjacent signal storage elements are averaged to produce a single value.

10. The image sensor as in claim 1, wherein a single pixel can be directed to adjacent individual signal storage elements within any signal storage bank.

11. The image sensor of claim 10, wherein adjacent signals from the light receiving elements in the adjacent signal storage elements are averaged to produce a single value.

12. A camera comprising:

an x-y addressable image sensor comprising;

(a) a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in an array of rows and columns that convert the light to a signal;

(b) means for reading out two or more equivalent samples of a same signal from each light receiving element in at least one row, wherein the same signal is produced after a single integration period for all of the light receiving elements in the at least one row;

(c) at least two signal storage banks comprised of individual signal storage elements;

each of the at least two storage banks having enough individual storage elements to store the two or more signals from the at least one row of light receiving elements in the array, wherein the two or more samples of the same signal are concurrently stored in different individual signal storage elements; and

(d) at least two select mechanisms which can direct signals from the plurality of light receiving elements to any single or combination of the signal storage banks.

13. The camera as in claim 12 further comprising a plurality of color filters mated with the plurality of light receiving elements, and the select mechanism is used to send signals from the light receiving elements mated to a single color filter type to a desired signal storage bank such that, for any given row, a single signal storage bank contains signals from a single color type.

14. The camera as in claim 13 wherein the color filter is a Bayer pattern in which signals from a single color type are sent to only one of the two signal storage banks.

15. The camera as in claim 14, wherein the single color type sent to only one of the storage regions is green.

16. The camera as in claim 12, wherein the individual signal storage elements in the signal storage banks are larger than light measuring element pitch.

17. The camera as in claim 12, wherein the at least two select mechanisms direct signals from the each of the plurality of light receiving elements to both signal storage banks.

18. The camera as in claim 12 further comprising a plurality of signal storage banks and the at least two select mechanisms direct signals to multiple signal storage banks.

19. The camera as in claim 12, wherein a single pixel can be directed to multiple single storage elements within any signal storage bank.

20. The camera as in claim 19, wherein adjacent signals from the light receiving elements in the adjacent signal storage elements are averaged to produce a single value.

21. The camera as in claim 12, wherein a single pixel can be directed to adjacent individual signal storage elements within any signal storage bank.

22. The camera as in claim 21, wherein adjacent signals from the light receiving elements in the adjacent signal storage elements are averaged to produce a single value.

23. A method for operating an x-y addressable image sensor that includes at least two storage banks comprised of individual storage elements each of the at least two storage banks having enough individual storage elements to store signals from at least one row of light receiving elements, the method comprising:

capturing a single image using a single integration period for all of the light receiving elements in at least one row;

after the single integration period, reading out two or more equivalent samples of the same signal for each light receiving element in the at least one row;

storing the two or more samples of the same signal in respective storage elements in the at least two storage banks.

24. The method as in claim 23, further comprising:

for each light receiving element in the at least one row, reading out the two or more samples of the same signal from the respective storage elements; and

averaging the two or more samples to generate a single average signal.