Apple Inc.

Micron Technology Incorporated

Aptina Imaging Corporation

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Chiajen Lee

Xiaofeng Fan

Kwang-Bo Cho

Taehee Cho

Sandor L Barna

Xiangli Li

Anup K Sharma

Andrew M Lever

Michael Ross Malone

Ashirwad Bahukhandi

Gennadiy A Agranov

Giuseppe Rossi

Claus Molgaard

Hai Yan

Terry L Gilton

Chung Chun Wan

Henry Hung Yang

Isao Takayanagi

Shawn Xavier Arnold

Andrew Kenneth John McMahon

Espen A Olsen

Jeffrey Nathan Gleason

Ryan J Dunn

Dongsoo Kim

Christopher G Zeleznik

Christopher Zeleznik

Chris Zeleznik

Jeffrey N Gleason

A camera may one or more lenses and an image sensor having an array of light-gathering pixels. The pixels may generate image signals based on light passing through the lenses. The camera may include at least one pixel output settling assist circuit. The pixel output settling assist circuit may be electrically coupled to an output signal line of at least one of the pixels. The pixel output settling assist circuit may include a pixel output voltage change detection circuit and a bias current adjustment circuit. During read-out of the image signals of the at least one pixel, the pixel output voltage change detection circuit may detect a change of a voltage at the output of the pixel. The bias current adjustment circuit may generate and adjust a current injected to the output based on the detected change of the voltage at the output.

Pixel output settling assist with dynamic bias current

Disclosed herein are electronic devices and image sensors containing pixel arrays, layouts of electrical signal lines for such pixel arrays, and methods of pixel read out operations, including row read operations, for such pixel arrays. Layouts are disclosed that have reduced sets of shielding or ground lines. In some layouts, shielding ground lines are used only between pairs of adjacent pixel output signal lines (OSLs). Also disclosed is a method of using one OSL within a pair of adjacent pixel OSLs to provide settling assist of the pixel output signal on the other OSL of the adjacent pair of OSLs.

Pixel output parasitic capacitance reduction and predictive settling assist

One or more cross-wafer capacitors are formed in an electronic component, circuit, or device that includes stacked wafers. One example of such a device is a stacked image sensor. The image sensor can include two or more wafers, with two wafers that are bonded to each other each including a conductive segment adjacent to, proximate, or abutting a bonding surface of the respective wafer. The conductive segments are positioned relative to each other such that each conductive element forms a plate of a capacitor. A cross-wafer capacitor is formed when the two wafers are attached to each other.

Image sensor with a cross-wafer capacitator

Pixel binning is performed by summing charge from some pixels positioned diagonally in a pixel array. Pixel signals output from pixels positioned diagonally in the pixel array may be combined on the output lines. A signal representing summed charge produces a binned 2&#xd7;1 cluster. A signal representing combined voltage signals produces a binned 2&#xd7;1 cluster. A signal representing summed charge and a signal representing combined pixel signals can be combined digitally to produce a binned 2&#xd7;2 pixel. Orthogonal binning may be performed on other pixels in the pixel array by summing charge on respective common sense regions and then combining the voltage signals that represent the summed charge on respective output lines.

Pixel binning in an image sensor

Image sensor with a cross-wafer capacitor

Pixel binning is performed by summing charge from some pixels positioned diagonally in a pixel array. Pixel signals output from pixels positioned diagonally in the pixel array may be combined on the output lines. A signal representing summed charge produces a binned 2&#xd7;1 cluster. A signal representing combined voltage signals produces a binned 2&#xd7;1 cluster. A signal representing summed charge and a signal representing combined pixel signals can be combined digitally to produce a binned 2&#xd7;2 pixel. Orthogonal binning may be performed on other pixels in the pixel array by summing charge on respective common sense regions and then then combining the voltage signals that represent the summed charge on respective output lines.

Electronic devices may be provided with magnetic sensors for detecting the Earth's magnetic field. The magnetic sensors may include thin magnetic sensors located in magnetically quiet regions of the device. The magnetic sensors may be attached to a device housing or a component such as a battery or a cover structure for a battery. The device may include unidirectional magnetic sensors aligned in three orthogonal directions or sensors with two or three magnetic sensor elements aligned in orthogonal directions. Magnetic field data from the three orthogonally aligned sensors or sensor elements may be combined to form directional compass data for the device. Each magnetic sensor may include one or more magnetic sensor elements for detecting the magnetic field and one or more shielded reference sensor elements for detecting environmental changes that can affect the magnetic sensor element. Reference sensor elements may be shared elements for multiple magnetic sensors elements.

Electronic devices with magnetic sensors

A sequence of digital images are produced using an imaging sensor circuit, wherein each of the digital images was a result of light capture by the imaging sensor circuit during a respective pixel integration phase followed by analog to digital conversion during a respective readout phase. A camera actuator is driven while producing the sequence of images, wherein during a part of every respective readout phase for the sequence of digital images the actuator is driven using a linear drive circuit, and wherein during a part of every respective pixel integration phase the actuator is driven using a switch mode drive circuit. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

Method and apparatus for camera actuator driver mode control synchronized with imaging sensor frame

An image sensor includes pixels that accumulate charge during a first integration period and pixels that accumulate charge during shorter second integration periods when an image is captured. The pixels having the shorter second integration period accumulate charge at two or more different times during the first integration period. Charge is read out of the pixels associated with the first integration period at the end of the first integration period, while charge is read out of the pixels having the second integration period at the end of each second integration period.

Image sensor having pixels with different integration periods

An image sensor and a method of operating an image sensor to achieve a substantially uniform power signature. An array of pixels may be scanned using analog sensing circuitry to obtain an analog sensor output. The scanning is performed over a first time interval. The analog sensor output is converted to a digital data output using digital logic circuitry. The converting occurs over a second time interval that is subsequent to the first time interval and may be substantially the same duration as the first time interval. While the array of pixels are being scanned, the digital logic circuitry is operated over the first time interval and substantially coincides with the scanning of the array of pixels.

Image sensor having a uniform digital power signature

An image sensor includes an imaging area and one or more flicker detection regions. The imaging area includes pixels that capture one or more images. Each flicker detection region includes pixels that are sampled multiple times while an image is being captured. The samples can be analyzed to detect flicker in the scene being imaged.

Image sensor flicker detection

Successive approximation register (SAR) and ramp analog to digital conversion (ADC) methods, systems, and apparatus are disclosed. An analog voltage signal may be converted into a multiple bit digital value by generating bits of the multiple bit digital value by performing a SAR conversion on the analog voltage signal, where the bits corresponding to a SAR voltage level, and generating other bits of the multiple bit digital value by performing one or more ramp conversions on the analog voltage signal, the ramp conversion comparing the analog voltage signal to a ramp of voltage levels based on the SAR voltage level. The SAR and ramp ADC can provide multi-sampling using one SAR conversion and multiple ramp conversions. The SAR can set the voltage level of a first ramp of a multiple ramp conversion, which can then be used to preset the voltage level prior to subsequent ramps.

Ramp and successive approximation register analog to digital conversion methods, systems and apparatus

A method of operating an image sensor. Charge accumulated in a photodiode during a first sub-exposure may be selectively stored in a storage node responsive to a first control signal. Charge accumulated in the photodiode during a first reset period may be selectively discarded responsive to a second control signal. Charge accumulated in the photodiode during a second sub-exposure may be selectively stored responsive to the first control signal. Charge stored in the storage node from the first and second sub-exposures may be transferred to a floating diffusion node responsive to a third control signal.

Exposure control for image sensors

An electronic device may be provided with an image sensor for capturing digital images. The image sensor may be used as part of image-sensor-based ambient light sensing circuitry for producing ambient light sensor readings. The image-sensor-based ambient light sensing circuitry may include a reference array. The reference array may be formed from an array of light sensor elements that are matched to elements in the image sensor but that are covered with a light blocking material. Control circuitry can measure current flow into the reference array and the image sensor array and can use current measurements from these arrays in producing a calibrated ambient light sensor reading. The control circuitry may make current measurements by measuring a decay time associated with the voltage of a discharging capacitor. A comparator, pulse generator, and switch may be used in periodically recharging the capacitor. The capacitor may be adjusted to ensure accurate readings.

Calibrated image-sensor-based ambient light sensor

Methods, devices, and systems for offset compensation in an amplifier are disclosed, wherein the amplifier inputs may be exposed to large loads from an array of pixel columns coupled in parallel. During a sampling phase, an amplifier offset may be sampled by selectively coupling a first amplifier output to a first amplifier input and a second amplifier output to a second amplifier input. During a portion of the sampling phase, the first amplifier output may be buffered to a first storage element. During a different portion of the sampling phase, the second amplifier output may be buffered to a second storage element. To sense the pixel columns during an amplification phase, the first storage element and the second storage element are coupled to the first and second amplifier inputs, respectively, with the result that the amplifier offset is canceled from the amplifier output.

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Irvine, CA, United States of America

Chiajen Lee