Aptina Imaging Corporation

Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Micron Technology Incorporated

Christopher D Silsby

Jeffery S Beck

Matthew Michael Borg

William George Gazeley

Charles Myers

Richard Lawrence Baer

Michael John Brosnan

Charles E Moore

Richard Scott Johnson

Sergey Velichko

Brian W Keelan

Brian James Misek

Dwight Poplin

Richard Baumgartner

Charles Frederic McCord

Robert Michael Gravelle, Jr

Peter David Cooper

Bond Yu-Pong Ying

An imaging pixel may be provided with an upper substrate layer, a lower substrate layer, a floating diffusion region in the upper substrate layer, and a photodiode in the upper substrate layer that is coupled to the floating diffusion region. The imaging pixel may also include a source follower transistor in the lower substrate layer and an interconnect layer in between the upper substrate layer and the lower substrate layer. The interconnect layer may couple the floating diffusion region directly to the source follower transistor. The imaging pixel may include a reset transistor in the upper substrate layer. The imaging pixel may include a metal layer in the lower substrate layer, a transfer transistor in the upper substrate layer, and an interconnect layer that couples the transfer transistor to the metal layer.

Back-side illuminated pixels with interconnect layers

An imaging pixel may include an upper substrate layer with a photosensitive layer and a lower substrate with a photosensitive layer. A color filter layer may be formed over the upper substrate layer. The color filter layer may include a color filter window that allows light to pass through the upper substrate layer to the photosensitive layer in the lower substrate. The color filter window may be formed from a dielectric material or from a color filter element with a different color than the surrounding color filter element. A metal interconnect layer may couple the lower substrate layer to the upper substrate layer. The color filter window may be formed in the central portion of a pixel, or between multiple pixels in an image sensor.

Image sensors with color filter windows

An imaging system may include an array of image pixels and verification circuitry. The verification circuitry may inject test voltages into the image pixel array during the photodiode reset operation. The test signals may then be read out using a correlated double sampling operation. Verification circuitry may compare the test signals to reference data to determine whether the imaging system is functioning properly (e.g., to determine whether the array of image pixels satisfies performance criteria). If the amount of mismatch between the test signals and the reference data exceed a predetermined threshold, the imaging system may be disabled and/or a warning signal may be presented to a user of the system.

Imaging systems with pixel array verification circuitry

Image sensors may include an array of photodiodes arranged in groups of adjacent photodiodes that generate charge in response to same-colored light. The image sensor may generate high-dynamic-range (HDR) images. To establish an effective exposure ratio between sets of photodiodes on the array for generating HDR images, microlenses may be formed over some photodiodes in a checkerboard pattern and may have portions that extend over other photodiodes in the array. Control circuitry may control photodiodes in each group to perform pulsed integration in which charge transfer control signals are intermittently pulsed for those photodiodes. A substantially opaque element may be formed over photodiodes in each of the groups such that the corresponding photodiodes generate signals in response to crosstalk. In this way, different effective exposures may be established across the array, allowing for HDR images to be generated without motion artifacts and with super-pixel resolution.

High dynamic range imaging systems having differential photodiode exposures

This is generally directed to systems and methods for providing shiftable column circuitry for a pixel array of an imaging system. Columns of a pixel array can be switchably coupled (e.g., through multiplexers) to their default column circuitry as well as coupled to one or more instances of a neighboring column's column circuitry. In response to an instance of default column circuitry being identified as defective, its corresponding column may 'shift' and choose to couple to the neighboring column circuitry. Similarly, all following columns may also shift and couple to a neighboring column circuitry. In some embodiments, the defective column circuitry can be identified during wafer testing and identifying information (e.g., an address) of the defective column circuitry stored in memory. The identifying information may then be accessed from memory and, during an image signal readout phase, used to suitably shift the columns to avoid the defective column circuitry.

Systems and methods for providing shiftable column circuitry of imager pixel arrays

Apparatus and a method for processing image data where row data is received corresponding to a target row of pixels and to one or more reference rows of pixels. A target row average is generated based on the target row data and a reference row average is generated for each of the one or more reference rows based on each reference row's respective row data. A row correction value is generated based on the target row average of the target row and the reference row average of the one or more reference rows. Corrected target row data is generated by applying the row correction value to the target row data.

Row noise filtering

An imaging pixel array and associated method and system are disclosed in which the array contains first pixels each having a first photo-conversion device, and second pixels each having a first photo-conversion device and a second photo-conversion device. The first photo-conversion devices are configured to acquire an image during a first integration period. The second photo-conversion devices are configured to acquire a plurality of images during the first integration period. A circuit uses the plurality of image signals and determines from them relative motion between the array and an image during a portion of the first integration period and provides a signal representing the motion which is used for image stabilization.

Method, apparatus and system for image stabilization using a single pixel array

The present invention provides providing a substrate, forming a sensor array on the substrate, forming a structured array of uncommitted logic surrounding the sensor array on the substrate, and providing electrical interconnects to the structured array of uncommitted logic, wherein the structured array of uncommitted logic forms functions that support the operation of the sensor array.

System for programmable gate array with sensor array

A device that employs a secondary camera for use in image blur correction. The device includes a first camera that acquires a digital image and a second camera that acquires a series of digital images that enable a determination of a motion of the device during acquisition of the digital image. The determined motion may be used to correct an image blur in the digital image acquired with the primary camera.

Image blur correction using a secondary camera

An image sensor including a substrate, at least one metal layer, and a plurality of pixels arranged in array. Each pixel includes a sense element disposed in the substrate and at least one metal interconnect segment disposed in the at least one metal layer. The array includes a pair of perpendicular axes extending from an optical center, wherein for a line of pixels extending perpendicularly from one of the axes to a peripheral edge of the array a spacing between the sense elements of consecutive pairs of pixels of the line is at least equal to a spacing between the associated at least one metal interconnect segments, and wherein for at least one consecutive pair of pixels of the line the spacing between the sense elements is greater by an incremental amount than the spacing between the corresponding at least one metal interconnect segments.

Pixel with spatially varying sensor positions

A motion detecting camera system includes a portable motion detection device having an image sensor for detecting motion within a field of view of the motion detection device and automatically generating a digital image of a scene within the field of view upon detection of motion. The motion detection device includes a cellular telephone transmitter for transmitting cellular telephone communications. The camera system includes a base unit having a display screen. The motion detection device is configured to automatically transmit the digital image via the transmitter to the base unit for display on the display screen.

Motion detecting camera system

One or more dummy pixels of an image sensor device IC are modified to include programming circuitry that enables them to be used as non-volatile memory. Dummy pixels are non-imaging pixels that already exist in image sensor ICs and are addressable using the same circuitry that is used to address the imaging array of the IC. Therefore, there are no additional processing steps and no additional cost associated with implementing the dummy pixels or circuitry for addressing the dummy pixels in the IC. One or more of these non-imaging dummy pixels are modified to make the dummy pixels programmable to enable the pixels to store logic 1 bits and logic 0 bits.

Image sensor device having one or more modified dummy pixels that are usable as non-volatile memory elements

An apparatus such as a digital camera includes an image sensor array adapted to capture a scene into electrical values and a reference detector proximal to the sensor array for detecting illuminant intensities. The reference detector at least partially surrounds the image sensor array. The reference detector is read multiple times during the frame period in which the image sensor array captures a scene to detect illuminant intensities during the same frame period. Using the illuminant intensities, the phase and the amplitude of the flicker of the illuminant are extracted. Using the phase and the amplitude parameters, a flicker correction signal is synthesized. The flicker correction signal is used to correct the captured image data to reduce or eliminate adverse effects of flicker on the captured image.

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Loveland, CO, United States of America

Christopher D Silsby