Semiconductor Components Industries, LLC

Debashree Guruaribam

Richard Scott Johnson

Ross F Jatou

An image sensor may include an image sensor pixel array, row control circuitry, and column readout circuitry. The array may include first and second sets of active pixels that are configured in different manners or controlled by the row control circuitry and column readout circuitry in different manners. The array may include optically black pixels that have photosensitive elements shield from incident light. The optically black pixels may be configured to generate first and second sets of black level signals adapted to both the first and second sets of active pixels. The corresponding sets of black level signals may be used to better reduce noise in corresponding sets of image signals generated by the first and second sets of active pixels.

Image sensor with black level correction

An image sensor may include a shared pixel circuit having multiple photodiodes coupled to a common floating diffusion node via respective charge transfer gates. First, the pixel circuit may be reset, and a sample-and-hold reset (SHR) value may be read out. Charge from a first of the photodiodes may be transferred to the floating diffusion node, and a first sample-and-hold signal (SHS) value may be read out. A first correlated double sampling (CDS) value is obtained by computing the difference between the SHR value and the first SHS value. Without resetting again, charge from a second of the photodiodes may be transferred to the floating diffusion node, and a second SHS value may be read out. A second CDS value is obtained by computing the difference between the first and second SHS values. Reading out the shared pixel circuit in this way substantially reduces power consumption.

Low power shared image pixel architecture

An image sensor may include an array of imaging pixels. Each imaging pixel may include a first sub-pixel that is configured to generate a high light-sensitivity signal and a second sub-pixel that is configured to generate a low light-sensitivity signal. The image sensor may also include a plurality of dark pixels that are shielded from incident light and processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may be configured to, for each imaging pixel, compare a value based on at least one of the high light-sensitivity signal and the low light-sensitivity signal to a threshold, modify the high light-sensitivity signal for the respective imaging pixel based at least on the low light-sensitivity signal for the respective imaging pixel when the value is less than the threshold, and modify the high light-sensitivity signal for the respective imaging pixel based on at least one dark pixel signal when the value is greater than the threshold.

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Boise, ID, United States of America

Debashree Guruaribam