Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Eiichi Funatsu

Rui Wang

Zheng Yang

Donghui Wu

Tiejun Dai

Hiroaki Ebihara

Xiao Xie

Yin Qian

Boyd Fowler

Keiji Mabuchi

Chen-Wei Lu

Duli Mao

Jizhang Shan

Sohei Manabe

Chao Wang

Dajiang Yang

Yaowu Mo

Jin Li

Andreas Suess

Alireza Bonakdar

Chin Poh Pang

Kevin W Johnson

Woon Il Choi

Jiangtao Kuang

Lihang Fan

Chengcheng Xu

Bowei Zhang

Qingfei Chen

Richard Mann

Badrinath Padmanabhan

Hiroki Ui

Ping-Hsu Chen

Da Meng

Devang Patel

Yandong Chen

Vivian Wang

Yiu Fai Wong

An imaging device includes a pixel array with 2×2 pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns. Each 2×2 pixel circuit includes 4 photodiodes. Bitlines are coupled to the 2×2 pixel circuits and a color filter array is disposed over photodiodes of the pixel array. The color filter array includes color filters having a first color, color filters having a second color, color filters having a third color. The photodiodes of each 2×2 pixel circuits are covered by one of the color filters. Photodiodes covered by color filters having the first color and photodiodes covered by color filters having the second color are configured to provide non-phase detection (non-PD) information. Photodiodes covered by color filters having the third color are configured to provide phase detection (PD) information. Half of the 2×2 pixel circuits have the photodiodes covered by color filters having the third color.

Phase detection auto focus with horizontal/vertical quad phase detection

An image sensor comprises: a control block generating a video interface enabled signal, a video interface for receiving the video interface enabled signal, a pixel array for providing a video stream to the video interface, an output port for receiving the video stream from the video interface and outputting the video stream to outside of the image sensor, a stream indicator pin for receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block when the video interface is receiving the video interface enabled signal from the control block, where a terminal of the video interface receiving the video interface enabled signal is connected to the stream indicator pin by a conductor, and they are sealed in a package of the image sensor.

Camera having video stream indicator

An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels that is arranged in a matrix and each of which outputs a signal in response to incident light, wherein readout of data can be performed with respect to the plurality of pixels, and simultaneous readout of data of a plurality of columns of pixels can be performed, and at least one pixel of the plurality of columns of pixels to be read simultaneously can be read for phase detection with respect to each of divided sub-pixels. The image sensor is configured to, with n rows as a readout unit where n is an integer of 2 or more, perform readout for at least one sub-pixel of at least one pixel in one readout cycle within the readout unit, perform readout for each pixel including phase detection readout for the other sub-pixel of the at least one pixel in which the at least one sub-pixel has been read in the one readout cycle, in another readout cycle within the readout unit, and end the readout for the readout unit with the n+1 readout cycles.

Image sensor and method for reading out signal of image sensor

An optical system comprises an imaging lens for imaging an object to an image and a sensing pixel array for detecting lights from the object toward the image. The sensing pixel array comprises a first sensing pixel and a second sensing pixel, each sensing pixel comprising a microlens covering a one-dimensional series of photodiodes having n photodiodes. A photodiode at an end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the first sensing pixel detects a first light from the object toward the image, and a photodiode at an opposite end of the one-dimensional series of photodiodes of the second sensing pixel detects a second light from the object toward the image, where the first light and the second light pass opposite parts of the imaging lens.

Determining depth information from a single camera

An image sensor includes a photodiode array and a color filter array optically aligned with the photodiode array. The photodiode array includes a plurality of photodiodes disposed within respective portions of a semiconductor material. The color filter array includes a plurality of color filters arranged to form a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units. Each minimal repeating unit includes at least a first color filter with a red spectral photoresponse, a second color filter with a yellow spectral photoresponse, and a third color filter with a panchromatic spectral photoresponse.

Image sensor with subtractive color filter pattern

An imaging device includes a photodiode array. The photodiodes include a first set of photodiodes configured as image sensing photodiodes and a second set of photodiodes configured as phase detection auto focus (PDAF) photodiodes. The PDAF photodiodes are arranged in at least pairs in neighboring columns and are interspersed among the image sensing photodiodes. Transfer transistors are coupled to corresponding photodiodes. The transfer transistors coupled to the image sensing photodiodes included in an active row of are controlled in response to a first transfer control signal or a second transfer control signal that control all of the image sensing photodiodes of the active row. A transfer transistor is coupled to one of a pair of the PDAF photodiodes of the active row. The first transfer transistor is controlled in response to a first PDAF control signal that is independent of the first or second transfer control signals.

Flexible exposure control for image sensors with phase detection auto focus pixels

A photodiode array circuit includes a plurality of photodiode circuits, binning circuitry, and a plurality of output circuits. Each of the plurality of photodiode circuits is coupled to receive a different one of the plurality of transfer control signals as a proximate photodiode circuit, proximate in a first direction. The binning circuitry is coupled to electrically connect the plurality of photodiode circuits into groups of photodiode circuit sense nodes in response to a binning control signal. Each of the plurality of output circuits is coupled to one of the groups of photodiode circuit sense nodes. Each of the plurality of output circuits are coupled to receive the output charge from the photodiode circuits in the one of the groups of photodiode circuit sense nodes and output an output signal to a bitline in response to the output charge and an row select signal.

Versatile image sensor circuit

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels. A bit line coupled to a column of pixels is separated in to a plurality of electrically portions that are coupled to corresponding portions of rows of the pixel array. A first switching circuit of a readout circuit is coupled to the bit line. A first switching circuit is configured to couple a bit line current source to the bit line to provide a DC current coupled to flow through the bit line and through the first switching circuit during a readout operation of a pixel coupled to the bit line. A second switching circuit is configured to couple and ADC to the bit line during the readout operation of the pixel. Substantially none of the DC current provided by the bit line current source flows through the second switching circuit during the readout operation of the pixel.

CMOS image sensor with divided bit lines

An active depth imaging system and method of operating the same captures illuminator-on and illuminator-off image data with each of a first and second imager. The illuminator-on image data includes information representing an imaged scene and light emitted from an illuminator and reflected off of objects within the imaged scene. The illuminator-off image data includes information representing the imaged scene without the light emitted from the illuminator. For each image set captured by the first and second imagers, illuminator-off image data is subtracted from the illuminator-on image data to identify the illuminated light within the scene. The depth of an object at which the light is incident on then is determined by the subtracted image data of the first and second imagers.

Systems and methods for active depth imager with background subtract

An image sensor system, comprising a pixel array that includes at least a first type pixel and a second type pixel, wherein each first type pixel is configured to sense light of a first optical spectral range; and each second pixel is configured to sense light of a second optical spectral range; an optical filter located above the pixel array, said optical filter configured to pass a third optical spectral range and a fourth optical spectral range that is different from the third optical spectral range, wherein the fourth optical spectral range is less than the second optical spectral range; a light source that emits light in a fifth optical spectral range, wherein the fifth optical spectral range at least overlaps with the fourth optical spectral range; and a controller that controls the image sensor system to selectively operate in a first mode that uses said first optical spectral range, and a second mode that uses said second optical spectral range.

Combined visible and infrared image sensor incorporating selective infrared optical filter

A method includes reading a first analog reference signal from a first storage node in a dual conversion gain pixel, and converting the first analog reference signal to a first digital reference signal using a comparator coupled to the dual conversion gain pixel. The method also includes reading a first analog image signal from the first storage node, and converting the first analog image signal to a first digital image signal using the comparator. A second analog image signal may be read from the first storage node and a second storage node in the dual conversion gain pixel, and the second analog image signal may be converted to a second digital image signal. A second analog reference signal may be read from the first storage node and the second storage node, and the second analog reference signal may be converted to a second digital reference signal using the comparator.

Image sensor with dual conversion gain readout

A method of focusing an image sensor includes scanning a first portion of an image frame from an image sensor a first time at a first rate to produce first focus data. A second portion of the image frame from the image sensor is scanned at a second rate to read image data from the second portion. The first rate is greater than the second rate. The first portion of the image frame is scanned a second time at the first rate to produce second focus data. The first focus data and the second focus data are compared, and the focus of a lens is adjusted in response to the comparison of the first focus data and the second focus data.

Image sensor with fast intra-frame focus

A method of reading out a pixel includes photogenerating charge carriers during a single integration time in photodetectors of each one of a plurality of sub-pixels included in the pixel. Each one of the plurality of sub-pixels of the pixel has a same color filter. A floating diffusion node of the pixel is reset. The floating diffusion node is sampled to generate a reset output sample signal. Charge carriers that were photogenerated in a first portion of the plurality of sub-pixels are transferred to the floating diffusion node. The floating diffusion node is sampled to generate a first output sample signal. Charge carriers that were photogenerated in a second portion of the plurality of sub-pixels are transferred to the floating diffusion node. The floating diffusion node is sampled to generate a second output sample signal.

Split pixel high dynamic range sensor

A method of reading pixel data from a pixel array includes exposing each one of a plurality of regions of pixels a respective exposure time. Pixel data is read from the plurality of regions of pixels. The pixel data is interpolated from a first one of the plurality of regions of pixels to determine the pixel data of the regions of pixels other than the first one of the plurality of regions of pixels to generate a first image having the first exposure time. The pixel data is interpolated from the second one of the plurality of regions of pixels to determine the pixel data of the regions of pixels other than the second one of the plurality of regions to generate a second image having the second exposure time. The images are combined to produce a high dynamic range image.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Eiichi Funatsu