Magnachip Semiconductor, Inc.

Intellectual Ventures II LLC

Crosstek Capital, LLC

Hack-Soo Oh

Chang-Min Bae

Nam-Ryeol Kim

Song-Yl Kim

Song-Yi Kim

Ae-Young Park

A CMOS image sensor includes: a plurality of CDS/PGAs (correlating double sampling/programmable gain amplifiers) for processing output signals of pixels corresponding to same colors on different paths; and an offset difference removing part for removing offset difference that occurs when the same color signals are processed on the different paths, wherein the offset difference removing part includes: a dummy pixel array where light is shielded; a unit for reading signals of the dummy pixel array through the CDS/PGAs and storing average offset values for each path; and a signal synthesizing unit for synthesizing the average offset values and signals of an effective pixel array, which are read through the respective CDS/PGAs, and outputting signals of which offset difference is removed.

CMOS image sensor for high speed signal processing

Disclosed herein is a CMOS image sensor for improving an image quality by removing an offset noise occurred in a path difference. The CMOS image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of a first pixel and a second pixel; a first analog data bus and a second analog data bus for transferring a first pixel data and a second pixel data, each generated from the first pixel and the second pixel; a first analog signal processing unit and a second analog signal processing unit, each for amplifying an inputted pixel data to extract a pure pixel data; and a swapping unit for swapping the first pixel data and the second pixel data to thereby delivery each of first and second swapped pixel data into each of the first and the second analog signal processing unit.

CMOS image sensor

A complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor capable of performing an analog correlated double sampling method is provided. The CMOS image sensor includes an image capturing unit for capturing an analog signal corresponding to an image of a subject; an analog-digital converting unit for converting the analog signal into a digital signal by using a ramp signal decreasing in a fixed slope according to a reference clock; a ramp signal generation unit for providing the ramp signal to the analog-digital converter; and a control unit for providing said units with control signals and outputting data to the outside through an interface.

CMOS image sensor capable of performing analog correlated double sampling

A reference voltage and reference current generator supplies a reference voltage and a reference current, both having stable levels regardless of temperature variation. The reference voltage and reference current generator includes a reference voltage generating unit, a first current mirror, a temperature compensation MOS transistor and a second current mirror. The reference voltage generating unit outputs a reference voltage having a stable level regardless of temperature variation and process variation by using junction voltage characteristic and thermal voltage characteristic of a bipolar transistor, and supplies an inner current corresponding to the thermal voltage characteristic. The first current mirror supplies a first current by mirroring the inner current. The temperature compensation MOS transistor supplies a second current corresponding to the reference voltage through the source-drain stage. The second current mirror supplies a reference current corresponding to the sum of the first current and the second current.

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Chungcheongbuk-do, South Korea

Hack-Soo Oh