Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jaejin Jung

Wontak Choi

Mooyoung Kim

Jiyong Kim

Kwi Sung Yoo

Kwanghyun Lee

Yeeun Ha

Kwisung Yoo

Sinhwan Lim

An image sensor, including a pixel array including a first unit pixel including first a plurality of photodiodes and a second unit pixel including a second plurality of diodes; a readout circuit configured to: obtain a reset signal from the first unit pixel and the second unit pixel, obtain a first single pixel signal from a first photodiode of the first unit pixel, and a second single pixel signal from a second photodiode of the second unit pixel, and obtain a first summed pixel signal from the first unit pixel, and a second summed pixel signal from the second unit pixel, wherein the first photodiode is disposed in position with respect to the first unit pixel which is different from a position of the second photodiode with respect to the second unit pixel.

Method and apparatus for performing autofocusing using summed signals

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of shared pixels including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a first direction and a second direction and connected to a same floating diffusion node, and a plurality of column lines connected to the plurality of shared pixels, extending in the second direction, and arranged in parallel. The image sensor further includes an analog-to-digital conversion circuit including a plurality of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) connected to the plurality of column lines. At least two first shared pixels consecutively arranged in parallel in at least one of the first and second directions and configured to sense an optical signal of a first color among the plurality of shared pixels are connected to different column lines among the plurality of column lines.

Image sensor and pixel array of image sensor

An image sensor includes: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels divided into a plurality of binning areas; a readout circuit configured to, from the plurality of binning areas, receive a plurality of pixel signals including a first sensing signal of first pixels and a second sensing signal of second pixels during a single frame period and output a first pixel value corresponding to the first pixels and a second pixel value corresponding to the second pixels based on the plurality of pixel signals; and an image signal processor configured to generate first image data based on a plurality of first pixel values corresponding to the plurality of binning areas, generate second image data based on a plurality of second pixel values corresponding to the plurality of binning areas, and generate output image data by merging the first image data with the second image data.

Image sensor and operating method thereof

An image sensor includes a first unit pixel including a first sub-pixel and a second sub-pixel, a second unit pixel including a third sub-pixel and a fourth sub-pixel, a timing controller configured to apply a first effective integration time to the first sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel, such that a first sensing signal and a fourth sensing signal are generated from the first sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel, respectively, and to apply a second effective integration time shorter than the first effective integration time to the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel, such that a second sensing signal and a third sensing signal are generated from the second sub-pixel and the third sub-pixel, respectively, and an analog-to-digital converter configured to perform an averaging operation on the first sensing signal and the fourth sensing signal or on the second sensing signal and the third sensing signal.

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Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Jaejin Jung