Pixart Imaging Incorporated

Fortemedia, Inc.

Pixart Imaging Incorporation

Aimtron Technology Corp.

Jui-Te Chiu

Kuan Tang

Yi-Cheng Chiu

Chia-Chi Kuo

Han-Chi Liu

Ching-Tzung Lin

Peng-Sheng Chen

Cheng-Seng Hsu

Kai-Chieh Chuang

Hsiang-Wei Hwang

Yann-Ming Way

Kuo-Hsuan Chang

Li-Te Wu

Chung-Ting Yang

Min-Yung Shih

Ming-Yung Shih

Wei-Chia Huang

An image sensing device and an image sensing method are provided. The image sensing device includes a pixel array, first row-selecting lines, second row-selecting lines and a control circuit. Pixels in the pixel array are arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns. A first set of the pixels of each row is electrically connected to the corresponding first row-selecting line, and a second set of the pixels of each row is electrically connected to the corresponding second row-selecting line. The control circuit performs an HFR readout process to obtain an image frame. The rows are divided into a selectable portion and an unselectable portion. In each of HFR readout periods, the first set of an unselected first row and the second set of an unselected second row are selected from the selectable portion of the rows.

Image sensing device and image sensing method

A time-of-flight sensor for capturing a three-dimensional (3D) image of an object, includes: a light source for emitting projection light pulses at the object according to a projection signal; an array of pixel circuits for sensing reflection light pulses and storing image charges according to the reflection light pulses; and a processing circuit for calculating a first sum of first portions of the image charges and a second sum of second portions of the image charges to generate a distance information signal of the 3D image of the object simultaneously, wherein in one accumulation period, the first portion of the image charges is generated during a first time period, and the second portion of the image charges is generated during a second time period, wherein the second time period is directly following the first time period in the accumulation period.

Time-of-flight sensor and control method thereof

There is provided a circuit to improve the sensing efficiency of pixels that uses the induction effect of a capacitor to duplicate a voltage deviation caused by additional electrons and uses a circuit to cancel out the voltage deviation during reading pixel data thereby improving the sensing efficiency.

Sensor circuit having identical capacitors to improve sensing efficiency of pixels and operating method thereof

Pixel circuit having capacitor with identical electrodes to improve sensing efficiency and operating method thereof

Pixel circuit to improve sensing efficiency, image sensor using the same and operating method thereof

An image sensor device is provided to effectively improve the signal discrimination of sensed/sampled pixel values/signals in the image sensor device operating in a dark condition as well as effectively avoiding signal saturation when such image sensor device operates in a light/bright condition. Such image sensor device, when operating in dark/light conditions, can perform the exposure operation to get/sample accurate pixel image signal and pixel reset signal for only one time without estimating the pixel image signal and pixel reset signal by performing the exposure operation twice.

Image sensor device capable of improving signal discrimination in dark condition and avoiding signal saturation in bright condition

An image sensor apparatus includes a pixel array having pixel units each including an image sensor cell and a processing circuit. The processing circuit includes a bias transistor, second floating diffusion node, first switch unit, signal transfer capacitor, reset transfer capacitor, second switch unit, and third switch unit. Bias transistor is coupled between first and second floating diffusion nodes and has control terminal coupled to bias voltage. First switch unit is coupled between first and second floating diffusion nodes. Second switch unit is coupled between second floating diffusion node and signal transfer capacitor. Third switch unit is coupled between second floating diffusion node and reset transfer capacitor. Signal transfer capacitor is selectively coupled to second floating diffusion node. Reset transfer capacitor is selectively coupled to second floating diffusion node.

Image sensor apparatus and processing circuit capable of preventing sampled reset/exposure charges from light illumination as well as achieving lower circuit costs

Circuit to improve sensing efficiency of pixels

An image sensor includes a pair of pixel sharing circuits, a second reset transistor, an amplifier transistor, a readout transistor and a control circuit. The pair of pixel sharing circuits connected to a floating diffusion node, each including a photon device, a first reset transistor, a capture transistor, a holding transistor, a capacitor and a sharing transistor. The control circuit is configured to control the first reset transistor, the first capture transistor, the first holding transistor and the sharing transistor of each of the pair of sharing pixel circuits to be turned on or off.

Image sensor and control method for the same

A method of image sensor apparatus includes: providing pixel array having pixel units arranged in M rows and N columns; providing N parallel column readout circuits each being arranged for reading out pixel data of one corresponding column; disposing a horizontal shift register in row direction coupled to the N parallel column readout circuits, to receive a pulse signal and a clock signal, sequentially shift a phase of the pulse signal according to the clock signal, and scan a corresponding column according to the shifted phase of the pulse signal; and using a column select circuit having N latches to receive a power down digital control signal transmitted from a microcontroller wherein the power down digital control signal is used to disable at least one column readout circuit to enable and select a portion of the set of N parallel column readout circuits.

Image sensor apparatus and method capable of rapidly reading out and processing pixel voltages of pixel array

A column parallel ADC circuit includes: plural column ADCs and a digital processing circuit. The plural column ADCs generate respective plural digital counts. The plural column ADCs include a first column ADC and a second column ADC. The first column ADC generates a first digital count according to a first analog signal, and the second column ADC generates a second digital count according to a second analog signal. The first digital count is a difference between a first digital signal and a second digital signal. The first and the second digital signals correspond to the first and the second analog signals respectively. The digital processing circuit generates the plural digital signals, wherein the digital processing circuit generates the first digital signal according to the first digital count and the second digital signal.

Image sensor, column parallel ADC circuit and A/D conversion method thereof

An image sensor including a first pixel circuit, a second pixel circuit, a first readout line, a second readout line, a first readout circuit, a second readout circuit and an average switch is provided. The first and second pixel circuits are in two columns of a pixel array. The first readout line transmits pixel data of the first pixel circuit to the first readout circuit. The second readout line transmits pixel data of the second pixel circuit to the second readout circuit. The average switch is arranged between the first and second readout lines and used to electrically connect the first and second readout lines in an average mode to average the pixel data on the first and second readout lines.

Image sensor capable of averaging pixel data

An analog-to-digital signal processing method applied for an image sensor includes: providing a global analog-to-digital converter (ADC) capable of converting analog signals of all pixels of a pixel array into digital signals; providing a column-parallel ADC capable of respectively converting a plurality of analog signals of a plurality of pixels on different columns of the pixel array into a plurality of digital signals by using a plurality of ADC circuits; and, dynamically selecting and switching to enable one of the global ADC and column-parallel ADC to perform analog-to-digital conversion for analog data/signals of pixels on the pixel array.

Analog-to-digital signal processing method and apparatus for image sensor

An amending circuit includes a comparing unit, a predetermined voltage generating unit, a roller switch, alight emitting unit switch and a controlling unit. A pin of the mouse and the predetermined voltage generating unit are respectively connected to two input terminals of the comparing unit. The controlling unit is coupled to the light emitting unit switch and the roller switch. The controlling unit switches to a motion detecting mode to drive a current of the current source to flow toward a second pin via the first pin and a light emitting unit of the mouse. The controlling unit further switches to a roller detecting mode to set a pressure of the first pin lower than a predetermined voltage of the predetermined voltage generating unit while the roller is grounded or to set the first pin higher than the predetermined voltage while the roller is not grounded.

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Hsin-Chu, Taiwan

Jui-Te Chiu