Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Kyoung Min Koh

Yong Kyun Lim

Jae Cheol Yun

Jae Jin Jung

Seung Hyun Lim

Kyung-min Kim

Seung Jin Lee

Moo Young Kim

Sang Hyun Cho

Ji Yong Park

Min Ho Kwon

Dae Hwa Paik

Ju Ha Kim

Shin Hyoung Kim

Han Vit Yang

Woong Joo

Byung-jo Kim

Soo Youn Kim

Jin Woo Kim

Jin Ho Seo

Tae Chan Kim

Seog Heon Ham

Tae-Chan Kim

Kwang Hyun Lee

Kwi Sung Yoo

Young Kyun Jeong

Young Tae Jang

Yu Jin Park

Hee Sung Chae

Ji Yong Kim

Sung Ho Suh

Kee Moon Chun

Mi Ra Lee

Seok Yong Park

An image sensor chip includes an internal voltage generator for generating internal voltages using an external voltage received at a first terminal of the image sensor chip, a temperature sensor for generating a temperature voltage, a selection circuit for outputting one of the external voltage, the internal voltages, and the temperature voltage, a digital code generation circuit for generating a digital code using an output voltage of the selection circuit, and a second terminal for outputting the digital code from the image sensor chip.

Image sensor chip that feeds back voltage and temperature information, and an image processing system having the same

An image sensor is provided. The image sensor includes a pixel configured to generate a reset signal and an image signal, a comparator configured to compare the reset signal with a reference signal and generate a first comparison signal, a counter configured to generate a first count value corresponding to the reset signal based on a clock signal and the first comparison signal, and a reference signal generator configured to generate the reference signal which changes between a first level corresponding to a maximum reset count value of the counter and a second level corresponding to a minimum reset count value of the counter during a reset signal period.

Image sensor for improving nonlinearity of row code region, and device including the same

Provided are image sensors. An image sensor includes a pixel array comprising pixels configured to output signal voltages, each of the pixels comprising first and second photodiodes, first and second transfer transistors connected to the first and second photodiodes, respectively, and a floating diffusion node to which the first and second transfer transistors are connected; a ramp voltage generator configured to generate a ramp voltage that decreases with a slope according to a ramp clock to have a first gain; a correlation double sampler (CDS) configured to compare the ramp voltage with the signal voltages to output a comparison signal; a counter configured to count the comparison signal according to a counter clock to output a digital signal; and a digital scaling unit configured to scale the digital signal to have a second gain.

Image sensor

An image sensor is disclosed. The image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, a switch circuit coupled to the pixels and configured to substantially simultaneously output signals output only from pixels having similar characteristics among the pixels in response to a control signal; and a comparison circuit configured to convert the signals output from the switch circuit into digital signals. The pixels having similar characteristics are located across among the plurality of pixels.

Image sensor for performing coupling-free readout, and device having the same

An image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a row driver configured to control an operation of each of the plurality of pixels, a voltage supply line connected to a reset transistor included in each of the plurality of pixels, and a voltage supply circuit which detects a signal from the voltage supply line and supplies one of a first voltage and a second voltage to the voltage supply line based on the signal from the voltage supply line.

Image sensor for supplying a different voltage to pixels based on illumination change, operation method thereof, and device having an image sensor

An image sensor includes a first column pair and a second column pair among a plurality of columns of a pixel array, an analog-to-digital converter pair, and a switch arrangement circuit configured to connect the first column pair with the analog-to-digital converter pair in response to first switch control signals such that two rows among a plurality of rows in the pixel array are read during a single access time.

Image sensor and system including the same

An image sensor includes a pixel array including at least one active pixel and at least one line-optical black (L-OB) pixel arranged in a matrix including first to nrows and first to mcolumns, the pixel array configured to output a pixel signal and a dark-level offset signal in units of columns during a read-out operation in one of the first to nrows; a row driver configured to output a selection control signal to the first to nrows; and an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) block configured to digitize the pixel signal and the dark-level offset signal. In the pixel array, a dark-level offset signal is simultaneously output from an L-OB pixel in another row during the read-out operation in one of the first to nrows. Here, 'n' and 'm' each denote an integer that is equal to or greater than &#x2018;2&#x2019;.

The image sensor includes a plurality of column lines, a plurality of active road circuits and a selection circuit. The plurality of column lines are each connected to a corresponding one of a plurality of pixels. The plurality of active road circuits are each connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of column lines. The selection circuit is configured to enable a portion of the plurality of active road circuits based on a plurality of column selection signals.

Image sensor, method for operating thereof, and image pick-up device having the same

An image sensor includes multiple counters and a counter controller. Each counter of the multiple counters is configured to perform counting of a comparison result signal and to generate a count result, the comparison result signal being obtained by comparing a ramp signal and a pixel signal of a column of multiple columns. The counter controller is configured to generate and transmit a counter clock signal and (n&#x2212;1) delay clock signals to the counters, respectively, 'n' being a natural number equal to or greater than two. Each delay clock signal of the (n&#x2212;1) delay clock signals is obtained by delaying the counter clock signal by a corresponding offset code.

Image sensor using offset code for counting

A method of k*k subsampling, where k is an integer greater than one, a full frame readout on a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns, each pixel belonging to one of at least two sets, a first set configured to sense a first value of an image parameter and a second set configured to sense a second value of the image parameter, the method including sampling signals of k pixels of at least one set in a first row to output subsampled signals, converting the subsampled signals into digital signals having a lower resolution than the full frame readout, repeating sampling and converting for k rows, and adding digital signals for the first to kth rows within the at least one set.

Pseudo-digital average sub sampling method and apparatus

An example embodiment of an image sensor may include a controller and a plurality of up/down ripple counters. The controller may generate a first control signal and a second control signal. Each of the up/down ripple counters may perform a stop operation or a count operation in response to a corresponding one of a plurality of operation control signals generated based on at least in part on the first control signal. The count operation may be an up-count operation or a down-count operation based on the second control signal. The image sensor may also include a plurality of memory chains. Each of the memory chains may receive a count value output from the up/down counters and may shift the received count value in response to a third control signal and a fourth control signal output from the controller.

Method of operating ripple counter, image sensor having ripple counter, method of operating image sensor, and analog-to-digital converter of image sensor

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Hwaseong-si, South Korea

Kyoung Min Koh