Omnivision Technologies, Inc.

Ping-Hsu Chen

Chen-Wei Lu

Yin Qian

Donghui Wu

Zhiqiang Lin

Chengming Liu

Eiichi Funatsu

Cunyu Yang

Cheng Zhao

Chao-Hung Lin

Denis Chu

Hong Jun Li

Light control for improved near infrared sensitivity and channel separation for an image sensor. In one embodiment, an image sensor includes: a plurality of photodiodes arranged in rows and columns of a pixel array; and a light filter layer having a plurality of light filters configured over the plurality of photodiodes. The light filter layer has a first side facing the plurality of photodiodes and a second side facing away from the first side. The image sensor also includes a color filter layer having a plurality of color filters configured over the plurality of photodiodes. The color filter layer has a first surface facing the second side of the light filter layer and a second surface facing away from the first layer. Individual micro-lenses are configured to direct incoming light through corresponding light filter and color filter onto the respective photodiode.

Light control for improved near infrared sensitivity and channel separation

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

An image sensor capable of capturing an image formed by a lens includes a substrate and a bonding wire. The substrate has a pixel array and a bonding pad on a top surface of the substrate between the pixel array and a substrate edge. The bonding wire is electrically connected to the bonding pad and has a region forming a non-zero angle with respect to the substrate top surface. The non-zero angle is in at least one of a lower and an upper angular range for minimizing reflection of incident light on the region from reaching the image sensor. The lower angular range is selected such that the region reflects the incident light away from the pixel array toward a plane including the lens. The upper angular range is selected such that the region reflects the incident light to a clearance between the bonding pad and the pixel array.

Flare-reducing imaging system and associated image sensor

Embodiments of a color filter array include a plurality of tiled minimal repeating units, each minimal repeating unit comprising an M&#xd7;N set of individual filters, and each individual filter in the set having a photoresponse selected from among four different photoresponses. Each minimal repeating unit includes a checkerboard pattern of filters of the first photoresponse, and filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses distributed among the checkerboard pattern such that the filters of the second, third, and fourth photoresponses are sequentially symmetric about one or both of a pair of orthogonal axes of the minimal repeating unit.

Color and infrared filter array patterns to reduce color aliasing

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ping-Hsu Chen