Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Theranica Bio-Electronics Ltd.

Uzi Hizi

Mickey Bahar

Yair Itzhak

Claudio G Jakobson

Shemi Prazot

Nathan Henri Levy

Yoel Yaffe

Amnon Harpak

Vadim Gelfand

Shy Hamami

Embodiments described herein include a controller (). The controller includes at least one interface () that couples the controller to stimulation circuitry (), which includes a pair of electrodes (), and to measuring circuitry, and further includes controller circuitry (). While the electrodes are coupled to skin () of a subject, the controller circuitry, via the interface, drives the stimulation circuitry to (i) pass a plurality of stimulating pulses () between the electrodes, and (ii) pass one or more reference pulses () between the electrodes, the reference pulses being different from each of the stimulating pulses. The controller receives, from the measuring circuitry, an impedance between the electrodes that is measured using the reference pulses. In response to the impedance measured using the reference pulses, but not in response to any impedance measured using the stimulating pulses, the controller circuitry controls the stimulation procedure. Other embodiments are also described.

Impedance monitoring during electrostimulation

An image sensor includes a pixel array and a plurality of control circuits. The pixel array includes a plurality of sub-arrays arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, each of the plurality of sub-arrays including a plurality of pixels. The plurality of control circuits are coupled to the pixel array, and configured to control exposure of the plurality of sub-arrays. At least a first of the plurality of control circuits is configured to control exposure of a first of the plurality of sub-arrays according to a first set of exposure times. At least a second of the plurality of control circuits is configured to control exposure of a second of the plurality of sub-arrays according to a second set of exposure times. The first set of exposure times is different from the second set of exposure times.

CMOS image sensors having grid array exposure control

Methods of calibrating a linear-logarithmic image sensor pixel include performing a reset of the pixel in advance of establishing a leakage current between a photodiode and a floating diffusion region of the pixel. A first voltage of the floating diffusion region is then read through a source follower and selection transistor, after the leakage is terminated. A step is then performed to transfer charge between the photodiode and the floating diffusion region of the pixel so that a voltage of a cathode of the photodiode is increased. Thereafter, a second voltage of the floating diffusion region is read. The first and second read voltages are then used to perform a calibration operation. These steps may be repeated to establish another leakage current of different duration/magnitude and yield third and fourth read voltages, which support further calibration.

Methods of calibrating linear-logarithmic image sensors

At least one example embodiment discloses a method of generating an image using a global shutter image sensor. The method includes accumulating a first plurality of charges during a first exposure time from a first plurality of pixels, accumulating a second plurality of charges during a plurality of second exposure times from a second plurality of pixels, the plurality of second exposure times occurring during the first exposure time and being shorter than the first exposure time and generating the image based on the first plurality of charges and the second plurality of charges.

Motion reducing methods and systems using global shutter sensors

Methods of performing two point calibration of a linear-logarithmic image sensor pixel include measuring voltages of a floating diffusion region of the pixel after establishing a plurality of unequal sub-threshold currents through a transfer transistor of the pixel. These sub-threshold currents operate to sequentially increase a voltage of the floating diffusion region to respective voltage levels that enable knee-point (KNPT) voltage and logarithmic sensitivity (LOGS) determination. The methods also include depleting a photodiode within the pixel by driving a cathode of the photodiode with a pull-up current in advance of establishing the sub-threshold currents. The method is photocurrent-independent.

Methods of calibrating knee-point and logarithmic slope in linear-logarithmic image sensors

An image sensor includes a line driver, which further includes a transfer pulse generating circuit. The transfer pulse generating circuit is configured to determine an integration status of a first group of pixels, and to selectively apply the anti-blooming shutter to the first group of pixels based on the determined integration status of the first group of pixels.

Anti-blooming shutter control in image sensors

In at least one example embodiment, a counter circuit includes a latch stage configured to generate a latch stage output clock based on a first rising edge of an enable signal, a state of a counter clock at a previous falling edge of the enable signal, and a state of the output clock at the previous falling edge of the enable signal such that the latch stage output clock and the counter clock have a different state if the state of the counter clock at the previous falling edge and the state of the output clock at the previous falling edge are the same and such that the latch stage output clock and the counter clock have a same state if the state of the counter clock at the previous falling edge and the state of the output clock at the previous falling edge are different.

Counter circuits, analog to digital converters, image sensors and digital imaging systems including the same

A counter circuit for an analog to digital converter includes: a plurality of counter stages configured to obtain an integer multiple of a digital gain for the analog to digital converter by bypassing at least one of the plurality of counter stages. An analog-to-digital converter includes at least one counter circuit, and an image sensor includes the analog-to-digital converter, which includes the counter circuit.

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Herzliya, Israel

Uzi Hizi