The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 13, 2018
Filed:
Jan. 07, 2015
Bae Systems Imaging Solutions Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Boyd Fowler, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
BAE Systems Imaging Solutions Inc., San Jose, CA (US);
Abstract
A pixel sensor having a main photodiode and a parasitic photodiode and a method for reading out that pixel sensor are disclosed. The parasitic photodiode also serves the function of a floating diffusion node in the pixel. The pixel sensor is read by first determining the exposure as measured by the parasitic photodiode and then determining the exposure as read by the main photodiode. One of the two exposure measurements is chosen as the pixel output. The main photodiode has a light conversation efficiency chosen such that one of the two measurements will provide a measurement of the exposure over a dynamic range that is greater than that of either the main photodiode or the parasitic photodiode utilized separately.