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:
Feb. 02, 1999
Filed:
Mar. 27, 1997
Martin C Kaplan, Rochester, NY (US);
Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, NY (US);
Abstract
An image sensing device having an array of photodetectors capable of generating electron/hole pairs from incident photons, with multiple charge coupled devices organized in a tandem well design that employs multiple storage wells per pixel. The wells use thresholds to control the overflow of charge from one well to the next and are arranged such that a first charge coupled device having a plurality of cells is operatively coupled to the photodetectors by first transfer means for placing charge accumulated within the photodetectors from generated electron/hole pairs within the first charge coupled device, and a second charge coupled device having a plurality of cells being operatively coupled to the first charge coupled device by second transfer means for removing charge exceeding a predetermined threshold within the first charge coupled device and placing charge exceeding the predetermined threshold within the second charge coupled device. Clocking means are provided for cycling charge through the cells of the charge coupled devices. Embodiments have output means for combining signals from first and second charge coupled devices, and generating either analog or digital outputs. These techniques can also be employed with an active pixel architecture.