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:
Jul. 11, 2000
Filed:
May. 29, 1997
Carver A Mead, Woodside, CA (US);
Tobi Delbruck, Pasadena, CA (US);
Min-hwa Chi, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Foveon, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
An imaging array having overflow protection and electronic shuttering features is realized without an increase in pixel complexity. Overflow protection is provided by pulsing each row of the imager with a small overflow pulse during the sense amplifier reset phase. An electronic shutter is realized using a modified version of the pixel readout timing. The shutter provides sub-frame exposure by restricting the number of line-times a pixel is allowed to integrate. For a full-frame exposure, each pixel is read out once per frame; during readout of the other rows of the array, the pixel integrates. For subframe exposure, the pixel is continually reset, using a shutter pulse applied to the row lines during sense amplifier reset, until a certain number of rows (line-times) before it is to be read out. The pixel then is allowed to integrate until it is read out normally.