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:
May. 03, 2005
Filed:
Oct. 31, 2002
Barry W. Herold, Barrington, IL (US);
Barry W. Herold, Barrington, IL (US);
Motorola, Inc., Schaumburg, IL (US);
Abstract
An anti-blooming charge accumulation pixel using an anti-blooming element coupled to the pixel prevents blooming by ensuring that a voltage of a charge accumulation device of the pixel is always returned to a clamping voltage following comparison events. The anti-blooming element is used to return the voltage across a photodiode to the supply voltage when both a low voltage comparison and a high voltage comparison have occurred. A control block is used to determine an input signal to the anti-blooming element based upon the result of a low voltage comparison and a high voltage comparison. The input signal can be used to drive the anti-blooming element to a desired logic level, thereby causing the voltage across the charge accumulation device to be the clamping voltage. The use of the anti-blooming element eliminates blooming to adjacent pixels, independent of an integration time of the pixel.