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:
Jan. 31, 2012
Filed:
Feb. 11, 2008
Douglas J. Tweet, Camas, WA (US);
Jong-jan Lee, Camas, WA (US);
Douglas J. Tweet, Camas, WA (US);
Jong-Jan Lee, Camas, WA (US);
Sharp Laboratories of America, Inc., Camas, WA (US);
Abstract
A full color complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging circuit is provided. The imaging circuit is made up of an array of photodiodes including a plurality of pixel groups. Each pixel group supplies 3 electrical color signals, corresponding to 3 detectable colors. A color filter array overlies the photodiode array employing less than 3 separate filter colors. Each pixel group may be enabled as a dual-pixel including a single photodiode (PD) to supply a first color signal and stacked PDs to supply a second and third color signal. In one aspect, the color filter array employs 1 filter color per pixel group. In another aspect, the color filter array employees 2 filter colors per pixel group. In either aspect, the color filter array forms a checkerboard pattern of color filter pixels. For example, a magenta color filter may overlie the stacked PDs of each dual-pixel, to name one variation.