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:
Dec. 10, 2013
Filed:
Aug. 16, 2010
Sang-soo Lee, Cupertino, CA (US);
Yibing Michelle Wang, Temple City, CA (US);
Jeffrey Joseph Rysinski, Pasadena, CA (US);
Sang-Soo Lee, Cupertino, CA (US);
Yibing Michelle Wang, Temple City, CA (US);
Jeffrey Joseph Rysinski, Pasadena, CA (US);
SK hynix Inc., Icheon-si, KR;
Abstract
Circuits, methods, and apparatus that provide differential-input, single-slope, column-parallel analog-to-digital converter (ADC) architectures for use in high-resolution CMOS image sensors (CIS) are described. A column ADC is coupled with a column of a pixel array and configured to convert a pixel signal level to a corresponding digital output value according to a ramp generator output. Each pixel is configured to output a pixel reset level and a pixel signal level at different operating stages, and the ramp generator output includes a ramp reset level and a ramp signal level at the same or different at different operating stages. The pixel and ramp outputs are used to differentially drive a comparator stage of the column ADC, for example, to reduce power supply noise.