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:
Apr. 01, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 22, 2012
Andy Noiret, Colmar, FR;
Thierry Ligozat, Quaiz en Chartreuse, FR;
Andy Noiret, Colmar, FR;
Thierry Ligozat, Quaiz en Chartreuse, FR;
E2V Semiconductors, Saint-Égrève, FR;
Abstract
An image sensor for gathering images at one and the same time at low illumination level and at high illumination level is described. The sensor operates with a double integration time at each frame. Two successive charge transfers from a photodiode to a storage node are performed, the first after a first duration, the second after a second duration different from the first. The potential of the storage node after the first transfer of charge is sampled in a first capacitor of the reading circuit. The potential after a reinitialization of the storage node is sampled in a second capacitor. A level of potential taken after the second transfer is conditionally resampled in the first capacitor. The condition of the resampling is a condition of signal level after the first transfer. This level is applied to the differential amplifier of a ramp-type converter for a short duration of ramp.