Sensors having charge transfer recycling means

Claim 2

The combination comprising: an array of sensing elements arranged in rows and columns, said elements producing a signal in response to electromagnetic radiation; a number of nodes equal to the number of elements; means for transferring, in parallel, the signal produced at each one of said elements to a different one of said nodes; amplifying means having an input and an output; charge transfer means coupled between each one of said nodes and the input of said amplifying means for transferring the signal from each node, to said amplifying means; and charge transfer means coupled between the output of said amplifying means and each one of said nodes for recirculating the signal, from a given node back to said Given node.

Claim 3

The combination as claimed in claim 1 wherein said charge transfer means coupled between said nodes and the input of said amplifying means includes:

Claim 4

an output charge transfer shift register having a number of inputs equal to the number of column registers and an output terminal, each one of the inputs of said output register being connected to a different one of the output terminals of said column registers; and

Claim 5

an output charge transfer shift register having a number of inputs equal to the number of column registers and an output terminal, each one of the inputs of said output register being connected to a different one of the output terminals of said column registers; and

Claim 6

means for coupling the output terminal of said output register to the input of said amplifying means.

Claim 7

means for coupling the output terminal of said output register to the input of said amplifying means.

Claim 8

The combination as claimed in claim 2 wherein said charge transfer means coupled between the output of said amplifying means and each one of said nodes includes an input charge transfer shift register having an input terminal and a number of output nodes equal in number to said column registers, each one of said input node and output nodes of said input register being connected to a different one of said input terminals of said column registers.

Claim 9

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said registers are of the bucket-brigade type.

Claim 10

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said registers are of the charge-coupled type.

Claim 11

The combination as claimed in claim 3 wherein said amplifying means is an inverter.

Claim 12

The combination as claimed in claim 2 further including an output amplifier having an input and output; wherein said means for coupling the output terminal of said output register to the input of said amplifying means includes switch means for selectively coupling the output of said output register to said amplifying means for a first period of time and for couplilng the output of said output register to said input point of said output amplifier during a second successive, period of time.

Claim 13

An image sensor comprising an array of photosensitive elements arranged in M rows and N columns; N column charge transfer registers integral to the array, each register having M input nodes, an input terminal and an output terminal; each node of a column register corresponding to a different one of the sensing elements of a column; M X N signal transfer means; each transfer means being connected between a sensing element and its corresponding node for, when enabled, transferring a signal between said element and its corresponding node; an output charge transfer register having N inputs and an output terminal; means connectng each one of said N inputs to a different one of the output terminals of said column registers; amplifying means having an input and an output; means for selectively connecting the input of said charge amplifier to the output terminal of said output register; and input charge transfer register having an input node and output nodes equal in number to the number of said column registers; means connecting each one of said nodes of said input register to a different one of said input terminals of said column registers; and means for coupling the output of said amplifying means to said input node of said input register.

Claim 14

An image sensor comprising an array of photosensitive elements arranged in M rows and N columns; N column charge transfer registers integral to the array, each register having M input nodes, an input terminal and an output terminal; each node of a column register corresponding to a different one of the sensing elements of a column; M X N signal transfer means; each transfer means being connected between a sensing element and its corresponding node for, when enabled, transferring a signal between said element and its corresponding node; an output charge transfer register having N inputs and an output terminal; means connectng each one of said N inputs to a different one of the output terminals of said column registers; amplifying means having an input and an output; means for selectively connecting the input of said charge amplifier to the output terminal of said output register; and input charge transfer register having an input node and output nodes equal in number to the number of said column registers; means connecting each one of said nodes of said input register to a different one of said input terminals of said column registers; and means for coupling the output of said amplifying means to said input node of said input register.

Claim 15

In the combination as claimed in claim 8 wherein said signal transfer means includes first signal means coupled to said signal transfer means for selectively transferring signals from each one of said sensing elements to their corresponding nodes; further including second means coupled to said column registers for transferring signals from node-to-node along said column registers and for transferring one row of signals at a time, from said column registers to said output register; further including third signal means coupled to said output register for transferring siGnals sequentially along said output register and to and through said amplifying means to said input node of said input register; and further including fourth signal means coupled to said input register for transferring a row of signals into said input register.

Claim 16

In the image sensor claimed in claim 8 wherein said photosensitive elements are photoconductors.

Claim 17

In the image sensor claimed in claim 8 wherein said photosensitive elements are photodiodes.

Claim 18

In the image sensor claimed in claim 8 wherein said registers are bucket brigade charge transfer registers.

Claim 19

In the image sensor claimed in claim 8 wherein said registers are charge-coupled transfer registers.

Claim 20

The combination as claimed in claim 8 further including an optional input terminal for the application thereto of signals to be transferred to said nodes of said column registers, and wherein said means for coupling the output of said amplifying means to said input node of said input register includes switch means for selectively disconnecting the output of said amplifying means from said input node and for selectively connecting said optional input terminal to said input node of said input register.