On-focal-plane analog-to-digital conversion for current-mode imaging devices

Claim 2

A circuit, comprising: an input and output terminal; a memory cell connected to said input and output terminal, said memory cell having a memory capacitor that stores charges from said input and output terminal, a memory transistor connected to said memory capacitor and configured to control current in said memory capacitor; and a copier cell connected to said input and output terminal, said copier cell having a copier capacitor, a copier transistor connected to said copier capacitor and configured to control a current in said copier capacitor, and a bias element that produces a bias current in said copier cell that is substantially independent of an input current from said input and output terminal, wherein said memory cell and said copier cell are operable to produce an output current that deviates from said input current by a constant bias.

Claim 3

A circuit as in claim 1, wherein said memory cell further comprises a cascade transistor connected to said memory transistor to increase the output resistance.

Claim 4

A circuit as in claim 1, wherein said copier cell further includes a first transistor switch in said bias element to control said bias current.

Claim 5

A circuit as in claim 1, wherein said copier cell is formed by a plurality of P-channel transistors and said memory cell is formed by a plurality of N-channel transistors.

Claim 6

A circuit as in claim 1, wherein said copier cell is formed by a plurality of N-channel transistors and said memory cell is formed by a plurality of P-channel transistors.

Claim 7

A circuit, comprising: an input terminal, receiving an input current; a current integrator connected to said input terminal and configured to perform integration of said input current; a current comparator receiving an integrated current from said current integrator and producing a digital output according to a comparison of said integrated current with a reference current; and a negative feedback loop including a current digital-to-analog converter that operates based on said reference current and feeding an analog representation of said digital output from said current comparator to said input terminal, said feedback loop operating to minimize noise in said digital output.

Claim 8

A circuit, comprising: an input terminal, receiving an input current; a current integrator connected to said input terminal and configured to perform integration of said input current; a current comparator receiving an integrated current from said current integrator and producing a digital output according to a comparison of said integrated current with a reference current; and a negative feedback loop including a current digital-to-analog converter that operates based on said reference current and feeding an analog representation of said digital output from said current comparator to said input terminal, said feedback loop operating to minimize noise in said digital output.

Claim 9

A circuit as in claim 6, wherein said current integrator includes at least one P-channel current copier cell and one N-channel copier, each comprising: an input and output terminal; a memory cell connected to said input and output terminal, said memory cell having a memory capacitor that stores charges from said input and output terminal, a memory transistor connected to said memory capacitor and configured to control a current in said memory capacitor; and a copier cell connected to said input and output terminal, said copier cell, having a copier capacitor, a copier transistor connected to said copier capacitor and configured to control a current in said copier capacitor, and a bias element that produces a bias current in said copier cell that is substantially independent of an input current from said input and output terminal, wherein said memory cell and said copier cell is operable to produce an output current that deviates from said input current by a constant bias.

Claim 10

A circuit as in claim 7, further comprising an extra analog-to digital loop which comprises: a second input terminal, connected to said current integrator and configured to receive said integrated current therefrom; a second current integrator connected to said second input terminal and configured to perform integration of said integrated current; a current comparator receiving a second integrated current from said second current integrator and producing a second digital output according to a comparison of said second integrated current with a second reference current; and a second negative feedback loop including a second current digital-to-analog converter that operates based on said second reference current and feeding an analog representation of said second digital output from said second current comparator to said second input terminal, said second feedback loop operating to minimize noise in said second digital output.

Claim 11

A circuit, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a sensing array formed on said substrate and configured to have a plurality of photosensitive pixels, said sensing array operating to receive an input image and produce a corresponding current array indicative of said input image; at least one current-mode analog-to-digital convert formed on said substrate and connected to at least one pixel of said sensing array, said converter operable to convert analog current signals into digital signals which forms a digital representation of said input image.

Claim 12

A circuit, comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a sensing array formed on said substrate and configured to have a plurality of photosensitive pixels, said sensing array operating to receive an input image and produce a corresponding current array indicative of said input image; at least one current-mode analog-to-digital convert formed on said substrate and connected to at least one pixel of said sensing array, said converter operable to convert analog current signals into digital signals which forms a digital representation of said input image.

Claim 13

A circuit as in claim 9, wherein said current-mode analog-to-digital converter comprises: an input terminal, receiving an input current; a current integrator connected to said input terminal and configured to perform integration of said input current; a current comparator receiving an integrated current from said current integrator and producing a digital output according to a comparison of said integrated current with a reference current; and a negative feedback loop including a current digital-to-analog converter that operates based on said reference current and feeding an analog representation of said digital output from said current comparator to said input terminal, said feedback loop operating to minimize noise in said digital output.

Claim 14

A circuit as in claim 10, wherein said current integrator includes at least one P-channel current copier cell and one N-channel copier, each comprising: an input and output terminal; a memory cell connected to said input and output terminal, said memory cell having a memory capacitor that stores charges from said input and output terminal, a memory transistor connected to said memory capacitor and configured to control a current of said memory capacitor; and a copier cell connected to said input and output terminal, said copier cell having a copier capacitor, a copier transistor connected to said copier capacitor and configured to control a current of said copier capacitor, and a bias element that produces a bias current in said copier cell that is substantially independent of an input current from said input and output terminal, wherein said memory cell and said copier cell is operable to produce an output current that deviates from said input current by a constant bias.

Claim 15

A circuit as in claim 11, wherein said current-mode analog-to-digital converter further comprises an extra analog-to digital loop which includes: a second input terminal, connected to said current integrator and configured to receive said integrated current therefrom; a second current integrator connected to said second input terminal and configured to perform integration of said integrated current; a current comparator receiving a second integrated current from said second current integrator and producing a second digital output according to a comparison of said second integrated current with a second reference current; and a second negative feedback loop including a second current digital-to-analog converter that operates based on said second reference current and feeding an analog representation of said second digital output from said second current comparator to said second input terminal, said second feedback loop operating to minimize noise in said second digital output.