US6809768B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Double slope pixel sensor and array
Assignee: Foveon Inc
•
Filing: 2000-02-14
•
Granted: 2004-10-26
•
Expires: 2020-02-14
Abstract
Abstract A double-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate has a first light-to-output-voltage transfer gain up to a first charge accumulation threshold, has a second light-to-output-voltage transfer gain lower than the first light-to-output-voltage transfer gain above the light accumulation threshold, and comprises first and second photodiodes each having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal. The second photodiode is smaller than the first photodiode. First and second semiconductor reset switches each have a first terminal coupled respectively to the second terminal of the first and second photodiodes and a second terminal coupled respectively to first and second reset potentials that reverse bias the photodiodes. First and second semiconductor amplifiers each have an input coupled respectively to the second terminals of the first and second photodiodes and have their outputs coupled together. The first and second semiconductor reset switches each have a control element coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating the first and second semiconductor reset switches.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard B. Merrill
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 12:22
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/50; H04N25/57; H04N25/58; H04N25/581; H04N25/585; H04N25/571; H04N25/575
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
206 words
An active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprising: a first photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said first photodiode having a first size; a second photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said second photodiode having a second size smaller than said first size; a first semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a first reset potential that reverse biases said first photodiode; a second semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a second reset potential that reverse biases said second photodiode; a first semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and an output; a second semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and an output coupled to the output of said first semiconductor source-follower amplifier; said first and second semiconductor reset switches each having a control element coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating said first and second semiconductor reset switches.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
206 words
An active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprising: a first photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said first photodiode having a first size; a second photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said second photodiode having a second size smaller than said first size; a first semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a first reset potential that reverse biases said first photodiode; a second semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a second reset potential that reverse biases said second photodiode; a first semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and an output; a second semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and an output coupled to the output of said first semiconductor source-follower amplifier; said first and second semiconductor reset switches each having a control element coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating said first and second semiconductor reset switches.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
46 words
The double-slope MOS active pixel sensor of claim 1 further including a semiconductor readout select switch coupled between the outputs of said first and second semiconductor source-follower amplifiers and a readout line, said semiconductor readout select switch having a control element coupled to said control circuit.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
270 words
A double-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprising: a first photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said first photodiode having a first size; a second photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said second photodiode having a second size smaller than said first size; a first semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a first reset potential that reverse biases said first photodiode; a second semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a second reset potential that reverse biases said second photodiode; a first semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and an output; a second semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and an output; a first semiconductor readout select switch having an input coupled to the output of said first semiconductor source-follower amplifier and an output coupled to a readout line; a second semiconductor readout select switch having an input coupled to the output of said second semiconductor source-follower amplifier and an output coupled to said readout line said first and second semiconductor reset switches and said first and second semiconductor readout select switches each having a control element coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating said first and second semiconductor reset switches and said first and second semiconductor readout select switches.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
270 words
A double-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprising: a first photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said first photodiode having a first size; a second photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said second photodiode having a second size smaller than said first size; a first semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a first reset potential that reverse biases said first photodiode; a second semiconductor reset switch having a first terminal coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and a second terminal coupled to a second reset potential that reverse biases said second photodiode; a first semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode and an output; a second semiconductor source-follower amplifier having an input coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode and an output; a first semiconductor readout select switch having an input coupled to the output of said first semiconductor source-follower amplifier and an output coupled to a readout line; a second semiconductor readout select switch having an input coupled to the output of said second semiconductor source-follower amplifier and an output coupled to said readout line said first and second semiconductor reset switches and said first and second semiconductor readout select switches each having a control element coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating said first and second semiconductor reset switches and said first and second semiconductor readout select switches.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
241 words
A double-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprising: a first photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said first photodiode having a first size; a second photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said second photodiode having a second size smaller than said first size; a first MOS reset transistor having a source coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode, a drain coupled to a first reset potential that reverse biases said first photodiode, and a gate coupled to a source of a RESET signal; a second MOS reset transistor having a source coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode, a drain coupled to a second reset potential that reverse biases said second photodiode, and a gate coupled to said source of a RESET signal; a first MOS source-follower transistor having a gate coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode, a drain coupled to a drain node and a source; a second MOS source-follower transistor having a gate coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode, a drain coupled to said drain node and a source coupled to said source of said first MOS source-follower transistor; said RESET signal and said drain node coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating said first and second MOS reset transistors and said first and second MOS source-follower transistors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
241 words
A double-slope MOS active pixel sensor disposed on a semiconductor substrate comprising: a first photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said first photodiode having a first size; a second photodiode having a first terminal coupled to a fixed potential and a second terminal, said second photodiode having a second size smaller than said first size; a first MOS reset transistor having a source coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode, a drain coupled to a first reset potential that reverse biases said first photodiode, and a gate coupled to a source of a RESET signal; a second MOS reset transistor having a source coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode, a drain coupled to a second reset potential that reverse biases said second photodiode, and a gate coupled to said source of a RESET signal; a first MOS source-follower transistor having a gate coupled to said second terminal of said first photodiode, a drain coupled to a drain node and a source; a second MOS source-follower transistor having a gate coupled to said second terminal of said second photodiode, a drain coupled to said drain node and a source coupled to said source of said first MOS source-follower transistor; said RESET signal and said drain node coupled to a control circuit for selectively activating said first and second MOS reset transistors and said first and second MOS source-follower transistors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
51 words
The double-slope MOS active pixel sensor of claim 4 further including a MOS readout select transistor coupled between the sources of said first and second N-Channel MOS source-follower transistors and a readout line, said MOS readout select transistor having a gate coupled to said control circuit via a ROW SELECT line.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3866067A
Cited
US3934161A
Cited
US4011016A
Cited
US3988619A
Cited
US3971065A
Cited
US4613895A
Cited
JPS54108628A
Cited
US4236760A
Cited
US4309604A
Cited
US4238760A
Cited
US4363963A
Cited
US4499529A
Cited
JPS5883824A
Cited
US4499590A
Cited
US4473836A
Cited
JPS5942527A
Cited
JPS59152424A
Cited
US4626915A
Cited
JPS6053912A
Cited
US4573077A
Cited
US4651001A
Cited
JPS6023841A
Cited
US4677289A
Cited
US4704633A
Cited
US4742238A
Cited
US4654714A
Cited
JPS62143571A
Cited
US4734776A
Cited
US4809075A
Cited
US4839735A
Cited
US4875091A
Cited
US4901129A
Cited
US4845553A
Cited
US4942473A
Cited
US5055418A
Cited
US5014107A
Cited
JPH01103378A
Cited
US4786818A
Cited
US5038214A
Cited
US5117292A
Cited
US5241575A
Cited
EP0466929A1
Cited
US5021853A
Cited
US5161024A
Cited
US5396289A
Cited
US5276521A
Cited
US5227887A
Cited
US5289023A
Cited
US5434620A
Cited
US5397734A
Cited
US5414683A
Cited
US5355165A
Cited
JPH06133320A
Cited
US5471245A
Cited
US5335015A
Cited
EP0605898A1
Cited
US5414465A
Cited
DE4304506A1
Cited
US5317174A
Cited
US5414464A
Cited
US5541654A
Cited
US5341008A
Cited
US5424223A
Cited
US5428390A
Cited
US5461425A
Cited
JPH089391A
Cited
JPH0895670A
Cited
US5589423A
Cited
US5631704A
Cited
EP0707416A2
Cited
US5541402A
Cited
WO1996015626A1
Cited
US5576763A
Cited
US5502299A
Cited
US5625210A
Cited
US5572074A
Cited
US5742058A
Cited
US5739562A
Cited
JPH09128091A
Cited
WO1997017800A1
Cited
EP0777379A1
Cited
US5714753A
Cited
US5668596A
Cited
US5547881A
Cited
US5705441A
Cited
US5712682A
Cited
WO1998019455A1
Cited
EP0854516A2
Cited
US5801657A
Cited
US5883421A
Cited
US6115066A
Cited
DE19836356A1
Cited
US6246436B1
Cited
US6046444A
Cited
US6078037A
Cited
US20030038885A1
Cited
WO1999066712A1
Cited
WO1999066560A1
Cited
US6211510B1
Cited
WO2000072604A1
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2007-10-26 | 2008-04-26 | 2008-10-26 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2011-10-26 | 2012-04-26 | 2012-10-26 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2015-10-26 | 2016-04-26 | 2016-10-26 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |