US7489883B2
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Method for determining temperature of an active pixel imager and automatic correcting temperature induced variations in an imager
Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corp
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Filing: 2004-03-12
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Granted: 2009-02-10
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Expires: 2024-03-12
Abstract
Abstract An imager temperature sensor and a current correction apparatus are provided which use dark pixel measurements from an imager chip during operation together with a fabrication process constant as well as a chip dependent constant to calculate chip temperature. The chip temperature may be used to generate a current correction signal. The correction signal is used to tune a current on the imager chip to correct for temperature variations.
Inventors
- 👤 Giuseppe Rossi
- 👤 Gennadiy A. Agranov
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-06 02:09
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N25/00; H04N25/60; H04N25/63; H04N25/633; H10; H10F; H10F39/00; H10F39/80; H10F39/803
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 27
Claim 1
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of determining temperature of an imager chip, said method comprising: storing a fabrication process dependent value for an imager chip; storing at least one chip dependent value representing a measured pixel dark current reference value and a reference temperature at which said chip dependent dark current reference value was measured; measuring a dark current value of a pixel on said chip; and determining a chip temperature representation based on said measured dark current value and stored values.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of determining temperature of an imager chip, said method comprising: storing a fabrication process dependent value for an imager chip; storing at least one chip dependent value representing a measured pixel dark current reference value and a reference temperature at which said chip dependent dark current reference value was measured; measuring a dark current value of a pixel on said chip; and determining a chip temperature representation based on said measured dark current value and stored values.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method of claim 1 further comprising storing said fabrication process dependent value and said chip dependent value on said chip.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of determining temperature of an imager device, said method comprising: acquiring at least one dark current signal from at least one pixel in a pixel array; and determining a temperature value using said acquired dark current signal together with a fabrication process value, and at least one other value representing a reference dark current signal of a pixel of said pixel array taken at a reference temperature.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
69 words
A method of determining temperature of an imager device, said method comprising: acquiring at least one dark current signal from at least one pixel in a pixel array; and determining a temperature value using said acquired dark current signal together with a fabrication process value, and at least one other value representing a reference dark current signal of a pixel of said pixel array taken at a reference temperature.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A method as in claim 3 wherein said at least one other value is an imager chip dependent value.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method as in claim 3 further comprising storing said dark current signal and said reference temperature at said imager device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as in claim 3 wherein said chip dependent value is stored at said imager device.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method of claim 3 further comprising correcting at least one temperature dependent parameter of said imager device using said temperature value.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method of claim 7 wherein said parameter is a current.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
10 words
A method of claim 7 wherein said parameter is aresistance.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method of claim 7 wherein said parameter is a voltage.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method of claim 8 wherein said parameter is an impedance.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
11 words
A method of claim 7 wherein said parameter is a capacitance.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of determining temperature of an imager chip, said method comprising: storing a fabrication process dependent value for an imager chip; acquiring at least one dark current signal at a plurality of locations of a pixel array; and determining an associated temperature value for each of said locations using a respective said at least one dark current signal and said fabrication process dependent value.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
65 words
A method of determining temperature of an imager chip, said method comprising: storing a fabrication process dependent value for an imager chip; acquiring at least one dark current signal at a plurality of locations of a pixel array; and determining an associated temperature value for each of said locations using a respective said at least one dark current signal and said fabrication process dependent value.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 13 further comprising respectively adjusting each of a plurality of temperature dependent parameters of said imager based on an associated said temperature value.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 14 wherein said parameters comprise a current.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 14 wherein said parameters comprise an impedance.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 14 wherein said parameters comprise a resistance.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 14 wherein said parameters comprise a voltage.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
12 words
A method as in claim 14 wherein said parameters comprise a capacitance.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of determining an imager chip temperature comprising: sampling a dark pixel signal with a first integration time; sampling a second dark pixel signal with a second integration time; providing a calibrated dark pixel signal using said first and second sampled dark pixel signals; and calculating a chip temperature using the calibrated dark pixel signal and a fabrication process dependent value related to dark current and temperature, and a chip dependent value related to dark current and temperature.
Claim 24
Independent Claim
79 words
A method of determining an imager chip temperature comprising: sampling a dark pixel signal with a first integration time; sampling a second dark pixel signal with a second integration time; providing a calibrated dark pixel signal using said first and second sampled dark pixel signals; and calculating a chip temperature using the calibrated dark pixel signal and a fabrication process dependent value related to dark current and temperature, and a chip dependent value related to dark current and temperature.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method as in claim 20 wherein said fabrication process dependent value is related to temperature dependent dark current behavior of a plurality of imager devices manufactured using the same manufacturing process.
Claim 26
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of determining an imager chip temperature comprising: sampling a first and second dark pixel signals from each of a plurality of dark pixel clusters, each said cluster sampling comprising: sampling a first dark pixel signal with a first integration time; and sampling a second dark pixel signal with a second integration time; calculating a calibrated dark pixel signal for each dark pixel cluster using said first and second dark pixel signal of each cluster; and calculating a separate chip temperature for each said dark pixel cluster using a said calibrated dark pixel signal for each said cluster and a fabrication process dependent value related to dark current and temperature, and a chip dependent value.
Claim 27
Independent Claim
116 words
A method of determining an imager chip temperature comprising: sampling a first and second dark pixel signals from each of a plurality of dark pixel clusters, each said cluster sampling comprising: sampling a first dark pixel signal with a first integration time; and sampling a second dark pixel signal with a second integration time; calculating a calibrated dark pixel signal for each dark pixel cluster using said first and second dark pixel signal of each cluster; and calculating a separate chip temperature for each said dark pixel cluster using a said calibrated dark pixel signal for each said cluster and a fabrication process dependent value related to dark current and temperature, and a chip dependent value.
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