Abstract: Display devices and methods for operating the same are provided. In one embodiment, the display device has an electronic display having an active area for presenting visual content; a housing holding the electronic display and having an opening allowing a person to view a first portion of the active area; and a bezel about the opening, the bezel covering a second portion of the active area and providing a window through which at least a part of the second portion can be viewed. A sensor system senses when a person is close to touching the bezel or when a person is in touch with the bezel and generates a sensor signal; and a controller is operable to adjust the appearance of the active area in the part of the second portion when the controller determines that a person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel.

Abstract: Display devices and methods for operating the same are provided. In one embodiment, the display device has an electronic display having an active area for presenting visual content; a housing holding the electronic display and having an opening allowing a person to view a first portion of the active area; and a bezel about the opening, the bezel covering a second portion of the active area and providing a window through which at least a part of the second portion can be viewed. A sensor system senses when a person is close to touching the bezel or when a person is in touch with the bezel and generates a sensor signal; and a controller is operable to adjust the appearance of the active area in the part of the second portion when the controller determines that a person has touched the bezel or is close to touching the bezel.

Abstract: An upper bar and a lower bar are parallel with respect to each other and are separated by a distance. A slanted bar, vertical bar, and side bar form a triangular frame with one end of the slanted bar and one end of the vertical bar connected to one end of the upper bar. The opposing end of the vertical bar is releasably connected to one end of the side bar while the opposing end of the side bar is connected to the lower bar. Another slanted bar, vertical bar, and side bar are similarly connected at the other end of the upper and lower bars. The upper bar, lower bar, and two slanted bars include releasably connected tubular members. And both ends of the slanted bars are connected with rotatable joints. Netting may be woven onto the upper bar, the lower bar, the vertical bars, and the side bars.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of vertical CCDs; first HCCD receiving charge packets from even numbered vertical CCDs; and a second HCCD receiving charge packets from odd numbered vertical CCDs; wherein four charge packets are summed together from the first HCCD, and four charge packets are summed together in the second HCCD such that the summing process in the second HCCD begins one or two charge packets spatially after the first charge packet of the four charge packets summed in the first HCCD.

Abstract: A CCD image sensor comprises photosensitive elements arranged in rows and columns, vertical CCDs each having vertical shift elements associated with respective ones of the photosensitive elements of a corresponding one of the columns, and a horizontal CCD comprising horizontal shift elements. The image sensor further comprises a transition region arranged between the vertical CCDs and the horizontal CCD. The transition region is configured to separate each of a plurality of signal channels provided by respective ones of the vertical CCDs into first and second parallel signal channels and to controllably direct selected ones of the parallel signal channels to the horizontal shift elements of the horizontal CCD in accordance with a designated readout sequence.

Abstract: A method for reading out charge from an interlined CCD having a plurality of photo-sensing regions and a plurality of vertical shift registers, and each photosensitive region is mated respectively to a CCD of a vertical shift register and a color filter having a repeating pattern of two rows in which each row includes at least two colors spanning the photo-sensing regions, the method includes reading out one row from each of the two row pattern; summing the same color from each row in the vertical shift register to reduce the resolution by one half; without transferring charge out of the vertical shift register, repeating the reading and summing steps for the remaining row; and reading out the charge in the vertical shift registers in a manner in which different colors are not summed together.

Abstract: A backside illuminated image sensor comprises a sensor layer implementing a plurality of photosensitive elements of a pixel array, and an oxide layer adjacent a backside surface of the sensor layer. The sensor layer comprises a seed layer and an epitaxial layer formed over the seed layer, with the seed layer having a cross-sectional doping profile in which a designated dopant is substantially confined to a pixel array area of the sensor layer. The doping profile advantageously reduces dark current generated at an interface between the sensor layer and the oxide layer. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of digital imaging device.

Abstract: An image sensor that includes a plurality of pixels disposed on a substrate, each pixel includes at least one photosensitive region that collects charges in response to incident light; a charge-to-voltage conversion node for sensing the charge from the at least one photosensitive region and converting the charge to a voltage; an amplifier transistor having a source connected to an output node, having a gate connected to the charge-to-voltage conversion node and having a drain connected to at least a portion of a power supply node; and a reset transistor connecting the output node and the charge-to-voltage conversion node.

Abstract: An image sensor includes an array of pixels used in capturing images. First dark floor values are captured at a first time from substantially all of the pixels in the array. Contemporary dark floor values are captured at a second time from substantially all of the pixels in the array, where the second time is subsequent to the first time. The first and contemporary dark floor values are then used to compute adjusted dark floor values. The adjusted dark floor values are used when processing one or more the captured images.

Abstract: A backside illuminated image sensor comprises a sensor layer having a plurality of photosensitive elements of a pixel array, an oxide layer adjacent a backside surface of the sensor layer, and at least one dielectric layer adjacent a frontside surface of the sensor layer. A color filter array is formed on a backside surface of the oxide layer, and a transparent cover is attached to the backside surface of the oxide layer overlying the color filter array. Redistribution metal conductors are in electrical contact with respective bond pad conductors through respective openings in the dielectric layer. A redistribution passivation layer is formed over the redistribution metal conductors, and contact metallizations are in electrical contact with respective ones of the respective redistribution metal conductors through respective openings in the redistribution passivation layer. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of digital imaging device.

Abstract: A vertically-integrated image sensor includes a sensor wafer connected to a support circuit wafer. Each pixel region on the sensor wafer includes a photodetector, a charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism, a transfer mechanism for transferring charge from the photodetector to the charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism, and a reset mechanism for discharging the charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism. The support circuit wafer includes an amplifier and other support circuitry for each pixel region on the sensor wafer. An inter-wafer connector directly connects each charge-to-voltage mechanism on the sensor wafer to a respective gate to an amplifier on the support circuit wafer.

Abstract: An image sensor includes an array of pixels arranged into two or more subarrays and each subarray captures charge; and an output charge-coupled device that receives charge from the array of pixels; wherein the output charge-coupled device is divided into substantially two equal first and second portions in which either one portion receives charge from only one subarray or both portions receive charge respectively from a subarray, and the first portion of the charge-coupled device is a charge-multiplying charge-coupled device in which charge is amplified, and the second portion of the charge-coupled device does not amplify charge.

Abstract: A back-illuminated image sensor includes a sensor layer having a frontside and a backside opposite the frontside. An insulating layer is situated adjacent the backside and a circuit layer is adjacent the frontside. A plurality of photodetectors of a first type conductivity convert light incident on the backside into photo-generated charges. The photodetectors are disposed in the sensor layer adjacent the frontside. A region of a second type conductivity is formed in at least a portion of the sensor layer adjacent the frontside and is connected to a voltage terminal for biasing the second type conductivity region at a predetermined voltage. A well of the second type conductivity is formed in the sensor layer adjacent the backside. Trench isolations in the sensor layer start at the frontside and extend beyond the depletion region of the photodiodes.

Abstract: An image sensor includes at least first and second photo-sensitive regions; a color filter array having at least two different colors that selectively absorb specific bands of wavelengths, and the two colors respectively span portions of predetermined photo-sensitive regions; and wherein the two photo sensitive regions are doped so that electrons that are released at two different depths in the substrate are collected in two separate regions of the photo sensitive regions so that, when wavelengths of light pass through the color filter array, light is absorbed by the photo sensitive regions which photo sensitive regions consequently releases electrons at two different depths of the photo sensitive regions and are stored in first and second separate regions; at least two charge-coupled devices adjacent the first photo sensitive regions; and a first transfer gate associated with the first photo sensitive region that selectively passes charge at first and second levels which, when at the first level, causes the

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor or other type of image sensor comprises a pixel array and sampling and readout circuitry associated with the pixel array. In conjunction with readout of one or more pixels in a selected group of pixels of the pixel array, a pixel power line signal of the array transitions from an inactive state to an active state, and a reset signal of a non-selected group of pixels of the pixel array transitions from an active state to an inactive state within a predetermined time prior to the transition of the pixel power line signal from its inactive state to its active state. This arrangement advantageously reduces well bounce in the image sensor. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of digital imaging device.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus includes (a) a full-frame, charge-coupled device having (i) a conductive layer of a first dopant type; (ii) a plurality of pixels arranged as a charge-coupled device in the conductive layer that collects charge in response to incident light and transfers the collected charge; (iii) an overflow drain of a dopant type opposite the first type disposed in the conductive layer and laterally adjacent to each pixel; and the apparatus having (b) a voltage supply connected to the lateral overflow drain that is at a first voltage during readout and at a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage during integration.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor or other type of image sensor comprises a sensor wafer and an underlying circuit wafer. The sensor wafer comprises a plurality of photosensitive elements arranged in respective positions of a two-dimensional array of positions in which a subset of the array positions do not include photosensitive elements but instead include diffusion regions each of which is shared by two or more of the photosensitive elements. The sensor wafer is interconnected with the circuit wafer utilizing a plurality of inter-wafer interconnects coupled to respective ones of the shared diffusion regions in respective ones of the array positions that do not include photosensitive elements. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of image capture device.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a substrate of a first conductivity type having an image area with a plurality of photosensitive sites, wherein a portion of the charge generated in response to light is collected in the pixel; and a subcollector of a second conductivity spanning the image area that collects another portion of the generated charge that would have otherwise diffused to adjacent photosensitive sites.

Abstract: An image sensor includes at least first and second photo-sensitive regions; a color filter array having at least two different colors that selectively absorb specific bands of wavelengths, and the two colors respectively span portions of predetermined photo-sensitive regions; and wherein the two photo sensitive regions are doped so that electrons that are released at two different depths in the substrate are collected in two separate regions of the photo sensitive regions so that, when wavelengths of light pass through the color filter array, light is absorbed by the photo sensitive regions which photo sensitive regions consequently releases electrons at two different depths of the photo sensitive regions and are stored in first and second separate regions; at least two charge-coupled devices adjacent the first photo sensitive regions; and a first transfer gate associated with the first photo sensitive region that selectively passes charge at first and second levels which, when at the first level, causes the

Abstract: An image sensor includes at least first and second photo-sensitive regions; a color filter array having at least two different colors that selectively absorb specific bands of wavelengths, and the two colors respectively span portions of predetermined photo-sensitive regions; and wherein the two photo sensitive regions are doped so that electrons that are released at two different depths in the substrate are collected in two separate regions of the photo sensitive regions so that, when wavelengths of light pass through the color filter array, light is absorbed by the photo sensitive regions which photo sensitive regions consequently releases electrons at two different depths of the photo sensitive regions and are stored in first and second separate regions; at least two charge-coupled devices adjacent the first photo sensitive regions; and a first transfer gate associated with the first photo sensitive region that selectively passes charge at first and second levels which, when at the first level, causes the