Abstract: A method for identifying singleton outlier pixels in a selected color space in a digital image including a plurality of pixels, includes for each 3×3 patch of pixels in the image, calculating the diameter of the 3×3 patch of pixels. For each pixel in the patch, the distance to its nearest neighbor pixel within the patch is computed, as measured in the selected color space. The computed distance from each pixel in the patch is compared to its nearest neighbor with a threshold that is a preselected fraction of the diameter. A center pixel in the patch is identified as an outlier pixel if its calculated distance to its nearest neighbor is the largest distance to a nearest neighbor and exceeds the threshold.

Abstract: The invention describes in detail the structure of a CMOS image sensor pixel that senses color of impinging light without having absorbing filters placed on its surface. The color sensing is accomplished by having a vertical stack of three-charge detection nodes placed in the silicon bulk, which collect electrons depending on the depth of their generation. The small charge detection node capacitance and thus high sensitivity with low noise is achieved by using fully depleted, potential well forming, buried layers instead of undepleted junction electrodes. Two embodiments of contacting the buried layers without substantially increasing the node capacitances are presented.

Abstract: A method for replacing defective pixels in a digital color image includes determining whether each pixel has defective data in a selected color channel; for the pixel, determining whether a first reference color channel exists and, if so, correcting the defective data by defining a group of neighboring pixels; for each of m neighboring pixels having non-defective data in the selected color channel and the reference color channel, computing a sum of the differences between the non-defective data in the selected color channel and the non-defective data in the first reference color channel; adding the sum of the differences divided by m to the non-defective data value from the first reference color channel to obtain a result; dividing the result by two to obtain a substitution data value; and substituting the substitution data value for the defective data.

Abstract: A multicolor CMOS pixel sensor formed in a p-type semiconductor region includes a first detector formed from an n-type region of semiconductor material located near the surface of the p-type region. A first pinned p-type region is formed at the surface of the p-type region over the first detector, and has a surface portion extending past an edge of the pinned p-type region. A second detector is formed from an n-type region located in the p-type semiconductor region below the first detector. A second-detector n-type deep contact plug is in contact with the second detector and extends to the surface of the p-type semiconductor region. A second pinned p-type region is formed at the surface of the p-type semiconductor region over the top of the second-detector n-type deep contact plug. A surface portion of the second-detector deep contact plug extends past an edge of the second pinned p-type region.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor in a p-type semiconductor body includes an n-type common node formed below a pinning region. A plurality of n-type blue detectors more lightly doped than the common node are disposed below pinning regions and are spaced apart from the common node forming channels below blue color-select gates. A buried green photocollector is coupled to the surface through a first deep contact spaced apart from the common node forming a channel below a green color-select gate. A red photocollector buried deeper than the green photocollector is coupled to the surface through a second deep contact spaced apart from the common node forming a channel below a red color-select gate. A reset-transistor has a source disposed over and in contact with the common node. A source-follower transistor has gate coupled to the common node, a drain coupled to a power-supply node, and a source forming a pixel-sensor output.

Abstract: A method for forming a photodiode cathode in an integrated circuit imager includes defining and implanting a photodiode cathode region with a photodiode cathode implant dose of a dopant species and defining and implanting an edge region of the photodiode cathode region with a photodiode cathode edge implant dose of a dopant species to form a region of higher impurity concentration than the photodiode cathode impurity concentration.

Abstract: A method for operating a single slope analog-to-digital converter (ADC) includes providing a ramp generator to provide at least one voltage-ramp segment; applying delta-sigma modulation to the voltage-ramp generator to generate a delta-sigma modulated voltage ramp; operating a digital counter synchronously with the voltage-ramp generator; comparing the delta-sigma modulated voltage-ramp to an input voltage; and latching a count from the digital counter in response to the output of the comparator.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor in a p-type semiconductor body includes an n-type common node formed below a pinning region. A plurality of n-type blue detectors more lightly doped than the common node are disposed below pinning regions and are spaced apart from the common node forming channels below blue color-select gates. A buried green photocollector is coupled to the surface through a first deep contact spaced apart from the common node forming a channel below a green color-select gate. A red photocollector buried deeper than the green photocollector is coupled to the surface through a second deep contact spaced apart from the common node forming a channel below a red color-select gate. A reset-transistor has a source disposed over and in contact with the common node. A source-follower transistor has gate coupled to the common node, a drain coupled to a power-supply node, and a source forming a pixel-sensor output.

Abstract: In a readout bus architecture having a first column, a readout means is coupled to a photodetector and configured to transfer charge from the photodetector. A select means is coupled to the photodetector and is configured to transfer charge from the photodetector. An address circuit is coupled to the first column through the select means and is configured to generate and decode an address and turn on the select means for the first column if the address matched the first column and if the address circuit received a corrected enable signal indicating that the first column is not defective. A correction circuit is coupled to the address circuit and is configured to generate the corrected enable signal indicating that the first column is not defective if the correction circuit determined that the first column is not defective.

Abstract: An array of multicolor CMOS pixel sensors has a plurality of photosensors per pixel, each photosensor coupled to a single sense node through a select transistor having a select input, each pixel sensor including a reset transistor coupled to the sense node and having a reset input, an amplifier coupled to the sense node and a row-select transistor coupled to the amplifier. The select inputs and the reset inputs for pixel sensors in a pair of adjacent rows are coupled to select signal lines and reset signal lines associated with the pair of rows. The amplifier transistors in individual columns of each row are coupled to a column output line through a row-select transistor having a row-select input. The row-select inputs for pixel sensors in each row of the array are coupled to a row-select line associated with the row.

Abstract: A pixel sensor comprises a first reset transistor having a drain coupled to a first potential, a gate coupled to a first reset line, and a source. A second reset transistor has a drain coupled to the first reset transistor source, a gate coupled to a second reset line, and a source coupled to a photodiode cathode. A source-follower transistor has a drain coupled to the first reset transistor source, a gate coupled to the photodiode cathode, and a source. A row-select transistor has a drain coupled to the source-follower transistor source, a gate coupled to a row-select signal line, and a source coupled to a column output line. An array of these pixel sensors further comprises timing and readout circuits that control the transistors in the pixel sensor to effect a reset operation that cancels the fixed pattern of threshold variations of the source-follower transistors.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing spatially dependent image exposure information to a user of a digital camera. The described approach is applicable to determination of image exposure quality in a digital camera system. In these applications an image is displayed in a first display mode wherein the exposure information is overlaid on the image or in a second display mode wherein the exposure information is eliminated or reduced and thus is less obstructive of the image. In the second display mode, a separate exposure warning optionally conveys a subset of the information displayed in the first display mode. The invention includes a user input operable to temporarily specify a change in the display of the image between the first mode and the second mode while an image is displayed, thus providing the user with direct control of the presence and duration of spatially dependent image exposure information.

Abstract: An active CMOS pixel sensor includes a red photodiode and a green photodiode coupled to sense nodes. Blue photodiodes are coupled to a blue sense node through select transistors. A blue reset transistor is coupled between a supply node and the blue sense node. A source-follower transistor is coupled to the blue sense node. A blue row-select transistor is coupled to the source-follower transistor and a biased blue column line. Red and green amplifier transistors have gates coupled to sense nodes, drains coupled to a supply node, and sources. Red and green reset transistors have drains coupled to the drains of the amplifier transistors, sources coupled to the sense nodes. Feedback capacitors couple the sense nodes to the reset transistor drains. Red and green row-select transistors have drains coupled to the sources of the amplifier transistors, sources coupled to biased column lines, and gates coupled to a red-green row-select line.

Abstract: The invention describes in detail the structure of a CMOS image sensor pixel that senses color of impinging light without having absorbing filters placed on its surface. The color sensing is accomplished by having a vertical stack of three-charge detection nodes placed in the silicon bulk, which collect electrons depending on the depth of their generation. The small charge detection node capacitance and thus high sensitivity with low noise is achieved by using fully depleted, potential well forming, buried layers instead of undepleted junction electrodes. Two embodiments of contacting the buried layers without substantially increasing the node capacitances are presented.

Abstract: The invention describes in detail the structure of a CMOS image sensor pixel that senses color of impinging light without having absorbing filters placed on its surface. The color sensing is accomplished by having a vertical stack of three-charge detection nodes placed in the silicon bulk, which collect electrons depending on the depth of their generation. The small charge detection node capacitance and thus high sensitivity with low noise is achieved by using fully depleted, potential well forming, buried layers instead of undepleted junction electrodes. Two embodiments of contacting the buried layers without substantially increasing the node capacitances are presented.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing an imaging subsystem is provided. The method includes manufacturing an image sensing device including a unique identifier. The image sensing device is incorporated into an imaging subsystem. The imaging subsystem is operated and characterization parameters of the image sensing device operation are determined based thereon. The characterization parameters are associated with the unique identifier in a repository of characterization parameters that is separate from the imaging subsystem.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor in a p-type semiconductor body includes an n-type common node formed below a pinning region. A plurality of n-type blue detectors more lightly doped than the common node are disposed below pinning regions and are spaced apart from the common node forming channels below blue color-select gates. A buried green photocollector is coupled to the surface through a first deep contact spaced apart from the common node forming a channel below a green color-select gate. A red photocollector buried deeper than the green photocollector is coupled to the surface through a second deep contact spaced apart from the common node forming a channel below a red color-select gate. A reset-transistor has a source disposed over and in contact with the common node. A source-follower transistor has gate coupled to the common node, a drain coupled to a power-supply node, and a source forming a pixel-sensor output.

Abstract: A multicolor CMOS pixel sensor formed in a p-type semiconductor region includes a first detector formed from an n-type region of semiconductor material located near the surface of the p-type region. A first pinned p-type region is formed at the surface of the p-type region over the first detector, and has a surface portion extending past an edge of the pinned p-type region. A second detector is formed from an n-type region located in the p-type semiconductor region below the first detector. A second-detector n-type deep contact plug is in contact with the second detector and extends to the surface of the p-type semiconductor region. A second pinned p-type region is formed at the surface of the p-type semiconductor region over the top of the second-detector n-type deep contact plug. A surface portion of the second-detector deep contact plug extends past an edge of the second pinned p-type region.

Abstract: A flexible, user-friendly computer-implemented image processing system is provided. The system includes a process to receive an image rendering request. The image rendering request includes an indication of raw image data and an indication of desired rendering output characteristics. A rendering process is configured to process the raw image data to generate at least one rendered image, based on an indication of a particular image acquisition device employed to generate the raw image data. In accordance with some embodiments, the rendering process includes a plurality of rendering sub-processes. Each sub-process corresponds to a separate image acquisition device, and the rendering process is configured to process the raw image data based on the sub-process corresponding to the indication of the particular image acquisition device employed to generate the raw image data.

Abstract: An array of vertical color filter (VCF) sensor groups, optionally including or coupled to circuitry for converting photogenerated carriers produced in the sensors to electrical signals, and methods for reading out any embodiment of the array. The array has a top layer (including the top sensors of the sensor group) and at least one low layer including other ones of the sensors. Only the top layer can be read out with full resolution. Each low layer can only be read out with less than full resolution to generate fewer sensor output values than the total number of pixel sensor locations. Typically, the sensor groups are arranged in cells, each cell including a S sensor groups (e.g., S=4), with S sensors in the top layer and fewer than S sensors in each low layer of the cell. Typically, each cell includes at least one shared sensor (a sensor shared by two or more VCF sensor groups) in each low layer, and each cell includes sensor selection switches (e.g., transistors) between the cell's sensors and a sense node.