Patents Assigned to OmniVision Technologies
  • Patent number: 8188973
    Abstract: A light pointer apparatus has a light source module for projecting a light beam onto a surface. The light pointer apparatus also has an image sensor module and a transmitter module. The image sensor module detects a position in the surface of a visible light spot generated by the projected light beam striking the surface. The transmitter module transmits the position of the visible light spot to a remote device for remote control of a device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Jizhang Shan, Jin Li
  • Patent number: 8187909
    Abstract: An array of pixels is formed using a semiconductor layer having a frontside and a backside through which incident light is received. Each pixel typically includes a photosensitive region formed in the semiconductor layer and a trench formed adjacent to the photosensitive region. The trench causes the incident light to be directed away from the trench and towards the photosensitive region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Venezia, Hsin-Chih Tai, Duli Mao, Sohei Manabe, Howard E. Rhodes, Wei Dong Qian
  • Patent number: 8184184
    Abstract: An analog multiplexer is configured to multiplex a plurality of input analog signal channels into a single output analog signal channel. The analog multiplexer comprises a plurality of input sampling circuits associated with respective ones of the input analog signal channels and an amplifier having an input controllably connectable in turn to each of the input sampling circuits. The analog multiplexer is further configured to connect at least a given one of the input analog signal channels to a sampling element of its corresponding input sampling circuit at a predetermined time prior to connecting the sampling element of that input sampling circuit to the input of the amplifier. The predetermined time is less than a full clock cycle of a sampling clock of the amplifier. The analog multiplexer may be implemented in readout circuitry coupled to a pixel array in an image sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Song Xue
  • Patent number: 8183510
    Abstract: An image sensor includes an optical sensor region, a stack of dielectric and metal layers, and an embedded layer. The optical sensor is disposed within a semiconductor substrate. The stack of dielectric and metal layers are disposed on the front side of the semiconductor substrate above the optical sensor region. The embedded focusing layer is disposed on the backside of the semiconductor substrate in a Backside Illuminated (BSI) image sensor, supported by a support grid, or a support grid composed of the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Vincent Venezia, Hsin-Chih Tai, Duli Mao, Ashish Shah, Howard E. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 8178938
    Abstract: A vertically-integrated active pixel sensor includes a sensor wafer connected to a support circuit wafer. Inter-wafer connectors or connector wires transfer signals between the sensor wafer and the support circuit wafer. The active pixel sensor can be fabricated by attaching the sensor wafer to a handle wafer using a removable interface layer. Once the sensor wafer is attached to the handle wafer, the sensor wafer is backside thinned to a given thickness. The support circuit wafer is then attached to the sensor wafer and the handle wafer separated from the sensor wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Robert M. Guidash
  • Patent number: 8179458
    Abstract: A system and method for improving image processing. In one aspect of the invention the method includes receiving data indicating an intensity of light incident on a first pixel of a pixel array and determining from the received data if the intensity of incident light on the first pixel satisfies a first condition. A processing operation is performed on data received from a second, third and fourth pixel of the pixel array but skipped on the data received from the first pixel if the first condition is satisfied. The first condition includes whether the first pixel is substantially saturated in response to an intensity of light incident on the first pixel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Howard E. Rhodes
  • Patent number: 8173535
    Abstract: A wafer structure for an image sensor includes a substrate that has a given conductivity type, a given dopant concentration, and a given concentration of oxygen. An intermediate epitaxial layer is formed over the substrate. The intermediate epitaxial layer has the same conductivity type and the same, or substantially the same, dopant concentration as the substrate but a lower oxygen concentration than the substrate. A thickness of the intermediate epitaxial layer is greater than the diffusion length of a minority carrier in the intermediate layer. A device epitaxial layer is formed over the intermediate epitaxial layer. The device epitaxial layer has the same conductivity type but lower dopant and oxygen concentrations than the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Cristian A. Tivarus
  • Patent number: 8174601
    Abstract: A CMOS image sensor or other type of image sensor comprises a pixel array and a signal generator coupled to the pixel array. The pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels each having a photosensitive element coupled to a transfer gate. The signal generator is configured to generate a transfer gate signal for application to at least one of the transfer gates. The transfer gate signal has at least an on state voltage level and first and second off state voltage levels, with the first off state voltage level typically having a higher magnitude than that of the second off state voltage level. In an illustrative embodiment, the second off state voltage level is utilized during a readout operation in order to reduce dark current in floating diffusion regions of the pixel array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Compton, Hirofumi Komori
  • Patent number: 8164040
    Abstract: An imaging system includes a detector for receiving electromagnetic energy and generating sampled data in accordance with the electromagnetic energy so received. The detector is characterized by a threshold point such that the sampled data is in one of two states: i) below threshold, when the intensity of the electromagnetic energy so received is less than the threshold point; and ii) above threshold, when the intensity of the electromagnetic energy is greater than the threshold point. The imaging system also includes saturation optics for providing a characteristic of the sampled data, wherein the characteristic of the sampled data when below threshold is different from the characteristic of the sampled data when above threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Regis S. Fan, Edward R Dowski, Jr., Kenneth S. Kubala
  • Patent number: 8164651
    Abstract: A method for image capture includes providing an image sensor having at least one segmented row of pixels, wherein the at least one segmented row comprises at least first and second disjoint row subsets of pixels, wherein the reset and readout operations for each row subset are controllably independent of each other; timing the exposure interval of the first subset to be photographically centered with the exposure interval of the second subset; and combining the image data obtained from the first and second row subset exposures to form a row of pixel values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Hamilton, Jr., John T. Compton, Bruce H. Pillman
  • Patent number: 8164682
    Abstract: The invention utilizes an autofocus system (806) that is capable of very fast changes in focus over a relatively small portion of the focus range of the focusing system. When operating continuously in a repeating series of images or frames such as are found in preview mode or in video capture, autofocus images are captured before and after each video frame wherein the autofocus images have different focus settings than the images in the series. The autofocus images are then evaluated for focus quality to determine whether focus adjustments are needed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Border, Robert M. Guidash
  • Patent number: 8164660
    Abstract: An image sensor uses a single row of an array of pixels elements to determine whether a pixel is defective and to recover the defective pixel. The image sensor includes a “maximum of minimum” filter to remove a “black” pixel from a raw image. The image sensor also includes a “minimum of maximum” filter to remove a “white” pixel from the raw image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Weihua Xiong, Chengming Liu
  • Patent number: 8164723
    Abstract: A liquid crystal display device includes a substrate, a liquid crystal layer, a liquid crystal alignment layer between the substrate and the liquid crystal layer, a barrier layer between the liquid crystal alignment layer and the liquid crystal layer, and a gasket formed around the perimeter of the liquid crystal layer and abutting the barrier layer. The gasket has a width less than or equal to 400 micrometers. A second substrate also includes a liquid crystal alignment layer and a barrier layer formed over the liquid crystal alignment layer. The gasket also abuts the barrier layer of the second substrate. In a particular embodiment, the substrate is a reflective display backplane, and the second substrate is a transparent substrate having a transparent electrode layer. The gasket of the present invention is much narrower than gaskets of the prior art, which enables LCD devices to be made smaller and cheaper because more LCD devices can be produced per wafer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew F. Bone, Justin John Skaife
  • Patent number: 8159585
    Abstract: A method for reading out an image signal, the method comprising: providing at least two photosensitive regions; providing at least two transfer gates respectively associated with each photosensitive region; providing a common charge-to-voltage conversion region electrically connected to the transfer gates; providing a reset mechanism that resets the common charge-to-voltage conversion region; after transferring charge from at least one of the photo-sensitive regions, disabling all transfer gates at a first time; enabling at least one transfer gate at a subsequent second time; and transferring charge from at least one of the photosensitive regions at a subsequent third time while the at least one transfer gate from the second time remains enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher Parks, John T. Compton
  • Patent number: 8158453
    Abstract: A CMOS active pixel sensor (APS) cell structure having dual workfunction transfer gate device and method of fabrication. The transfer gate device comprises a dielectric layer formed on a substrate and a dual workfunction gate conductor layer formed on the dielectric layer comprising a first conductivity type doped region and an abutting second conductivity type doped region. The transfer gate device defines a channel region where charge accumulated by a photosensing device is transferred to a diffusion region. A silicide structure is formed atop the dual workfunction gate conductor layer for electrically coupling the first and second conductivity type doped regions. In one embodiment, the silicide contact is smaller in area dimension than an area dimension of said dual workfunction gate conductor layer. Presence of the silicide strap prevents the diodic behavior from allowing one or the other side of the gate to float to an indeterminate voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Omnivision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James W. Adkisson, John J. Ellis-Monaghan, R. Michael Guidash, Mark D. Jaffe, Edward T. Nelson, Richard J. Rassel, Charles V. Stancampiano
  • Patent number: 8149292
    Abstract: The specification disclosed embodiments of an apparatus comprising an automatic white balance (AWB) circuit coupled to a pixel array to transform red, green, and blue color data obtained from each pixel into x and y chromaticity values for each pixel, determine a distance between the Planckian locus and the x and y chromaticity values for each pixel, determine a weight for each pixel based on the distance between its x and y chromaticity values and the Planckian locus, determine red, green, and blue adjustments for each pixel using its weight, and apply a white balance adjustment to the red, green and blue values obtained from each pixel. Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Weihua Xiong, Jingtao Kuang
  • Patent number: 8143084
    Abstract: An image sensing device for receiving an incident light having an incident angle and photo signals formed thereby is provided. The image sensing device includes a micro prism and a micro lens for adjusting the incident angle and converging the incident light, respectively, a photo sensor for converting the photo signals into electronic signals, and an IC stacking layer for processing the electronic signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignees: Visera Technologies Company Ltd., OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Hsiao-Wen Lee
  • Patent number: 8144208
    Abstract: A method for generating an output image of a scene is disclosed. A detector of a task-based imaging system includes a plurality of pixels, and the scene includes at least one object located at a given object distance within a range of object distances between the object and the imaging system. The method includes capturing a high resolution image of the scene, converting the high resolution image into an image spectrum of the scene, determining a defocused optical transfer function (OTF) of the imaging system over the range of object distances and determining a pixel modulation transfer function (MTF) over the plurality of pixels. The method also includes multiplying the image spectrum with the OTF and the MTF to generate a modified image spectrum of the scene, converting the modified image spectrum into a modified image of the scene, and generating the output image from the modified image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Paulo E. X. Silveira, Ramkumar Narayanswamy, Robert H. Cormack, Gregory E. Johnson, Edward R. Dowski, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8139130
    Abstract: An image sensor for capturing a color image is disclosed having a two-dimensional array having first and second groups of pixels wherein pixels from the first group of pixels have narrower spectral photoresponses than pixels from the second group of pixels and wherein the first group of pixels has individual pixels that have spectral photoresponses that correspond to a set of at least two colors. Further, the placement of the first and second groups of pixels defines a pattern that has a minimal repeating unit including at least twelve pixels. The minimal repeating unit has a plurality of cells wherein each cell has at least two pixels representing a specific color selected from the first group of pixels and a plurality of pixels selected from the second group of pixels arranged to permit the reproduction of a captured color image under different lighting conditions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John T. Compton, John F. Hamilton, Jr.
  • Patent number: 8130278
    Abstract: Multiple images of a scene are acquired over a contemporaneous period of time. Most of the multiple images are lower resolution images acquired with a lower resolution than the other of the multiple images. A corrected set of images is formed at least by correcting for motion present between at least some of the lower resolution images. In addition, a synthesized image is formed at least by merging (a) at least a portion of at least one of the images in the corrected set of images, and (b) at least a portion of at least one of the other of the multiple images. The synthesized image is stored in a processor-accessible memory system. The synthesized image exhibits improved image quality including reduced motion blur, a higher signal-to-noise ratio, and higher resolution over conventional techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: OmniVision Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: John N. Border, Amy D. Enge