Abstract: There is provided an imaging system including a MOS pixel array having a number, r, of rows of pixels. Each pixel of the array includes a light detecting element, a reset node connected to the light detecting element for controlling dissipation of photogenerated charge produced by the light detecting element, and a sense node connected to the light detecting element for measuring photogenerated charge produced by the light detecting element. A charge control voltage generation circuit is provided, having a topology for producing a plurality of charge control voltages selected to control dissipation of photogenerated charge produced by the light detecting element, in accordance with a corresponding pixel transfer function. A switch circuit is connected to the voltage generation circuit and to the pixel array to apply voltages produced by the charge control voltage generation circuit to reset nodes of pixels.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
July 27, 2001
Date of Patent:
July 29, 2003
Assignee:
SMaL Camera Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Hae-Seung Lee, Charles G. Sodini, Keith G. Fife
Abstract: There is provided an imaging system including a MOS pixel array having a number, r, of rows of pixels. Each pixel of the array includes a light detecting element, a reset node connected to the light detecting element for controlling dissipation of photogenerated charge produced by the light detecting element, and a sense node connected to the light detecting element for measuring photogenerated charge produced by the light detecting element. A charge control voltage generation circuit is provided, having a topology for producing a plurality of charge control voltages selected to control dissipation of photogenerated charge produced by the light detecting element, in accordance with a corresponding pixel transfer function. A switch circuit is connected to the voltage generation circuit and to the pixel array to apply voltages produced by the charge control voltage generation circuit to reset nodes of pixels.
Type:
Application
Filed:
July 27, 2001
Publication date:
April 18, 2002
Applicant:
SMaL Camera Technologies, Inc.
Inventors:
Hae-Seung Lee, Charles G. Sodini, Keith G. Fife