Patents Assigned to STMicroelectronics Ltd.
  • Method for sharing configuration data for high logic density on chip
    Patent number: 7038489
    Abstract: A system for reducing the number of programmable architecture elements in a look-up table required for implementing Boolean functions or operations that are identical or logically equivalent is provided. The system may include a single set of storage elements connected to the inputs of multiple decoders, and the storage elements may be concurrently accessed by the decoders to provide simultaneous multiple outputs thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Ankur Bal
  • Image sensors
    Publication number: 20060066750
    Abstract: A rolling blade exposure system includes odd rows of a pixel array being read out with a short exposure time and even rows being read out at a long exposure time. Each pair of sampled rows are stitched together before to form a single output line. The resultant image is then formed from the output lines. The stitching process ensures that the resultant image has a wide dynamic range. This is achieved at the expense of a loss of resolution, but this loss is acceptable for certain applications.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 30, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Henderson, Matthew Purcell, Graeme Storm
  • Image sensors
    Publication number: 20060049334
    Abstract: The image sensor makes use of a distributed amplifier having its non-inverting input provided by a pixel amplifier transistor, and its inverting input and output provided in the pixel's column circuitry. The distributed amplifier is directly integrated with the image sensor's ADC circuit, and sampling and autozero are performed in a single step, thus reducing the number of noise contributions made by the components of the image sensor's readout chain.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2005
    Publication date: March 9, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd., Country of Incorporation
    Inventors: Robert Henderson, Matthew Purcell
  • Imaging assembly
    Publication number: 20060033833
    Abstract: An imaging assembly for an image sensor may include a lens, a transparent substrate and two aspherical optical coatings on each side of the substrate. The imaging assembly can also incorporate an opaque coating with an opening in-line with the lens to form an aperture, an anti-reflection coating, and an infrared filter coating.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Publication date: February 16, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan Hurwitz, Ewan Findlay
  • Large area photodiode
    Patent number: 6998659
    Abstract: A solid state image sensor has an array of pixels formed on an epitaxial layer on a substrate. Each pixel is relatively large so that it has a high light collecting ability, such as 40–60 ?m, but the pixel photodiode is relatively small so that it has a low capacitance, such as 4–6 ?m. Active elements of the pixel photodiode are formed in wells that are spaced away from the pixel photodiode so that the latter is surrounded by epitaxial material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeff Raynor
  • System and method for maintaining cache coherency in a shared memory system
    Patent number: 7000078
    Abstract: A data processing system having shared memory accessible through a transaction-based bus mechanism. A plurality of system components, including a central processor, are coupled to the bus mechanism. The bus mechanism includes a cache coherency transaction within its transaction set. The cache coherency transaction comprises a request issued by one of the system components that is recognized by a cache unit of the central processor as an explicit command to perform a cache coherency operation. The transaction further comprises a response issued by the central processor indicating status of the cache coherency operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1999
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2006
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Jones, John Carrey
  • Method of determining a measure of edge strength and focus
    Publication number: 20060029284
    Abstract: The method of determining a focus measure from an image includes detecting one or more edges in the image by processing the image with one or more first order edge detection kernels adapted to reject edge phasing effects. A first measure of the strength of each of the edges, and the contrast of each of the edges may be determined. The method may include normalizing the first measure of the strength of each of the edges by the contrast of each of the edges to obtain a second measure of the strength of each of the edges, and resealing the second measure of the strength of each of the edges. The method may also include selecting one or more of the edges from the image in accordance with the second measure of their strengths, and calculating the focus measure from the second measure of the strengths of the selected edges.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2005
    Publication date: February 9, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Brian Stewart
  • Optical device, and optical mouse incorporating the optical device
    Publication number: 20060016967
    Abstract: An optical mouse includes a base and a lens for forming an image on an image sensor package. An LED projects light into the field of view of the lens via a prism. The prism enables the LED to be set horizontally, which reduces optical losses. The prism and lens may form part of a single molding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2005
    Publication date: January 26, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Ewan Findlay, Gilles De Lajarte
  • Computer navigation devices
    Publication number: 20060007155
    Abstract: An optical mouse includes an image sensor for providing image data via an analog-to-digital converter to a correlation circuit and a motion estimation circuit to provide output signals representative of motion of the mouse. The output signals may be disabled when the mouse is lifted away from the working surface. This may be achieved by high-pass filtering the signals, summing each frame in a summer to provide a single value, and comparing this to a threshold. If the filtered and summed value exceeds the threshold, this may indicate that the image contains in-focus objects, and that the mouse is on the working surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicants: STMicroelectronics Ltd., STMicroelectronics SA
    Inventors: Jeffrey Raynor, Pascal Mellot
  • Optical detection of relative motion
    Publication number: 20060007154
    Abstract: In an apparatus, such as an optical mouse, relative motion between itself and an adjacent surface is detected. A lens focuses an image of the illuminated adjacent surface, and an image sensor receives the image and generates picture signals representing sequential frames of the image. A high-pass filter may filter the picture signals. An image processor may receive the high-pass filtered picture signals for correlating successive frames of the picture signals to derive an output representing the relative motion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Publication date: January 12, 2006
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Raynor
  • Polarization sensitive solid state image sensor and associated methods
    Publication number: 20050279921
    Abstract: A polarization sensitive solid state image sensor includes an integrated photodetector and polarizing assembly. The polarizing assembly is formed directly on an upper dielectric surface of the photodetector as a metal grid. The integral form of the device improves polarization operation and reduces manufacturing costs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 16, 2005
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Raynor
  • Imaging sensor
    Publication number: 20050275052
    Abstract: An imaging sensor includes a signal processing section, a photo-current generating and collecting section, and a separating region between the signal processing section and the photo-current generating and collecting section. The photo-current generating and collecting section includes a photodiode well having a first type of conductivity, and a contact associated with the photodiode well. A region surrounds the photodiode well, and is adjacent the separating region and has a second type of conductivity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2005
    Publication date: December 15, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeffrey Raynor
  • Low latency signaling scheme for mode transition in DMT modems
    Publication number: 20050271129
    Abstract: A method for coordinating and synchronizing a mode transition in a Discrete Multi-Tone (DMT) communication system operating over a range of tones. The method includes allocating a set of one or more of the tones in the range to serve as monitor tones for signaling the mode transition. The mode transition is signaled by transmitting a known transition sequence on the monitor tones over two or more successive symbol intervals while simultaneously transmitting data on at least some of the tones in the range other than the monitor tones.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2004
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Guy Reina
  • Image sensor comprising a pixel array having an optical element positioned relative to each pixel
    Publication number: 20050266603
    Abstract: A method for manufacturing an image sensor including an array of pixels and an imaging lens exit pupil for focusing rays of light onto the array of pixels is provided. Each pixel includes a light sensitive region and at least one optical element associated therewith. The method includes positioning the at least one optical element for each pixel relative to its associated light sensitive region based upon a range of acceptable angles of incidence for the rays of light from the imaging lens exit pupil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2004
    Publication date: December 1, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Keith Findlater, Ewan Findlay
  • Solid state image sensor
    Patent number: 6969879
    Abstract: An active pixel image sensor is formed on a P-type epitaxial layer on a P-type substrate. An active pixel array is in the P-type epitaxial layer. Each pixel includes an N-well functioning as a collection node, and a P-well adjacent the N-well. The P-well includes only NMOS transistors functioning as active elements. The in-pixel transistors cooperate with off-pixel PMOS transistors to form A-D converters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Jeff Raynor
  • Method for efficient low power motion estimation of a video frame sequence
    Patent number: 6968010
    Abstract: A method for efficient low power motion estimation of a digital video image is provided in which processing requirements are reduced based upon the content being processed. The method performs motion estimation of a current video image using a search window of a previous video image. The method may include forming mean pyramids of a reference macroblock and the search area and a full search at a lowest resolution. A number of candidate motion vectors (CMVs) propagated to lower levels may be dependent on a quantized average deviation estimate (QADE) of a current macroblock and the maximum distortion band obtained during training for that QADE value at that particular level. Training over a sequence may be triggered at the beginning of every sequence. This training technique may be used to determine the value of the maximum distortion band for all QADEs of the macroblocks occurring over the training frames.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Paul Sathya Chelladurai, Arshad Ahmed, Soumitra Kumar Nandy
  • Column current source
    Publication number: 20050253043
    Abstract: An image sensor includes an array of pixels arranged in rows and columns. A reference current source provides the reference current to a transistor forming one half of a current mirror. Each column has a current source, which forms the other half of a current mirror. A switch is provided to selectively connect a resistance between ground and the transistor. When the resistance is connected, the transistor is starved of gate-source voltage, which reduces the current supplied by each current source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2005
    Publication date: November 17, 2005
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventors: Matthew Purcell, Robert Henderson
  • Look-up table apparatus to perform two-bit arithmetic operation including carry generation
    Patent number: 6961741
    Abstract: A look-up table apparatus is provided for performing two-bit arithmetic operation including carry generation. The look-up table is modified to perform two concurrent combinatorial functions, or one function for an increased number of inputs. The look-up table can implement two full adders or subtractors, or two-bit counters, for example. One portion of the modified look-up table provides two bits of a sum output, and another portion of the modified table provides a fast carry out signal for application to a next stage of an adder/subtractor/counter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Parvesh Swami
  • Ramp generator for image sensor ADC
    Patent number: 6956413
    Abstract: A ramp generator includes a resistance ladder supplied with a constant current. Switches are closed in sequence by a shift register to provide a stepped ramp output. The constant current is controlled by referencing an on-chip bandgap voltage that is used as an input to a feedback circuit controlling current through a reference resistor ladder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Toby Bailey
  • Image sensor with capacitive amplifier and associated methods
    Patent number: 6952004
    Abstract: An image sensor includes pixels which are of the four-transistor, PIN photodiode type. In each pixel, the charge on a photodiode is transferred by a transfer gate to a sensing node. Readout of reset and read voltages is via an amplifier. A gain capacitor is connected in feedback across the amplifier. Read and reset gates are controlled so that the pixel is reset to a virtual ground voltage controlled by the gain capacitor. This is independent of the pixel parasitic capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2005
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics Ltd.
    Inventor: Robert Henderson