Abstract: A unit pixel for an image sensor includes an accumulation circuit configured to generate an accumulated dark current by accumulating a charge corresponding to a dark current during a time of flight (TOF), the accumulation circuit being optically shaded to generate the dark current, an output voltage generation circuit configured to generate and output an output voltage corresponding to the TOF based on a charge corresponding to the accumulated dark current, a control circuit configured to control an operation of the output voltage generation circuit based on a light signal that is input to the unit pixel after being reflected by an object, the light signal being emitted by a light source, and an initialization circuit configured to initialize the accumulation circuit at a predetermined cycle.

Abstract: A control device of a radiation image capturing apparatus performs repeated reading of leak data prior to radiation image capturing operation and, when a threshold value has been exceeded by the leak data having been read out, said control device detects the start of irradiation. If there are periodic fluctuations in the leak data read out prior to radiation image capturing operation even though irradiation has not started, said control device determines whether or not a threshold value has been exceeded by a value obtained by subtracting a previously obtained fluctuation pattern of the leak data from the read-out leak data during a time period including at least a time period when the leak data fluctuates.

Abstract: A driving method of an imaging apparatus comprises: horizontally transferring, by a horizontal scanning circuit, a signal based on a photoelectric conversion portion of a first pixel unit held in a signal holding capacitor to a common line; before ending of the horizontal transfer; applying, by a reset switch of a second pixel unit, a selection reset voltage to a floating diffusion region of the second pixel unit; and after the horizontal transfer, transferring, by a transfer switch of the second pixel unit, a signal of a photoelectric conversion portion of the second pixel unit to the floating diffusion region of the second pixel unit and amplifying, by an amplification transistor of the second pixel unit, a signal of the floating diffusion region of the second pixel unit to output the signal to an output line.

Abstract: Aspects relate to improved optically black reference pixels in a CMOS iSoc sensor. A system can include a pointer P1 that indicates pixels to be read out during a readout time interval, a pointer P2 that indicates pixels to be reset during the time interval, and a pointer P3 that preserves a validity of a frame. The system also includes a pointer P4 configured to mitigate an integration time of column fixed pattern noise (FPN) rows independently of the integration time of other rows. In some aspects, pointer P4 can mitigate blooming into sampled rows from surrounding rows. Pointer P4 can be continuously rotated, in an aspect. Further, in some aspects, pointer P4 can jump on a second cycle to arrive one line before pointer P1.

Abstract: Provided in one embodiment is a method of detecting a pulsing signal, comprising: detecting the pulsing signal using a first sensor device acquiring data at a first time interval; and detecting the pulsing signal using a second sensor device acquiring data at a second time interval; wherein the second time interval overlaps a portion of the first time interval.

Abstract: Packaged light detector semiconductor devices (PLDSDs), methods for manufacturing PLDSDs, and systems including a PLDSD are described herein. In an embodiment, a PLDSD includes a light detector die having a surface including an active photosensor region, and a non-imaging optical concentrator including an entrance aperture and an exit aperture axially aligned with one another and with the active photosensor region. A molding material forms the non-imaging optical concentrator and encapsulates at least a portion of the surface of the light detector die that extends beyond the exit aperture of the non-imaging optical concentrator. The non-imaging optical concentrator concentrates light from the entrance aperture toward the exit aperture and onto the active photosensor region.

Abstract: An optical receiver is disclosed, in which a PD is biased by a positive feedback loop with respect to the photocurrent generated thereby. The optical receiver includes the PD, a current mirror to reflect the photocurrent into a mirror current, a current detector to convert the mirror current into a voltage signal, and a bias source stabilized by the negative feedback loop by sensing the output voltage thereof superposed with the voltage signal output by the current detector. The PD, the current mirror, the current detector and the bias source comprises the positive feedback loop for the photocurrent.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device including: a photoelectric conversion section configured to have a charge accumulating region of a first conductivity type formed in a semiconductor layer; a pixel having the photoelectric conversion section and a pixel transistor; a pixel region in which a plurality of the pixels are arranged; an epitaxially grown semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type formed on an inner wall part of a trench disposed in the semiconductor layer at least between adjacent ones of the pixels within the pixel region; and a pixel separating section configured to separate the charge accumulating regions of the adjacent ones of the pixels from each other, the pixel separating section being formed on the inside of the semiconductor layer of the first conductivity type.

Abstract: A photodiode comprises a semiconductor material having a p-n junction, the p-n junction being located between a first doping region of a first doping type and a second doping region of a second doping type, the second doping region comprising a highly doped layer and a lightly doped layer. A photodiode further comprises a voltage source being capable to apply a variable voltage between the first doping region and the lightly doped layer of the second doping region in order to vary the expansion of a space charge zone of the p-n junction.

Abstract: An image sensor pixel suitable for use in a back-side-illuminated or a front-side-illuminated sensor arrangement is provided. The image sensor pixel may be a small size pixel that includes a source follower implemented using a vertical junction field effect (JFET) transistor. The vertical JFET source follower may be integrated directly into the floating diffusion node, thereby eliminating excess metal routing and pixel area typically allocated for the source follower in conventional pixel configurations. Pixel area may instead be allocated for increasing the charge storage capacity of the photodiode or can be used to reduce pixel size while maintaining pixel performance. Using a vertical junction field effect transistor in this way simplifies pixel addressing operations and minimizes random telegraph signal (RTS) noise associated with small size metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors.

Abstract: A system for and method of performing multi-technique imaging. Such multi-technique imaging system includes a surface for supporting a specimen and at least two illumination sources for producing light radiation. The system also includes a plurality of reflective and refractive devices arranged to direct at least part of the light radiation from each of the at least two illumination sources to the surface such that at least part of the light radiation from each of the at least two illumination sources illuminates substantially the same area on the surface. The system also includes a sensor configured to receive light radiation from the at least two illumination sources reflected by the specimen and/or that pass by the specimen. The system also includes a power source configured to power the at least two illumination sources and the sensor.

Abstract: A hybrid ADC having a successive approximation register (SAR) ADC mode for generating a bit of a digital signal and a ramp ADC mode for generating an additional bit of the digital signal is disclosed. When in the SAR ADC mode, a control circuit is configured to disable a ramp signal generator; disable a counter; and enable a register to control an offset stage to set the magnitude of an offset voltage that is provided to an input of a comparator of the ADC. When in the ramp ADC mode, the control circuit is configured to enable the ramp signal generator to provide a ramp signal to the input of the comparator; enable the counter to begin providing the digital count in response to the output of the comparator; and disable the register so that the offset stage is not providing the offset voltage.

Abstract: A photo-detector and method for operating same: the photo-detector comprises a photomultiplier tube comprising a plurality of electrodes, each having a photocathode, an anode, a first dynode, intermediate dynodes and a last dynode; and a biasing circuit that comprises a sequence of voltage follower elements, a voltage divider and a current source. The voltage divider is coupled across a high voltage power supply and different dynodes are coupled to different ones of the voltage follower elements, control inputs of which are coupled to different junctions of the voltage divider. The current source is coupled to the voltage divider, to the sequence of the voltage follower elements and to the cathode. The anode is coupled to a load element coupled to a positive pole of the high voltage power supply and arranged to receive an output signal of the anode and convert it to an output signal of the photo-detector.

Abstract: There is provided a position detecting device using reflection type photosensors in which a position sensing of lens located not less than 1 mm apart from a sensor can be conducted. A pair of reflection type photosensors PR1 and PR2 are oppositely arranged, a double sided reflector 5 attached on a movable body is movably arranged between the pair of reflection type photosensors and a position of the double sided reflector 5 is detected from the outputs of these reflection type photosensors. In the position detecting device of the present invention, an operating formula in which linear values are obtained depending on a moving distance of the double sided reflector can be used. For example, when an output of one of the pair of reflection type photosensors is Vo1, and an output of the other is Vo2, the position detecting is conducted using the operating formula of (Vo1?Vo2)/(Vo1+Vo2).

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a vertical selection circuit that sets an electronic shutter state and a read-out state in time division multiplexing for each selected row of a pixel array unit in which the pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern, a pulse selector circuit that drives the pixels belonging to the selected row in accordance with the electronic shutter state and the read-out state, and a timing generator circuit that controls operational timing of the vertical selection circuit and the pulse selector circuit are included.

Abstract: An optical device and method providing multi-channel bulk optical power monitoring is disclosed. The device and method may include a scanning mirror, a plurality of input optical fibers, a plurality of output optical fibers, and at least one sample optical fiber optically connected to a photodetector. The device and method may further include a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface. The first reflective surface may reflect light from the input optical fibers to the second reflective surface. The second reflective surface may reflect a first portion of the light into the output optical fibers and pass a second portion of the light to the scanning mirror. The scanning mirror may reflect samples of the second portion of the light into the at least one sample optical fiber.

Abstract: There is provided an image sensor, including an input control unit configured to control signal paths between a plurality of pixels and a plurality of sampling units and supplying outputs from the plurality of pixels in row units to the plurality of sampling units during a normal operation, while supplying the outputs from the plurality of pixels by color, to the plurality of sampling units during a binning operation; and an output control unit configured to control signal paths between the plurality of sampling units and an amplification unit and sequentially supplying outputs from the plurality of sampling units to the amplification unit during the normal operation while simultaneously supplying the outputs from the plurality of sampling units to the amplification unit during the binning operation.

Abstract: An optical position-measuring device includes a scanning bar extending in a first or second direction, and a scale extending in the other direction. The scale is offset by a scanning distance from the scanning bar in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. The device has a light source whose light penetrates the scanning bar at an intersection point of the scanning bar and scale to fall on the scale and arrive back at the scanning bar. At a detector, the light is split by diffraction into different partial beams at optically effective structures of the scanning bar and scale and combined again. A periodic signal is obtained in the detector in response to: a shift between the scanning bar and scale in the first direction due to interference of combined partial beams, and a change in the scanning distance between the scanning bar and scale.

Abstract: An angle-sensitive pixel (ASP) device that uses the Talbot effect to detect the local intensity and incident angle of light includes a phase grating disposed above a photodiode assembly or a phase grating disposed above an analyzer grating that is disposed above a photodiode assembly. When illuminated by a plane wave, the upper grating generates a self-image at a selected Talbot depth. Several such structures, tuned to different incident angles, are sufficient to extract local incident angle and intensity. Arrays of such structures are sufficient to localize light sources in three dimensions without any additional optics.

Abstract: An apparatus including a housing defining at least one interior cavity; at least one optical sensor located within the at least one interior cavity of the housing adjacent a first portion of the housing; wherein the first portion of the housing includes a plurality of distributed optical windows through the housing. A housing part of an apparatus including a housing wall comprising a plurality of distributed micro-windows through the housing wall.