Abstract: A method and system for controlling distribution of content within a personal domain that makes use of a determination of the relative proximity to a source device or the geographic locations of the receiving devices. The location information may be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or wireless triangulation systems. Usage rights for devices in the network are determined using the location or proximity determination.

Abstract: An image sensor includes (a) a plurality of pixels, wherein each pixel comprises:(i) at least one photosensor; (ii) at least one transfer gate connecting the photosensor to a floating diffusion; (iii) an output transistor connected to the floating diffusion; (iv) a first reset transistor connected between the floating diffusion and a summing node; (v) a second reset transistor connected to the summing node; and (b) a first summing transistor connecting together the summing nodes of two or more pixels.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of vertical CCDs; first HCCD receiving charge packets from even numbered vertical CCDs; and a second HCCD receiving charge packets from odd numbered vertical CCDs; wherein four charge packets are summed together from the first HCCD, and four charge packets are summed together in the second HCCD such that the summing process in the second HCCD begins one or two charge packets spatially after the first charge packet of the four charge packets summed in the first HCCD.

Abstract: A charge coupled device having a plurality of non-adjacent first gate electrode pairs; a plurality of second gate electrode pairs placed in every second space between the first gate electrode pairs; a plurality of third gate electrode pairs placed in the spaces between the first gate electrode pairs not occupied by the second gate electrode pairs; wherein, in a full resolution mode, the first gate electrode pairs are clocked substantially 180 degrees out of phase with respect to the second and third gate electrode pairs and the second and third gate electrode pairs are clocked substantially equally; and wherein, in a half resolution, double speed mode, the second and third gate electrode pairs are clocked substantially 180 degrees out of phase with respect to each other and substantially 50% duty cycle and the first gate electrode pairs are clocked with 25% or less duty cycle and 90 degrees out of phase with respect to the second gate electrode pairs.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels, each pixel includes a first photosensitive region that collects charge in response to light and having a first sensitivity; a second photosensitive region that collects charge in response to light and having a second sensitivity that is lower than the sensitivity of the first photosensitive region; and a polarizer spanning the second photosensitive region.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of vertical CCDs; first HCCD receiving charge packets from even numbered vertical CCDs; and a second HCCD receiving charge packets from odd numbered vertical CCDs; wherein four charge packets are summed together from the first HCCD, and four charge packets are summed together in the second HCCD such that the summing process in the second HCCD begins one or two charge packets spatially after the first charge packet of the four charge packets summed in the first HCCD.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a unit cell of four pixels. The unit cell includes four photosensitive regions that collect charge in response to light; four transfer transistors that respectively pass the charge from each of the four photosensitive regions to one common charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism; three control wires in which a first control wire controls two of the transfer transistors and a second control wire controls one of the transfer transistors and a third control wire controls one of the transfer transistors; an amplifier connected to the common charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism that outputs an output signal in response to a signal from the charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism; and a reset transistor connected to the common charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism for resetting the charge-to-voltage conversion mechanism to a predetermined signal level.

Abstract: A method for reducing dark current within a charge-coupled device, the method includes each gate phase n having a capacitance Cn, voltage change on the gate phase n given by ?Vn such ? n ? C n ? ? ? ? V n ? 0 ; for the first time period, maintaining a set of first gate phases holding charge in the accumulated state and maintaining a set of second gate phases not holding charge in the depleted state; for a second time period, clocking the charge into a set of third gate phases in the depleted state and clocking the second set of gate phases not holding charge into the accumulated state; for a third time period, clocking the third set of gate phases holding the charge into the accumulated state and clocking a fourth set of gates not holding the charge into the depletion state; wherein the second time period is shorter than the first and third time periods.

Abstract: A CMOS image sensor or other type of image sensor comprises a pixel array and sampling and readout circuitry associated with the pixel array. In conjunction with readout of one or more pixels in a selected group of pixels of the pixel array, a pixel power line signal of the array transitions from an inactive state to an active state, and a reset signal of a non-selected group of pixels of the pixel array transitions from an active state to an inactive state within a predetermined time prior to the transition of the pixel power line signal from its inactive state to its active state. This arrangement advantageously reduces well bounce in the image sensor. The image sensor may be implemented in a digital camera or other type of digital imaging device.

Abstract: An interline transfer type image sensing device that can be operated at high speed and with low image smear is described. The device incorporates a refractory metal layer which is used for both a light shield over the vertical charge transfer region and as a wiring layer for low resistance strapping of poly crystalline silicon (polysilicon) gate electrodes for the vertical charge transfer region. Plugs provided by a separate metallization layer connect the refractory light shield to the polysilicon gate electrode. These plugs allow high temperature processing after refractory light shield patterning for improved sensor performance without degradation of the polysilicon gate electrode or the refractory lightshield layer.

Abstract: An image sensor includes an array of pixels arranged into two or more subarrays and each subarray captures charge; and an output charge-coupled device that receives charge from the array of pixels; wherein the output charge-coupled device is divided into substantially two equal first and second portions in which either one portion receives charge from only one subarray or both portions receive charge respectively from a subarray, and the first portion of the charge-coupled device is a charge-multiplying charge-coupled device in which charge is amplified, and the second portion of the charge-coupled device does not amplify charge.

Abstract: A secure video system for a graphics display adaptor includes a module for decrypting a content signal from a media player or other secure content source. The adaptor may be provided as a component of a computer graphics system, or in a stand-alone special-purpose device. The adaptor may include other features for preventing unauthorized use of protected content, for example authenticating the source of a content signal before providing an output audio or video signal, encrypting the output video signal, responding to commands to renew or revoke cryptographic keysets, and embedding forensic tracking information in an audio or video signal.

Abstract: An image sensor includes an array of pixels arranged into two or more subarrays and each subarray captures charge; and an output charge-coupled device that receives charge from the array of pixels; wherein the output charge-coupled device is divided into substantially two equal first and second portions in which either one portion receives charge from only one subarray or both portions receive charge respectively from a subarray, and the first portion of the charge-coupled device is a charge-multiplying charge-coupled device in which charge is amplified, and the second portion of the charge-coupled device does not amplify charge.

Abstract: A method for capturing a sequence of images, the method includes the steps of capturing a first image on an image sensor having a plurality of photosensitive areas having a first portion of photosensitive areas and a second portion of photosensitive areas; transferring the first portion of the first captured image to a first plurality of storage mechanisms; capturing a second image on the image sensor; transferring the second portion of the second captured image to a second plurality of the storage mechanisms; capturing a third image on the image sensor; reading out the first portion of the first captured image from the first plurality of storage mechanisms and reading out the second portion of the second captured image from the second plurality of storage mechanisms; and reading out the third image.

Abstract: An image sensor includes a plurality of pixels for converting incident photons into electrical charge; an overflow drain to draw off excess charge from at one or more of the pixels; a mechanism for summing charge from two or more of the pixels; a first network of resistive devices generating a first overflow drain voltage where at least one of the resistive devices has, in parallel, a fuse that can be opened in response to an external stimulus to provide the optimum overflow drain voltage for pixel anti-blooming protection and saturation signal level for when a plurality of pixels are summed together; and a second network of resistive devices connected to the first network of resistive devices generating a second overflow drain voltage where the second overflow drain voltage is a fraction of the first overflow drain voltage and the second overflow drain voltage provides the optimum overflow drain voltage for pixel anti-blooming and saturation signal level for when none or substantially none of the plurality o

Abstract: An image sensor for capturing a color image, comprising a two-dimensional array of pixels having a plurality of minimal repeating units wherein each repeating unit is composed of eight pixels having four panchromatic pixels, two pixels having the same color response, and two pixels having different color responses that are different than the pixels having the same color response, with the minimal repeating units tiled to cause each row or each column of the image sensor to have color pixels of a single color or to cause each row and each column to have color pixels of only two colors.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling distribution of content within a personal domain that makes use of a determination of the relative proximity to a source device or the geographic locations of the receiving devices. The location information may be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) or wireless triangulation systems. Usage rights for devices in the network are determined using the location or proximity determination.

Abstract: A multimode fiber optical fiber transmission system includes an improved configuration for launching a single mode long wavelength transmission signal into existing multimode optical fiber networks. More specifically, the invention utilizes new single mode long wavelength VCSEL devices to realize a novel transmitter/transceiver for multimode fiber links where offset launch with controlled mode conditioning is achieved without the use of a mode conditioning patchcord, and in some embodiments, without the use of any collecting or focusing elements.

Abstract: An image sensor having a plurality of pixels; each pixel includes one or more photosensitive elements that collect charge in response to incident light; one or more transfer mechanisms that respectively transfer the charge from the one or more photosensitive elements; a charge-to-voltage conversion region having a capacitance, and the charge-to-voltage region receives the charge from the one or more photosensitive elements; a first reset transistor connected to the charge-to-voltage conversion region; a second reset transistor connected to the first reset transistor, which in combination with the first reset transistor, selectively sets the capacitance of the charge-to-voltage conversion regions from a plurality of capacitances.

Abstract: A photo sensing region is included within each pixel in a pixel array. Each photo sensing region collects photo-generated charge. A transfer region is positioned between each photo sensing region and a respective charge coupled device. A charge-coupled device receives charge from each column of pixels in the pixel array. Each charge-coupled device includes one or more barriers for causing the transfer of the charge through the charge-coupled device. Each transfer region includes a barrier that is lower than the one or more barriers in the charge-coupled device so that excess charge in the charge-coupled device flows into the photo sensing region.