Abstract: A system and method that compensates for the effects of ambient light in a time of flight (TOF) sensor front end is provided. Moreover, a direct current (DC) correction loop is utilized at the front end, which removes a DC component from a current generated by the TOF sensor and accordingly prevents saturating the front end. The DC correction loop attenuates the DC component without adding significant thermal noise at a modulation frequency and provides a corrected signal to the front end circuitry. The corrected signal is processed and utilized to detect a position of an object within the optical field of the sensor.

Abstract: A system and method that compensates for the effects of ambient light in a time of flight (TOF) sensor front end is provided. Moreover, a direct current (DC) correction loop is utilized at the front end, which removes a DC component from a current generated by the TOF sensor and accordingly prevents saturating the front end. The DC correction loop attenuates the DC component without adding significant thermal noise at a modulation frequency and provides a corrected signal to the front end circuitry. The corrected signal is processed and utilized to detect a position of an object within the optical field of the sensor.

Abstract: The blue signal of a CMOS-based color pixel is increased with respect to the red and green signals by lowering the doping concentration of the surface regions of the pn-junction photodiodes that are used in the blue imaging cells with respect to the surface regions of the pn-junction photodiodes that are used in the red and green imaging cells.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor cell array in which a differential amplifier (whose output is fed back to one of its inputs) amplifies the output of each cell. By using such differential amplifiers, fixed pattern noise in the image data generated by reading the array is reduced. Part of the differential amplifier for each cell is within the cell itself and a current source and tail current sink for the differential amplifier are implemented outside the cell and shared by all cells connected along a column of the array. Preferably, the output amplifier circuitry within each cell includes no PMOS transistor (although it typically includes NMOS transistors). Another aspect of the invention is an active pixel sensor cell including part of a differential amplifier (having an output fed back to one of its inputs, and configured to assert an amplified signal indicative of a sampled output voltage of the cell's photodiode), and circuitry (physically separate from the cell) implementing a remaining portion (e.g.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor cell array in which a two-stage amplifier amplifies the output of each cell. The two-stage amplifier design reduces fixed pattern noise in the image data generated by reading the array, by providing increased gain for the output of each cell without impractically increasing the size and complexity of each cell. For each column of cells of the array, one part of the two-stage amplifier for each cell is shared by all cells of the column, and another part of the two-stage amplifier for each cell is included within the cell itself. Preferably, each cell includes only NMOS transistors (no cell includes a PMOS transistor). In preferred embodiments, a differential amplifier within each cell is the primary stage of the cell's output amplifier, PMOS load circuitry including a secondary output amplifier stage is shared by all cells of the column, and the two amplifier stages for each cell together comprise an op amp.

Abstract: An active pixel sensor cell array in which a two-stage amplifier amplifies the output of each cell. The two-stage amplifier design reduces fixed pattern noise in the image data generated by reading the array, by providing increased gain for the output of each cell without impractically increasing the size and complexity of each cell. For each column of cells of the array, one part of the two-stage amplifier for each cell is shared by all cells of the column, and another part of the two-stage amplifier for each cell is included within the cell itself. Preferably, each cell includes only NMOS transistors (no cell includes a PMOS transistor). In preferred embodiments, a differential amplifier within each cell is the primary stage of the cell's output amplifier, PMOS load circuitry including a secondary output amplifier stage is shared by all cells of the column, and the two amplifier stages for each cell together comprise an op amp.