Patents by Inventor Nick Tu

Nick Tu has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8130289
    Abstract: Detection cells configured to output signals for dark current error correction. Various embodiments of detection cells accumulate dark charge supplied by dark current sources, and output dark charge signals indicating the amount of accumulated dark charge. The dark charge signals may be used to approximate the amount of dark charge read out by pixel cells of an imaging array and/or to offset portions of pixel cell signals attributable to dark charge accumulation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Aptima Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Nick Tu, Nikolai E. Bock
  • Publication number: 20100073524
    Abstract: Detection cells configured to output signals for dark current error correction. Various embodiments of detection cells accumulate dark charge supplied by dark current sources, and output dark charge signals indicating the amount of accumulated dark charge. The dark charge signals may be used to approximate the amount of dark charge read out by pixel cells of an imaging array and/or to offset portions of pixel cell signals attributable to dark charge accumulation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Inventors: Nick Tu, Nikolai E. Bock
  • Patent number: 7471324
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved shared amplifier circuitry and method of operation which minimizes offset and column to column fixed pattern noise during a read out operation. The circuit improves the consistency of the pixel to pixel output of the pixel array and increases the dynamic range of the pixel output and saves chip area. This is accomplished by simultaneously sampling and storing charge accumulated signals from a first and a second desired pixel from a respective first and second column. The circuit amplifies the first charge signal and then samples and amplifies the reset signal of the first desired pixel and subsequently outputs the amplified first charge signal and the reset signal. Then the circuit amplifies the second charge signal and the reset signal of the first desired pixel and subsequently outputs the amplified second charge signal and the reset signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 30, 2008
    Assignee: Aptina Imaging Corporation
    Inventors: Nick Tu, Alexander Krymski
  • Patent number: 7469158
    Abstract: An optical measuring device having multiple optical paths between one or more light emitters and one or more light detectors and/or providing at least two sets of wavelength of light along at least one path, with a final measurement being produced as a combination of measurements of the sets of wavelengths of light taken along one or more of the optical paths.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2008
    Assignee: RIC Investments, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher A. Cutler, William D. Wallace, Steven R. Smith, Daniel J. McGraw, Nick Tu, Clifford G. Montagnoli, Trent W. Banks
  • Publication number: 20050283059
    Abstract: An optical measuring device having multiple optical paths between one or more light emitters and one or more light detectors and/or providing at least two sets of wavelength of light along at least one path, with a final measurement being produced as a combination of measurements of the sets of wavelengths of light taken along one or more of the optical paths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 1, 2004
    Publication date: December 22, 2005
    Inventors: Vijay Iyer, Robert Johnson, Johannes Buschmann, Reinhold Falkowski, Christopher Cutler, William Wallace, Steven Smith, Daniel McGraw, Nick Tu, Clifford Montagnoli, Trent Banks
  • Publication number: 20040041931
    Abstract: The present invention provides an improved shared amplifier circuitry and method of operation which minimizes offset and column to column fixed pattern noise during a read out operation. The circuit improves the consistency of the pixel to pixel output of the pixel array and increases the dynamic range of the pixel output and saves chip area. This is accomplished by simultaneously sampling and storing charge accumulated signals from a first and a second desired pixel from a respective first and second column. The circuit amplifies the first charge signal and then samples and amplifies the reset signal of the first desired pixel and subsequently outputs the amplified first charge signal and the reset signal. Then the circuit amplifies the second charge signal and the reset signal of the first desired pixel and subsequently outputs the amplified first charge signal and the reset signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 4, 2004
    Inventors: Nick Tu, Alexander Krymski