Invention Grant
- Patent Title: Imaging systems with analog-to-digital converters
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Application No.: US15670474Application Date: 2017-08-07
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Publication No.: US10298871B2Publication Date: 2019-05-21
- Inventor: Tomas Geurts
- Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
- Applicant Address: US AZ Phoenix
- Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
- Current Assignee: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
- Current Assignee Address: US AZ Phoenix
- Agency: Treyz Law Group, P.C.
- Agent Joseph F. Guihan
- Main IPC: H04N5/378
- IPC: H04N5/378 ; H03M1/12

Abstract:
An image sensor may contain an array of imaging pixels arranged in rows and columns. Each column of imaging pixels may be coupled to a column line which is used to read out imaging signals from the pixels. The column line may be coupled to an analog-to-digital converter for converting analog imaging signals from the pixels to digital signals. An amplifier may be included to amplify the analog imaging signals before being converted by the analog-to-digital converter. However, amplifier gain uncertainties may lead to errors in the result of the analog-to-digital conversion when the analog imaging signals are amplified by an amplifier. To mitigate these types of errors, the reference voltage for a digital-to-analog converter in the analog-to-digital converter may also be amplified by the amplifier. By multiplying the reference voltage by the same amplifier gain as the imaging signals, uncertainties in the amplifier gain will not affect the results of the analog-to-digital conversion.
Public/Granted literature
- US20190045150A1 IMAGING SYSTEMS WITH ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTERS Public/Granted day:2019-02-07
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