Television – Camera – system and detail – Solid-state image sensor
Reexamination Certificate
2004-07-07
2008-10-28
Ometz, David (Department: 2622)
Television
Camera, system and detail
Solid-state image sensor
C348S300000, C348S301000, C348S229100, C348S302000, C348S308000, C330S278000, C330S279000
Reexamination Certificate
active
07443435
ABSTRACT:
A column amplifier architecture having automatic gain selection for CMOS image sensors, which reduces the effect of analog noise, while maintaining a system's dynamic range. A comparator compares an amplified column buffer output signal to a reference voltage. The output of the comparator controls the gain of the amplifier based on the result of the comparison. Initially, a high column buffer gain is selected. For small signals, the output of the column buffer stays below the reference voltage and the output signal stays within the system's dynamic range. For larger signals, the column buffer output will exceed the reference voltage (and also the system's dynamic range) and therefore the comparator output switches states, which selects the low-gain setting. Multiple gain levels may be implemented, if desired.
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Shoji Kawahito, et al., A Column-Based Pixel-Gain-Adaptive CMOS Image Sensor For Low-Light-Level Imaging; ISSCC 2003/Session 12/CMOS Imagers, Sensors And Displays/Paper 12.7; (10 pages).
AltaSens Inc.
Ometz David
Prabhakher Pritham
Reed Smith LLP
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