Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
  • H04N25/40—Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled
  • H04N25/44—Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled by partially reading an SSIS array
  • H04N25/445—Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled by partially reading an SSIS array by skipping some contiguous pixels within the read portion of the array
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
  • H04N25/10—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof for transforming different wavelengths into image signals
  • H04N25/11—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
  • H04N25/13—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
  • H04N25/10—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof for transforming different wavelengths into image signals
  • H04N25/11—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
  • H04N25/10—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof for transforming different wavelengths into image signals
  • H04N25/11—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics
  • H04N25/13—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements
  • H04N25/135—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements based on four or more different wavelength filter elements
  • H04N25/136—Arrangement of colour filter arrays [CFA]; Filter mosaics characterised by the spectral characteristics of the filter elements based on four or more different wavelength filter elements using complementary colours

Definitions

• Solid-state imaging device Solid-state imaging device.
• the invention relates to a solid-state imaging device comprising a mat ⁇ x, referred to as imaging mat ⁇ x, of charge-storage sites arranged in rows and columns in which, du ⁇ ng an integration pe ⁇ od, a field of charge packets generated in dependence upon the local intensity of light captured, via a color filter, at a photosensitive surface can be stored, and read-out means by means of which a field of charge packets can be read row by row, the color filter used being such that, within a common column, charge packets m two successive rows correspond to two different colors
• the imaging device may be of the type commonly referred to m the literature as "CMOS Imager"
• CMOS Imager The imaging device of this type includes a system of intersections in which the cells or pixels are formed by a photodiode, said cells or pixels being coupled via a MOS switch to bit lines, the word lines used to select the rows being connected to the gates of the MOS switches.
• Most of the imaging devices are of the charge-coupled-device type.
• Such a charge-coupled imaging device as well as a method of operating this device are desc ⁇ bed in patent application WO 98/17051, in the name of the current applicant, which application is laid open to public inspection on 23 Ap ⁇ l 1998, bea ⁇ ng publication number WO 98/17051.
• a desc ⁇ ption is given of a charge-coupled imaging device compnsmg a first mat ⁇ x, refe ⁇ ed to as imaging mat ⁇ x, of charge-storage sites arranged in rows and columns, and, coupled thereto, a second mat ⁇ x of charge-storage sites arranged in rows and columns, which is a memory mat ⁇ x in which charge packets of a first field are tempora ⁇ ly stored, while a second field of charge packets is generated in the imaging mat ⁇ x, the number of columns in the memory mat ⁇ x corresponding to the number of columns in the imaging mat ⁇ x, and the number of rows in the memory mat ⁇ x being smaller than the number of rows in the imaging mat ⁇ x, so that upon transport of a field of charge packets from the imaging mat ⁇ x to the memory mat ⁇ x, only a limited number of rows of the entire field is stored in the memory mat ⁇ x, and the remaining lines are dumped via a dra region.
• the invention is not limited thereto and can also suitably be used in the above-desc ⁇ bed CMOS imager.
• the invention is of importance, in particular, to imaging devices having a large number, for example several millions, of picture elements (hereinafter referred to as pixels), which are used, for example, for digital photography
• pixels picture elements
• a memory mat ⁇ x in addition to the imaging mat ⁇ x.
• the above-mentioned application also desc ⁇ bes the possibility of sub-sampling if the surface of the imaging device is provided with a color filter, whereby two successive rows in the imaging section contain different color information
• a desc ⁇ ption is given of an imaging device including a filter of the following composition row 1: R G R G R G row 2: G B G B G B row 3- R G R G R G row 4- G B G B G B etc.
• a solid-state imaging device of the type desc ⁇ bed in the opening paragraph is characte ⁇ zed in accordance with the invention in that means are available by means of which, for the purpose of reading out, a part of the rows are selected, while the other rows remain unread, and, if a first row is read, at least two succeeding rows are not read and the next row to be read contains color information which differs from that of the above-mentioned first row that has been read, and, in two successive fields, rows of the second field which are to be read, co ⁇ espond to positions in the imaging mat ⁇ x which are situated between positions of successive rows of the first field, which have been read
• the invention is, inter alia, based on the recognition that the above-desc ⁇ bed distortion upon displaying the picture is connected with the interlacing mode for scanning the display screen, in which in a first field the odd lines are w ⁇ tten, and in a second field, the even lines are w ⁇ tten, or conversely Due to interlacing, two successive rows of the imaging mat ⁇ x are not displayed as two successive rows or lines but as two lines which are separated by at least a third line which co ⁇ esponds to a row in the imaging mat ⁇ x which is not situated between said two rows and hence is not displayed at the proper location on the display screen
• Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a charge-coupled device in accordance with the invention
• Fig. 2 shows a part of the color filter used in the device shown in Fig 1.
• Fig. 1 diagrammatically shows a charge-coupled imaging device as desc ⁇ bed in the above-mentioned patent application PCT/TB 97/01201, the contents of which is considered to be incorporated in the current application by way of reference.
• the device comp ⁇ ses an imaging mat ⁇ x 1 of charge-storage sites arranged in rows 2 and columns 3
• the drawing shows a few rows (in continuous lines) and a few columns (in broken lines)
• the device may be of the field-transfer type m which the imaging elements are formed by charge-storage sites of the charge-transport ducts themselves, as desc ⁇ bed in the above-mentioned application.
• the device may alternatively be of the interline type, in which the mat ⁇ x 1 includes, as is known, columns of separate photosensitive diodes alternated with vertical charge-transport ducts screened against radiation
• the surface of the imaging mat ⁇ x is provided with a color filter 4, not shown m Fig. 1, a part of which is shown in Fig. 2.
• the filter is embodied so as to be a mat ⁇ x which coincides with the imaging mat ⁇ x 1.
• the letters R, G and B represent the colors red, green and blue, respectively. As shown m Fig.
• the device includes a second mat ⁇ x 5, referred to as memory mat ⁇ x, which is adjacent to the imaging mat ⁇ x 1 and in which charge packets of a first field, generated in the imaging mat ⁇ x, are stored for further processing, such as display on a display screen m the viewfinder of a camera while a second field is being formed in the imaging mat ⁇ x.
• the mat ⁇ x 5 ends m a ho ⁇ zontal read-out register 9
• the block 10 represents voltage means by means of which the proper voltages are applied to the gates and, if necessary, regions in the semiconductor body.
• the memory is smaller than the imaging mat ⁇ x, which can be attributed to the fact that the number of rows in the memory mat ⁇ x is smaller than in the imaging mat ⁇ x.
• the number of columns in both mat ⁇ ces is the same. Since it is not possible to store all lines of a field formed in the imaging mat ⁇ x in the memory mat ⁇ x, du ⁇ ng the charge transport only a part of the information stored in the imaging mat ⁇ x is stored in the memory, while the rest is dumped via a drain.
• the way in which redundant lines are dumped is desc ⁇ bed in greater detail in the above-mentioned patent application PCT/TB 97/01201, in the name of the current applicant.
• the drain is formed by the substrate situated below the charge-transport ducts, to which substrate a sufficiently high voltage is applied. Excess charge is dumped at the transition between the imaging mat ⁇ x and the memory mat ⁇ x, for example by activating the gates of the imaging mat ⁇ x and, simultaneously, not activating in the gates of the memory mat ⁇ x. It is noted that the invention is not limited to this way of draining charge. Other methods, such as the one desc ⁇ bed in European patent application EP-A 0 720 388, can also be applied within the scope of the invention
• the imaging matrix includes 960 lines or rows.
• column (a) only the first 24 lines of said 960 lines are indicated.
• the symbols R and G in the first column (a) indicate whether in the relevant row the color red or the color green occurs in the filter.
• the next column in (a) gives the number of the relevant row or line in the imaging matrix.
• part (b) of Table I the most obvious way of sub-sampling is indicated for two successive fields.
• the capacity of the memory matrix is large enough to store 240 lines, which means one in four lines of the imaging matrix.
• the encircled (underlined) digits indicate the number of the lines that will be stored.
• each time two succeeding lines are stored in the memory matrix whereafter a number of subsequent lines are removed.
• the lines 3 and 4 of field 1 are stored and subsequently the lines 11 and 12.
• the intermediate lines 5-10 are drained.
• the lines of field 2 that are stored and read out are situated between the selected lines of field 1; in the example, the lines 7 and 8 and the pair 15, 16 are stored. It can be readily ascertained that, in the cu ⁇ ent system, out of every 16 lines, 4 lines are stored in the memory. Consequently, if an imaging matrix has 960 lines, then a memory of 240 lines is sufficient.
• the following lines to be stored of field 1 are the lines 11(R) and 16(B); the intermediate lines are all dumped.
• the lines 3, 6, 11 and 16 of the first field, which are to be stored, correspond to the lines 1, 3, 5, 7 etc., of the display screen.
• the lines 5, 8, 13, 18 etc. are stored in the memory while the intermediate lines are dumped.
• the lines to be stored of the second field correspond to the lines, respectively, 2, 4, 6, etc., of the display screen. As shown in Table I, these lines are situated, in the co ⁇ ect order in conformity with the lines on the display screen, between the lines of the first field, so that the above- described distortion is precluded.
• Table 1(d) gives a way of sub-sampling 288 lines, in conformity with the PAL standard, of the 960 lines in the imaging matrix.
• R and B lines 3, 6, 11, 14, 17, 20 etc. are stored, which correspond respectively to the lines 1, 3, 5, 7 etc., of the display screen.
• R and B lines are selected, which are situated between the lines of the first field, for example the lines 5, 8, 13, 16, 19, 22 etc., which correspond to the even lines 2, 4, 6, 8, etc., on the display screen.
• the selected lines of the second field are indicated on the display screen in the proper sequence relative to the indicated lines of the first field, while retaining the color information.
• Fig. 3 schematically shows a solid-state imaging device of the CMOS type without a memory matrix, which imaging device is known per se.
• Said imaging device includes rows indicated by Ml, M2, M3 etc., and columns indicated by Cl, C2, C3, etc.
• the imaging device further includes a mosaic color filter of, for example, the same composition as in the preceding example, the lines Ml, M3, M5, etc., co ⁇ esponding, for example, to the lines "R", that is the lines 1, 3, 5 in Table I, and the lines M2, M4, M6 etc., corresponding to the lines "B" in Table I.
• the elements in an imaging element include a diode D which is coupled to one of the main electrode areas of a MOS switch T.
• the anode of the diode D is connected to a reference voltage.
• the cathode of the diode D can be connected, via the switch T, to one of the (vertical) bit lines 6 upon reading and resetting the imaging element.
• the rows are addressed via word lines 7 which are connected to the gates of the transistors T of a row.
• the word lines 7 are connected to addressing means 8 by means of which a voltage is applied to a selected line 7, thereby causing the switches or transistors T of the relevant line 7 to be closed, and enabling the charge condition of the diodes D to be determined via the bit lines 6.
• the manner in which, in general, an imaging device of this type is operated is assumed to be known.
• the invention can also be used in combination with a color filter in which repetition occurs every three, or more, lines. It is also possible to use a charge-coupled imaging device of the "interline" type.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
• Color Television Image Signal Generators (AREA)

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• 1999
  • 1999-05-14 EP EP99917036A patent/EP1000505A2/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-05-14 JP JP2000551533A patent/JP2002517136A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 1999-05-14 WO PCT/IB1999/000884 patent/WO1999062245A2/en not_active Ceased
  • 1999-05-14 KR KR1020007000727A patent/KR20010022156A/ko not_active Ceased

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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