Image sensing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10291868-B2
Application number	US-201815947365-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 6, 2018
Priority date	Jan 29, 2016
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

An image sensing device includes pixel groups, each pixel group including two or more neighboring pixels and grouped into a same pattern; and a timing generator controlling the pixel groups based on one or more row units, wherein readout orders of first and second pixel groups arranged in different rows among the pixel groups are controlled differently, wherein the first pixel group reads out two or more pixel signals based on two or more first transmission control signals, wherein the second pixel group reads out two or more pixel signals based on two or more second transmission control signals, wherein the timing generator generates the first transmission control signals in a first order during one or more first row readout times, wherein the timing generator generates the second transmission control signals in a second order, which is different from the first order, during one or more second row readout times.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensing device, comprising:
a first pixel group including two or more first pixels arranged in a first row and two or more second pixels arranged in a second row;
a second pixel group including two or more third pixels arranged in a third row and two or more fourth pixels arranged in a fourth row and grouped in a same pattern as the first pixel group; and
a timing generator suitable for controlling the first and second pixel groups on a basis of two row units, wherein readout orders of the first and second pixel groups are controlled differently,
wherein the first pixel group reads out four or more pixel signals based on first transmission control signals corresponding to the first pixels and second transmission control signals corresponding to the second pixels,
wherein the second pixel group reads out four or more pixel signals based on third transmission control signals corresponding to the third pixels and fourth transmission control signals corresponding to the fourth pixels,
wherein the timing generator generates the first transmission control signals in a first order during a first row readout time and generates the second transmission control signals in a second order, which is equal to or different from the first order, during a second row readout time,
wherein the timing generator generates the third transmission control signals in a third order, which is different from the first order, during a third row readout time and generates the fourth transmission control signals in the second order during a fourth row readout time.

2. The image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and third rows are odd-numbered rows, and the second and fourth rows are even-numbered rows.

3. The image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the first and third rows are even-numbered rows, and the second and fourth rows are odd-numbered rows.

4. The image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the pixels included in each of the pixel groups are partially shared.

5. The image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein each of the pixel groups includes:
two or more photo diodes;
two or more transmitters selectively transmitting a photocharge generated in the photo diodes to a floating diffusion node;
an initializer initializing the floating diffusion node;
a driver driving a pixel signal with a driving voltage based on a voltage loaded on the floating diffusion node; and
a selector transmitting the pixel signal to a column line.

6. The image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the timing generator includes a pseudo random bit sequence (PRBS) circuit.

7. The image sensing device of claim 1 , wherein the timing generator controls initialization orders of the first and second pixel groups differently.

8. The image sensing device of claim 7 , wherein the timing generator controls the readout order of the first pixel group in the same manner as the initialization order of the first pixel group, and controls the readout order of the second pixel group in manner the same as the initialization order of the second pixel group.

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Shin Min-Seok

Classifications

• H04N25/745

  Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals · CPC title

• H04N25/677 Primary

  for reducing the column or line fixed pattern noise · CPC title

• H04N25/778

  comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself · CPC title

• H04N25/76

  Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors · CPC title

• H01L27/14612

  Electricity · mapped topic