Image sensor with selective pixel readout, operating method thereof, and electronic device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12058461-B2
Application number	US-202217850073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 27, 2022
Priority date	Nov 1, 2021
Publication date	Aug 6, 2024
Grant date	Aug 6, 2024

Abstract

Disclosed are an image sensor, an operating method thereof, and an electronic device including the image sensor. The image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, a first selection/read-out circuit, a second selection/read-out circuit, and a controller provided to select a pixel of the pixel array and control the first and second selection/read-out circuits to read out information of the selected pixel. The first selection/read-out circuit provides a signal for selecting a pixel of the pixel array in a first direction, reads out a plurality of pixel signals received from the pixel array in a direction corresponding to the first direction, and the second selection/read-out circuit provides a signal for selecting a pixel of the pixel array in a second direction, and reads out a plurality of pixel signals received from the pixel array in a direction corresponding to the second direction.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including a plurality of pixels;
a first selection/read-out circuit configured to provide a first signal for selecting a pixel of the pixel array in a first direction and read out a plurality of pixel signals received from the pixel array in the first direction;
a second selection/read-out circuit configured to provide a second signal for selecting pixels of the pixel array in a second direction and read out a plurality of pixel signals received from the pixel array in the second direction; and
a controller configured to select the pixel of the pixel array and control the first and second selection/read-out circuits to read out information of the selected pixel,
wherein the first direction corresponds to one of a row direction or a column direction of the pixel array and the second direction corresponds to other of the row direction or the column direction of the pixel array.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of first selection lines, each configured to provide a selection signal to a respective pixel of the pixel array in the first direction, and a plurality of first transmission lines, each to read out information of a respective pixel in the first direction; and
a plurality of second selection lines, each configured to provide a selection signal to a respective pixel of the pixel array in the second direction, and a plurality of second transmission lines each configured to read out information of a respective pixel in the second direction.

3. The image sensor of claim 2 , wherein the selected pixel is electrically connected to at least one selection line, to which a signal is applied, from among the plurality of first selection lines and at least one selection line, to which a signal is applied, from among the plurality of second selection lines, and one of the first selection/read-out circuit or the second selection/read-out circuit is configured to read-out a pixel signal of the selected pixel.

4. The image sensor of claim 2 ,
wherein the first selection/read-out circuit comprises: a first analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit configured to convert a pixel signal received through a first transmission line, among the plurality of first transmission lines, into digital data, and
wherein the second selection/read-out circuit comprises:
a second analog-to-digital converter (ADC) circuit configured to convert a pixel signal received through a second transmission line, among the plurality of second transmission lines, into digital data.

5. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first selection/read-out circuit and the second selection/read-out circuit to extract pixel information radially from a center of a region of interest of the pixel array.

6. The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first selection/read-out circuit and the second selection/read-out circuit so that a sequence in which the pixels are extracted is in a spiral form.

7. The image sensor of claim 5 , wherein the region of interest corresponds to a range of pixels including or not including a central region of the pixel array.

8. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first selection/read-out circuit and the second selection/read-out circuit to vary a resolution of the pixel array.

9. The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first selection/read-out circuit and the second selection/read-out circuit to extract pixel information from non-contiguous regions of the pixel array.

10. The image sensor of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to select the pixel to extract pixel information at a resolution lower than a basic resolution of the pixel array, and read out a pixel signal from the selected pixel.

11. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to control the first selection/read-out circuit and the second selection/read-out circuit to extract pixel information from non-contiguous regions of the pixel array.

12. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first signal is transmitted to the pixel array in the first direction and the second signal is transmitted to the pixel array in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.

13. A method of acquiring an image by using an image sensor, the method comprising:
applying a first signal for selecting a pixel of a pixel array in a first direction through at least one among a plurality of first selection lines; and
applying a second signal for selecting a pixel of the pixel array in a second direction through at least one among a plurality of second selection lines,
selecting at least one pixel of the pixel array electrically connected to at least one first selection line applying the first signal and at least one second selection line applying the second signal,
reading out information of the selected at least one pixel,
wherein the first direction corresponds to one of a row direction or a column direction of the pixel array and the second direction corresponds to other of the row direction or the column direction of the pixel array.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the reading out includes reading out information of the selected pixel through at least one of a plurality of first transmission lines that are in the first direction and a plurality of second transmission lines that are in the second direction.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising converting a pixel signal received through a first transmission line, among the plurality of first transmission lines, into digital data; and converting a pixel signal received through a second transmission line, among the plurality of second transmission lines, into digital data.

16. The method of claim 13 , further comprising setting a region of interest of the pixel array, wherein selection signals are applied through the first and second selection lines to radially extract pixel information from a center of the region of interest of the pixel array.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising applying the selection signals through the first and second selection lines so that a sequence in which the pixels are extracted is in a spiral form.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the region of interest corresponds to a range of pixels including or not including a central region of the pixel array.

19. The method of claim 16 , further comprising applying the selection signals through the first and second selection lines to extract pixel information from a non-contiguous region of the pixel array at a resolution lower than a basic resolution of the pixel array.

20. An electronic device comprising:
an image sensor configured to receive light reflected from an object, the image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including a plurality of pixels;
a first selection/read-out circuit configured to provide a signal for selecting a pixel of the pixel array in a first direction and read out a plurality of pixel signals received from the pixel array in the first direction;
a second selection/read-out circuit configured to provide a signal for selecting pixels of the pixel array in a second direction and read out a plurality of pixel signals received from the pixel array in the second direction; and
a controller provided to select the pixel of the pixel array and control the first selection/read-

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Jungwoo
• Jung Myunghwa

Classifications

• H04N25/50

  Control of the SSIS exposure · CPC title

• H04N25/75 Primary

  Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array · CPC title

• H04N25/40 Primary

  Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled · CPC title

• H10F39/811

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10F39/802

  Geometry or disposition of elements in pixels, e.g. address-lines or gate electrodes · CPC title