Gray code-to-binary code converter and devices including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12088948-B2
Application number	US-202218064585-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2022
Priority date	Feb 11, 2022
Publication date	Sep 10, 2024
Grant date	Sep 10, 2024

Abstract

A gray code-to-binary code converter includes multiple parallel-in parallel-out (PIPO) latches, each of the multiple PIPO latches configured to output a parallel output gray code by latching a parallel input gray code in response to a sampling signal, and a parallel-in serial-out (PISO) circuit including a first group of switches, the PISO circuit configured to convert the parallel output gray code, which is latched in the multiple PIPO latches, into a binary code, and sequentially output bits of the binary code in units of bit, from a least significant bit (LSB) of the binary code to a most significant bit (MSB) of the binary code, while changing an arrangement of the first group of switches.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A gray code-to-binary code converter comprising:
multiple parallel-in parallel-out (PIPO) latches, each of the multiple PIPO latches configured to output a parallel output gray code by latching a parallel input gray code in response to a sampling signal; and
a parallel-in serial-out (PISO) circuit including a first group of switches, the PISO circuit configured to
convert the parallel output gray code, which is latched in the multiple PIPO latches, into a binary code, and
sequentially output bits of the binary code in units of bit, from a least significant bit (LSB) of the binary code to a most significant bit (MSB) of the binary code, while changing an arrangement of the first group of switches.

2. The gray code-to-binary code converter of claim 1 , wherein the PISO circuit further includes:
a plurality of XOR gates connected in series, each of the plurality of XOR gates including a first input terminal and an output terminal,
wherein, in the plurality of XOR gates, the output terminal of a current stage is connected to the first input terminal of a next stage, and
wherein the first group of switches connect second input terminals of the plurality of XOR gates to output terminals of the multiple PIPO latches or a ground, in response to switch signals of the first group.

3. The gray code-to-binary code converter of claim 2 , wherein
the sampling signal is a signal generated based on a comparison result of a comparison of a pixel signal output from a pixel and a ramp signal output from a ramp signal generator,
a first input terminal of a MSB XOR gate of the plurality of XOR gates is configured to receive a control signal,
during a reset sampling section for a reset signal included in the pixel signal output from the pixel, the control signal is maintained at a high level, and
during a signal sampling section for a light-sensing signal included in the pixel signal output from the pixel, the control signal is maintained at a low level.

4. The gray code-to-binary code converter of claim 3 , wherein
a next stage of an LSB XOR gate of the plurality of XOR gates is a full adder, and
an output terminal of the LSB XOR gate, which is configured to output the bits of the binary code from the LSB of the binary code to the MSB of the binary code, is connected to a first input terminal of the full adder.

5. A correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit comprising:
a full adder including a first input terminal; and
a gray code-to-binary code converter configured to
convert a parallel input gray code into a binary code, and
sequentially output bits of the binary code to the first input terminal of the full adder, from a least significant bit (LSB) of the binary code to a most significant bit (MSB) of the binary code in units of bit, while changing an arrangement of a first group of switches included in the gray code-to-binary code converter.

6. The CDS circuit of claim 5 , wherein the gray code-to-binary code converter includes:
multiple parallel-in parallel-out (PIPO) latches, each of the multiple PIPO latches configured to output a parallel output gray code by latching the parallel input gray code in response to a sampling signal; and
a PISO circuit configured to
convert the parallel output gray code latched in the multiple PIPO latches into the binary code; and
sequentially output the bits of the binary code from the LSB to the MSB to the first input terminal of the full adder, while changing the arrangement of the first group of switches.

7. The CDS circuit of claim 6 , wherein the PISO circuit further includes:
a plurality of XOR gates connected in series, each of the plurality of XOR gates including a first input terminal and an output terminal, wherein, in the plurality of XOR gates, the output terminal of a current stage is connected to the first input terminal of a next stage, and
wherein the first group of switches connect second input terminals of the plurality of XOR gates to output terminals of the multiple PIPO latches or a ground, in response to switch signals of the first group.

8. The CDS circuit of claim 7 , wherein
the sampling signal is a signal generated based on a comparison result of a comparison of a pixel signal output from a pixel and a ramp signal output from a ramp signal generator,
a first input terminal of a MSB XOR gate of the plurality of XOR gates is configured to receive a control signal,
during a reset sampling section for a reset signal included in the pixel signal output from the pixel, the control signal is maintained at a high level, and
during a signal sampling section for a light-sensing signal included in the pixel signal output from the pixel, the control signal is maintained at a low level.

9. The CDS circuit of claim 6 , wherein the full adder includes the first input terminal, a second input terminal for receiving an output signal of a reset memory circuit, a carry-in terminal, a carry-out terminal, and a sum terminal,
the CDS circuit further comprising:
a first flip-flop configured to output an output signal of the sum terminal to the reset memory circuit; and
a second flip-flop configured to transmit an output signal of the carry-out terminal to the carry-in terminal.

10. The CDS circuit of claim 9 , wherein the reset memory circuit includes:
a plurality of latches, each of the plurality of latches configured to latch the output signal of the first flip-flop;
a plurality of OR gates connected in series, each of the plurality of OR gates including a first input terminal and an output terminal, wherein, in the plurality of OR gates, the output terminal of a current stage is connected to the first input terminal of a next stage; and
a second group of switches configured to connect second input terminals of the plurality of OR gates to output terminals of the plurality of latches or a ground, in response to switch signals of the second group,
wherein a second input terminal of an MSB OR gate of the plurality of OR gates is connected to the first input terminal of the MSB OR gate, and
wherein an output terminal of an LSB OR gate of the plurality of OR gates s is connected to the second input terminal of the full adder.

11. The CDS circuit of claim 10 , further comprising:
multiple serial-in serial-out latches, each of the multiple serial-in serial-out latches connected to an output terminal of the first flip-flop.

12. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including multiple pixels, each of the multiple pixels configured to generate a pixel signal by performing photoelectric conversion; and
an analog-to-digital converter configured to receive the pixel signal output from at least one pixel of the multiple pixels,
wherein the analog-to-digital converter includes
a ramp signal generator configured to generate a ramp signal,
a sampling circuit configured to generate a sampling signal by sampling the pixel signal output from the at least one pixel, using the ramp signal, and
a gray code-to-binary code converter configured to
receive a parallel input gray code generated by a gray code generator and convert the parallel input gray code into a binary code, and
sequentially output bits of the binary code, from a least significant bit (LSB) of the binary code to a most significant bit (MSB) of the binary code in units of bit, while changing an arrangement of a first group of switches included in the gray code-to-binary code converter.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein the gray code-to-binary code converter includes:
multiple parallel-in parallel-out (PIPO) latches, each of the multiple PIPO latches configured to output a parallel output gr

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Hyeokjong

Classifications

• H03M7/16 Primary

  Conversion to or from unit-distance codes, e.g. Gray code, reflected binary code · CPC title

• H04N25/616

  involving a correlated sampling function, e.g. correlated double sampling [CDS] or triple sampling · CPC title

• H04N25/78 Primary

  Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters · CPC title

• H03M7/28

  Programmable structures, i.e. where the code converter contains apparatus which is operator-changeable to modify the conversion process · CPC title