Image sensing device and imaging device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12323723-B2
Application number	US-202418429783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 1, 2024
Priority date	Jun 22, 2023
Publication date	Jun 3, 2025
Grant date	Jun 3, 2025

Abstract

An image sensing device includes a pixel configured to generate a pixel signal having a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pulse by detecting incident light, a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to generate time-to-digital converter (TDC) data representing a time of flight (TOF) for the SPAD pulse, and a TDC memory configured to store the TDC data in a unit memory that is determined from among a plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensing device comprising:
a pixel configured to generate a pixel signal having a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pulse by detecting incident light;
a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to generate time-to-digital converter (TDC) data representing a time of flight (TOF) for the SPAD pulse; and
a TDC memory configured to store the TDC data in a unit memory that is determined from among a plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse,
wherein the TDC memory further includes a memory control block configured to activate the determined unit memory from among the plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse and deactivate remaining unit memories other than the determined unit memory according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse,
wherein the memory control block includes:
a memory inverter configured to receive the pixel signal and to generate an inverted pixel signal having a waveform that is opposite to that of the pixel signal;
a counter configured to increase a currently stored counter value at a rising edge of the inverted pixel signal;
a decoder configured to, in response to the counter value, generate decoder output data that includes any one decoder bit having a logic high level and remaining decoder bits each having a logic low level; and
a plurality of comparators, each of which compares the inverted pixel signal with each of the decoder bits to generate a memory enable signal.

2. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the time of flight (TOF) is a time delay between a reference pulse of emitted light irradiated to a target object and the SPAD pulse.

3. The image sensing device according to claim 2 , wherein:
the TDC generates the TDC data by performing a counting operation from a time point at which the reference pulse is generated to a time point at which the SPAD pulse is generated.

4. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
the decoder is a (P×2 P ) decoder that receives a counter value including P bits (where ‘P’ is an integer of 1 or more) and generates decoder output data including 2 P bits.

5. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of unit memories is activated in response to a rising edge of a corresponding memory enable signal received from a comparator corresponding to each of the plurality of unit memories and stores the TDC data.

6. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of unit memories is a D flip-flop that receives a corresponding memory enable signal from a comparator corresponding to each of the plurality of unit memories through a clock terminal thereof.

7. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , wherein the pixel includes:
a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) configured to generate a voltage pulse at a sensing node by detecting a single photon of the incident light in a Geiger mode;
a quenching circuit configured to perform a quenching operation for returning the SPAD to a Geiger mode; and
a pixel inverter configured to convert the voltage pulse into the SPAD pulse having a waveform that is opposite to that of the voltage pulse.

8. The image sensing device according to claim 7 ,
wherein one terminal of the SPAD receives a first bias voltage,
wherein one terminal of the quenching circuit receives a second bias voltage, and
wherein an absolute value of a value obtained by subtracting the second bias voltage from the first bias voltage is greater than an absolute value of a breakdown voltage of the SPAD.

9. The image sensing device according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) controller configured to generate a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) control voltage based on the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse,
wherein the pixel further includes a control transistor configured to supply a ground voltage to the sensing node according to the SPAD control voltage.

10. The image sensing device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a light source driver configured to drive a light source to output emitted light having a predetermined waveform;
a sensor driver configured to drive the pixel; and
a timing controller configured to control the sensor driver, the TDC, and the TDC memory.

11. An image sensing device comprising:
a memory block including a plurality of unit memories; and
a memory control block configured to control the memory block to store time-to-digital converter (TDC) data representing a time of flight (TOF) for a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pulse, the SPAD pulse being stored in a unit memory that is determined from among a plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse generated through detection of incident light,
wherein the memory control block configured to activate the determined unit memory from among the plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse and deactivate remaining unit memories other than the determined unit memory according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse,
wherein the memory control block includes:
a memory inverter configured to receive a pixel signal including the SPAD pulse and to generate an inverted pixel signal having a waveform that is opposite to that of the pixel signal;
a counter configured to increase a currently stored counter value at a rising edge of the inverted pixel signal;
a decoder configured to, in response to the counter value, generate decoder output data including any one decoder bit having a logic high level and remaining decoder bits each having a logic low level; and
a plurality of comparators, each of which compares the inverted pixel signal with each of the decoder bits to generate a memory enable signal.

12. The image sensing device according to claim 11 , wherein:
the decoder is a (P×2 P ) decoder that receives a counter value including P bits (where ‘P’ is an integer of 1 or more) and generates decoder output data including 2 P bits.

13. The image sensing device according to claim 11 , wherein:
each of the plurality of unit memories is activated in response to a rising edge of a corresponding memory enable signal received from a comparator corresponding to each of the plurality of unit memories, and stores the TDC data.

14. An imaging device comprising:
an image sensing device configured to store time-to-digital converter (TDC) data representing a time of flight (TOF) for a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) pulse, the SPAD pulse being stored in a unit memory that is determined from among a plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse generated through detection of incident light;
an image signal processor configured to calculate a distance between a pixel generating the SPAD pulse and a target object based on the TDC data; and
a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) controller configured to generate a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) control voltage based on the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse,
wherein the image sensing device further includes a memory control block configured to activate the determined unit memory from among the plurality of unit memories according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse and deactivate remaining unit memories other than the determined unit memory according to the number of occurrences of the SPAD pulse,
wherein the pixel includes:
a single photon avalanche diode (SPAD) configured to generate a voltage pulse a

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Park Da Hwan
• Kim Min Kyu
• Kim Hak Soon
• Shin Min Seok
• Lee Yong Seop
• Lee Eun Chang
• Lee Hoo Chan

Classifications

• H04N25/7795

  Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals · CPC title

• H04N25/771

  comprising storage means other than floating diffusion · CPC title

• H04N25/705

  Pixels for depth measurement, e.g. RGBZ · CPC title

• G01S17/894

  Three-dimensional [3D] imaging with simultaneous measurement of time-of-flight at a two-dimensional [2D] array of receiver pixels, e.g. time-of-flight cameras or flash lidar · CPC title

• G01S7/4863

  Detector arrays, e.g. charge-transfer gates · CPC title