Image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018131887-A1
Application number	US-201815860836-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 3, 2018
Priority date	Jan 8, 2014
Publication date	May 10, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An image sensor includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels, first and second row selection lines separated from each other, and first and second column lines separated from each other are disposed and a column selecting circuit configured to connect the first and second column lines using a column selection signal. The pixel array includes a first pixel which is connected to the first row selection line and the first column line and a second pixel which is disposed in the same row as the first pixel and connected to the second row selection line and the second column line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including,
a plurality of pixels including at least a first pixel and a second pixel and arranged in a plurality of rows including a first row and a second row,
first and second row selection lines separated from each other and connected to at least one pixel in the first row,
third and fourth row selection lines separated from each other and connected to at least one pixel in the second row, and
first and second column lines separated from each other; and

a column selecting circuit configured to connect the first column line to the second column line using a column selection signal,
the first pixel in the first row being connected to the first row selection line and the first column line,
the first pixel in the second row being connected to the third row selection line and the second column line, and
the second pixel in the first row being connected to the second row selection line and the second column line, and
the second pixel in the second row and being connected to the fourth row selection line and the first column line.

2 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of pixels are in a chess mosaic pattern.

3 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the first and second pixel receive light of the same color.

4 . The image sensor of claim 3 , further comprising:
a control circuit configured to supply at least one control signal to the first pixel and the second pixel such that the first pixel has a longer exposure time than an exposure time of the second pixel.

5 . The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the first pixel in the first row includes,
a first drive transistor configured to receive an output of a first photodiode and generate a source-drain current based on the output of the first photodiode, and
a first select transistor connected to the first row selection line and configured to provide an output of the first drive transistor to the first column line; and
the second pixel in the first row includes,
a second drive transistor configured to receive an output of a second photodiode and generate a source-drain current based on the output of the second photodiode, and
a second select transistor connected to the second row selection line and configured to provide an output of the second drive transistor to the second column line.

6 . The image sensor of claim 5 , further comprising:
a third column lines separated from the first and second column lines; and a plurality of pixels further includes a third pixel being between the first and second pixels in the first and second rows.

7 . The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein a color of light receiving by the third pixel is different with a color of light receiving by the first and second pixels.

8 . An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including,
a plurality of pixels including at least a first pixel, a second pixel, a third pixel and a fourth pixel,
first and second row selection lines separated from each other, and
first and second column lines separated from each other; and
a column selecting circuit configured to connect the first column line to the second column line using a column selection signal, the first pixel being connected to the first row selection line and the first column line, the second pixel being in the same row as the first pixel and connected to the first row selection line and the second column line, the third pixel being connected to the second row selection line and the first column line, and the fourth pixel being in the same row as the third pixel and connected to the first row selection line and the second column line.

9 . The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein the first pixels includes a phase-difference detection pixel, and the second to fourth pixels include sensing pixels.

10 . The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein
the pixel array further includes third and fourth column lines separated from the first and second column lines, respectively, a plurality of pixels further includes a fifth and a sixth pixel, the fifth pixel is connected to the first row selection line and the third column line, and the sixth pixel is connected to the first row selection line and the fourth column line.

11 . The image sensor of claim 10 , wherein the column selection signal includes first and second column selection signal, and
the column selecting circuit is configured to connect the first and second column lines using the first column selection signal and connect the third and fourth column lines using the second column selection signal.

12 . The image sensor of claim 10 , wherein the fifth and sixth pixel receive light of the same color.

13 . The image sensor of claim 10 , wherein the fifth and sixth pixel include sensing pixels.

14 . An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including,
a plurality of unit pixels including at least a first unit pixel and a second unit pixel,
first and second row selection lines separated from each other,
first, second, third and fourth column lines separated from each other; and
a column selecting circuit configured to connect the first column line to the second column line and the third column line to the fourth column line using a column selection signal, the first unit pixel and the second unit pixel includes at least a first pixel and a second pixel, the first unit pixel is connected to the first and the second column lines, the second unit pixel is connected to the third and the fourth column lines, the first pixel of the first unit pixel and the second pixel of the second unit pixel are connected to the first row selection lines, and the second pixel of the first unit pixel and the first pixel of the second unit pixel are connected to the second row selection lines.

15 . The image sensor of claim 14 , further comprising:
a control circuit configured to supply at least one control signal to the first pixel and the second pixel such that the first pixel has a longer exposure time than an exposure time of the second pixel.

16 . The image sensor of claim 15 , wherein the first and second pixel receive light of the same color.

17 . The image sensor of claim 14 , wherein the first unit pixel has a longer exposure time than an exposure time of the second unit pixel.

18 . The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein the first and second unit pixel receive light of the same color.

19 . The image sensor of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of unit pixels further includes a third unit pixel being between the first and second unit pixel,
wherein a color of light receiving by the third unit pixel is different with a color of light receiving by the first and second unit pixels.

20 . The image sensor of claim 19 , wherein the third unit pixel and the first unit pixel share a part of the first and the second pixels.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Koh Kyoung-Min
• Ko Ju-Hyun
• Yang Han
• Yun Jae-Cheol
• Lee Kwang-Hyun
• Lee Seon-Ju

Classifications

• H04N25/134 Primary

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/73

  by influencing the exposure time · 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

• H04N23/672 Primary

  based on the phase difference signals · CPC title

• H04N23/667

  Camera operation mode switching, e.g. between still and video, sport and normal or high- and low-resolution modes · CPC title