Pixel cell and its method for applying voltage generated in a photosensor to a gate capacitance and alternately resetting the applied voltage

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9478582-B2
Application number	US-201314140033-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 24, 2013
Priority date	Feb 24, 2007
Publication date	Oct 25, 2016
Grant date	Oct 25, 2016

Abstract

A pixel cell, and a method of use thereof, the pixel cell including: an output, a photosensor configured to generate a first measuring current in a first measurement cycle and a second measuring current in a second measurement cycle as a function of radiation, an output node, a power storage device configured so that in a first operating mode a current can be injected by the power storage device as a function of the first measuring current, and so that in a second operating mode the power storage device is configured to hold the injected current so that the injected current can be detected at the output node, and a switching unit configured to form a difference between the injected current and the second measuring current at the output node in a reading cycle and to couple the output node to the output.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A pixel cell comprising:
a photosensor designed to generate a voltage over the photosensor dependent on a radiation;
a first transistor designed to apply the voltage generated in the photosensor to a gate capacitance in order to store the voltage by the gate capacitance;
a second transistor designed to reset the voltage on the gate capacitance to a reset voltage;
a third transistor, at whose gate the gate capacitance is formed and designed to generate a voltage dependent on a voltage line on the gate capacitance and a source current on a source output of the third transistor;
a fourth transistor designed to couple the source output to an output; and
a fifth transistor designed to reset alternately the voltage via photosensor to a stipulated reference potential or decouple it from a given reference potential.

2. Method for operation of a pixel cell with a photosensor designed to generate a voltage over the photosensor dependent on a radiation; a first transistor designed to apply the voltage generated in the photosensor to a gate capacitance, in order to store the voltage by the gate capacitance; a second transistor designed to reset the voltage on the gate capacitance to a reset voltage; a third transistor, at whose gate the gate capacitance is formed, and is designed to generate a voltage dependent on a voltage line on the gate capacitance and a source current at a source output of the third transistor; a fourth transistor designed to couple the source output to an output and a fifth transistor designed to alternately reset the voltage over the photosensor to a stipulated reference potential or decouple it from the given reference potential; with the following steps:
resetting of the photodiode of the fifth transistor;
generation of a first voltage over the photosensor dependent on a radiation in a first measurement cycle with the first transistor (T Read ) connected blocking;
resetting of the voltage on the gate capacitance of the third transistor, by means of the second transistor;
transfer of the first voltage to the gate capacitance of the third transistor with the first transistor connected conducting in order to store the first voltage on the gate capacitance;
blocking of the first transistors;
resetting of the photodiode, by means of the fifth transistor;
generation of a second voltage over the photosensor dependent on a radiation in a second measurement cycle with the first transistor connected blocking;
coupling of the source output of the third transistor to an output of the pixel cell, by means of the fourth transistor, in order to generate a drain source current equal to the current through a current source;
generation of a source voltage, at a source output of the third transistor dependent on the first voltage stored on the gate capacitance;
generation of a source current, by coupling of the source output of the third transistor to an output of the pixel cell, by means of the fourth transistor,
output of the source voltage at the output of the pixel cell, and therefore output of a voltage dependent on the first radiation;
blocking of the fourth transistor;
resetting of the voltage on the gate capacitance of the third transistor, by means of the second transistor;
transfer of the second voltage (V Ph2 ) on the gate capacitance of the third transistor with the first transistor connected conducting in order to store the second voltage on the gate capacitance;
coupling of a source output of the third transistor to an output of a pixel cell, by means of the fourth transistor, in order to generate a source current equal to the current source;
generation of a source voltage, and a source output of the third transistor dependent on the first voltage stored on the gate capacitance and a source current, by coupling of the source output of the third transistor to an output of the pixel cell, by means of the fourth transistor; and
output of the source voltage at an output of the pixel cell, and also output of a voltage dependent on the second radiation.

Assignees

• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Angewandten Forschung E V

Inventors

• Doege Jens

Classifications

• H03M1/124

  Sampling or signal conditioning arrangements specially adapted for A/D converters · CPC title

• G01R19/04

  Measuring peak values {or amplitude or envelope} of AC or of pulses · 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

• H04N25/76

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

• H04N25/00

  Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof · CPC title