Image sensor including a pixel having photoelectric conversion elements and image processing device having the image sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9711553-B2
Application number	US-201514696859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 27, 2015
Priority date	Apr 28, 2014
Publication date	Jul 18, 2017
Grant date	Jul 18, 2017

Abstract

An image sensor according to an example embodiment concepts includes a pixel array including pixels, and each of the pixels includes photoelectric conversion elements. The photoelectric conversion elements independently operating to detect a phase difference. The image sensor further includes a control circuit configured to independently control exposure times of each of the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An image sensor comprising:
a pixel array including pixels, the pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the pixels including photoelectric conversion elements; and
a control circuit configured to independently control exposure times of each of the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels based on binning condition data, the binning condition data indicative of a number of the plurality of rows to be used in a binning operation for the image sensor;
wherein photoelectric conversion elements of pixels in a first of the plurality of rows are coupled to a first set of transfer lines,
wherein photoelectric conversion elements of pixels in a second of the plurality of rows are coupled to a second set of transfer lines,
wherein the first row is adjacent to the second row, and
wherein the first set of transfer lines is separate from the second set of transfer lines.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to independently control the exposure time of each of the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels in the first row using a row address of the first row.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the pixels include
a first pixel, which includes a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element, and
a second pixel, which includes a third photoelectric conversion element and a fourth photoelectric conversion element; and

the control circuit is further configured to
output a first control signal for controlling a first exposure time of the first photoelectric conversion element through a first control line,
output a second control signal for controlling a second exposure time of the second photoelectric conversion element through a second control line,
output a third control signal for controlling a third exposure time of the third photoelectric conversion element through a third control line, and
output a fourth control signal for controlling a fourth exposure time of the fourth photoelectric conversion element through a fourth control line.

4. The image sensor of claim 3 , wherein, the first pixel and the second pixel are in the first row or a first of the plurality of columns, the first exposure time and the third exposure time are equal, the second exposure time and the fourth exposure time are equal, and the first exposure time is longer than the second exposure time.

5. The image sensor of claim 3 , wherein the first pixel and the second pixel are in a first of the plurality of columns, the first exposure time and the fourth exposure time are the same, the second exposure time and the third exposure time are the same, and the first exposure time is longer than the second exposure time.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the first row includes
a first pixel having a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element, and
a second pixel having a third photoelectric conversion element and a fourth photoelectric conversion element;

the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element share a first floating diffusion region through corresponding transfer gates; and
the third photoelectric conversion element and the fourth photoelectric conversion element share a second floating diffusion region, which is different from the first floating diffusion region, through corresponding transfer gates.

7. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
the pixels include
a first pixel in a first of the plurality of columns, the first pixel including a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element, and
a second pixel in the first of the plurality of columns, the second pixel including a third photoelectric conversion element and a fourth photoelectric conversion element; and

the first pixel and the second pixel share one floating diffusion region.

8. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein a first deep trench isolation (DTI) structure is formed between two corresponding pixels among the pixels, and a second DTI structure is formed between two corresponding photoelectric conversion elements among the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels.

9. The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein each of the pixels comprise:
a color filter over the photoelectric conversion elements included in each pixel; and
a microlens over the color filter.

10. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein
each of the pixels include
a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element; and

the control circuit is further configured to
output a first control signal for controlling a first exposure time of the first photoelectric conversion element through a first control line, and
output a second control signal for controlling a second exposure time of the second photoelectric conversion element through a second control line.

11. A data processing system comprising:
an image sensor including
a pixel array including pixels arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, each of the pixels including photoelectric conversion elements, and
a control circuit configured to independently control exposure times of each of the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels based on binning condition data, the binning condition data indicative of a number of the plurality of rows to be used in a binning operation for the image sensor; and

a controller configured to control an operation of the image sensor, wherein
each of the pixels is independently controlled to detect a phase difference,
photoelectric conversion elements of pixels in a first of the plurality of rows are coupled to a first set of transfer lines,
photoelectric conversion elements of pixels in a second of the plurality of rows are coupled to a second set of transfer lines,
the first row is adjacent to the second row, and
the first set of transfer lines is separate from the second set of transfer lines.

12. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuit is further configured to independently control the exposure time of each of the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels in the first row using a row address of the first row.

13. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein
the photoelectric conversion elements included in each of the pixels include
a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element, the first photoelectric conversion element is controlled to have a relatively long-exposure time, and the second photoelectric conversion element is controlled to have a relatively short-exposure time; and

the first photoelectric conversion element included in a first pixel among the pixels and the first photoelectric conversion element included in a second pixel adjacent to the first pixel among the pixels are disposed in a diagonal direction.

14. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein
the photoelectric conversion elements include a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element;
the control circuit is further configured to control the first photoelectric conversion element to have a relatively long-exposure time, and to control the second photoelectric conversion element to have a relatively short-exposure time; and
the first photoelectric conversion element included in each of the pixels is configured to output respective pixel signals in parallel according to the control of the co

Assignees

• Kim Tae Chan
• Min Dong Ki
• Lee Kwang Hyun
• Noh Yo Hwan
• Yun Se Hwan
• Kim Dae Kwan
• Kim Young Jin
• Kim Wang Hyun
• Choi Hyuk Soon
• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Tae Chan
• Min Dong Ki
• Lee Kwang Hyun
• Noh Yo Hwan
• Yun Se Hwan
• Kim Dae Kwan
• Kim Young Jin
• Kim Wang Hyun
• Choi Hyuk Soon

Classifications

• 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

• H04N25/583

  with different integration times · CPC title

• H04N25/134

  based on three different wavelength filter elements · CPC title

• H04N23/843

  Demosaicing, e.g. interpolating colour pixel values · CPC title

• H04N25/767 Primary

  Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers · CPC title