US 11,812,176 B2
Pixel circuit selecting to output time difference data or image data
Ren-Chieh Liu, Hsin-Chu County (TW); and Yi-Cheng Chiu, Hsin-Chu County (TW)
Assigned to PIXART IMAGING INC., Hsin-Chu County (TW)
Filed by PIXART IMAGING INC., Hsin-Chu County (TW)
Filed on Aug. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/395,527.
Application 17/395,527 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/009,417, filed on Sep. 1, 2020, granted, now 11,290,671.
Prior Publication US 2022/0070402 A1, Mar. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. H04N 25/767 (2023.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01)
CPC H04N 25/767 (2023.01) [H01L 27/14612 (2013.01); H01L 27/14643 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A pixel circuit, comprising:
a photodiode, configured to generate light energy;
a first temporal circuit, comprising:
a first capacitor having a first end coupled to the photodiode;
a second temporal circuit, comprising:
a second capacitor having a first end coupled to the photodiode, wherein
a second end of the first capacitor is coupled to an inverting input terminal of a first comparator, which is arranged outside the pixel circuit and shared by the first temporal circuit and other pixel circuits, and
a second end of the second capacitor is coupled to an inverting input terminal of a second comparator, which is arranged outside the pixel circuit and shared by the second temporal circuit and the other pixel circuits; and
a transfer transistor, connected between the photodiode and the first end of the first capacitor as well as the first end of the second capacitor, and configured to transfer the light energy to the first temporal circuit in a first interval and a second interval, and transfer the light energy to the second temporal circuit in the second interval,
wherein the first temporal circuit is configured to record a light energy variation from the photodiode between the first interval and the second interval, and
the second temporal circuit is configured to record detected light energy from the photodiode in the second interval.