US 12,238,439 B2
Image sensor and method of operating the image sensor
Yunhong Kim, Suwon-si (KR); Mooyoung Kim, Suwon-si (KR); and Takahiko Inada, Suwon-si (KR)
Assigned to SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed by SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD., Suwon-si (KR)
Filed on Jan. 19, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/417,279.
Claims priority of application No. 10-2023-0009031 (KR), filed on Jan. 20, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2024/0251184 A1, Jul. 25, 2024
Int. Cl. H04N 25/766 (2023.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H04N 25/772 (2023.01)
CPC H04N 25/766 (2023.01) [H01L 27/14603 (2013.01); H04N 25/772 (2023.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor comprising:
a plurality of horizontal lines extending in a first direction;
a plurality of vertical lines extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a pixel array comprising a plurality of pixels arranged along the plurality of horizontal lines and the plurality of vertical lines; and
a row driver configured to simultaneously provide a control signal to pixels included in n horizontal lines of the plurality of horizontal lines,
wherein the row driver is further configured to provide, at a first time point, the control signal to first pixels in a first horizontal group comprising n consecutive odd horizontal lines of the plurality of horizontal lines,
provide, at a second time point, the control signal to second pixels in a second horizontal group comprising n consecutive even horizontal lines of the plurality of horizontal lines, and
provide, at a third time point, the control signal to third pixels in a third horizontal group comprising n consecutive odd horizontal lines of the plurality of horizontal lines, and of which a first horizontal line is an odd horizontal line next to a last horizontal line included in the first horizontal group,
wherein each of the n horizontal lines included in the first horizontal group is separated by an at least three-row interval from a corresponding one of the n horizontal lines included in the second horizontal group,
a time interval between the first time point and the second time point is equal to a time interval between the second time point and the third time point, and n is an integer greater than 1.