US 11,927,475 B2
Detecting high intensity light in photo sensor
Xinqiao Liu, Medina, WA (US)
Assigned to Meta Platforms Technologies, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed by META PLATFORMS TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, Menlo Park, CA (US)
Filed on Mar. 16, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/820,594.
Application 16/820,594 is a continuation of application No. 15/983,379, filed on May 18, 2018, granted, now 10,598,546.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/546,993, filed on Aug. 17, 2017.
Prior Publication US 2020/0217714 A1, Jul. 9, 2020
Int. Cl. G01J 1/18 (2006.01); G01J 1/02 (2006.01); G01J 1/08 (2006.01); G01J 1/16 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01); G01J 1/44 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01); H01L 31/0203 (2014.01); H04N 5/357 (2011.01); H04N 5/359 (2011.01); H04N 5/369 (2011.01); H04N 5/3745 (2011.01); H01L 27/32 (2006.01)
CPC G01J 1/18 (2013.01) [G01J 1/0228 (2013.01); G01J 1/08 (2013.01); G01J 1/1626 (2013.01); G01J 1/4228 (2013.01); G01J 1/44 (2013.01); H01L 27/14612 (2013.01); H01L 27/14634 (2013.01); H01L 27/1464 (2013.01); H01L 31/0203 (2013.01); H04N 5/357 (2013.01); H04N 5/3591 (2013.01); H04N 5/3594 (2013.01); H04N 5/37455 (2013.01); H04N 5/379 (2018.08); H01L 27/14636 (2013.01); H01L 27/14643 (2013.01); H01L 27/3227 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
a photodiode configured to generate charge in response to incident light within an exposure period; and
a quantizer comprising a comparator and a memory configured to:
perform at least one of a first quantization operation to generate a first digital output or a second quantization operation to generate a second digital output; and
output, based on a range of an intensity of the incident light, one of the first digital output or the second digital output to represent the intensity of the incident light,
wherein the first quantization operation comprises comparing, using the comparator, a first voltage representing at least a first part of the charge during the exposure period against one or more threshold voltages to generate one or more first comparison results, and storing the first digital output in the memory based on the one or more first comparison results; and
wherein the second quantization operation comprises comparing, using the comparator, a second voltage representing at least a second part of the charge after the exposure period against a ramping threshold voltage to generate a second comparison result, and storing the second digital output in the memory based on the second comparison result.