US 12,273,645 B2
Image sensor and operation method thereof
Ping-Hung Yin, Taipei (TW); Jia-Shyang Wang, Miaoli County (TW); and Shih-Chan Tai, Kaohsiung (TW)
Assigned to Guangzhou Tyrafos Semiconductor Technologies Co., LTD, Guangzhou (CN)
Filed by Guangzhou Tyrafos Semiconductor Technologies Co., LTD, Guangzhou (CN)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/308,679.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/341,423, filed on May 13, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0370744 A1, Nov. 16, 2023
Int. Cl. H04N 25/78 (2023.01); G06F 1/08 (2006.01); H01L 25/075 (2006.01); H01L 25/18 (2023.01); H03K 19/0185 (2006.01); H03L 7/099 (2006.01); H04N 25/60 (2023.01); H04N 25/627 (2023.01); H04N 25/63 (2023.01); H04N 25/709 (2023.01); H04N 25/76 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H04N 25/772 (2023.01); H04N 25/778 (2023.01); H10F 39/00 (2025.01)
CPC H04N 25/78 (2023.01) [G06F 1/08 (2013.01); H01L 25/0753 (2013.01); H01L 25/18 (2013.01); H03K 19/018521 (2013.01); H03L 7/099 (2013.01); H04N 25/60 (2023.01); H04N 25/627 (2023.01); H04N 25/63 (2023.01); H04N 25/709 (2023.01); H04N 25/77 (2023.01); H04N 25/772 (2023.01); H04N 25/778 (2023.01); H04N 25/7795 (2023.01); H10F 39/026 (2025.01); H10F 39/8037 (2025.01); H10F 39/811 (2025.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An image sensor, comprising:
a first pixel circuit, comprising:
a first pixel unit;
a first transfer transistor, coupled to the first pixel unit and a first floating diffusion node;
a first readout transistor, coupled to the first floating diffusion node;
a first ramp capacitor, coupled to the first floating diffusion node, and receiving a first ramp signal; and
a first reset transistor, coupled to the first floating diffusion node, and receiving a reset signal;
a ramp signal generator, coupled to the first ramp capacitor, and configured to provide the first ramp signal; and
a ramp signal controller, coupled to the ramp signal generator,
wherein the image sensor is a digital correlated double sampling circuit, the first ramp signal additionally generates an offset voltage through the ramp signal controller, so that a voltage range or a counting result of the pixel circuit during at least one of a reset period and a readout period has an offset,
wherein the ramp signal generator provides the offset voltage during at least one of the readout period and the reset period according to a digital number.