US 12,081,884 B2
Readout circuit and method for time-of-flight image sensor
Zvika Veig, Ness Ziona (IL); Golan Zeituni, Kfar-Saba (IL); and Kei Nakagawa, Kanagawa (JP)
Assigned to Sony Corporation, Tokyo (JP); and Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Kanagawa (JP)
Filed by Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation, Kanagawa (JP); and Sony Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 24, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/126,203.
Application 18/126,203 is a continuation of application No. 17/692,687, filed on Mar. 11, 2022, granted, now 11,641,532.
Application 17/692,687 is a continuation of application No. 16/828,224, filed on Mar. 24, 2020, granted, now 11,297,270, issued on Apr. 5, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/953,804, filed on Dec. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2023/0232129 A1, Jul. 20, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04N 25/705 (2023.01); H04N 5/222 (2006.01); H04N 5/262 (2006.01)
CPC H04N 25/705 (2023.01) [H04N 5/2226 (2013.01); H04N 5/262 (2013.01)] 21 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A time-of-flight sensor comprising:
a plurality of pixels arranged in columns and rows, the plurality of pixels including a first column of pixels, wherein a first pixel of the first column of pixels has a first tap and a second tap, and wherein a second pixel of the first column of pixels has a third tap and a fourth tap;
a first signal line coupled to the first tap;
a second signal line coupled to the second tap;
a third signal line coupled to the third tap;
a fourth signal line coupled to the fourth tap;
a first comparator coupled to the first signal line and the third signal line via a switching circuit; and
a second comparator coupled to the second signal line and the fourth signal line via the switching circuit, wherein
the switching circuit includes a first set of switch circuitry and a second set of switch circuity,
the first comparator is coupled to the first signal line and the third signal line via the first set of switch circuitry, and
the second comparator is coupled to the second signal line and the fourth signal line via the second set of switch circuitry.