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(12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,015,960 B2 Tay (45) Date of Patent: Mar USOO701596OB2 (12) United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,015,960 B2 Tay (45) Date of Patent: Mar. 21, 2006 (54) IMAGE SENSORTHAT USESA 5,043,821 A 8/1991 Suga et al. TEMPERATURE SENSOR TO COMPENSATE 5,047,861. A * 9/1991 Houchin et al. ............ 348/247 FOR DARK CURRENT 5,113,246 A 5/1992 Ninomiya et al. 5,138.458 A 8/1992 Nagasaki et al. (75) Inventor: Hiok Nam Tay, Irvine, CA (US) 5,159,457. A 10/1992 Kawabata 5,162.914 A 11/1992 Takahashi et al. (73) Assignee: Candela Microsystems, Inc., Irvine, 5,235,197 A 8/1993 Chamberlain et al. CA (US) 5,278,658 A 1/1994 Takase 5,309.243 A 5/1994 Tsai (*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this 5,420.635 A 5/1995 Konishi et al. patent is extended or adjusted under 35 5.434,620 A 7/1995 Higuchi et al. U.S.C. 154(b) by 206 days. (Continued) (21) Appl. No.: 10/445,143 OTHER PUBLICATIONS (22) Filed: May 23, 2003 Sunetra K. Mendis, Sabrina E. Kemeny and Eric R. Fossum, O O A 128x128 CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor for Highly (65) Prior Publication Data Integrated Imaging Systems, 1993 IEEE, IEDM 93-583 US 2004/0183928 A1 Sep. 23, 2004 586, 0–7803-1450-6. Related U.S. Application Data (Continued) (60) Eyal application No. 60/455,631, filed on Mar. Primary Examiner Ngoc-Yen Vu s ASSistant Examiner-James M. Hannett (51) Int. Cl (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Ben J. Yorks, Esq.; Irell & H04N 5/225 (2006.01) Manella LLP H04N 9/64 (2006.01) (52) U.S. Cl. ....................................... 348,244; 348/250 (57)57 ABSTRACT (58) Field of Classification Search ................ 348/243, S lication file f 1 244, 343 An image Sensor that has a temperature Sensor. The tem ee application file for complete Search history. perature Sensor Senses the temperature of a pixel array of the image Sensor. The Sensed temperature is used to Scale a dark (56) References Cited frame image generated by the pixel array. The Scaled dark frame image is Subtracted from a light image frame gener U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS ated by the pixel array. The Scaled dark image frame 4.425,501 A 1/1984 Stauffer compensates for temperature variations in the pixel array. 4,473,836 A 9/1984 Chamberlain The Scaled dark image frame may be generated by multi 4,614,966 A 9/1986 Yunoki et al. plying the dark frame by a Scale factor(s). The Scale factor 4,647,975 A 3/1987 Alston et al. may be computed from an equation or determined from a 4,703,442 A 10/1987 Levine look-up table. The equation or look-up table may compen 4,704,633 A 11/1987 Matsumoto Sate for thermal gradients acroSS the pixel. 4,760,453 A 7/1988 Hieda ......................... 348/243 4,858,013 A 8/1989 Matsuda 4,974,093 A 11/1990 Murayama et al. 12 Claims, 3 Drawing Sheets 56 12 Pixel Array Dark Signal Estimator 54 US 7,015,960 B2 Page 2 U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS OTHER PUBLICATIONS 5,436.662 7/1995 Nagasaki et al. E.S. EID, A.G. Dickinson, D.A. Inglis, B.D. Ackland and 5,455,621 10/1995 Morimura E.R. Fossum, A256x256 CMOS Active Pixel Image Sensor, 5,461,425 10/1995 Fowler et al. 5,471515 11/1995 Fossum et al. SPIE vol. 2415/265-275, 0-8194-1762-9/95. 5,508,740 4/1996 Miyaguchi et al. ......... 348/244 S. Anderson, W. H. Bruce, P. B. Denyer, D. Renshaw and G. 5,587.738 12/1996 Shinohara Wang, A Single Chip Sensor & Image Processor for Fin 5,638,118 6/1997 Takahashi et al. gerprint Verification, IEEE 1991 Custom Integrated Circuits 5,665.959 9/1997 Fossum et al. Conference, CH2994-2/91/0000/0061. 5.675,381 10/1997 Hieda et al. Eric R. Fossum, Active Pixel Sensors: Are CCD's Dino 5,729.288 3/1998 Saito .......................... 348/243 5,737,016 4/1998 Ohzu et al. saurs?, SPIE vol. 1900/2-14, 0-8194-1133-7/93. 5,801,773 9/1998 Ikeda D. Renshaw, P. B. Denyer, G. Wang and M. Lu, ASIC Image 5.841,126 11/1998 Fossum et al. Sensors, IEEE 1990, CH2868-8/90/0000-3038-3041. 5,861,620 1/1999 Takahashi et al. D. Renshaw, P. B. Denyer, G. Wang and M. Lu, ASIC 5,880,460 3/1999 Merrill Vision, IEEE 1990 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, 5,883,830 3/1999 Hirt et al. CH2860-5/90/0000-0022. 5,886,659 3/1999 Pain et al. 5,892,541 4/1999 Merrill Jaroslav Hynecek, BCMD-An Improved Photosite Struc 5,909,026 6/1999 Zhou et al. ture for High-Density Image Sensors, IEEE Transactions on 5,926.214 7/1999 Denyer et al. Electron Devices, vol. 38, No. 5, May 1991, 0018 5,929.908 7/1999 Takahashi et al. 9383/91/O500-1011-1020. 5,953,061 9/1999 Biegelsen et al. P. B. Denyer, D. Renshaw, Wang Guoyu and Lu Mingying, 5.962,844 10/1999 Merrill et al. CMOS Image Sensors for Multimedia Applications, IEEE 5.990,506 11/1999 Fossum et al. 6,005,619 12/1999 Fossum 1993 Custom Integrated Circuits Conference, 0-7803-0826 6,008,486 12/1999 Stam et al. 3/93. 6,021,172 2/2000 Fossum et al. Eric R. Fossum, CMOS Image Sensors: Electronic Camera 6,040.858 3/2000 Ikeda on A Chip, IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting 6,049,357 4/2000 Shinohara Technical Digest, Dec. 10-13, 1995, Washington D.C. 6,101,287 8/2000 Corum et al. G. Wang, D. Renshaw, P. B. Denyer and M. Lu, CMOS 6,115,065 9/2000 Yadid-Pecht et al. Video Cameras, 1991 IEEE, THO367-3/91/0000/0100-103. 6,115,066 9/2000 Gowda et al. 6,144,408 11/2000 MacLean A. S. Grove, Physics and Technology of Semiconductor 6,204.881 3/2001 Ikeda et al. Devices, Section 6.6 Current-Voltage Characteristics, 172 6,246,436 6/2001 Lin et al. 191. 6,249,647 6/2001 Cazier et al. ................. 396/97 Fernand Van De Wiele, Photodiode Quantum Efficiency, 6,300,978 10/2001 Matsunaga et al. Solid State Imaging, 47-90. 6,317,154 11/2001 Beiley Alex Dickinson, Bryan Ackland, El-Sayed Eid, David Inglis, 6,369,737 4/2002 Yang et al. and Eric R. Fossum, Standard CMOS Active Pixel Image 6,418.245 7/2002 Udagawa Sensors for Multimedia Applications, 1995 IEEE, 0-8186 6,493.030 12/2002 Kozlowski et al. 7047-9/95, 214-225. 6,532,040 3/2003 Kozlowski et al. 6,538,593 3/2003 Yang et al. Eric R. Fossum, Ultra Low Power Imaging Systems. Using 6,630,955 10/2003 Takada CMOS Image Sensor Technology, Proceedings of the SPIE, 6,747,696 6/2004 Nakata et al. vol. 2267, Advanced Microdevices and Space Science Sen 6,798.456 9/2004 Sato ........................... 348/362 sors (1994). 2001/004O631 11/2001 Ewedemi et al. Orly Yadid-Pecht, Christopher Clark, Bedabrata Pain, Craig 2003/O128285 7/2003 Itoh ........................... 348/246 Staller, and Eric Fossum, Wide dynamic range APS star 2003/0214590 11/2003 Matherson ... - - - - - 348/243 tracker, SPIE vol. 2654/82-92, 0-8194-2028-X. 2004/005 1797 3/2004 Kelly et al. ................. 348/244 2004/0085072 5/2004 Kanou et al. * cited by examiner U.S. Patent US 7,015,960 B2 || ;---……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………} U.S. Patent Mar. 21, 2006 Sheet 2 of 3 US 7,015,960 B2 56 Y 12 14 Estimator 54 Figure 4 U.S. Patent Mar. 21, 2006 Sheet 3 of 3 US 7,015,960 B2 56 12 Pixel -- Array Dark Signal Estimator Figure 3 54 US 7,015,960 B2 1 2 IMAGE SENSORTHAT USESA at the same temperature. The dark frame is Subtracted from TEMPERATURE SENSOR TO COMPENSATE the light frame to Substantially remove dark Signals from the FOR DARK CURRENT output of the Sensor. Unfortunately, Such dark frame approaches require the closing of a camera shutter or Some REFERENCE TO CROSS RELATED other means to prevent light from impinging upon the APPLICATION Sensor. Closing the camera shutter contemporaneously with each picture increases the shot-to-shot delay of the camera. This application claims priority under 35 U.S.CS119(e) to U.S. Pat. No. 6,101,287 issued to Corum, et al. and U.S. provisional application No. 60/455,631, filed on Mar. 18, Pat. No. 5,278,658 issued to Takase each disclose a scheme 2003. where a Single dark frame is captured and certain “dark” pixels of the array are used to generate a dark Signal BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION reference for Scaling the dark frame. The dark pixels are optically shielded from the ambient light. The dark frame is 1. Field of the Invention Scaled with a ratio of the average dark Signal of the dark The Subject matter disclosed generally relates to the field 15 pixels in the light frame, to the dark frame. Unfortunately, of Semiconductor image Sensors. Some light Still Strikes the dark pixels So that the dark pixel 2. Background Information outputs are not truly representative of the dark Signals. Photographic equipment Such as digital cameras and Additionally, the dark signals of interior pixels Scale differ digital camcorders may contain electronic image Sensors ently than the peripheral dark pixels.
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