27 patents
Utility
Sub-ranging Programmable Gain Amplifier
7 Sep 23
A sub-ranging programmable gain amplifier resolves an incoming signal into one of multiple amplitude sub-ranges and dynamically steps down the PGA output according to the identified sub-range.
Xin Yue, Dexue Zhang, Jiaju Ma
Filed: 13 Mar 23
Utility
Split-readout Image Sensor
27 Jul 23
First and second readout circuits, each having a respective floating diffusion node, are coupled to a photodetection element within a pixel of an integrated-circuit image sensor.
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 24 Mar 23
Utility
Dual-progression Pixel Readout
6 Jul 23
Row-by-row pixel read-out is executed concurrently within respective clusters of pixels of a pixel array, alternating the between descending and ascending progressions in the intra-cluster row readout sequence to reduce temporal skew between neighboring pixel rows in adjacent clusters.
Jiaju Ma
Filed: 24 Feb 23
Utility
High-sensitivity Depth Sensor with Non-avalanche Photodetector
29 Jun 23
A sensing device includes a light source to emit light, a light sensor to detect reflection of the emitted light and distance determination circuitry responsive to reflected-light detection within the light sensor.
Saleh Masoodian, Jiaju Ma
Filed: 4 Nov 22
Utility
Image Sensor Having Column-level Correlated-double-sampling Charge Transfer Amplifier
29 Jun 23
Correlated double sampling column-level readout of an image sensor pixel (e.g., a CMOS image sensor) may be provided by a charge transfer amplifier that is configured and operated to itself provide for both correlated-double-sampling and amplification of floating diffusion potentials read out from the pixel onto a column bus after reset of the floating diffusion (i) but before transferring photocharge to the floating diffusion (the reset potential) and (ii) after transferring photocharge to the floating diffusion (the transfer potential).
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 23 Nov 22
Utility
Image Sensors with On-Chip ADC Data Compression for Multi-Bit Electron-Number Outputs
29 Jun 23
An image sensor may a plurality of pixels, one or more analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) circuits, and at least one quantization circuit.
Jiaju Ma
Filed: 22 Dec 22
Utility
Dynamic Pixel-wise Multi-gain Readout for High Dynamic Range Imaging
13 Apr 23
Systems and methods are disclosed to enable fast readout from an image sensor to support pixel-wise conversion gain selection for high dynamic range imaging.
Jiaju Ma
Filed: 11 Oct 22
Utility
Selectively Multi-sampled Pixel Array
2 Mar 23
Integrated-circuit imagers selectively multi-sample pixel array outputs according to luminance level indicated by an initial sample, avoiding the additional power/time required for multi-sampling in high-luminance, shot-noise-dominated conditions and, conversely, multi-sampling in readout-noise-dominated low-luminance conditions.
Jiaju Ma
Filed: 27 Aug 22
Utility
Enhanced Conversion-gain Image Sensor
1 Dec 22
An amplifier transistor within an image-sensor pixel is implemented upside down relative to conventional orientation such that a substrate-resident floating diffusion node of the pixel forms the gate of the amplifier transistor—achieving increased pixel conversion gain by eliminating the conventional metal-layer interconnection between the floating diffusion node and amplifier-transistor gate and concomitant parasitic capacitance.
Jiaju Ma, Donald Hondongwa
Filed: 27 May 22
Utility
Dual-progression Pixel Readout
24 Nov 22
Row-by-row pixel read-out is executed concurrently within respective clusters of pixels of a pixel array, alternating the between descending and ascending progressions in the intra-cluster row readout sequence to reduce temporal skew between neighboring pixel rows in adjacent clusters.
Jiaju Ma
Filed: 7 Apr 22
Utility
Column-interleaved Pixel Array
24 Nov 22
Shared-readout pixels conventionally disposed in two or more physical columns of a pixel array are spatially interleaved (merged) within a single physical column to yield a pixel array in which each physical pixel column includes two or more logical columns of shared-readout pixels coupled to respective logical-column output lines.
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 8 Apr 22
Utility
Scalable-pixel-size Image Sensor
13 Oct 22
A pixel array within an integrated-circuit image sensor includes four sets of photodetection elements disposed in respective pixel-array regions having a shared corner, four readout circuits each coupled to a respective one of the four sets of photodetection elements, a reset node, a reset transistor, and binning transistors.
Jiaju Ma, Michael Guidash
Filed: 28 Jun 22
Utility
Split-readout Image Sensor
22 Sep 22
First and second readout circuits, each having a respective floating diffusion node, are coupled to a photodetection element within a pixel of an integrated-circuit image sensor.
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 8 Apr 22
Utility
CMOS Image Sensors with Per-Pixel Micro-Lens Arrays
15 Sep 22
An image sensor includes an array of CMOS pixels and a plurality of micro-lens arrays.
Jiaju Ma, Michael Guidash
Filed: 8 Feb 22
Utility
Dual-progression Pixel Readout
28 Apr 22
Row-by-row pixel read-out is executed concurrently within respective clusters of pixels of a pixel array, alternating the between descending and ascending progressions in the intra-cluster row readout sequence to reduce temporal skew between neighboring pixel rows in adjacent clusters.
Jiaju Ma
Filed: 23 Oct 21
Utility
Scalable-pixel-size Image Sensor
31 Mar 22
Photodetection elements within an integrated-circuit pixel array are dynamically configurable to any of at least three uniform-aspect-ratio, size-scaled pixel footprints through read-out-time control of in-pixel transfer gates associated with respective photodetection elements and binning transistors coupled between the transfer gates for respective clusters of the photodetection elements and a shared reset node.
Jiaju Ma, Michael Guidash
Filed: 12 Aug 21
Utility
Image Sensor Having Pixels with Isolated Floating Diffusions
1 Jul 21
According to some embodiments, an image sensor pixel includes a floating diffusion, a transistor gate configured to transfer charge with respect to the floating diffusion, and a doped pinning region disposed between the floating diffusion and the transistor gate, to reduce or eliminate the effective capacitive coupling between the floating diffusion and the transistor gate.
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 24 May 19
Utility
Image Sensor Having Column-level Correlated-double-sampling Charge Transfer Amplifier
1 Jul 21
Correlated double sampling column-level readout of an image sensor pixel may be provided by a charge transfer amplifier that is configured and operated to itself provide for both correlated-double-sampling and amplification of floating diffusion potentials read out from the pixel onto a column bus after reset of the floating diffusion (I) but before transferring photocharge to the floating diffusion (the reset potential) and (ii) after transferring photocharge to the floating diffusion (the transfer potential).
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 24 May 19
Utility
Column-interleaved Pixel Array
20 May 21
Shared-readout pixels conventionally disposed in two or more physical columns of a pixel array are spatially interleaved (merged) within a single physical column to yield a pixel array in which each physical pixel column includes two or more logical columns of shared-readout pixels coupled to respective logical-column output lines.
Jiaju Ma, Saleh Masoodian
Filed: 28 Aug 20
Utility
Scalable-pixel-size Image Sensor
20 May 21
Photodetection elements within an integrated-circuit pixel array are dynamically configurable to any of at least three uniform-aspect-ratio, size-scaled pixel footprints through read-out-time control of in-pixel transfer gates associated with respective photodetection elements and binning transistors coupled between the transfer gates for respective clusters of the photodetection elements and a shared reset node.
Jiaju Ma, Michael Guidash
Filed: 20 Nov 20