An analogue to digital converter is provided for digital imaging devices, in which a pixel column is sampled by a respective capacitor.

In a reset phase of operation, each pixel in the row under consideration is reset, and an operational amplifier operating in a voltage follower mode is coupled to all the sampling capacitors in parallel to obtain the reset values of the pixels sensors of that row, and the in an imaging phase of operation, the inverting input of the operational amplifier operating in a comparator mode is coupled to each capacitor in turn after activating the respective pixel sensor, while exposing the non inverting signal to an analog ramp reference voltage so that the timing of the toggling of the operational amplifier reflects the value of the pixel under consideration, corrected for the reset value.

A thermal-image proximity gesture recognition module, a device having a thermal-image proximity gesture recognition function, and a thermal-image proximity gesture recognition method are disclosed. The device has a non-lens infrared window and a thermal-image proximity gesture recognition module. In the thermal-image proximity gesture recognition module, a thermal sensor array senses infrared irradiated from an object 5˜35 cm distant therefrom, and generates a thermal image array and output a thermally induced voltage array; an analog-to-digital converter converts the thermally inducted voltage array into a digital thermally inducted voltage array; a microcontroller receives the digital thermally induced voltage array of frames in a detection sequence, to determine whether there is a thermal object block matching a hand feature, and if yes, the microcontroller generates a gesture command based on a change of the thermal object block in at least two frames and transmits the gesture command to a main microcontroller.

An image sensor having improved image quality is provided. The image sensor includes a first array of pixels, a second array of pixels, and a binning module. The first array of pixels has a color pattern formed in an n×m array and includes at least first-color pixels, second-color pixels, and third color-pixels. The second array of pixels is adjacent to the first array of pixels and has the same color pattern formed in an n×m array as the first array of pixels, to include at least first-color pixels, second-color pixels, and third color-pixels. The binning module is configured to, for a sensed image: perform binning on the first-color pixels of the first array, the first-color pixels of the second array, the second-color pixels of the first array, and the third-color pixels of the second array, and not perform binning on the third-color pixels of the first array, and not perform binning on the second-color pixels of the second array

A CMOS optical sensor comprises spare readout channels to replace readout channels found defective at the end of the manufacturing process. These spare readout channels are dispatched over the width of the optical sensor (corresponding to the row direction) in the form of spare groups G.sub.m1, G.sub.m2, Gm.sub.3 of m spare readout channels each, m integer at least equal to 1. Each spare group is inserted between two successive default groups Gn.sub.1 and Gn.sub.2 of n default readout channels each and coupling means SW1 are configured to replace a defective default readout channel in a default group as well as any default readout channels of the group between the defective one and the spare group next to the default group of concern. Advantageously, for a row Row.sub.i being currently selected for CDS reading each pixel in the row, a row noise level V.sub.RN.sub.i is obtained from the A spare readout channels that are not used in the implemented repairing scheme, by sampling an analogic DC reference signal by each of the A spare readout channels and averaging the A values Sp.sub.k obtained. The row reference value V.sub.RN.sub.i is then subtracted from each of the pixel digital signal S.sub.i,j outputs for the current selected row, to finally obtain a signal value d.sub.i,j with row noise suppression.

A solid-state image sensor including photoelectric conversion parts having a vertical overflow drain structure is made usable as, for example, a distance measuring sensor with high accuracy. In the solid-state image sensor, a pixel array part is formed in a well region of a second conductive type formed at a surface part of a semiconductor substrate of a first conductive type. In the pixel array part, photoelectric conversion parts each of which converts incident light into signal charges and has the vertical overflow drain structure (VOD) are arranged in a matrix form. Substrate discharge pulse signal φSub for controlling potential of the VOD is applied to a signal terminal. An impurity induced part into which impurity of the first type is induced is formed below a connecting part in the semiconductor substrate.

Techniques provided herein are directed toward a simplified correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit that reduces the amount of components and potential noise sources utilized to two switches and a capacitor. Such CDS circuits can be used in conjunction with downstream programmable gain amp (PGA) circuitry to provide double sampling along with variable gain and/or other features. Embodiments may further utilize one or more analog muxes to reduce parasitic capacitance and increase accuracy.

An image reading apparatus includes a plurality of image reading chips. Each of the plurality of image reading chips includes, a pixel that includes a light receiving element which receives light and performs photoelectric conversion; a voltage boosting circuit that generates a transmission control signal for transmitting electric charges which are generated on the basis of the photoelectric conversion; and a reading circuit which generates an image signal on the basis of the electric charges which are transmitted. The voltage boosting circuit operates during a period in which the light receiving element receives the light and during a period in which the electric charges that are generated on the basis of the photoelectric conversion which is performed by the light receiving element, and stops an operation during a period in which the reading circuits of the other image reading chips output the image signals.

A gain adjustment unit calculates a total sum of analog gains on a way from photoelectric conversion output of an image pickup device to input of an analog/digital conversion circuit with use of picked-up images provided from the analog/digital conversion circuit, the analog/digital conversion circuit being configured to convert an output of an analog processing section into a digital signal, the analog processing section being configured to transmit and amplify an image pickup signal from the image pickup device, the image pickup device being provided at an insertion portion of an endoscope, and determines, as an adjustment gain, a difference between a target value of a total sum of gains and the total sum of the analog gains, and output information.

Aspects and embodiments are generally directed to optical systems, receivers, and methods. In one example, an optical receiver includes a plurality of fused fiber optic bundles, at least a first fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles positioned to collect optical radiation from a scene, a multi-mode fiber optic cable coupled to each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles, the multi-mode fiber optic cable configured to propagate the collected optical radiation from each of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles along a length of the multi-mode fiber optic cable, and a photo-detector coupled to the multi-mode fiber optic cable and configured to receive the collected optical radiation. A field of view of each fused fiber optic bundle of the plurality of fused fiber optic bundles may collectively define a substantially omnidirectional field of view of the photo-detector.

An image sensor is described. The image sensor includes a photodiode that is formed in a substrate, a floating diffusion region that vertically overlaps with a first portion of the photodiode, a shallow trench isolation (STI) region that vertically overlaps with a second portion of the photodiode and has an elbow shape, and a transfer gate that is adjacent to at least two sides of the photodiode and has an elbow shape.