Samsung patents image sensor circuit that converts light to digital data
This patent describes a specific circuit design used inside camera sensors to turn light into digital numbers. It uses two sloping electrical signals, one rising and one falling, to compare against the light data captured by the sensor's pixels.
In the filing’s own words
An analog-to-digital converter circuit according to some example embodiments includes a ramp signal generator configured to generate a first ramp signal which rises with a first inclination and a second ramp signal which falls with a second inclination, and a comparison circuit configured to output a comparison result between the synthesis signal of a pixel signal output from a pixel array and the first ramp signal and the second ramp signal.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An analog-to-digital converter circuit comprising: a ramp signal generator configured to generate a first ramp signal configured to rise with a first inclination and a second ramp signal configured to fall with a second inclination; and a comparison circuit configured to generate a synthesis signal comprising the first ramp signal and a pixel signal output from a pixel array, and output a comparison result based on a comparison between the synthesis signal and the second ramp signal.
Facts
- Company
- Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
- Official title
- Image sensor
- Patent number
- US12739535B2
- Application number
- 18884589
- Filed
- Sep 13, 2024
- Granted
- Sep 15, 2026
- Inventors
- 3
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
H04N 25/78 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/772 Electricity & electronicsH04N 25/7795 Electricity & electronicsMore from Samsung in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.