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Analog power savings is achieved by pre-charging only those pixels of a sensor array that are needed as determined responsive to any one of a power configuration, image size, image position of interest, desired/selected frame rate, desired/selected resolution, etc. To that end, the solution presented herein selects one or more sensor segments, each comprising a subset of pixels of the sensor array, and only pre-charges the pixels in the selected segment(s). In so doing, the solution presented herein provides a power savings proportional to the number of uncharged pixel circuits.

Titel:	Analog resolution adjustment for CMOS image sensor
Autor/in / Beteiligte Person:	Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (publ)
Link:	View record in USPTO Patent Grants (Volltext)
Veröffentlichung:	2024
Medientyp:	Patent
Sonstiges:	Nachgewiesen in: USPTO Patent Grants Sprachen: English Patent Number: 11950,002 Publication Date: April 02, 2024 Appl. No: 16/860248 Application Filed: April 28, 2020 Assignees: TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL) (Stockholm, SE) Claim: 1. An image sensor comprising: a plurality of pixel circuits, each pixel circuit being independently pre-chargeable and connected to a respective reset control line dedicated to the pixel circuit; a charge control circuit configured to select a set of the pixel circuits to pre-charge based on a frame rate specified by an input control signal; and a switching network configured to jointly pre-charge the set of pixel circuits by selectively directing a reset signal from the charge control circuit to the pixel circuits in the set via the respective reset control lines to which they are connected. Claim: 2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the charge control circuit is configured to select the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge further based on a power configuration specified by the input control signal. Claim: 3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the charge control circuit is configured to select the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge responsive to the input control signal specifying the selected pixel circuits. Claim: 4. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein to select the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge the charge control circuit is configured to select alternating ones of the plurality of pixel circuits. Claim: 5. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein to select the set of pixel circuits the charge control circuit is configured to select every n th one of the pixel circuits. Claim: 6. The image sensor of claim 5 wherein n equals 3 or 5 or 10. Claim: 7. The image sensor of claim 1 , further comprising a drive control circuit configured to drive at least one of the pixel circuits in the set to output sensed light data to an image processor. Claim: 8. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein: to select the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge, the charge control circuit is configured to select every n th pixel circuit in a subgroup of the pixel circuits; the subgroup is one of a plurality of subgroups of the pixel circuits; and each of the subgroups comprises color-specific ones of the pixel circuits arranged according to a color-filter pattern. Claim: 9. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the charge control circuit is configured to select the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge further based on a resolution specified by the input control signal. Claim: 10. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the charge control circuit is configured to select the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge further based on a region specified by the input control signal. Claim: 11. A method, implemented by an image sensor comprising a plurality of pixel circuits, the method comprising: selecting a set of pixel circuits to pre-charge from the plurality of pixel circuits based on a frame rate specified by an input control signal, wherein each of the pixel circuits in the plurality of pixel circuits is independently pre-chargeable and is connected to a respective reset control line dedicated to the pixel circuit; jointly pre-charging the selected set of pixel circuits by selectively directing a reset signal to the selected set of pixel circuits via the respective reset control lines to which they are connected. Claim: 12. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge is further based on a power configuration specified by the input control signal. Claim: 13. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge is responsive to the input control signal specifying the selected pixel circuits. Claim: 14. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge comprises selecting alternating ones of the plurality of pixel circuits. Claim: 15. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge comprises selecting every n th one of the pixel circuits. Claim: 16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising driving at least one of the pixel circuits in the set to output sensed light data to an image processor. Claim: 17. The method of claim 11 , wherein: selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge comprises selecting every nth pixel circuit in a subgroup of the pixel circuits; the subgroup is one of a plurality of subgroups of the pixel circuits; and each of the subgroups comprises color-specific ones of the pixel circuits arranged according to a color-filter pattern. Claim: 18. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge is further based on a resolution specified by the input control signal. Claim: 19. The method of claim 11 , wherein selecting the set of pixel circuits to pre-charge is further based on a region specified by the input control signal. Patent References Cited: 6972791 December 2005 Yomeyama ; 7283167 October 2007 Schrey et al. ; 7408572 August 2008 Baxter ; 8624992 January 2014 Ota ; 9979904 May 2018 Dominguez Castro et al. ; 20020100921 August 2002 Mabuchi et al. ; 20080226170 September 2008 Sonoda ; 20130308031 November 2013 Theuwissen ; 20150365610 December 2015 Domingues Castro et al. ; 20170142313 May 2017 Gren ; 90/01844 February 1990 ; 2014114740 July 2014 ; 2019208412 October 2019 Assistant Examiner: Yoder, III, Chriss S Primary Examiner: Ye, Lin Attorney, Agent or Firm: COATS & BENNETT, PLLC

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Analog resolution adjustment for CMOS image sensor