Disclosure of Invention
The invention aims to provide an image sensor reading method, which increases the reading of overflow signal potential VOF, so that the dynamic range of pixel reading signals is enlarged, thereby avoiding the optimization of a photodiode PD and further reducing the processing cost.
In order to achieve the above object, the present application provides an image sensor readout method, applied to an image sensor, comprising:
In the reset phase, the control strobe signal SEL is set to a low level, and the reset signal RX and the transmission signal TX are both set to a high level, so that the transmission tube Mtg, the reset tube Mrst and the amplifying tube Msf are all turned on, and the pixel unit is reset;
When the pixel unit is reset, the transmission signal TX is controlled to be switched from a high level to a first low level, so that the transmission tube Mtg is disconnected;
In the exposure stage, the gate signal SEL is kept at a low level, the transmission signal TX is kept at a first low level, the reset signal RX is controlled to switch from a high level to a low level, so that the reset tube Mrst and the transmission tube Mtg are disconnected, the gate tube Msel is turned on, and the photodiode PD starts to expose and accumulate electrons;
after the photodiode PD starts to expose and accumulate electrons, the transmission signal TX is controlled to be pulled up from the first low level to the second low level, so that a part of electrons overflow to the floating node FD after the photodiode PD is saturated;
In the signal reading stage, the strobe signal SEL is controlled to be set to a high level, so that the strobe tube Msel is turned on, and the overflow signal potential VOF stored on the floating node FD point is read out;
Then, the reset signal RX is controlled to be switched from low level to high level, so that the reset tube Mrst is conducted, the floating node FD point is reset, and the reset potential VRST is read;
Then, the transmission signal TX is controlled to switch from low level to high level, so that the transmission tube Mtg is turned on, and the exposure integrated signal VSIG is read out.
Optionally, the method further comprises:
The analog-to-digital conversion unit converts the overflow signal potential VOF, the reset potential VRST, and the exposure integrated signal VSIG into digital amounts and performs subtraction operation to obtain actual corresponding digital amounts, and outputs the actual corresponding digital amounts.
Optionally, the voltage dout= (VRST-VOF) + (VRST-VSIG) ×2 N/VREF output by the pixel unit;
wherein VREF represents the reference voltage range of the analog-to-digital conversion unit, and N is the bit width of the analog-to-digital conversion unit.
Optionally, the range of the first low level is [ -1V, -0.5V ], and the range of the second low level is [ -0.4V, -0.1V ].
Optionally, an image sensor includes a pixel array, an analog-to-digital conversion unit, a reference signal generator, a timing controller, a row selection decoding driver, and an output signal processor, where the timing controller is configured to control the image sensor to perform the method described above.
The beneficial effects are that:
Before the reset potential VRST and the exposure integration signal VSIG are output, electrons saturated on the photodiode PD overflow to the floating node FD by increasing the low level of the transmission signal TX, so that the potential of the floating node FD is changed, and the overflow signal potential VOF is output, so that the finally read pixel signal quantity is increased by VRST-VOF compared with the traditional standard four-tube pixel unit circuit, the dynamic range of the pixel read signal is enlarged, the structure of the photodiode PD is not required to be optimized, and the processing cost is reduced.
Detailed Description
For the purpose of making the objects, technical solutions and advantages of the present invention more apparent, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, and it is apparent that the described embodiments are some embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. All other embodiments, which can be made by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without making any inventive effort, are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Unless otherwise defined, technical or scientific terms used herein should be given the ordinary meaning as understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. As used herein, the word "comprising" and the like means that elements or items preceding the word are included in the element or item listed after the word and equivalents thereof without precluding other elements or items.
The present application provides the operation sequence of the conventional four-pipe pixel unit as reference, and referring to fig. 1, the operation process of the pixel unit is divided into three stages of RESET, exposure (EXP) and READ (READ). In the reset phase, the strobe signal SEL is low, the transmission signal TX and the reset signal RX are high, the transmission tube Mtg and the reset tube Mrst are both turned on, the floating node FD is reset, and its potential is pulled up to VDD. After that, the gate signal SEL is kept at a low level, both the reset signal RX and the transfer signal TX are changed to a low level, and the photodiode PD senses light and accumulates electrons to enter an exposure stage. Then, the strobe signal SEL is set to a high level, and the read phase is entered, the reset signal RX is set to a high level to reset the floating node FD, then the reset signal RX is set to a low level, the transfer signal TX is kept to a low level, the amplifying tube Msf is controlled by the potential of the floating node FD and outputs the reset potential VRST through the output terminal pix_out, and then the transfer signal TX is set to a high level to transfer electrons on the photodiode PD to the floating node FD, and then the transfer signal TX is set to a low level, and the amplifying tube Msf is controlled by the potential of the floating node FD and outputs the exposure integration signal VSIG through the output terminal pix_out. The reset potential VRST and the exposure integrated signal VSIG are converted into digital quantities by an analog-to-digital conversion unit ADC and subtracted to obtain digital quantities actually corresponding to photoelectrons on the photodiode PD.
The application also provides a standard four-tube pixel unit circuit structure, which is shown in fig. 2 and comprises a photodiode PD, a transmission tube Mtg, a reset tube Mrst, an amplifying tube Msf and a gate tube Msel.
The anode of the photodiode PD is grounded, the cathode of the photodiode PD is connected to the source of the transmission tube Mtg, and the gate of the transmission tube Mtg is connected to the output terminal of the row selection decoding driver to receive the transmission signal TX provided by the row selection decoding driver. The drain of the transmission tube Mtg is connected to the source of the reset tube Mrst and leads out the floating node FD, and the gate of the reset tube Mrst is connected to the output terminal of the row selection decoding driver to receive the reset signal RX provided by the row selection decoding driver. The drain electrode of the reset tube Mrst is connected to the power supply VDD, the drain electrode of the amplifying tube Msf is connected to the power supply VDD, the gate electrode of the amplifying tube Msf is connected to the floating node FD, the source electrode of the amplifying tube Msf is connected to the drain electrode of the gate tube Msel, and the gate electrode of the gate tube Msel is connected to the output end of the row selection decoding driver to receive the gate signal SEL provided by the row selection decoding driver. The source of the gate tube Msel is the output end pix_out.
Wherein the photodiode PD is sensitive to light and generates photoelectrons proportional to the intensity of the light. The transfer tube Mtg is used for transferring the photoelectrons in the photodiode PD, and when the transfer signal TX is at a high level, the transfer tube Mtg is turned on to transfer the photoelectrons in the photodiode PD to the floating node FD. The reset tube Mrst functions to reset the floating node FD when the reset signal RX is at a high level. When the gate signal SEL is high, the gate tube Msel is turned on, the amplifying tube Msf and the gate tube Msel form a path with a current source to ground, and at this time, the amplifying tube Msf is essentially a source follower, follows the change of the FD potential of the floating node and is finally outputted from the output terminal pix_out.
With the increasing application requirements, not only is the CIS design required to gradually trend toward miniaturization, but also a higher dynamic range is required, and the pixel unit is continuously reduced to continuously reduce the photosensitive performance, so that the small area and the high dynamic range are simultaneously realized, and the general practice is to improve the performance of the photodiode PD through an optimization process, which often leads to an increase in processing cost.
In view of the problems existing in the prior art, an embodiment of the present invention provides an image sensor readout method, applied to an image sensor, as shown in fig. 3, including the following steps:
In the reset phase, the control strobe signal SEL is set to a low level, and the reset signal RX and the transmission signal TX are both set to a high level, so that the transmission tube Mtg, the reset tube Mrst and the amplifying tube Msf are all turned on, and the pixel unit is reset.
When the pixel unit is in use, the strobe signal SEL is set to be at a low level, the amplifying tube Msf is controlled to be disconnected, the transmission tube Mtg, the reset tube Mrst and the amplifying tube Msf are all conducted, at the moment, the pixel unit is reset, the floating node FD is also reset, and the potential heights of the strobe signal SEL, the reset signal RX and the transmission signal TX are controlled by a time sequence controller.
When the pixel unit is reset, the transmission signal TX is controlled to switch from a high level to a first low level, so that the transmission tube Mtg is turned off.
In use, the pixel cell is reset in the above steps. As the transfer signal TX is switched from the high level to the first low level, the transfer tube Mtg is turned off, and the transfer tube Mtg is turned off, so that electrons generated on the photodiode PD can be prevented from entering the floating node FD.
In the exposure stage, the gate signal SEL is kept at a low level, and the transfer signal TX is kept at a first low level, and the reset signal RX is controlled to switch from a high level to a low level, so that the reset tube Mrst and the transfer tube Mtg are disconnected, the gate tube Msel is turned on, and the photodiode PD starts exposure and accumulates electrons.
In use, the reset tube Mrst and the transfer tube Mtg are disconnected, so that electrons generated on the photodiode PD can be prevented from escaping. Specifically, the photodiode PD stores the generated electrons, and after the electrons generated on the photodiode PD reach saturation, the electrons generated on the photodiode PD do not escape to the floating node FD because the transfer tube Mtg is turned off.
After the photodiode PD starts exposing and accumulating electrons, the transmission signal TX is controlled to be pulled up from the first low level to the second low level, so that a portion of electrons overflows to the floating node FD after the photodiode PD is saturated.
When the photodiode PD is used, the transmission signal TX is pulled up from a first low level to a second low level, the transmission tube Mtg can be controlled to be opened locally, so that after electrons generated on the photodiode PD reach saturation, partial electrons overflow to the floating node FD along with the continuous generation of the electrons so as to increase the potential of the floating node FD, specifically, the data Bayer that the transmission signal TX is pulled up from the first low level to the second low level changes as follows, the value range of the first low level is [ -1V, -0.5V ], and the value range of the second low level is [ -0.4V, -0.1V ]. As can be seen from the above data, the potential of the transmission signal TX is still at a low level, so as to ensure that the photodiode PD only escapes the saturated electrons to the floating node FD.
In the signal reading stage, the control strobe signal SEL is set to a high level so that the gate pipe Msel is turned on, and the overflow signal potential VOF stored at the floating node FD point is read out.
Then, the reset signal RX is controlled to switch from low level to high level, so that the reset tube Mrst is turned on, the floating node FD point is reset, and the reset potential VRST is read.
Then, the transmission signal TX is controlled to switch from low level to high level, so that the transmission tube Mtg is turned on, and the exposure integrated signal VSIG is read out.
In the signal reading stage, a time axis is divided into a first period, a second period, a third period, a fourth period and a fifth period from left to right in sequence, specifically, in the first period, the strobe signal SEL is at a high level, the strobe tube Msel is turned on, the transmission signal TX is at a low level, the transmission tube Mtg is turned off, the reset signal RX is at a low level, the reset tube Mrst is turned off, and in use, the strobe tube Msel is turned on due to the disconnection of the transmission tube Mtg and the reset tube Mrst, the floating node FD is communicated with the output terminal pix_out, and at this time, the amplifying tube Msf is controlled by the potential of the floating node FD and outputs an overflow signal potential VOF through the output terminal pix_out.
In the second period, the gate signal SEL is at a high level, the gate tube Msel is turned on, the transmission signal TX is at a low level, the transmission tube Mtg is turned off, the reset signal RX is at a high level, the reset tube Mrst is turned on, and the setting of the period is used for resetting the pixel unit, specifically, after the overflow signal potential VOF is detected, by controlling the conduction of the gate tube Msel and the reset tube Mrst and the turn-off of the transmission tube Mtg, the floating node FD is reset and pulled up to VDD.
In the third period, the gate signal SEL is at a high level, the gate tube Msel is turned on, the transmission signal TX is at a low level, the transmission tube Mtg is turned off, the reset signal RX is at a low level, the reset tube Mrst is turned off, and the period is set to detect the reset potential VRST, specifically, in the second period, the floating node FD is reset, the transmission tube Mtg and the reset tube Mrst are both in an off state, and at this time, the amplifying tube Msf is controlled by the potential of the floating node FD and outputs the reset potential VRST through the output terminal pix_out.
In the fourth period, the gate signal SEL is at a high level, the gate tube Msel is turned on, the reset signal RX is at a low level, the reset tube Mrst is turned off, the transfer signal TX is at a high level, the transfer tube Mtg is turned on, and the conduction of the transfer tube Mtg causes electrons at the photodiode PD to move to the floating node FD.
In the fifth period, the gate signal SEL is at a high level, the gate tube Msel is turned on, the reset signal RX is at a low level, the reset tube Mrst is turned off, the transfer signal TX is at a low level, the transfer tube Mtg is turned off, in the fourth period, electrons from which the photodiode PD moves are present on the floating node FD, and in the fourth period, the amplifier tube Msf is controlled by the potential of the floating node FD and outputs an exposure integration signal VSIG through the output terminal pix_out when both the transfer tube Mtg and the reset tube Mrst are turned off.
In this embodiment, the method further includes:
The analog-to-digital conversion unit converts the overflow signal potential VOF, the reset potential VRST, and the exposure integrated signal VSIG into digital amounts and performs subtraction operation to obtain actual corresponding digital amounts, and outputs the actual corresponding digital amounts.
The voltage DOUT= (VRST-VOF) + (VRST-VSIG) multiplied by 2 N/VREF output by the pixel unit;
wherein VREF represents the reference voltage range of the analog-to-digital conversion unit, and N is the bit width of the analog-to-digital conversion unit.
The application also provides an image sensor, which comprises a pixel array, an analog-to-digital conversion unit, a reference signal generator, a time sequence controller, a row selection decoding driver and an output signal processor, wherein the time sequence controller is used for controlling the image sensor to execute the method.
Before the reset potential VRST and the exposure integration signal VSIG are output, electrons saturated on the photodiode PD overflow to the floating node FD by increasing the low level of the transmission signal TX, so that the potential of the floating node FD is changed, and the overflow signal potential VOF is output, so that the finally read pixel signal quantity is increased by VRST-VOF compared with the traditional standard four-tube pixel unit circuit, the dynamic range of the pixel read signal is enlarged, the structure of the photodiode PD is not required to be optimized, and the processing cost is reduced.
While embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail hereinabove, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to these embodiments. It is to be understood that such modifications and variations are within the scope and spirit of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. Moreover, the invention described herein is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways.