Granted Patent B2

US 8,098,316 · App. 12/716,361 · Granted Jan 17, 2012

Abstract

Claims (25)

1. An image sensor comprising:

a plurality of pixels overlaid with a color filter pattern of at least two colors having the same color on every other pixel in one direction;

four or more charge-coupled devices for receiving charge from the plurality of pixels, wherein the four or more charge-coupled devices are oriented parallel to the one direction with each charge-coupled device having first and second gates for shifting charge through the charge-coupled device and all first gates are electrically connected together and all second gates are electrically connected together; and

CCD-to-CCD transfer gates disposed between adjacent charge-coupled devices for transferring charge between the charge-coupled devices, wherein the first gate of a charge-coupled device is disposed on one side of a respective CCD-to-CCD transfer gate and the second gate of a charge-coupled device adjacent to the respective CCD-to-CCD transfer gate is disposed on an opposite side of the respective CCD-to-CCD transfer gate; and wherein all CCD-to-CCD transfer gates are electrically connected together.

2. The image sensor as in claim 1 , further comprising a charge drain connected by a CCD transfer gate to the charge-coupled device furthest from the plurality of pixels.

3. The image sensor as in claim 1 , wherein the color filter pattern is a 2×2 pixel Bayer color filter pattern having two green pixels, one red pixel, and one blue pixel.

4. The image sensor as in claim 1 , further comprising a charge sensing amplifier connected to an output of at least two of the charge couple devices.

5. The image sensor as in claim 1 , further comprising:

one or more additional charge-coupled devices oriented parallel to the first, second, third, and fourth charge-coupled devices, wherein each additional charge-coupled device has alternating first and second gates for shifting charge through the charge-coupled device; and

CCD-to-CCD transfer gates disposed between adjacent charge-coupled devices.

6. A camera comprising:

an image sensor comprising:

a plurality of pixels overlaid with a color filter pattern of at least two colors having the same color on every other pixel in one direction;

four or more charge-coupled devices for receiving charge from the plurality of pixels, wherein the four or more charge-coupled devices are oriented parallel to the one direction with each charge-coupled device having first and second gates for shifting charge through the charge-coupled device and all first gates are electrically connected together and all second gates are electrically connected together; and

CCD-to-CCD transfer gates disposed between adjacent charge-coupled devices for transferring charge between the charge-coupled devices, wherein the first gate of a charge-coupled device is disposed on one side of a respective CCD-to-CCD transfer gate and the second gate of a charge-coupled device adjacent to the respective CCD-to-CCD transfer gate is disposed on an opposite side of the respective CCD-to-CCD transfer gate; and wherein all CCD-to-CCD transfer gates are electrically connected together.

7. The camera as in claim 6 , further comprising a charge drain connected by a CCD transfer gate to the charge-coupled device furthest from the plurality of pixels.

8. The camera as in claim 6 , wherein the color filter pattern is a 2×2 pixel Bayer color filter pattern having two green pixels, one red pixel, and one blue pixel.

9. The camera as in claim 6 , further comprising a charge sensing amplifier connected to an output of at least two of the charge couple devices.

10. An image sensor comprising:

four charge-coupled devices oriented parallel to each other each charge-coupled device having alternating first and second gates for shifting charge through the charge-coupled device with all first gates electrically connected together and all second gates electrically connected together, wherein a first charge-coupled device receives charge from a plurality of pixels, a second charge-coupled device receives charge from the first charge-coupled device, a third charge-coupled device receives charge from the second charge-coupled device, and a fourth charge-coupled device receives charge from the third charge-coupled device; and

CCD-to-CCD transfer gates disposed between adjacent charge-coupled devices for transferring charge between the charge-coupled devices, wherein a CCD-to CCD transfer gate is disposed between the first gate of the first charge-coupled device and the second gate of the second charge-coupled device, a CCD-to-CCD transfer gate is disposed between the first gate of the second charge-coupled device and the second gate of the third charge-coupled device, a CCD-to-CCD transfer gate is disposed between the first gate of the third charge-coupled device and the second gate of the fourth charge-coupled device, and all CCD-to-CCD transfer gates are electrically connected together.

11. The image sensor as in claim 10 , further comprising a charge drain connected to the first gate of the fourth charge-coupled device by a CCD transfer gate.

12. The image sensor as in claim 10 , further comprising a charge sensing amplifier connected to an output of at least two of the charge couple devices.

13. The image sensor as in claim 10 , further comprising a color filter overlying the plurality of pixels with the color filter including a pattern of at least two colors having the same color on every other pixel in one direction.

14. The image sensor as in claim 13 , wherein the color filter comprises a Bayer color filter.

Assignments (10)