Pixel circuit and image sensor including thereof

1. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel array comprising a plurality of shared pixels arranged in rows and columns, wherein a first shared pixel and a second shared pixel of the shared pixels are adjacent to each other in a row direction and connected to one selection signal line; and

a timing controller configured to control a generation of pixel signals from the first shared pixel and the second shared pixel based on an operation mode of the image sensor,

wherein the first shared pixel comprises two or more photo diodes in a first row and two or more photo diodes in a second row adjacent to the first row, the photo diodes of the first shared pixel are configured to be exposed to light during a first period of time, and the first shared pixel comprises a first floating diffusion region shared by the photo diodes of the first shared pixel,

wherein the second shared pixel comprises two or more photo diodes in the first row and two or more photo diodes in the second row, the photo diodes of the second shared pixel are configured to be exposed to light during a second period of time shorter than the first period of time, and the second shared pixel comprises a second floating diffusion region shared by the photo diodes of the second shared pixel,

wherein the first and second floating diffusion regions are not directly electrically connected to each other, and

wherein, in a first operation mode, the timing controller is configured to control a generation of the pixel signals such that the photo diodes of the first shared pixel start to accumulate photocharge at a first time, and the photo diodes of the second shared pixel start to accumulate photocharge at a second time after the first time.

2. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured such that when the image sensor captures an image corresponding to a frame, an amount of photocharge accumulated in each of the photo diodes of the first shared pixel is greater than an amount of photocharge accumulated in each of the photo diodes of the second shared pixel.

3. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the first shared pixel and the second shared pixel has a different spectral sensitivity.

4. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the timing controller is configured to control a generation of the pixel signals at a third time after the second time such that the accumulated photocharge is delivered from the photo diodes of the first shared pixel to the first floating diffusion region, and the accumulated photocharge is delivered from the photo diodes of the second shared pixel to the second floating diffusion region.

5. The image sensor of claim 4 , wherein during a predetermined read period, the timing controller is configured to control a generation of the pixel signals such that a first pixel signal is output through a first column output line connected to the first shared pixel and a second pixel signal is output through a second column output line connected to the second shared pixel.

6. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein the two or more photo diodes in the first row of the first shared pixel comprise a first photo diode and a second photo diode,

wherein the two or more photo diodes in the first row of the second shared pixel comprise a third photo diode and a fourth photo diode, and

wherein, in the first operation mode, the timing controller is configured to differently control a generation of the pixel signals such that accumulation of photocharge of the first shared pixel is started at a different time for each of the first photo diode and the second photo diode and accumulation of photocharge of the second shared pixel is started at a different time for each of the third photo diode and the fourth photo diode.

7. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the timing controller is configured to control sequentially the accumulation of photocharge by the first photo diode and the second photo diode and sequentially the accumulation of photocharge by the third photo diode and the fourth photo diode.

8. The image sensor of claim 6 , wherein the timing controller is configured to control a generation of the pixel signals such that:

the accumulated photocharge of the first and third photo diodes is delivered to the first and second floating diffusion regions, respectively, at the same first time, and

the accumulated photocharge of the second and fourth photo diodes is delivered to the first and second floating diffusion regions, respectively, at the same second time.

9. The image sensor of claim 8 , wherein the timing controller is configured to control a generation of the pixel signals, such that:

during a first read period, a first pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to the accumulated photocharge from the first photo diode is output through a first column output line connected to the first shared pixel and a second pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to the accumulated photocharge from the third photo diode is output through a second column output line connected to the second shared pixel, and

during a second read period, a third pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to the accumulated photocharge from the second photo diode is output through the first column output line and a fourth pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to the accumulated photocharge from the fourth photo diode is output through the second column output line.

10. The image sensor of claim 1 , wherein each of the first shared pixel and the second shared pixel comprises 2×2 sub-pixels, and each of the first shared pixel and the second shared pixel is connected to two row lines,

wherein each of the sub-pixels includes a transmission transistor connected to a corresponding photo diode, and

wherein each of the two row lines includes four transmission control signal lines each connected to a corresponding transmission transistor.

11. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel array comprising a first shared pixel that comprises a first sub-pixel connected to a first row line and a second sub-pixel connected to a second row line and a second shared pixel that comprises a third sub-pixel connected to the first row line and a fourth sub-pixel connected to the second row line; and

a timing controller configured to control a long-time exposure operation for the first shared pixel and a short-time exposure operation for the second shared pixel such that the pixel array outputs pixel signals based on an operation mode of the image sensor,

wherein each of the first and second sub-pixels has a first color filter sensing a first color and each of the third and fourth sub-pixels has a second color filter sensing a second color different from the first color, and

wherein each of the first and second row lines includes at least two transmission control signal lines.

12. The image sensor of claim 11 , wherein each of the first through fourth sub-pixels comprises a photo diode,

wherein the pixel array outputs the pixel signals as multi row lines unit by simultaneously delivering photocharge of the photo diodes of the first through fourth sub-pixels, or

wherein the pixel array outputs the pixel signals as a single row line unit by sequentially delivering photocharge of the photo diodes of the first and third sub-pixels followed by sequentially delivering photocharge of the photo diodes of the second and fourth sub-pixels.

13. The image sensor of claim 12 , wherein, in a first operation mode,

the timing controller is configured such that the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel accumulate photocharge during a first period of time, and the third sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel accumulate photocharge during a second period of time shorter than the first period of time.

14. The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein in a predetermined read period,

the timing controller is configured to control a first pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to photocharge accumulated during the first period of time, as a signal of the multi row lines unit, through a first column output line connected to the first shared pixel, and to output a second pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to photocharge accumulated during the second period of time, as a signal of the multi row lines unit, through a second column output line connected to the second shared pixel.

15. The image sensor of claim 13 , wherein, in a second operation mode,

the timing controller is configured such that the first sub-pixel and the second sub-pixel sequentially start to accumulate photocharge and then accumulate the photocharge during the first period of time, and the third sub-pixel and the fourth sub-pixel sequentially start to accumulate photocharge and then accumulate the photocharge during the second period of time.

16. The image sensor of claim 15 , wherein the timing controller is configured such that the pixel array outputs:

during a first read period, a first pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to photocharge accumulated in the first sub-pixel during the first period of time through a first column output line connected to the first shared pixel, and a second pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to photocharge accumulated in the third sub-pixel during the second period of time through a second column output line connected to the second shared pixel, and

during a second read period, a third pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to photocharge accumulated in the second sub-pixel during the first period of time through the first column output line, and a fourth pixel signal of the pixel signals corresponding to photocharge accumulated in the fourth sub-pixel during the second period of time through the second column output line.

17. An image sensor comprising;

a pixel array including a plurality of shared pixels arranged in rows and columns,

wherein the shared pixels include a first shared pixel and a second shared pixel disposed adjacent to the first shared pixel in a row direction or a column direction, each of the first and second shared pixel includes:

a first set of photo diodes disposed in a first row,

a second set of photo diodes disposed in a second row adjacent to the first row, and

a floating diffusion region shared by transmission transistors, each of the transmission transistors connected to a corresponding photo diode of the first and second sets of photo diodes, and

wherein each photo diode of the first shared pixel has a first color filter sensing a first color and each photo diode of the second shared pixel has a second color filter sensing a second color different from the first color.

18. The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein the pixel array has a first color pattern in the first row, a second color pattern different from the first color pattern in the second row, a third color pattern in a first column, and a fourth color pattern different from the third color pattern in a second column adjacent to the first column.

19. The image sensor of claim 17 , wherein the image sensor is configured such that the photo diodes of the first shared pixel are exposed to light for a first period of time, and the photo diodes of the second shared pixel are exposed to light for a second period of time shorter than the first period of time.