Pixel sensor having shared readout structure

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first photodiode;

a second photodiode;

a charge sensing unit;

a quantizer;

a memory;

a controller configured to:

set a first exposure period in which the first photodiode generates a first charge;

set a second exposure period in which the second photodiode generates a second charge, the second exposure period being set based on:

the first exposure period; and

at least one of:

a first time associated with a read out operation of the memory to a second apparatus, or

a second time associated with a quantization operation by the quantizer;

generate, using the charge sensing unit, a first voltage and a second voltage based on, respectively, the first charge and the second charge;

perform, using the quantizer, a first quantization operation of the first charge to generate a first digital output based on quantizing the first voltage;

store the first digital output in the memory;

after storing the first digital output in the memory, perform, using the quantizer, a second quantization operation of the second charge to generate a second digital output based on quantizing the second voltage; and

store the second digital output in the memory.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory includes sufficient capacity to store both the first digital output and the second digital output simultaneously; and

wherein the controller is configured to set an end time of the second exposure period to lag behind an end time of the first exposure period by a delay based on the first time.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to set a start time of the second exposure period to lag behind a start time of the first exposure period by a delay based on the first time.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:

set a start time of the second exposure period to lead a start time of the first exposure period by a duration based on the first time; and

set an end time of the second exposure period to lag behind an end time of the first exposure period by a delay based on the first time.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein a center of the first exposure period aligns with a center of the second exposure period.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sampling capacitor coupled between the charge sensing unit and the quantizer;

wherein the controller is configured to:

after the second exposure period ends, control the sampling capacitor to sample the second voltage; and

perform, using the quantizer, the second quantization operation of the second charge to generate the second digital output based on quantizing the second voltage sampled by the sampling capacitor.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the sampling capacitor is implemented as a metal-to-metal capacitor stacked between a first semiconductor substrate and a second semiconductor substrate;

wherein the first semiconductor substrate includes the first photodiode and the second photodiode; and

wherein the second semiconductor substrate includes the quantizer and the memory.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to set an end time of the second exposure period to lag behind an end time of the first exposure period by a delay based on the first time.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the memory does not sufficient capacity to store both the first digital output and the second digital output simultaneously.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the second quantization operation after a read out operation of the memory for the first digital output completes.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory does not sufficient capacity to store both the first digital output and the second digital output simultaneously; and

wherein the controller is configured to set an end time of the second exposure period to lag behind an end time of the first exposure period by a delay based on a sum of the first time and the second time.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the read out operation comprises transferring data stored in the memory to a second apparatus.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to set a start time of the second exposure period to lag a start time of the first exposure period by a delay based on the sum of the first time and the second time.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus further includes a third photodiode and a fourth photodiode; and

wherein the controller is configured to:

set a start time of the first exposure period and the second exposure period at a third time;

set an end time of the second exposure period, the end time of the second exposure period being delayed from end time of the first exposure period by duration based on the second time;

set a start time of a third exposure period in which the third photodiode generates a third charge and a fourth exposure period in which the fourth photodiode generates a fourth charge at a fourth time, the fourth time being delayed from the third time based on a sum of the first time and the second time; and

set an end time of the fourth exposure period, the end time of the fourth exposure period being delayed from end time of the third exposure period by the duration.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus further includes a third photodiode and a fourth photodiode; and

wherein the controller is configured to:

set a start time and end time of the second exposure period to be delayed from, respectively, a start time and an end time of the first exposure period by a duration based on a sum of the first time and the second time;

set a start time and end time of a third exposure period in which the third photodiode generates a third charge to be delayed from, respectively, a start time and an end time of the second exposure period by the duration; and

set a start time and end time of a fourth exposure period in which the fourth photodiode generates a fourth charge to be delayed from, respectively, a start time and an end time of the third exposure period by the duration.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first photodiode is configured to, within the first exposure period, accumulate at least a first part of the first charge as first residual charge and transfer a second part of the second charge as first overflow charge to the charge sensing unit after the first photodiode saturates;

the second photodiode is configured to, within the second exposure period, accumulate the second charge as second residual charge; and

the controller is configured to:

generate, using the quantizer, a first quantization result based on quantizing the overflow charge stored in the charge sensing unit;

control the first photodiode to transfer the first residual charge to the charge sensing unit;

generate, using the quantizer, a second quantization result based on quantizing the first residual charge stored in the charge sensing unit;

store one of the first quantization result or the second quantization result into the memory as the first digital output based on whether the first photodiode saturates within the first exposure period;

control the second photodiode to transfer the second residual charge to the charge sensing unit;

generate, using the quantizer, the second digital output based on quantizing the second residual charge stored in the charge sensing unit; and

store the second digital output into the memory.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the charge sensing unit comprises a capacitor configured to store the first overflow charge; and

wherein the controller is further configured to, within the first exposure period and using the quantizer, determine a time when a quantity of the first overflow charge exceeds a saturation limit of the capacitor.

18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the first photodiode and the second photodiode are part of a pixel cell;

the first photodiode is configured to detect light of a first wavelength range from a spot of a scene;

the second photodiode is configured to detect light of a second wavelength range from the same spot; and

the first digital output of the first photodiode and the second digital output of the second photodiode form the same pixel of a first image frame and a second image frame, the first image frame being associated with the first wavelength range and the second image frame being associated with the second wavelength range.

19. A method comprising:

setting a first exposure period in which a first photodiode generates a first charge;

setting a second exposure period in which a second photodiode generates a second charge, the second exposure period being set based on:

the first exposure period; and

at least one of:

a first time associated with a read out operation of a memory, or

a second time associated with a quantization operation of a quantizer;

performing, using the quantizer, a first quantization operation of the first charge to generate a first digital output;

storing the first digital output in the memory;

performing, using the quantizer, a second quantization operation of the second charge to generate a second digital output; and

storing the second digital output in the memory.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the memory includes sufficient capacity to store both the first digital output and the second digital output simultaneously;

wherein an end time of the second exposure period is set to lag behind an end time of the first exposure period by a duration based on the first time; and

wherein a start time of the second exposure period is set to lead a start time of the first exposure period by a duration based on the first time.