WO2007101360A1 - Capteur d'image miniaturisé - Google Patents

Capteur d'image miniaturisé Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2007101360A1
WO2007101360A1 PCT/CH2007/000115 CH2007000115W WO2007101360A1 WO 2007101360 A1 WO2007101360 A1 WO 2007101360A1 CH 2007000115 W CH2007000115 W CH 2007000115W WO 2007101360 A1 WO2007101360 A1 WO 2007101360A1
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
signal
pulse
imager
transmitted
image sensor
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/CH2007/000115
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Martin Wäny
Original Assignee
Waeny Martin
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Waeny Martin filed Critical Waeny Martin
Publication of WO2007101360A1 publication Critical patent/WO2007101360A1/fr

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N23/00—Cameras or camera modules comprising electronic image sensors; Control thereof
    • H04N23/60—Control of cameras or camera modules
    • H04N23/66—Remote control of cameras or camera parts, e.g. by remote control devices
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00—Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/70—SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
    • H04N25/76—Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
    • H04N25/78—Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
    • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
    • A61B1/00—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor
    • A61B1/04—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances
    • A61B1/05—Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes; Illuminating arrangements therefor combined with photographic or television appliances characterised by the image sensor, e.g. camera, being in the distal end portion

Definitions

  • the aim of the disclosed invention is to propose an image recorder that can be miniaturized to the extent that an endoscope of the smallest dimensions can thus be realized.
  • the exposed imager can be optimized so that most of the semiconductor surface is available for pixel integration.
  • the presented image sensor has a data transmission which makes it possible to transmit the image data free from interference influences, even in an electromagnetically disturbed environment. Description of the invention
  • the disclosed invention relates to an imager which can be preferably integrated in CMOS technology.
  • CMOS technology complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
  • the expert reader will find it easy to translate the disclosed principles to other opto-electronic technologies.
  • bipolar technology or on Elelctro-optical technologies based on organic starting materials.
  • Elelctro-optical technologies based on organic starting materials.
  • circuit blocks and principles specific to the CMOS technology these are to be understood as exemplary explanations of the application in this technology, but not as limiting the transferability to other electro-optical technologies.
  • the sensor according to the invention comprises at least the functional blocks shown in FIG. 1:
  • a circuit which allows the conversion of the read-out from the matrix of photosensitive elements signal into a signal pulse whose pulse length depends on the signal value.
  • the control circuit (2) starts to activate the matrix of photosensitive elements and read out sequentially.
  • the imager is then in a "freerunning" mode.
  • the circuit for converting the sensor signals into a signal pulse (3) sequentially converts, for each pixel read, its signal value into a pulse with a length that depends on the signal value.
  • the interface (4) continuously transmits the data read out via the available data line.
  • the control circuit (2) starts recording and transmitting a next image.
  • the reading and recording of a picture is designed overlapping in time, according to known technique, this can be done both in the so-called “rolling shutter” mode, or in the so-called “global shutter” mode.
  • the matrix of photosensitive sensors can be designed so that no actual integration time is necessary, but so that the incident light signal is converted directly into a readable electrical signal, for example by means of "logarithmic pixels".
  • control circuit (2) has possibilities by means of which the start of the image recording, the start of the image transmission, or the sensitivity or the exposure time used for image recording can be set from outside the sensor.
  • this communication which by its nature requires a lower data rate than the transmission of the image data from the pickup to the receiving device, without the provision of additional signal lines.
  • Such a transmission of configuration data can be realized, for example, via the power supply, e.g. in that on the power supply a signal is modulated with respect to the power supply of low amplitude.
  • a data transmission can also take place between the transmission of image data via the image data interface.
  • the control circuit (2) can be designed so that after transferring the image data of a recording from the image sensor to the receiving device, the control circuit (2) deactivates the driver of the interface and is set to the transmission of configuration data from the receiver to the sensor.
  • the matrix of photodetectors (1) is designed in a known technique as a CMOS image sensor.
  • the matrix of detector elements is designed as a matrix of standard CMOS pixels (5).
  • the reading is done sequentially, line by line and column by column. If several parallel data transmission channels are available, the data can be read in parallel from the matrix in a known technique.
  • the pixel signal is subsequently converted into a pulse length corresponding to the signal value. This is preferably done by the signal value read out of the matrix by means of a sample and hold Circuit (6) is held. As soon as the signal value of a pixel is held, it is compared with a signal ramp generated by a ramp generator (7) by means of a comparator (8). The ramp starts with the holding of the signal.
  • the signal pulse to be transmitted is also started, ie by means of the interface (4), a signal pulse is transmitted.
  • the comparator (8) determines that the ramp value has reached the signal value
  • the transmission of the signal pulse is ended.
  • the generated ramp is reset to the initial value and the sampling circuit (6) starts recording the next pixel value.
  • the reference ramp can be realized with a linear increase over time, as well as non-linear.
  • a non-linear reference ramp offers the possibility of achieving a nonlinear transfer function from the optical input signal to the output signal detected in the receiving device.
  • one of the known "gamma curve" modeled Kennlienie can be achieved.
  • both the reading out of the pixel matrix, as well as holding and comparing the signal with the generated ramp can be done both in voltage and in the current range.
  • control circuit (2) is designed so that the total readout time per pixel remains constant.
  • such an exposure time control can be realized when the pulse lengths are configured such that the pulse length is inversely proportional to the incident on the respective pixel light intensity.
  • the total readout time and thus the exposure time can be shorter if average light intensity on the sensor is greater and, conversely, if the light incidence is low, the exposure time is increased together with the total readout time.
  • the transmission of the signal pulse can be carried out both by means of a single-wire voltage or current signal and by means of a differential signal.
  • signal transmission by means of a low-voltage differential voltage signal (LVDS) or by means of a differential current signal is preferable.
  • a driver circuit with associated receiver circuit for the transmission of the pulse signal by means of LVDS technology is shown in FIG.
  • the pulse transmission can be realized by an optical pulse, by means of optical waveguide, or by a pulsed electromagnetic oscillation in the radio wave range.
  • the signal pulse can also be modulated on the supply lines. e.g. as a high-frequency vibration.
  • a high-frequency oscillation source e.g. a Hofrequenter ring oscillator which controls a current source driven by the signal pulse.
  • the high-frequency oscillation source is directly connected to the supply pins of the image sensor (11) and (12).
  • the chip internal supply is isolated by means of low-pass filter (10) from the high-frequency signal.
  • the high-frequency signal is decoupled from the voltage supply by means of bandpass or high-pass filters and the length of the signal pulse is detected.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Multimedia (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Transforming Light Signals Into Electric Signals (AREA)

Abstract

L'invention a pour but de fournir un capteur d'image pouvant être miniaturisé de manière à pouvoir réaliser avec ce capteur un endoscope de très petites dimensions. Le capteur d'image selon l'invention peut en outre être optimisé de telle façon que la majeure partie de la surface semi-conductrice soit disponible pour l'intégration de pixels. Le capteur d'image selon l'invention comprend une transmission de données permettant la transmission de données images, même en présence d'un champ périphérique électromagnétiquement perturbé, exempt d'effets d'interférence. L'invention est en conséquence caractérisée en ce que le capteur d'image convertit le signal lu sur la matrice de pixels, en un signal de durée d'impulsion, et en ce que la valeur de luminosité de chaque pixel est codée par la durée d'une impulsion de signal. L'invention concerne également des procédés permettant de réduire le nombre de contacts électriques du capteur.
PCT/CH2007/000115 2006-03-06 2007-03-05 Capteur d'image miniaturisé WO2007101360A1 (fr)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH3432006 2006-03-06
CH343/06 2006-03-06

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2007101360A1 true WO2007101360A1 (fr) 2007-09-13

Family

ID=38476367

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/CH2007/000115 WO2007101360A1 (fr) 2006-03-06 2007-03-05 Capteur d'image miniaturisé

Country Status (1)

Country Link
WO (1) WO2007101360A1 (fr)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013091124A1 (fr) 2011-12-23 2013-06-27 Awaiba Holding S.A. Agencement endoscopique

Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0867833A2 (fr) * 1997-03-28 1998-09-30 President of Hiroshima University Appareil pour le traitement d'information bidimensionelle

Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0867833A2 (fr) * 1997-03-28 1998-09-30 President of Hiroshima University Appareil pour le traitement d'information bidimensionelle

Non-Patent Citations (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
BRANDL A ET AL: "LVDS signal integrity for video transmission lines", ELECTROMAGNETIC COMPATIBILITY, 2003. EMC '03. 2003 IEEE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON ISTANBUL, TURKEY 11-16 MAY 2003, PISCATAWAY, NJ, USA,IEEE, vol. 1, 11 May 2003 (2003-05-11), pages 537 - 538, XP010795741, ISBN: 0-7803-7779-6 *
NAGATA M ET AL: "A SMART CMOS IMAGER WITH PIXEL LEVEL PWM SIGNAL PROCESSING", 1999 SYMPOSIUM ON VLSI CIRCUITS. DIGEST OF TECHNICAL PAPERS. KYOTO, JUNE 17 - 19, 1999, SYMPOSIUM ON VLSI CIRCUITS, NEW YORK, NY : IEEE, US, vol. CONF. 13, 17 June 1999 (1999-06-17), pages 141 - 144, XP000894789, ISBN: 0-7803-5441-9 *

Cited By (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2013091124A1 (fr) 2011-12-23 2013-06-27 Awaiba Holding S.A. Agencement endoscopique
CH705952A1 (de) * 2011-12-23 2013-06-28 Awaiba Holding S A Endoskopische Anordnung.
US9993140B2 (en) 2011-12-23 2018-06-12 AWAIBA Consultadoria, Desenvolvimento e Comércio de Componentes Microelectrónicos, Unipessoal, Lda Endoscopic arrangement

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