WO2021016921A1

WO2021016921A1 - Image sensor and method and apparatus for acquiring pixel information

Info

Publication number: WO2021016921A1
Application number: PCT/CN2019/098587
Authority: WO
Inventors: 徐泽; 占世武
Original assignee: 深圳市大疆创新科技有限公司
Priority date: 2019-07-31
Filing date: 2019-07-31
Publication date: 2021-02-04
Also published as: CN112119629A

Abstract

The present description provides an image sensor, comprising: a first pixel circuit, used for outputting a first reference voltage and a signal voltage; a readout circuit, used for determining pixel information according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage; and a first clamp circuit, used for performing clamp processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage. The image sensor can perform clamp processing on the first reference voltage on the basis of the value of the first reference voltage, dynamically adjust the first reference voltage, reduce or eliminate noise introduced into the pixel information when a voltage outputted by the first clamp circuit is too high, or solve the problem of a smaller dynamic range of pixel information caused by a too low voltage outputted by the first clamp circuit in a scenario of relatively high light intensity.

Description

Image sensor and method and device for acquiring pixel information

Copyright statement

The content disclosed in this patent document contains copyrighted material. The copyright belongs to the copyright owner. The copyright owner does not object to anyone copying the patent document or the patent disclosure in the official records and archives of the Patent and Trademark Office.

Technical field

This specification relates to the field of image signal processing, and more specifically, to an image sensor, and a method and device for acquiring pixel information.

Background technique

Complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor (CIS) is widely used in consumer electronics, security monitoring, industrial automation, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, etc., for image data collection and sorting, and provides for subsequent applications Information Source.

However, in the case of CIS under strong light, the part that should be displayed as bright is displayed as dark. This phenomenon is called the sunspot phenomenon. Therefore, how to eliminate or suppress the sunspot phenomenon has become a topic worthy of research.

Summary of the invention

This specification provides an image sensor, as well as a method and device for obtaining pixel information, which can suppress sunspots. In addition, the reference voltage can be clamped based on the value of the reference voltage, and the reference voltage can be dynamically adjusted to reduce or eliminate the noise introduced in the pixel information when the voltage output by the clamp circuit is too high, or solve the problem of high light intensity In the scenario where the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is too low, the dynamic range of the pixel information becomes smaller.

In a first aspect, an image sensor is provided, including:

The first pixel circuit is used to output a first reference voltage and a signal voltage;

A readout circuit for determining pixel information according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage;

The first clamping circuit is configured to perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage.

In a second aspect, an image sensor is provided, including:

A first clamping circuit, configured to perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage;

The second pixel circuit is used to output a second reference voltage;

The second clamping circuit is used to perform clamping processing on the second reference voltage; wherein the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is equal to the first reference voltage. The output voltages of the two clamp circuits are different.

In a third aspect, a method for obtaining pixel information is provided, which is characterized in that it includes:

Acquiring the first reference voltage and the signal voltage output by the first pixel circuit;

Performing clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage;

The pixel information is determined according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage.

In a fourth aspect, a device for acquiring pixel information is provided, including a communication unit and a processing unit,

The communication unit is configured to: obtain the first reference voltage and the signal voltage output by the first pixel circuit;

The processing unit is configured to: perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage;

In a fifth aspect, a device for acquiring pixel information is provided, the device includes a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store instructions, the processor is used to execute instructions stored in the memory, and Execution of the stored instructions causes the processor to execute the method of the third aspect.

In a sixth aspect, a chip is provided. The chip includes a processing module and a communication interface, the processing module is used to control the communication interface to communicate with the outside, and the processing module is also used to implement the method of the third aspect.

In a seventh aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided, on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the computer realizes the method of the third aspect. Optionally, the computer may be the device described in the fifth aspect.

In an eighth aspect, a computer program product containing instructions is provided, which when executed by a computer causes the computer to implement the method of the third aspect. Optionally, the computer may be the device described in the fifth aspect.

Description of the drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram of a pixel unit;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a working sequence of a pixel unit provided in this specification;

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an image sensor provided in this specification;

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of another image sensor provided in this specification;

5 is a schematic diagram of the working sequence of an image sensor provided in this specification;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of still another image sensor provided in this specification;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of still another image sensor provided in this specification;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a method for obtaining pixel information provided in this specification;

Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a device for obtaining pixel information provided in this specification.

Detailed ways

The technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be described below in conjunction with the drawings.

Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field of this specification. The terms used in the description of this specification herein are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments, and should not be construed as limiting the specification.

The image sensor may include a pixel unit (pixel) array and a signal processing circuit. The area where the pixel unit array is located can be referred to as the photosensitive circuit area of the image sensor. The pixel unit array may be composed of multiple pixel units, for example, may be composed of tens of thousands or even hundreds of millions of pixel units. The pixel unit is sometimes called a photosensitive unit. The pixel unit can be used to convert the received light signal into an analog signal.

The area where the signal processing circuit is located can also be called the peripheral circuit area of the image sensor. The signal processing circuit is electrically connected to the pixel unit array, and can be used to convert the analog signal output by the pixel unit array into a digital signal for representing image information collected by the pixel unit.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pixel unit 10 in the embodiment of the present specification may generally include a photo-diode (PD), a transmission transistor (transport, TX), a source follower (source follower, SF), and a reset transistor ( reset, RST) and gate transistor (selection, SEL).

Photo-diode (PD) can be used to convert received photons into electrons (that is, output photo-generated electrons). It should be understood that the PD can also be replaced with other devices that have the function of converting photons into electrons, such as phototransistors, photomultipliers, etc.

The transmission transistor (transport, TX) can be used to transmit the photogenerated electrons output by the PD to a floating diffusion (FD) located between TX and RST.

Floating diffusion (FD) can play a role in charge-voltage conversion. The floating diffusion FD can be understood as a parasitic capacitance of a transistor, which can be used to induce a corresponding voltage signal according to the amount of charge output by TX.

The reset transistor (reset, RST) is used to reset the pixel unit 10 for the next signal collection. In addition, RST is also used to provide a reference voltage.

The gate of the source follower (SF) is connected to the floating diffusion (FD). The SF can be used to receive the voltage signal of the FD and generate a follower signal of the voltage signal of the FD. The follower signal is the SF The output signal. The following signal can be understood as a voltage signal obtained after the voltage signal of the FD is level-shifted.

The gate transistor (selection, SEL) can be used to receive a control signal input from an external control circuit. The control circuit may be, for example, a signal processing circuit in an image sensor where the pixel unit 10 is located. When the control circuit controls the SEL to turn on, a source follower (source follower, SF) can output a follower signal to the readout circuit.

The working process of the pixel unit 10 can be divided into two stages, the stage of reading the reference voltage (Vref) and the stage of reading the signal voltage (Vsig).

In the phase of reading the reference voltage, the transmission transistor (transport, TX) is turned off, and the electrons generated by the photo-diode (PD) cannot enter the floating diffusion (FD). At this time, the voltage of the FD Determined by the reset transistor (reset, RST). The control circuit can turn on the selection transistor (SEL) to output a voltage to the readout circuit, which is the reference voltage.

In the phase of reading the signal voltage, the control circuit turns on the transmission transistor (transport, TX), and the electrons generated by the photo-diode (PD) enter the floating diffusion (FD). At this time, the voltage of the FD drops . At this time, the voltage output by the pixel unit 10 is a signal voltage.

The readout circuit can determine the light intensity based on the difference between the reference voltage and the signal voltage.

The working sequence of each transistor of the pixel unit 10 is shown in FIG. 2. The image sensor can first set the gate transistor SEL of the pixel circuit 10 to a high potential and turn on the gate transistor SEL; then set the reset transistor RST to a low potential so that the readout circuit can read the reference voltage, and the readout circuit reads the reference voltage. The process is shown in SHR in Figure 2. After the readout circuit reads the reference voltage, the image sensor can turn on the transfer transistor TX to make the electrons generated by the photodiode PD flow into the floating diffusion FD. After the transfer transistor TX is turned off, the readout circuit reads the signal voltage, as shown in Figure 2. As shown in the SHS; after the readout circuit finishes reading the voltage signal, the image sensor can set the gate transistor SEL to a low level and turn off the gate transistor SEL.

However, the transmission transistor (TX) is not an ideal switch. When a photo-diode (PD) is irradiated with strong light, a large amount of electrons are generated, and some of the electrons will overflow to the FD through TX, which causes the reference voltage read by the readout circuit to decrease. In addition, the FD itself has the ability to be sensitive, and will also generate electrons when exposed to light, causing the reference voltage read by the readout circuit to decrease. Because the difference between the reference voltage and the signal voltage is too small, the light intensity determined by the reading circuit is less than the actual value, resulting in sunspots.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, this specification provides an image sensor, as shown in FIG. 3.

The image sensor includes a first pixel circuit, a first clamp circuit, and a readout circuit (ie, a signal processing circuit). among them,

The first clamping circuit is configured to perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the first reference voltage.

The circuit shown in Figure 3 is part of the structure of the image sensor. The first pixel circuit is, for example, the pixel unit 10 described in FIG. 1, and the specific structure of the first pixel circuit is not limited in this specification. The first reference voltage is, for example, the reference voltage (Vref) in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1. The signal voltage is, for example, the signal voltage (Vsig) in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

Fig. 4 is a possible form of the image sensor in Fig. 3. The image sensor shown in FIG. 4 includes two columns of pixel circuits, namely a first pixel circuit and a second pixel circuit.

In each column of pixel units, a source follower (SS-SF) and a strobe transistor (SS-SEL) are introduced. In the entire pixel array, all SS-SF gates are electrically connected, and all SS-SEL gates Electrical connection. When the image sensor is working, in the phase of reading the reference voltage (SHR phase), SS-SEL is set to high potential to open, SS-SF is set to potential V-clamp, V-clamp is slightly lower than Vrst (the voltage of RST, equal to the reference Voltage). In a normal scenario, since the V-clamp potential is lower than Vrst, even if the SS-SEL is turned on, the SS-SF is almost in the off state, which has almost no effect on the pixel circuit. When encountering extremely strong light, when the potential of Vrst is too low due to a large amount of charge injection, SS-SF will be in the on state, and the Vref read by the readout circuit will be clamped by the V-clamp and remain at a higher potential. The sequence of the subsequent Vref and Vsig difference calculation is shown in Figure 5.

For the image sensor shown in FIG. 4, when it starts to work, except RST is set to high (used to reset the pixel circuit), the other transistors are all set to low. Among them, SHR represents the process of reading the reference voltage by the readout circuit, and SHS represents the process of reading the signal voltage by the readout circuit.

The image sensor can first set the SEL of each pixel circuit to a high potential and turn on each SEL; then set the RST to a low potential so that the readout circuit can read the reference voltage. Before reading the reference voltage, if the sunspot elimination function needs to be enabled, the image sensor can set each SS-SEL to a high potential and keep the output voltage of each clamp circuit at a high value to avoid the reference voltage The drop is too large; after the readout circuit reads the reference voltage, the image sensor sets SS-SEL to a low level and turns off SS-SEL to prevent the output voltage of the clamp circuit from interfering with the readout signal voltage; The sensor can turn on the TX so that the electrons generated by the PD flow into the FD. After the TX is turned off, the readout circuit reads the signal voltage; after the readout circuit finishes reading the voltage signal, the image sensor can set the SEL low and turn off the SEL.

For the image sensor shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, when the intensity of the light irradiating the first pixel circuit is high, the first reference voltage output by the first pixel circuit will decrease, and it may not even form a voltage difference with the signal voltage. As a result, the light intensity in the pixel information read by the readout circuit is low (or even 0), resulting in sunspots.

Since the first reference voltage is a factor that causes sunspots, the image sensor can clamp the first reference voltage through the first clamping circuit to reduce the voltage value of the first reference voltage under strong light irradiation, or , To avoid the first reference voltage drop under strong light irradiation.

However, when the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is not set properly, it will negatively affect the pixel information (for example, the light intensity). For example, when the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is large, it will interfere with the first reference voltage read by the readout circuit, and eventually cause noise in the pixel information; when the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is small, Moreover, when the light intensity is high, the clamping effect of the first clamping circuit on the first output voltage is not obvious enough, and the range of the difference between the first reference voltage and the signal voltage is reduced, which eventually leads to a reduction in the dynamic range of the pixel information .

Therefore, the first reference voltage can be dynamically adjusted, and the first reference voltage can be clamped according to the value of the first reference voltage.

For example, the reference voltage output by the first pixel circuit under the condition that the light intensity is 0 is the first voltage value (for example, 10 volts), when the first reference voltage is less than the first voltage threshold (for example, 7 volts), it will cause For sunspots, the image sensor can increase the first reference voltage to be greater than or equal to the preset voltage (for example, 8 volts), so as to reduce or eliminate the effect of the too low output voltage of the first clamp circuit on the pixel information. The influence of dynamic range (ie, weaken or eliminate sunspots); when the first reference voltage is greater than the second voltage threshold (for example, 9 volts), sunspots will not be caused, and the image sensor can disable the first clamp The clamping function of the circuit on the first reference voltage is to reduce or eliminate the noise caused by the excessively high output voltage of the first clamping circuit in the pixel information. Among them, "disabling the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage" can be to reduce the output voltage of the first clamping circuit, or it can be to turn off the first clamping circuit and the first pixel circuit. Switch between.

When the first reference voltage is equal to the reference voltage output by the first pixel circuit under the condition that the light intensity is 0, it can eliminate the noise caused by the excessively high output voltage of the first clamp circuit in the pixel information, and can also eliminate the An excessively low output voltage of a clamping circuit affects the dynamic range of pixel information.

Therefore, the image sensor provided in this specification clamps the first reference voltage based on the value of the first reference voltage, and dynamically adjusts the first reference voltage, which can reduce or eliminate the problem of the pixel when the voltage output by the first clamping circuit is too high. The noise introduced in the information, or it can solve the problem that the dynamic range of the pixel information becomes smaller when the voltage output by the first clamp circuit is too low in a scene with high light intensity.

As an optional implementation manner, the first clamping circuit is used for:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the first reference voltage is clamped so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to the preset voltage; or,

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamp function for the first reference voltage is disabled.

The above-mentioned preset voltage may be a reference voltage output by the first pixel circuit under the condition that the light intensity is 0, or may be a voltage of other values.

The image sensor can determine whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots through the relationship between the value of the first reference voltage and the voltage threshold. For example, when the value of the first reference voltage is less than or equal to the first voltage threshold, the image sensor determines that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; when the value of the first reference voltage is greater than the second voltage threshold, the image sensor determines the first reference Voltage cannot cause sunspots. The second voltage threshold and the second voltage threshold may be equal or unequal.

The image sensor may also determine whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots according to the relationship between the value of the first reference voltage and the voltage threshold in the preset time period. For example, when the average value of the first reference voltage within 1 millisecond is less than or equal to the first voltage threshold, the image sensor determines that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; when the average value of the first reference voltage within 1 millisecond is greater than the second voltage threshold When the image sensor determines that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.

This specification does not limit the manner in which the first reference voltage can cause sunspots.

For example, the image sensor may determine whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots based on parameters measured by other sensors (for example, light intensity). When the light intensity is high, the image sensor determines that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; when the light intensity is low, it determines that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.

For another example, the image sensor may determine that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots according to information input by the user. When the user inputs information indicating that the current light is strong, or when the user inputs information that the shooting mode that eliminates sunspots needs to be turned on, the image sensor determines that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; when the user input indicates that the current light is weak Or, when the user inputs information that the shooting mode for eliminating sunspots needs to be turned off, the image sensor determines that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, it means that the first reference voltage is low. At this time, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit needs to be increased so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to the preset voltage in order to reduce or eliminate sunspot.

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamp function for the first reference voltage can be disabled to solve the dynamics of the pixel information when the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is too low in a scene with high light intensity The scope becomes smaller.

Optionally, the image sensor provided in this specification also includes:

The second clamping circuit is used for clamping the second reference voltage output by the second pixel circuit; wherein the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage,

The output voltage of the second clamping circuit is lower than the second reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage; or,

The output voltage of the second clamping circuit is higher than the second reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage.

The image sensor including the second clamping circuit is shown in Figure 6. Illustratively, FIG. 6 shows two pixel units in a pixel array included in the image sensor. Optionally, in the pixel array, each column of pixel units includes a clamp SF (ie, SS-SF) and a clamp SEL (SS-SEL). In the entire pixel array, the gates of all SS-SFs are electrically connected, and the gates of all SS-SELs are electrically connected. In FIG. 6, the source of the SS-SF is electrically connected to the drain of the SS-SEL, and the source of the SS-SEL is electrically connected to the pixel column signal line of the image sensor.

The gate of the SS-SF connected to the first clamp circuit is connected to the power supply, and the gate of the SS-SF connected to the second clamp circuit is also connected to the power supply. The power supply voltages of the power supplies connected to the two clamp circuits can be the same , Can also be different. The switch circuit and the two SS-SELs connected to the switch circuit are optional circuits, and the switch circuit is used to control the opening and closing of the two SS-SELs. Taking the first clamp circuit as an example, when the switch circuit controls the SS-SEL to turn on, the first clamp circuit can clamp the first reference voltage output by the first pixel circuit; when the switch circuit controls the SS-SEL to turn on, The clamping function of the first pixel circuit by the first clamping circuit is disabled. The image sensor can determine whether the current light intensity can cause sunspots through the first clamping circuit, the second clamping circuit, the first pixel circuit, and the second pixel circuit.

Take an example that the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the output voltage of the second clamping circuit. The output voltage of the first clamping circuit is relatively high (for example, higher than the first reference voltage). When the light intensity is large, the first clamping circuit has a significant clamping effect on the first reference voltage, so that the The light intensity read by the readout circuit connected to the pixel circuit is relatively high; the output voltage of the second clamping circuit is relatively low (for example, lower than the second reference voltage). When the light intensity is relatively high, the second clamping circuit will The clamping effect of the two reference voltages is not obvious, so that the light intensity read by the readout circuit connected to the second pixel circuit is relatively small.

Since the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit are irradiated by light with the same or similar light intensity almost at the same time, and the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage are the same, the image sensor can be read based on the two readout circuits. Different light intensity values determine that the current light intensity or the reference voltage (the first reference voltage and/or the second reference voltage) can cause sunspots.

Take the example that the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the output voltage of the second clamping circuit. When the light intensity is small, the first reference voltage can reach a larger value without relying on the first clamping circuit, and the second reference voltage can reach a larger value without relying on the second clamping circuit. Therefore, the two readings The light intensity value read by the output circuit is relatively close.

It can be seen from the above that the image sensor can determine whether the current light intensity or the reference voltage (the first reference voltage and/or the second reference voltage) can cause sunspots based on the circuit shown in FIG. 6.

When the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit can be used to reduce the output voltage of the first clamping circuit when the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.

For example, the output voltage of the first pixel circuit is 10V when the light intensity is 0, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is 12V. When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the image sensor can clamp the first The output voltage of the bit circuit is reduced to 11V to reduce the noise caused by the excessively high output voltage of the first clamp circuit in the pixel information.

Optionally, the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage can be disabled to eliminate the noise caused by the excessively high output voltage of the first clamping circuit in the pixel information.

The foregoing disabling the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage may be to reduce the output voltage of the first clamping circuit to 10V or 9V; or it may be to control the switch circuit to turn off the SS-SEL.

When the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit can be used to increase the output voltage of the first clamping circuit when the first reference voltage can cause sunspots.

For example, the first pixel circuit outputs a reference voltage of 10V under the condition that the light intensity is 0. If the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is 5V, the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, and the image sensor can clamp the first The output voltage of the bit circuit is increased to 9V to reduce the impact of the low voltage output of the first clamp circuit on the smaller dynamic range of the pixel information in a scene with high light intensity.

Optionally, the output voltage of the first clamping circuit can be increased to 10V or 11V to eliminate the influence of too low output voltage of the first clamping circuit on the dynamic range of the pixel information in a scene with high light intensity.

In FIG. 6, the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits. Compared with the pixel circuits that are far away, the difference in the intensity of the light received by adjacent pixel circuits is smaller, which helps the image sensor to accurately determine whether the current light intensity or the reference voltage can cause sunspots.

The two clamping voltages are V-clamp1 and V-clamp2 respectively, and the gate of the odd-numbered column pixel array SS-SF is connected to V-clamp1. When the image sensor is working, V-clamp1 is at a high potential for clamping, and V-clamp2 is at a low potential and has no clamping function. Since the two columns of pixel circuits are physically close together, the light intensity is very close. When the light reaches the sunspot trigger threshold, the odd-numbered column pixel circuit can read almost full-scale light intensity due to the clamping effect of V-clamp1; while the even-numbered pixel circuit reads out because there is no clamp circuit to assist. The value of the light intensity read by the circuit is very small, close to zero. That is to say, in this case, the difference between the brightness values of the two columns of pixel circuits that are physically very close will be very large, and it can be determined that there are sunspots in this scene. When configuring the CIS parameters, you need to set the voltage of V-clamp2 and V-clamp1 to be the same or short-circuit to enable the sunspot elimination function. Conversely, if the output brightness values of the adjacent odd-numbered column pixel circuit and the even-numbered column pixel circuit are very close, it can be inferred that there is no sunspot phenomenon in the scene, and you only need to set the potential of V-clamp1 to the same as V-clamp2 Low potential, or turn off SS-SEL to disable sunspot elimination function to improve image quality.

Optionally, the positional relationship between the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit may also be as shown in FIG. 7.

The circuit shown in FIG. 7 includes 4 pixel circuits, which are a first pixel circuit, a second pixel circuit, a third pixel circuit, and a fourth pixel circuit. Among them, the first pixel circuit and the third pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits, and the two pixel circuits are both connected to the first clamp circuit; the second pixel circuit and the fourth pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits.的pixel circuit, and both of the two pixel circuits are connected to the second clamp circuit. The second pixel circuit and the third pixel circuit may or may not be adjacent.

The image sensor may determine the first light intensity based on the first pixel circuit and the third pixel circuit, the first light intensity is, for example, the average value of the light intensity determined based on the first pixel circuit and the light intensity determined based on the third pixel circuit; The second light intensity may be determined based on the second pixel circuit and the fourth pixel circuit, and the second light intensity is, for example, an average value of the light intensity determined based on the second pixel circuit and the light intensity determined based on the fourth pixel circuit. If the difference between the first light intensity and the second light intensity is small, it can be determined that the current light intensity or the reference voltage cannot cause sunspots; if the difference between the first light intensity and the second light intensity is large, the current light intensity can be determined Light intensity or reference voltage can cause sunspots.

The image sensor provided in this specification is described in detail above. This specification also provides a method for eliminating sunspots, which can be executed by a processor or an image sensor, or can be executed by an electronic device including a processor and an image sensor. As shown in FIG. 8, the method 800 includes:

S810: Obtain a first reference voltage and a signal voltage output by the first pixel circuit.

S820: Perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage.

S830: Determine pixel information according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage.

The image sensor for performing the method 800 may be any one of the image sensors shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 4, FIG. 6 or FIG. 7. The electronic device including the image sensor may be a terminal device with a camera function, such as a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a camera, a wearable device, a camera, etc.

As mentioned above, the first reference voltage is a factor that causes sunspots. Therefore, the processor or the control circuit of the image sensor can clamp the first reference voltage through the first clamping circuit to reduce the exposure of strong light. The reduced voltage value of the first reference voltage, or to prevent the first reference voltage from falling under strong light irradiation.

However, improper setting of the output voltage of the first clamp circuit will negatively affect the pixel information (for example, the light intensity). For example, when the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is large, it will interfere with the first reference voltage read by the readout circuit, and eventually cause noise in the pixel information; when the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is small, Moreover, when the light intensity is high, the clamping effect of the first clamping circuit on the first output voltage is not obvious enough, and the range of the difference between the first reference voltage and the signal voltage is reduced, which eventually leads to a reduction in the dynamic range of the pixel information .

For example, the first pixel circuit outputs a reference voltage of 10 volts (V) under the condition that the light intensity is 0. When the first reference voltage is less than 7V (an example of the first voltage threshold), it will cause sunspots. The sensor can increase the first reference voltage to be greater than or equal to a preset voltage (for example, 8V), so as to reduce or eliminate the influence of the too low output voltage of the first clamp circuit on the dynamic range of the pixel information (ie , Weaken or eliminate sunspots); when the first reference voltage is greater than 9V (an example of the second voltage threshold), sunspots will not be caused, then the image sensor can disable the first clamp circuit to the first reference voltage The clamping function is used to reduce or eliminate the noise caused by the excessively high output voltage of the first clamping circuit in the pixel information.

When the first reference voltage is equal to the reference voltage output by the first pixel circuit under the condition that the light intensity is 0, it can eliminate the noise caused by the excessively high output voltage of the first clamp circuit in the pixel information and eliminate the first An excessively low output voltage of a clamping circuit affects the dynamic range of pixel information.

Therefore, the method 800 performs clamping processing on the first reference voltage based on the value of the first reference voltage, and dynamically adjusts the first reference voltage, which can reduce or eliminate the input in the pixel information when the voltage output by the first clamping circuit is too high. Noise, or, can solve the problem that the dynamic range of the pixel information becomes smaller when the voltage output by the first clamp circuit is too low in a scene with high light intensity.

Optionally, S820 includes:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, control the first clamping circuit to clamp the first reference voltage so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to the preset voltage; or,

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage is disabled.

For the specific manner for the processor or the image sensor to execute the foregoing solution, reference may be made to the related description in the embodiment corresponding to FIG. 3 to FIG. 7. For brevity, details are not described herein again.

Optionally, before S820, the method 800 further includes:

Control the second clamping circuit to clamp the second reference voltage output by the second pixel circuit, where the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is the same as the output of the second clamping circuit Different voltages;

According to the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage, it is determined whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots.

The second pixel circuit and the first pixel circuit may be two adjacent pixel circuits. Since the first pixel circuit and the second pixel circuit are almost simultaneously irradiated by light with the same or similar light intensity, and the first reference voltage is the same as the second reference voltage, the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is the same as that of the second clamping circuit. The output voltage is different, therefore, in the case of high light intensity, the clamping effect of the first clamping circuit on the first reference voltage and the clamping effect of the second clamping circuit on the second reference voltage are quite different; When the light intensity is small, the clamping effect of the first clamping circuit on the first reference voltage is smaller than the clamping effect of the second clamping circuit on the second reference voltage.

The image sensor can determine whether the current light intensity or the reference voltage (the first reference voltage and/or the second reference voltage) can be determined based on the difference between the light intensity values (also called "brightness values") read by the two readout circuits. Cause sunspots.

For example, when the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is greater than or equal to the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; or, when the first reference voltage corresponds to When the difference between the light intensity and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is less than the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.

When the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, disabling the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage includes:

Reduce the output voltage of the first clamp circuit.

Optionally, the image sensor can set the output voltage of the first clamping circuit to 10V or 9V, or the image sensor can close the switch between the first clamping circuit and the first pixel circuit to eliminate the first clamping circuit The excessively high output voltage introduces noise in the pixel information.

When the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the controlling the first clamping circuit to clamp the first reference voltage includes:

Increase the output voltage of the first clamp circuit.

The example of the method for obtaining pixel information provided in this manual is described in detail above. It can be understood that, in order to realize the above-mentioned functions, the device for acquiring pixel information includes hardware structures and/or software modules corresponding to each function. Those skilled in the art should easily realize that in combination with the units and algorithm steps of the examples described in the embodiments disclosed herein, this specification can be implemented in the form of hardware or a combination of hardware and computer software. Whether a certain function is executed by hardware or computer software-driven hardware depends on the specific application and design constraint conditions of the technical solution. Professionals and technicians can use different methods for each specific application to realize the described functions, but such realization should not be considered beyond the scope of this specification.

This specification can divide the device for acquiring pixel information into functional units based on the above method examples. For example, each function can be divided into functional units, or two or more functions can be integrated into one functional unit. The above-mentioned functional units can be implemented in the form of hardware or software. It should be noted that the division of units in this specification is illustrative, and is only a logical function division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation.

Fig. 9 shows a schematic structural diagram of a device for obtaining pixel information provided in this specification. The dotted line in Figure 9 indicates that the unit is an optional unit. The apparatus 900 may be used to implement the methods described in the foregoing method embodiments. The apparatus 900 may be a software module, a chip, a terminal device or other electronic devices.

The device 900 includes one or more processing units 901, and the one or more processing units 901 can support the device 900 to implement the method in the method embodiment corresponding to FIG. 8. The processing unit 901 may be a software processing unit, a general-purpose processor, or a special-purpose processor. The processing unit 901 may be used to control the device 900, execute a software program (for example, the software program including the method 800), and process data (for example, the first reference voltage and the signal voltage). The device 900 may further include a communication unit 905 to implement signal input (reception) and output (transmission).

For example, the apparatus 900 may be a software module, and the communication unit 905 may be an interface function of the software module. The software module can run on the processor or control circuit.

For another example, the apparatus 900 may be a chip, and the communication unit 905 may be an input and/or output circuit of the chip, or the communication unit 905 may be a communication interface of the chip, and the chip may be a component of a terminal device or other electronic equipment .

In the device 900, the communication unit 905 may execute: obtain the first reference voltage and the signal voltage output by the first pixel circuit;

The processing unit 901 may perform: performing clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage; and determining pixel information according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage.

Optionally, the processing unit 901 may execute:

Optionally, before the processing unit 901 performs clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage, it may also perform:

Optionally, the processing unit 901 may execute:

When the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is greater than or equal to the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; or,

When the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is less than the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.

Optionally, when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the processing unit 901 may execute:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is reduced.

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the switch of the first clamp circuit is closed.

Optionally, when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the processing unit 901 may execute:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is increased.

Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and conciseness of description, the specific working processes and effects of the above-mentioned devices and units can be referred to the related descriptions in the corresponding embodiments of FIGS. 1 to 8. For brevity, I won't repeat them here.

In an optional embodiment, an image sensor is provided, including: a first pixel unit for sensing light and outputting a first light-sensing signal; a first clamping circuit for under the control of a first clamping voltage , Clamping the first light-sensing signal; the second pixel unit for sensing light and outputting the second light-sensing signal; the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are arranged at intervals.

The first clamp circuit includes a gate control clamp source follower, and the first clamp circuit includes a gate transistor.

The second clamping circuit is controlled by the second clamping voltage. The second clamp circuit includes a gate control clamp source follower and a gate transistor.

The first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are physically spaced apart. The physically spaced arrangement includes: a single first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are physically adjacent to each other and arranged at intervals. That is, one first pixel unit and one second pixel unit are adjacent to each other and are arranged at intervals. The arrangement is: first pixel unit-second pixel unit-first pixel unit-second pixel unit -... first pixel unit-second pixel unit.

The first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are physically adjacent to each other and arranged at intervals. The arrangement is: first pixel unit-first pixel unit-second pixel unit-second pixel unit -...-first pixel unit-first pixel unit-second pixel unit-second pixel unit.

The same number of first pixel units and the second pixel units are arranged at intervals. The arrangement is: N first pixel units-N second pixel units-...N first pixel units-N second pixel units.

Different numbers of first pixel units and the second pixel units are arranged at intervals. The arrangement is as follows: M first pixel units-N second pixel units-...M first pixel units-N second pixel units. The first clamp voltage is high. When the image sensor is illuminated by strong light, if the first photosensitive signal is close to the second photosensitive signal, the first clamp voltage is reset to a low potential. The first clamping voltage is a high potential, and the second clamping voltage is a low potential. When the image sensor is illuminated by strong light, if the first light-sensing signal is close to the second light-sensing signal, the first clamping voltage is set to a low potential. When the image sensor is illuminated by strong light, if the first light-sensing signal is much larger than the second light-sensing signal, the first clamping voltage is set to a low voltage or the first clamping voltage and the second The clamp voltage is shorted.

The first pixel unit includes a photosensitive element, and at least one of a transfer transistor, a source follower, a reset transistor, and a gate transistor. The second pixel unit includes a photosensitive element, and at least one of a transfer transistor, a source follower, a reset transistor, and a gate transistor.

As an optional implementation manner, the foregoing steps may be completed by a logic circuit in the form of hardware or instructions in the form of software. For example, the processing unit 901 may be a central processing unit (CPU), a digital signal processor (digital signal processor, DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and a field programmable gate array (field programmable gate array). gate array, FPGA) or other programmable logic devices, such as discrete gates, transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

The device 900 may include one or more storage units 902, in which a program 904 (for example, a software program containing the method 800) is stored, and the program 904 may be executed by the processing unit 901 to generate instructions 903, so that the processing unit 901 executes the above instructions according to the instructions 903. The method described in the method embodiment. Optionally, the storage unit 902 may also store data (for example, the first reference voltage and the signal voltage). Optionally, the processing unit 901 may also read data stored in the storage unit 902, and the data may be stored at the same storage address as the program 904, or the data may be stored at a different storage address from the program 904.

The processing unit 901 and the storage unit 902 may be provided separately or integrated, for example, integrated on a single board or a system-on-chip (SOC).

This specification also provides a computer program product, which, when executed by the processing unit 901, implements the method described in any embodiment in this specification.

The computer program product may be stored in the storage unit 902, for example, a program 904. The program 904 is finally converted into an executable object file that can be executed by the processing unit 901 after preprocessing, compilation, assembly, and linking.

The computer program product can be transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, it can be transmitted from a website, computer, server, or data center via wired (such as coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line ( digital subscriber line, DSL) or wireless (such as infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) to another website, computer, server or data center.

This specification also provides a computer-readable storage medium (for example, the storage unit 902), on which a computer program is stored, and when the computer program is executed by a computer, the method described in any embodiment in this specification is implemented. The computer program can be a high-level language program or an executable target program.

The computer-readable storage medium may be a magnetic medium (for example, a floppy disk, a hard disk, and a magnetic tape), an optical medium (for example, a digital video disc (DVD)), or a semiconductor medium (for example, a solid state disk (SSD)) )Wait. For example, the computer-readable storage medium may be volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or the computer-readable storage medium may include both volatile memory and non-volatile memory. Among them, the non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (programmable ROM, PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (erasable PROM, EPROM), and electronic Erase programmable read-only memory (electrically EPROM, EEPROM) or flash memory. The volatile memory may be random access memory (RAM), which is used as an external cache. By way of exemplary but not restrictive description, many forms of RAM are available, such as static random access memory (static RAM, SRAM), dynamic random access memory (dynamic RAM, DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (synchronous DRAM, SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (double data rate SDRAM, DDR SDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (enhanced SDRAM, ESDRAM), synchronous connection dynamic random access memory (synchlink DRAM, SLDRAM) ) And direct memory bus random access memory (direct rambus RAM, DR RAM).

It should be understood that, in each embodiment of this specification, the size of the sequence number of each process does not mean the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not correspond to the description of the embodiments of this specification. The implementation process constitutes any limitation.

The term "and/or" in this article is only an association relationship describing associated objects, which means that there can be three types of relationships. For example, A and/or B can mean that there is A alone, and both A and B exist. There are three cases of B. In addition, the character "/" in this text generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

The systems, devices, and methods disclosed in the embodiments provided in this specification can be implemented in other ways. For example, some features of the method embodiments described above may be ignored or not implemented. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. The division of units is only a logical function division. In actual implementation, there may be other division methods, and multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system. In addition, the coupling between the units or the coupling between the components may be direct coupling or indirect coupling, and the foregoing coupling includes electrical, mechanical or other forms of connection.

In short, the above descriptions are only part of the embodiments of this specification, and are not used to limit the protection scope of this specification. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of this specification shall be included in the protection scope of this specification.

Claims

An image sensor, characterized in that it comprises:

The first pixel circuit is used to output a first reference voltage and a signal voltage;

A readout circuit for determining pixel information according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage;

The first clamping circuit is configured to perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage.
The image sensor according to claim 1, wherein the first clamping circuit is specifically configured to:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the first reference voltage is clamped so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to a preset voltage; or,

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamping function of the first reference voltage is disabled.
The image sensor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the image sensor further comprises:

The second clamp circuit is used to clamp the second reference voltage output by the second pixel circuit; wherein, the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamp circuit It is different from the output voltage of the second clamp circuit.
The image sensor according to claim 3, wherein the second pixel circuit and the first pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits.
The image sensor according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit specifically uses in:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is reduced.
5. The image sensor of claim 5, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is less than or equal to the first reference voltage.
The image sensor according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the first clamping circuit comprises a switch, and when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage , The first clamping circuit is specifically used for:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the switch is closed.
The image sensor according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit specifically uses in:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is increased.
8. The image sensor according to claim 8, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is greater than or equal to the first reference voltage.
A method for obtaining pixel information, characterized in that it comprises:

Acquiring the first reference voltage and the signal voltage output by the first pixel circuit;

Performing clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage;

The pixel information is determined according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage.
The method according to claim 10, wherein the performing clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage comprises:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, control the first clamping circuit to clamp the first reference voltage so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to the preset voltage; or,

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage is disabled.
The method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein before the clamping process is performed on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage, the method further comprises:

The second clamping circuit is controlled to perform clamping processing on the second reference voltage output by the second pixel circuit, wherein the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is equal to the The output voltage of the second clamping circuit is different;

It is determined whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots according to the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage.
The method according to claim 12, wherein said determining whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots according to the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage, include:

When the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is greater than or equal to the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; or,

When the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is less than the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.
The method according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the second pixel circuit and the first pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits.
The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit is disabled The clamping function of the first reference voltage includes:

The output voltage of the first clamp circuit is reduced.
15. The method of claim 15, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is less than or equal to the first reference voltage.
The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit is disabled The clamping function of the first reference voltage includes:

Turn off the switch of the first clamp circuit.
The method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the controlling the first clamping circuit to The clamping processing of the first reference voltage includes:

Increase the output voltage of the first clamping circuit.
The method according to claim 18, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is greater than or equal to the first reference voltage.
A device for acquiring pixel information, characterized in that it comprises a communication unit and a processing unit,

The communication unit is configured to: obtain the first reference voltage and the signal voltage output by the first pixel circuit;

The processing unit is configured to: perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage according to the value of the first reference voltage;

The pixel information is determined according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage.
The device according to claim 20, wherein the processing unit is specifically configured to:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, control the first clamping circuit to clamp the first reference voltage so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to a preset voltage; or,

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamping function of the first clamping circuit for the first reference voltage is disabled.
The device according to claim 20 or 21, wherein the processing unit is further configured to:

The second clamping circuit is controlled to perform clamping processing on the second reference voltage output by the second pixel circuit, wherein the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is equal to the The output voltage of the second clamping circuit is different;

It is determined whether the first reference voltage can cause sunspots according to the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage.
The device according to claim 22, wherein the processing unit is specifically configured to:

When the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is greater than or equal to the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage can cause sunspots; or,

When the difference between the light intensity corresponding to the first reference voltage and the light intensity corresponding to the second reference voltage is less than the light intensity threshold, it is determined that the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots.
23. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein the second pixel circuit and the first pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits.
The device according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the processing unit is specifically configured to:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is reduced.
The device according to claim 25, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is less than or equal to the first reference voltage.
The device according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the processing unit is specifically configured to:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the switch of the first clamp circuit is closed.
The device according to any one of claims 21 to 24, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the processing unit is specifically configured to:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is increased.
The device according to claim 28, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is greater than or equal to the first reference voltage.
An image sensor, characterized in that it comprises:

The first pixel circuit is used to output a first reference voltage and a signal voltage;

A readout circuit for determining pixel information according to the first reference voltage and the signal voltage;

A first clamping circuit, configured to perform clamping processing on the first reference voltage;

The second pixel circuit is used to output a second reference voltage;

The second clamping circuit is used to perform clamping processing on the second reference voltage; wherein the second reference voltage is equal to the first reference voltage, and the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is equal to the first reference voltage. The output voltages of the two clamp circuits are different.
The image sensor according to claim 30, wherein the first clamping circuit is specifically configured to:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the first reference voltage is clamped so that the first reference voltage is greater than or equal to a preset voltage; or,

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the clamping function of the first reference voltage is disabled.
The image sensor according to claim 30 or 31, wherein the second pixel circuit and the first pixel circuit are two adjacent pixel circuits.
The image sensor according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit specifically uses in:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is reduced.
The image sensor of claim 33, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is less than or equal to the first reference voltage.
The image sensor according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein the first clamping circuit comprises a switch, and when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is higher than the first reference voltage , The first clamping circuit is specifically used for:

When the first reference voltage cannot cause sunspots, the switch is closed.
The image sensor according to any one of claims 30 to 32, wherein when the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is lower than the first reference voltage, the first clamping circuit specifically uses in:

When the first reference voltage can cause sunspots, the output voltage of the first clamp circuit is increased.
The image sensor according to claim 36, wherein the output voltage of the first clamping circuit is greater than or equal to the first reference voltage.
An image sensing device, characterized by comprising: a memory and a processor, the memory is used to store instructions, when the instructions are executed by the processor, the processor is used to execute any of claims 10 to 19 The method described in one item.
An image sensor control device comprising a memory and a processor, and an executable program is stored in the memory, and the executable program is executed to implement the method according to any one of claims 10 to 19.
An image sensor, characterized in that it comprises:

The first pixel unit is used to sense light and output a first light-sensing signal;

The first clamping circuit is used to clamp the first photosensitive signal under the control of the first clamping voltage;

The second pixel unit is used to sense light and output a second light-sensing signal;

The first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are spaced apart.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the first clamping circuit comprises a gate control clamping source follower.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the first clamp circuit comprises a gate transistor.
The image sensor according to claim 40, further comprising a second clamping circuit, and the second clamping circuit is controlled by a second clamping voltage.
The image sensor according to claim 43, wherein the second clamping circuit comprises a gate control clamping source follower.
The image sensor according to claim 43, wherein the second clamp circuit includes a gate transistor.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the spaced arrangement of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit comprises: the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are physically spaced apart.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the spaced arrangement of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit comprises: a single first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are physically adjacent and spaced apart from each other. Set up.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the spaced arrangement of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit comprises: the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are physically adjacent to each other and spaced apart in pairs. Set up.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the spaced arrangement of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit comprises: the same number of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are spaced apart from each other.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the spaced arrangement of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit comprises: different numbers of the first pixel unit and the second pixel unit are spaced apart from each other.
The image sensor of claim 40, wherein the first clamp voltage is a high potential.
The image sensor according to claim 51, wherein when the image sensor is illuminated by strong light, if the first light-sensing signal is close to the second light-sensing signal, the first clamping voltage Reset to low level.
The image sensor according to claim 43, wherein the first clamping voltage is a high potential, and the second clamping voltage is a low potential.
The image sensor according to claim 53, wherein when the image sensor is illuminated by strong light, if the first photosensitive signal is close to the second photosensitive signal, the first clamping voltage Set to low potential.
The image sensor according to claim 53, wherein when the image sensor is illuminated by strong light, if the first photosensitive signal is much greater than the second photosensitive signal, the first clamping voltage Set to low voltage or short-circuit the first clamp voltage and the second clamp voltage.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the first pixel unit comprises a photosensitive element, a transfer transistor, a source follower, a reset transistor, and a gate transistor.
The image sensor according to claim 40, wherein the second pixel unit comprises a photosensitive element, a transfer transistor, a source follower, a reset transistor, and a gate transistor.