Patent ID: 11950011
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Field: Audio-visual technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC H | IPC H

Claim 18:
19. An image sensor including a pixel array having a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of pixels comprises:
a first photodiode;
a second photodiode having a larger light-receiving area than the first photodiode;
a first floating diffusion node where charge generated in the first photodiode is accumulated;
a second floating diffusion node where charge generated in the second photodiode is accumulated;
a third floating diffusion node where charge transferred from the first floating diffusion node is accumulated;
a first capacitor accumulating charge overflowing from the first photodiode;
a driving transistor configured to generate an output signal corresponding to a voltage of the third floating diffusion node;
a second capacitor storing an amount of overflow charges according to an overflow operation for accumulating the overflowing charge and storing an amount of reset charges according to a reset operation for resetting the first floating diffusion node;
a reset transistor having a first end connected to the second capacitor and a second other end receiving a reset voltage;
a sample transistor configured to control the amount of overflow charges and the amount of reset charges to be stored in the second capacitor;
a first select transistor configured to output, as a pixel signal, an output signal corresponding to a voltage of the second floating diffusion node to a column line;
a second select transistor configured to respectively output, to the column line, the amount of overflow charges and the amount of reset charges stored in the second capacitor as an image signal and a reset signal; and
a third select transistor configured to output, to the column line, at least a part of the output signal corresponding to the voltage of the third floating diffusion node as a pixel signal.