Patent ID: 8093541
Filing Date: 2012-01-10
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A circuit that generates control signals for transistors in a pixel, comprising: a transfer transistor control signal circuit that outputs a positive boosted transfer transistor control signal for a photosensor-to-floating diffusion region charge transfer operation and for a shutter operation just before integration of the pixel, that outputs a negative transfer transistor control signal to the pixel during integration of the pixel, and that outputs a positive non-boosted transfer transistor control signal to the pixel when the pixel is not selected for readout and not in integration; and a reset transistor control signal circuit that outputs a positive boosted reset transistor control signal during a floating diffusion region reset of the pixel when selected for readout and for a shutter operation just before integration and that outputs a positive non-boosted reset transistor control signal to the pixel when not selected for readout, wherein the transfer transistor control signal circuit comprises a four branch output stage, each branch representing a different current path, a latch logic stage for providing control signals to the output stage, and a boosted control signal stage for providing boosted control signals to the output stage, and wherein each output branch comprises one of a ground voltage output branch able to output a ground voltage, a supply voltage output branch able to output a supply voltage, a boosted transfer high voltage output branch able to output a boosted transfer high voltage, and a negative transfer low voltage output branch able to output a negative transfer low voltage.