Patent ID: 7924332
Filing Date: 2011-04-12
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image sensor comprising: a biasing circuit; and a pixel array, each pixel in the pixel array comprising a photodiode, a reset transistor, and a readout transistor, wherein the reset transistor controls operation of the photodiode and the gate voltage of the readout transistor, and wherein the readout transistor is configured to provide an output proportional to a voltage or current output of the photodiode, where the drains of readout transistors of each pixel in the same row or column are connected directly together and to said biasing circuit or the sources of readout transistors of each pixel in the same row or column are connected directly together and to said biasing circuit, wherein reference voltages or currents from said biasing circuit are applied to said readout transistor to turn on said readout transistor when an output of the photodiode is to be read out and to turn off said readout transistor when an output of the photodiode is not to be read out whereby an address transistor is not required in each pixel to turn on said readout transistor.