Patent ID: 7382008
Filing Date: 2008-06-03
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. An image sensor comprising: (a) a photosensitive region that accumulates charge corresponding to received incident light; (b) a transfer gate for transferring all or a portion of the charge from the photosensitive region; (c) a voltage supply having an increasing voltage over time that is applied to the transfer gate; (d) a floating diffusion for receiving the all or a portion of the charge from the photosensitive region and converting the charge to a voltage; (e) an amplifier for receiving and amplifying a signal from the floating diffusion; (f) a pulse detector for detecting a voltage pulse from the amplifier; and (g) a counter for counting clock cycles between initiation of the increasing voltage until a signal is received from the detector which indicates initiation of charge transfer from the photosensitive region to the floating diffusion.