DE3929018A1 - Opto-electronic image converter on semiconductor chip - has image sensors in=line and A=D converter for each sensor - Google Patents

Opto-electronic image converter on semiconductor chip - has image sensors in=line and A=D converter for each sensor

Info

Publication number
DE3929018A1
DE3929018A1 DE3929018A DE3929018A DE3929018A1 DE 3929018 A1 DE3929018 A1 DE 3929018A1 DE 3929018 A DE3929018 A DE 3929018A DE 3929018 A DE3929018 A DE 3929018A DE 3929018 A1 DE3929018 A1 DE 3929018A1
Authority
DE
Germany
Prior art keywords
converter
line
image
image sensors
semiconductor chip
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
DE3929018A
Other languages
German (de)
Inventor
Hartmut Dipl Ing Wendt
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Deutsche Telekom AG
Original Assignee
Deutsche Telekom AG
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Deutsche Telekom AG filed Critical Deutsche Telekom AG
Priority to DE3929018A priority Critical patent/DE3929018A1/en
Publication of DE3929018A1 publication Critical patent/DE3929018A1/en
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

Links

Classifications

    • HELECTRICITY
    • H04ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04NPICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
    • H04N25/00Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
    • H04N25/70SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
    • H04N25/71Charge-coupled device [CCD] sensors; Charge-transfer registers specially adapted for CCD sensors
    • H04N25/75Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array

Abstract

The converter is formed on a semiconductor chip for a high resolution TV camera. In one line numerous image sensors (S1 - n) are formed each image sensor is connected to an A/D converter (ADW) for digitising the data. A shaft register (SR) is used for buffer storage of the digital data. Pref. 2,000 image sensors are arranged in a line. The A/D converter typically consists of pulse width modulators (PWMI - n) and counters (ZL - n). The sensors pick up photosignals (LI - n) which are converted into a signal voltage proportional to the photoenergy. It is of advantage to provide an extra control of the photosensitivity. ADVANTAGE - High TV resolution and linearity even at low light intensity.

Description

Die Erfindung betrifft einen Bildwandler nach dem Oberbegriff des Anspruchs 1.The invention relates to an image converter according to the preamble of claim 1.

Bekannte Fernsehkameras mit Vakuum-Technik oder CCD- Halbleitern benutzen eine analoge Schaltungstechnik zum sequentiellen Abtasten oder Auslesen der von den Bildsensoren erzeugten analogen Spannungs- und Ladungswerte. Es handelt sich dabei stets um eine sehr hochfrequente Multiplex-Technik, angewendet auf geringe und störungsanfällige Signalwerte.Known television cameras with vacuum technology or CCD Semiconductors use an analog circuit technology for sequential scanning or reading out of the image sensors generated analog voltage and charge values. It is about always a very high-frequency multiplex technology, applied to low and interference-prone signal values.

Dabei entstehen sehr breitbandige Videosignale, obwohl das Fernsehbild selbst nur mit 25 oder 30 Hz abgetastet wird. Bei der 625-Zeilen-CCIR-Norm mit 50 Halbbildern pro Sekunde beträgt die Videobandbreite wie bekannt 5 MHz, bei hochauflösendem Fernsehen liegt sie zwischen 30 MHz und 60 MHz, je nachdem, ob eine Zeilensprung- oder Progressivabtastung angewendet wird. Welche HDTV-Standards zum Einsatz kommen ist noch offen.This creates very broadband video signals, although that TV picture itself is only sampled at 25 or 30 Hz. At the 625-line CCIR standard with 50 fields per second the video bandwidth as known 5 MHz, with high resolution TV it is between 30 MHz and 60 MHz, depending on whether an interlace or progressive scan is applied. Which HDTV standards are used is still open.

Nachteilig bei der sequentiellen Abtastung analoger Signale ist die Schwierigkeit, bei der hohen Videobandbreite ein ausreichend gutes Signal-Rauschverhältnis zu erzielen, wobei ein Signal-Rauschverhältnis von größer 50 dB gut ist. A disadvantage of sequential scanning of analog signals the difficulty with the high video bandwidth to achieve a sufficiently good signal-to-noise ratio, whereby a signal-to-noise ratio of more than 50 dB is good.  

In besonderem Maße trifft dies auf den HDTV-Standard zu, der aufgrund seines hohen Lichtbedarfs eine aufwendige Technik mit sehr hohen Kosten erfordert.This is particularly true of the HDTV standard, the due to its high light requirement, a complex technology requires very high costs.

Die der Erfindung zugrunde liegende Aufgabe, auf einem Halbleiterchip einen Fernseh-Bildwandler für hochauflösendes Fernsehen mit hoher Linearität, sehr hohem Störabstand und geringem Lichtbedarf sowie mit direktem Signalausgang zu realisieren, wird durch die im Hauptanspruch gekennzeichnete Erfindung gelöst.The object underlying the invention, on a Semiconductor chip a television image converter for high resolution TV with high linearity, very high signal-to-noise ratio and low light requirement as well as with direct signal output realize, is characterized by the in the main claim Invention solved.

Weitere Ausgestaltungen der Erfindung sind in den Unteransprüchen gekennzeichnet.Further embodiments of the invention are in the Subclaims marked.

Die mit der Erfindung erzielbaren Vorteile bestehen insbesondere darin, daß der Lichtbedarf und durch eine einfachere Technik die Kosten gesenkt werden.The advantages that can be achieved with the invention exist especially in that the need for light and by a simpler technology the costs can be reduced.

Ein Ausführungsbeispiel ist in der Zeichnung dargestellt und wird im folgenden näher beschrieben.An embodiment is shown in the drawing and is described in more detail below.

Die einzige Figur zeigt ein Blockschaltbild eines digitalen, optoelektrischen Bildwandlers nach der Erfindung.The single figure shows a block diagram of a digital, optoelectric image converter according to the invention.

Die Lichtsignale L1...Ln werden von den Bildsensoren S1...Sn aufgenommen und in eine der Lichtenergie proportionale Signal­ spannung umgewandelt. Für eine gute Auflösung sind 2000 Bildsensoren S1...Sn in jeder Zeile angeordnet. Eine zusätzliche Regelung der Lichtempfindlichkeit ist vorteilhaft, jedoch in der Figur nicht dargestellt.The light signals L 1 ... Ln are recorded by the image sensors S 1 ... Sn and converted into a signal voltage proportional to the light energy. For a good resolution, 2000 image sensors S 1 ... Sn are arranged in each line. An additional control of the light sensitivity is advantageous, but not shown in the figure.

Die proportionalen Signalspannungen werden in Pulsweiten modulatoren PWM1..PWMn parallel in je einen Puls variabler Länge mit konstanter Amplitude umgewandelt. Mit Hilfe einer geeigneten analogen Referenzspannung Uref kann die Umwandlung in gewünschter Weise nichtlinear durchgeführt werden. Die maximale Pulsdauer liegt etwas unter der Zeilendauer bei ca. 16 us.The proportional signal voltages are converted in parallel in pulse width modulators PWM 1 ..PWMn into one pulse of variable length with constant amplitude. With the aid of a suitable analog reference voltage Uref, the conversion can be carried out in a non-linear manner in the desired manner. The maximum pulse duration is somewhat below the line duration at approx. 16 us.

Das Auszählen der Pulslängen erfolgt mit je einem löschbaren Zähler Z1...Zn pro Bildsensor S1...Sn. Als Zähler Z1...Zn werden vorteilhafter Weise 10-bit-Digital-Zähler verwendet. Der von außen zugeführte Zähltakt Z hat eine Frequenz von 64 MHz.The pulse lengths are counted using an erasable counter Z 1 ... Zn per image sensor S 1 ... Sn. 10- bit digital counters are advantageously used as counters Z 1 ... Zn. The counting clock Z supplied from the outside has a frequency of 64 MHz.

Die digitalen Daten werden in je ein Schieberegister SR1...SRn pro Bildsensor S1...Sn parallel eingeladen. Das Auslesen erfolgt teils parallel, teils seriell, um den Energieverbrauch zu senken und damit eine zu starke Wärmeentwicklung zu verhindern. Ein schneller Multiplexer direkt vor dem Ausgang erzeugt die Ausgangsdaten-Wortrate von 2×64 MHz oder 128 MHz.The digital data are loaded in parallel into one shift register SR 1 ... SRn per image sensor S 1 ... Sn. The readout takes place partly in parallel, partly in series, in order to reduce energy consumption and thus prevent excessive heat generation. A fast multiplexer directly in front of the output generates the output data word rate of 2 × 64 MHz or 128 MHz.

Claims (3)

1. Optoelektronischer Bildwandler auf einem Halbleiterchip für hochauflösende Fernsehkameras, dadurch gekenn­ zeichnet,
daß in einer Zeile eine Vielzahl von Bildsensoren (S1...Sn) angeordnet ist,
daß jedem Bildsensor (S1 ... Sn) ein Analog- Digitalwandler (ADW) zur Digitalisierung der Daten nachgeschaltet ist
und daß ein Schieberegister (SR) zur Zwischenspeicherung der digitalen Daten vorgesehen ist.
1. Optoelectronic image converter on a semiconductor chip for high-definition television cameras, characterized in that
that a plurality of image sensors (S 1 ... Sn) is arranged in one line,
that each image sensor (S 1 ... Sn) is followed by an analog-digital converter (ADW) for digitizing the data
and that a shift register (SR) is provided for the temporary storage of the digital data.
2. Optoelektronischer Bildwandler nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß pro Zeile 2000 Bildsensoren (S1...Sn) angeordnet sind.2. Optoelectronic image converter according to claim 1, characterized in that 2000 image sensors (S 1 ... Sn) are arranged per line. 3. Optoelektronischer Bildwandler nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, daß der Analog-Digitalwander (ADW) aus Pulsweitenmodulatoren (PWM1..PWMn) und Zählern (Z1...Zn) besteht.3. Optoelectronic image converter according to claim 1, characterized in that the analog-digital converter (ADC) consists of pulse width modulators (PWM 1 ..PWMn) and counters (Z 1 ... Zn).
DE3929018A 1989-09-01 1989-09-01 Opto-electronic image converter on semiconductor chip - has image sensors in=line and A=D converter for each sensor Withdrawn DE3929018A1 (en)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE3929018A DE3929018A1 (en) 1989-09-01 1989-09-01 Opto-electronic image converter on semiconductor chip - has image sensors in=line and A=D converter for each sensor

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DE3929018A DE3929018A1 (en) 1989-09-01 1989-09-01 Opto-electronic image converter on semiconductor chip - has image sensors in=line and A=D converter for each sensor

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
DE3929018A1 true DE3929018A1 (en) 1991-03-07

Family

ID=6388399

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
DE3929018A Withdrawn DE3929018A1 (en) 1989-09-01 1989-09-01 Opto-electronic image converter on semiconductor chip - has image sensors in=line and A=D converter for each sensor

Country Status (1)

Country Link
DE (1) DE3929018A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2751823A1 (en) * 1996-07-26 1998-01-30 Zhu Yi Ming Digital CMOS image detector with digital programmable function
WO2001086699A2 (en) * 2000-05-08 2001-11-15 Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior U Niversity Low temperature grown optical detector

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
FR2751823A1 (en) * 1996-07-26 1998-01-30 Zhu Yi Ming Digital CMOS image detector with digital programmable function
WO2001086699A2 (en) * 2000-05-08 2001-11-15 Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior U Niversity Low temperature grown optical detector
WO2001086699A3 (en) * 2000-05-08 2003-01-30 Univ Leland Stanford Junior Low temperature grown optical detector
US6653706B1 (en) 2000-05-08 2003-11-25 The Board Of Trustees Of The Leland Stanford Junior University Low temperature grown optical detector

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