MEMORY-ENHANCED IMAGE SENSOR

Abstract

An image sensor IC may have a non-volatile memory for several functions. The functions may include storing control parameters for a camera autofocus module, part tracking data, and data for defect correction or color science. The non-volatile memory can in particular be an antifuse non-volatile memory, which may not need special light shielding.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows how selected components are implemented on a digital image sensor IC according to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 shows how selected components are implemented on a digital image sensor IC according to a second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates schematically an embodiment of an image sensing device of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows schematically a further embodiment of an image sensing device of the invention.

Claims

1-39. (canceled)

40. An image sensor integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a substrate;an antifuse non-volatile memory on said substrate; andan image sensing pixel array on said substrate.

41. The image sensor IC of claim 40, further comprising a volatile memory and mapper for mapping contents of said antifuse non-volatile memory to said volatile memory.

42. The image sensor IC of claim 41, wherein said volatile memory comprises an I2C data bus.

43. The image sensor IC of claim 40, further comprising a switcher for selectively powering said antifuse non-volatile memory.

44. The image sensor IC of claim 43, wherein said switcher is arranged to power said antifuse non-volatile memory upon power-up and to switch off said antifuse non-volatile memory when its contents have been copied to said volatile memory.

45. The image sensor IC of claim 40, wherein said antifuse non-volatile memory is encoded with data for part-tracking.

46. The image sensor IC of claim 45, wherein the data for part-tracking comprises at least one of: sensor ID, date of manufacture, sales region ID, tester ID, test result, wafer ID, and die ID.

47. The image sensor IC of claim 40, wherein said antifuse non-volatile memory is encoded with data for defect correction of image data.

48. The image sensor IC of claim 47, wherein the data for defect correction comprises locations of defective pixels.

49. The image sensor IC of claim 47, wherein the data for defect correction comprises couplet locations.

50. The image sensor IC of claim 40, wherein said antifuse non-volatile memory is encoded with data for color filter array reconstruction.

51. The image sensor IC of claim 50, wherein the data for color filter array reconstruction comprises at least one of: data for anti-vignetting, color channel gains, range scaling parameters, demosaicing algorithms, range clipping parameters, and gamma correction data.

52. The image sensor IC of claim 40, wherein said antifuse non-volatile memory is encoded with data defining embedded firmware for microprocessor or DSP control.

53. The image sensor IC of claim 40, further comprising a processor coupled to said image sensor IC.

54. An electronic device comprising: an image sensor integrated circuit (IC) including a substrate,an antifuse non-volatile memory on said substrate, andan image sensing pixel array on said substrate; anda processor coupled to said image sensor IC.

55. The electronic device of claim 54, further comprising an auxiliary device connected to at least one of said image sensor IC and said processor.

56. The electronic device of claim 55, wherein said auxiliary device comprises a motor for driving a lens carriage, and said antifuse non-volatile memory is encoded with operational parameters for driving said motor.

57. The electronic device of claim 56, wherein said motor comprises a piezoelectric motor.

58. The electronic device of claim 56, further comprising a lens position sensor arranged in feedback with said motor.

59. The electronic device of claim 56, wherein the operational parameters comprise at least one of a first command signal frequency for driving the motor in a first direction, a second command signal frequency for driving the motor in a second direction, and a hard-stop lens position defining an infinity focus.

60. The electronic device of claim 54, wherein said electronic device defines at least one of an optical mouse, a web camera, an imaging apparatus, and a mobile telephone.

61. An electronic device comprising: a processor;an image sensor integrated circuit (IC); anda motor for driving a lens carriage and coupled to at least one of said processor and said image sensor IC;said image sensing IC including an non-volatile memory encoded with operational parameters for driving said motor.

62. The electronic device of claim 61, wherein said electronic device defines at least one of an optical mouse, a web camera, an imaging apparatus, and a mobile telephone.

63. The electronic of claim 61, wherein said motor comprises a piezoelectric motor.

64. The electronic device of claim 61, further comprising a lens position sensor arranged in feedback with said motor.

65. The electronic device of claim 61, wherein the operational parameters comprise one or more of a first command signal frequency for driving the motor in a first direction, a second command signal frequency for driving the motor in a second direction, and a hard-stop lens position defining an infinity focus.

66. The electronic device of claim 61, wherein the non-volatile memory comprises an antifuse non-volatile memory.

67. An image sensor integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a substrate;a non-volatile memory on said substrate, said non-volatile memory encoded with data for part-tracking; andan image sensing pixel array on said substrate.

68. The image sensor IC of claim 67, wherein the data for part-tracking comprises at least one of: sensor ID, date of manufacture, sales region ID, tester ID, test result, wafer ID, and die ID.

69. The image sensor IC of claim 67, wherein said non-volatile memory comprises antifuse non-volatile memory.

70. An image sensor integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a substrate;a non-volatile memory on said substrate, said non-volatile memory encoded with data for defect correction; andan image sensing pixel array on said substrate.

71. The image sensor IC of claim 70, wherein the data for defect correction comprise locations of defective pixels.

72. The image sensor IC of claim 70, wherein the data for defect correction comprises couplet locations.

73. The image sensor IC of claim 70, wherein said non-volatile memory comprises antifuse non-volatile memory.

74. An image sensor integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a substrate;a non-volatile memory on said substrate, said non-volatile memory encoded with data for color filter array reconstruction; andan image sensing pixel array on said substrate.

75. The image sensor IC of claim 74, wherein the data for color filter array reconstruction comprises at least one of: data for anti-vignetting, color channel gains, range scaling parameters, demosaicing algorithms, range clipping parameters, and gamma correction data.

76. The image sensor IC of claim 74, wherein said non-volatile memory comprises antifuse non-volatile memory.

77. An image sensor integrated circuit (IC) comprising: a substrate;a non-volatile memory on said substrate, said non-volatile memory encoded with data defining embedded firmware for microprocessor or DSP control; andan image sensing pixel array on said substrate.

78. The image sensor IC of claim 77, wherein said non-volatile memory comprises antifuse non-volatile memory.

79. A method of operating an image sensor integrated circuit (IC) comprising a substrate, an antifuse non-volatile memory on the substrate, and an image sensing pixel array on the substrate, the method comprising: mapping the contents of the antifuse non-volatile memory to a volatile memory; andselectively powering the antifuse non-volatile memory.

80. The method of claim 79, further comprising powering up the antifuse non-volatile memory upon power-up of the image sensor IC.

81. The method of claim 79, further comprising powering down the antifuse non-volatile memory when it contents have been mapped to the volatile memory.

82. The method of claim 79, further comprising encoding the antifuse non-volatile memory with data for at least one of part-tracking, defect correction of image data, and color filter array reconstruction.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein the data for defect correction comprises locations of defective pixels.

84. The method of claim 82, wherein the data for defect correction comprises couplet locations.