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Title: Comparator circuits with local ramp buffering for a column-parallel single slope ADC

Patent ·
OSTI ID:1248813

A comparator circuit suitable for use in a column-parallel single-slope analog-to-digital converter comprises a comparator, an input voltage sampling switch, a sampling capacitor arranged to store a voltage which varies with an input voltage when the sampling switch is closed, and a local ramp buffer arranged to buffer a global voltage ramp applied at an input. The comparator circuit is arranged such that its output toggles when the buffered global voltage ramp exceeds the stored voltage. Both DC- and AC-coupled comparator embodiments are disclosed.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), Albuquerque, NM, and Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC04-94AL85000
Assignee:
TELEDYNE SCIENTIFIC & IMAGING, LLC (Thousand Oaks, CA)
Patent Number(s):
9,325,335
Application Number:
14/523,179
OSTI ID:
1248813
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: 2014 Oct 24
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

References (13)

Focal plane analog-to-digital converter patent January 1992
Ramp generator for image sensor ADC patent October 2005
Ramp generators for imager analog-to-digital converters patent September 2007
Rotary clock flash analog to digital converter system and method patent October 2009
Image sensor ADC and CDS per column with oversampling patent May 2012
Multichannel digitizer and method of digitizing patent October 2012
Double data rate (DDR) counter, analog-to-digital converter (ADC) using the same, CMOS image sensor using the same and methods in DDR counter, ADC and CMOS image sensor patent March 2013
Apparatus and method for CDS and ADC with multiple samplings in image sensor patent June 2013
Mixed linear/square-root encoded single slope ramp provides a fast, low noise analog to digital converter with very high linearity for focal plane arrays patent January 2014
Image sensor with double integration time and conditional selection patent April 2014
Analog-to-digital converter using a ramp generator patent May 2014
Comparator, analog-to-digital convertor, solid-state imaging device, camera system, and electronic apparatus patent July 2014
Ad conversion circuit and solid-state image pickup device patent September 2014

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