READOUT CIRCUIT WITH SHARED ANALOG-TO-DIGITAL CONVERTERS AND RAM MEMORIES , FOR IMAGE SENSOR

摘要

A readout circuit of an imager that enables analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) to be shared between multiple columns of the imager is provided. Groups of ADCs share a single block of memory for storing signals pi'ocessed by the ADCs. The ADCs process signals received from one group of columns of pixels and, at a different time, the ADCs process signals from another group of columns of pixels. While one of the signals processed from a column is being stored in a first memory bank, signals previously processed and stored in a second memory bank are being readout of the storage locations to pipeline readout processes and provided downstream for further processing.