Optimized Voltage Design for Low-Power Imaging Systems
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Summary
Problems
Imaging apparatuses face challenges in achieving higher image quality while minimizing power consumption, as existing designs often drive both the light reception unit and peripheral circuit unit at equal voltages, leading to insufficient consideration of power reduction.
Innovation solutions
The imaging apparatus employs a semiconductor substrate with a pixel circuit unit and a peripheral circuit unit, utilizing insulated gate field effect transistors with varying maximum gate potential differences to optimize voltage usage, where pixel circuits operate at higher potentials and analog/digital signal processing circuits operate at lower potentials to reduce power consumption.
TRIZ Analysis
Specific contradictions:
General conflict description:
Principle concept:
If the light reception unit and peripheral circuit unit are driven at equal voltage, then the device structure is simplified, but power consumption cannot be sufficiently reduced
Why choose this principle:
The imaging apparatus is divided into two distinct voltage domains: the pixel circuit unit operates at a first voltage level while the peripheral circuit unit operates at a second voltage level. This segmentation allows each unit to be optimized independently for its specific functional requirements, enabling power consumption reduction in the peripheral circuit without affecting pixel circuit performance.
Principle concept:
If the light reception unit and peripheral circuit unit are driven at equal voltage, then the device structure is simplified, but power consumption cannot be sufficiently reduced
Why choose this principle:
Different voltage levels are applied to different regions of the device according to their specific needs. The pixel circuit unit receives higher voltage for optimal photoelectric conversion and signal generation, while the peripheral circuit unit receives lower voltage to minimize power consumption for signal processing functions.
Application Domain
Data Source
AI summary:
The imaging apparatus employs a semiconductor substrate with a pixel circuit unit and a peripheral circuit unit, utilizing insulated gate field effect transistors with varying maximum gate potential differences to optimize voltage usage, where pixel circuits operate at higher potentials and analog/digital signal processing circuits operate at lower potentials to reduce power consumption.
Abstract
Each of a plurality of pixel circuits is an insulated gate transistor and includes a first kind transistor having a maximum value of a gate potential difference to be applied equal to or higher than a first value. Each of a plurality of analog signal processing circuits is an insulated gate transistor and includes a second kind transistor having a maximum value of a gate potential difference to be applied equal to or lower than a second value that is lower than the first value. Each of a plurality of analog signal processing circuits does not include an insulated gate transistor having a maximum value of a gate potential difference to be applied not higher than the second value.