Image sensor, electronic device, and optical pulse signal detection method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an image sensor, an electronic device and a method for detecting a light pulse signal. The image sensor includes a sensing pixel unit and a conventional pixel unit. The sensing pixel unit and the conventional pixel unit are arranged in rows and columns. At least one preset first spacing distance is set between two adjacent sensing pixel units in the same row; a preset second spacing distance is set between two adjacent sensing pixel units in two rows respectively; the image sensor also includes a plurality of gating control lines; the sensing pixel unit and the conventional pixel unit are respectively connected to the gating control lines to control gating. By setting the sensing pixel unit in the image sensor, the present invention can quickly detect the start, end and intensity of the light pulse signal without affecting the photoelectric signals accumulated and stored by all pixel units. At the same time, the design of two gating tubes in the conventional pixel unit ensures that the image sensor can still work normally when one of the gating tubes is short-circuited.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor image sensors, and in particular to an image sensor, an electronic device and a light pulse signal detection method. Background Art

[0002] Image sensor, or photosensitive element, is a device that converts optical images into electronic signals. It is widely used in digital cameras and other electronic optical devices. With the rapid development of digital technology, semiconductor manufacturing technology and the Internet, the market and the industry are facing the arrival of an era of large-scale integration of video, audio, and communication across various platforms, outlining the beauty of human daily life in the future. The pixel array of existing image sensors usually uses a direct method to read out the values ​​of all pixels in the entire array row by row to determine whether there is a change in the light signal. However, the overall readout to determine the change in the light signal is limited by the readout speed of the image sensor itself, and it cannot achieve fast sensing. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide an image sensor and a sensing method so as to enable the image sensor to achieve rapid sensing.

[0004] To achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the present invention provides an image sensor, which includes sensing pixel units and conventional pixel units, wherein the sensing pixel units and conventional pixel units are arranged in rows and columns, and a first spacing distance of conventional pixel units is provided between two adjacent sensing pixel units in the same row; a preset second spacing distance is provided between two adjacent sensing pixel units respectively located in two rows; the image sensor also includes a plurality of gate control lines; the sensing pixel units and conventional pixel units are respectively connected to the gate control lines to control gate.

[0005] Conventional pixel unit further comprises: the sensing pixel unit comprises a first photosensitive element and a first transmission circuit electrically connected to the first photosensitive element; the first transmission circuit further comprises a first sensing gating tube, and the first sensing gating tube is a transistor.

[0006] Furthermore, the first transmission circuit also includes a second sensing gate tube, and the second sensing gate tube is a transistor.

[0007] Furthermore, the gate of the first sensing gating tube and the gate of the second sensing gating tube are connected to the same gating control line.

[0008] Furthermore, the gate of the first sensing gating tube is electrically connected to a gating control line, and the gate of the second sensing gating tube is connected to a power supply.

[0009] Furthermore, the sensing pixel unit also includes a first reset tube and a first amplifier tube, the first reset tube and the first amplifier tube are transistors; the first reset tube is electrically connected to the first amplifier tube, the first sensing gate tube is electrically connected to the second sensing gate tube, and is connected to the source of the first amplifier tube, or the first sensing gate tube is connected to the drain of the first amplifier tube, and the second sensing gate tube is connected to the source of the first amplifier tube.

[0010] Furthermore, the conventional pixel unit includes a second photosensitive element and a second transmission circuit electrically connected to the second photosensitive element; the second transmission circuit also includes a first output gate tube and a second output gate tube, the first output gate tube is connected to a gate control line, and the second output gate tube is connected to another gate control line.

[0011] Further, the second transmission circuit further includes a second reset tube and a second amplifier tube, wherein the second reset tube, the second amplifier tube, the first output gating tube and the second output gating tube are all transistors; the first output gating tube and the second output gating tube are electrically connected and connected to the source of the second amplifier tube, or

[0012] The first output selection tube is connected to the drain of the second amplifier tube, and the second selection tube is connected to the source of the second amplifier tube.

[0013] Furthermore, the image sensor also includes a reference pixel unit, which includes a third photosensitive element, a third reset tube, a third amplifier tube, a first reference gate tube and a second reference gate tube, and the gate of the third reset tube is electrically connected to the power line.

[0014] The present invention further provides an electronic device, comprising any one of the image sensors described above.

[0015] The present invention further provides a method for detecting an optical pulse signal: the method for detecting an optical pulse signal is applied to any one of the image sensors described above, and the method for detecting an optical pulse signal comprises:

[0016] Obtaining the electrical signal value of each sensing pixel unit;

[0017] Calculating a sensing signal value of the image sensor according to the electrical signal value;

[0018] Get reference value;

[0019] Calculate and obtain a first state difference value according to the reference value and the sensing signal value;

[0020] Determine whether the first state difference is greater than a first preset difference; if the first state difference is greater than the first preset difference, set the first state difference as an initial difference;

[0021] Continue to obtain the current reference value and the sensing signal value, and calculate to obtain a second state difference;

[0022] Determine whether the difference between the current second state difference value and the second state difference value at the previous moment is less than the second preset difference value, and if the difference between the current second state difference value and the second state difference value at the previous moment is less than the second preset difference value, set the current second state difference value to the stop state difference value;

[0023] The optical pulse signal intensity and the start and end time are calculated according to the stop state difference.

[0024] The image sensor provided by the present invention can detect light pulse signals by setting a sensing pixel unit in the image sensor without adding an additional selection signal, increasing circuit complexity, and reducing the fill factor of the photosensitive element. In addition to being able to quickly detect light pulse signals, the intensity of light pulses can also be quickly detected without affecting the photoelectric signals accumulated and stored by other conventional pixel units. At the same time, the design of two selection tubes in the conventional pixel unit ensures that the image sensor can still work normally in the case of a short circuit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of an image sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a portion of the structure of an image sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 3 A partial structural schematic diagram of another image sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a reference pixel unit provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 5 A partial readout timing diagram of a sensing pixel unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 6 is a partial readout timing diagram of a conventional pixel unit according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a sensing method of an image sensor provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the sensing process provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] The realization of the purpose, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are only used to explain the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0035] The terms "first", "second", "third", "fourth", etc. (if any) in the specification and claims of the present application and the above-mentioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects, and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that the data used in this way can be interchangeable where appropriate, so that the embodiments described herein can be implemented in an order other than that illustrated or described herein. In addition, the terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions, for example, a process, method, system, product or device that includes a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units that are clearly listed, but may include other steps or units that are not clearly listed or inherent to these processes, methods, products or devices.

[0036] It should be noted that the descriptions of "first", "second", etc. in the present invention are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of the features. In addition, the technical solutions between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but they must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be implemented, it should be deemed that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention.

[0037] See also Figure 1 The embodiment of the present invention provides an image sensor, which includes a sensing pixel unit 10, a regular pixel unit 20 and a reference pixel unit 30, wherein the sensing pixel unit 10, the regular pixel unit 20 and the reference pixel unit 30 are arranged in rows and columns. A preset first spacing distance is set between two adjacent sensing pixel units 10 in the same row; a preset second spacing distance is set between two adjacent sensing pixel units 10 in two rows; the image sensor also includes a plurality of gating control lines; the sensing pixel unit 10 and the regular pixel unit 20 are respectively connected to the gating control lines to control gating.

[0038] In this embodiment, the row and column arrangement includes row distribution along the X direction and column distribution along the Y direction; specifically, a plurality of conventional pixel units 20 are closely arranged in rows and columns, and the sensing pixel units 10 are arranged between the conventional pixel units 20. Specifically, the first spacing distance is the spacing distance between adjacent sensing pixel units 10 in the same row in the X direction, and the second spacing distance is the straight-line distance between two sensing pixel units 10 distributed in two rows. Preferably, the first spacing distance between the adjacent sensing pixel units in the same row is the same. It can be understood that the distance between the two adjacent sensing pixel units 10 in the same row is the same, that is, the same number of conventional pixel units 20 are arranged between the two adjacent sensing pixel units 10 in the same row, so that the sensing pixel units 10 are evenly distributed in the image sensor, and the least sensing pixel units can be used to quickly and accurately sense the light pulse signal.

[0039] refer to Figure 2 , Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a partial structural diagram of an embodiment of an image sensor of the present invention. The image sensor includes a plurality of sensing pixel units 10 and a conventional pixel unit 20 arranged in rows and columns. It should be noted that, in order to make the drawings clearer and more concise, Figure 2 Only a partial schematic diagram of the components of the image sensor is shown, and the partial image sensor includes a sensing pixel unit 10 and a conventional pixel unit 201, a conventional pixel unit 202, a conventional pixel unit 203, a conventional pixel unit 204, and a conventional pixel unit 205; in order to realize the control or signal output of the sensing pixel unit 10, the conventional pixel unit 201, the conventional pixel unit 202, the conventional pixel unit 203, the conventional pixel unit 204, and the conventional pixel unit 205, the partial image sensor also includes selection control lines SEL[n+1], SEL[n], and SEL[n-1] for transmitting selection signals, reset control lines RST[n+1], RST[n], and RST[n-1] for transmitting reset signals, and column signal lines COL[M] and COL[M+1] for outputting photoelectric information collected by the sensing pixel unit and the conventional pixel unit.

[0040] In this embodiment, the sensing pixel unit 10 is used to obtain the intensity of the light pulse signal or obtain imaging information, and calculate the light pulse signal and the start and end time. The sensing pixel unit 10 includes a first photosensitive element PD0 and a first transmission circuit electrically connected to the first photosensitive element PD0; the first transmission circuit also includes a first reset tube RST0, a first amplifier tube MSF0, a first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 and a second sensing gate tube SEL_B0; specifically, the first reset tube RST0, the first amplifier tube MSF0, the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 and the second sensing gate tube SEL_B0 are all transistors; the first reset tube RST0 is electrically connected to the first amplifier tube MSF0, and the first amplifier tube MSF0 is electrically connected to the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 and the second sensing gate tube SEL_B0. In some embodiments, the sensing pixel unit 10 has only the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 electrically connected to the gate control line, and does not need to be used in conjunction with the second sensing gate tube SEL_B0, which is not limited here.

[0041] Specifically, the source of the first reset tube RST0 is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the first photosensitive element PD0 to form a storage node for temporarily storing the converted electrical signal value. The gate of the first reset tube RST0 is electrically connected to the reset control line RST[n], and the drain of the first reset tube RST0 is electrically connected to the power line VDD; the gate of the first amplifier tube MSF0 is connected between the source of the first reset tube RST0 and the negative electrode of the first photosensitive element PD0. In this embodiment, the drain of the first amplifier tube MSF0 is electrically connected to the power line VDD, the source of the first amplifier tube MSF0 is electrically connected to the drain of the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0, and the drain of the second sensing gate tube SEL_B0 is electrically connected to the source of the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0; the gate of the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 is electrically connected to the gate of the second sensing gate tube SEL_B0, and is connected to the same gate control line SEL[n+1].

[0042] Specifically, the sensing pixel unit 10 performs photoelectric conversion, converts the received light pulse signal into an electrical signal value and stores it, waiting for the first transmission circuit to read the stored electrical signal value. Specifically, the first photosensitive element PD0 receives the light pulse signal, generates photogenerated charge, converts it into a corresponding electrical signal value for storage. Specifically, the electrical signal value generated by the light pulse generated by the sensing pixel array detection can be divided into one row or several rows for selection and reading. If read out in one row, then: the sensing pixel units 10 are distributed in different columns of the image sensor, and the selection control lines corresponding to all the sensing pixel units 10 are set to a high level, so that the electrical signal values ​​generated by the light pulses stored in all the sensing pixel units 10 can be read out in one row.

[0043] Preferably, the conventional pixel unit 20 collects light pulse signals and uses them for post-sensing readout. Taking the conventional pixel unit 201 as an example, the conventional pixel unit 201 includes a second photosensitive element PD1 and a second transmission circuit electrically connected to the second photosensitive element PD1; the second transmission circuit also includes a second reset tube RST1, a second amplifier tube MSF1, a first output gate tube SEL_T1, and a second output gate tube SEL_B1. Specifically, the second reset tube RST1, the second amplifier tube MSF1, the first output gate tube SEL_T1, and the second output gate tube SEL_B1 are all transistors; the second reset tube RST1 is electrically connected to the second amplifier tube MSF1, the first output gate tube SEL_T1, the second output gate tube SEL_B1 are electrically connected to the second amplifier tube MSF1; the gate of the first output gate tube SEL_T1 is connected to a gate control line SEL[n+1], and the gate of the second output gate tube SEL_B1 is connected to another gate control line SEL[n-1]. The source of the second output gate transistor SEL_B1 is also electrically connected to the column signal line COL[M], and outputs the electrical signal value after the optical pulse conversion to perform analog-to-digital signal conversion.

[0044] Specifically, the source of the second reset tube RST1 is electrically connected to the negative electrode of the second photosensitive element PD1, the gate of the second reset tube RST1 is electrically connected to the reset control line RST[n], and the drain of the second reset tube RST1 is electrically connected to the power line; the gate of the second amplifier tube MSF1 is connected between the source of the second reset tube RST1 and the negative electrode of the second photosensitive element PD1. In this embodiment, the drain of the second amplifier tube MSF1 is electrically connected to the power line VDD, the source of the second amplifier tube MSF1 is electrically connected to the drain of the first output gate tube SEL_T1, and the drain of the second output gate tube SEL_B1 is electrically connected to the source of the first output gate tube SEL_T1; the gate of the first output gate tube SEL_T1 is connected to a gate control line SEL[n+1], and the gate of the second output gate tube SEL_B1 is connected to another gate control line SEL[n-1].

[0045] In this embodiment, the second photosensitive element PD1 is used to perform photoelectric conversion, convert the received light pulse signal into an electrical signal value and store it, waiting for the second transmission line to read the stored electrical signal value. Specifically, the second photosensitive element PD1 receives the light pulse information, generates photogenerated charge, waits for the sensing pixel unit 10 to determine the start and end time of the light pulse information, and outputs the acquired light pulse information according to the start and end time. Furthermore, when the electrical signal value of the light pulse signal is collected for the conventional pixel unit, the electrical signal value of the light pulse collected by the sensing pixel unit will also be read out at the same time, thereby realizing non-destructive testing.

[0046] In the present embodiment, the output unit 20 further includes a conventional pixel unit 202, a conventional pixel unit 203, a conventional pixel unit 204 and a conventional pixel unit 205; the conventional pixel unit 202 includes a second photosensitive element PD3 and a second output circuit consisting of a second reset tube RST3, a second amplifier tube MSF3, a first output gate tube SEL_T3, and a second output gate tube SEL_B3; the conventional pixel unit 203 includes a second photosensitive element PD4 and a second output circuit consisting of a second reset tube RST4, a second amplifier tube MSF4, a first output gate tube SEL_T4, and a second output gate tube SEL_B4; the conventional pixel unit 204 includes a second photosensitive element PD5 and a second reset tube RST5, a second amplifier tube MSF5, a first output gate tube SEL_T5, a second output gate tube SEL_B4 The second output circuit is composed of the output gate tube SEL_B5; the conventional pixel unit 205 includes a second photosensitive element PD6 and a second output circuit composed of a second reset tube RST6, a second amplifier tube MSF6, a first output gate tube SEL_T6, and a second output gate tube SEL_B6; in the present embodiment, the conventional pixel unit 201 and the sensing pixel unit 10 are located in the nth row of the image sensor, the conventional pixel unit 202 and the conventional pixel unit 203 are located in the n-1th row of the image sensor, the conventional pixel unit 204 and the conventional pixel unit 205 are located in the n+1th layer of the image sensor, and although the conventional pixel unit 202, the conventional pixel unit 203, the conventional pixel unit 204 and the conventional pixel unit 205 are located in different rows from the conventional pixel unit 201, their working principles are the same and will not be repeated here.

[0047] Please see Figure 3 In another embodiment, the source of the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 of the sensing pixel unit 10 is connected to the drain of the first amplifier tube MSF0; the gate of the first sensing gate tube SEL_T0 is connected to the power line; the drain of the second sensing gate tube SEL_B0 is electrically connected to the source of the first amplifier tube MSF0; the gate of the first sensing gate tube SEL_B0 is connected to the gate control line SEL[n+1] or the gate control line SEL[n-1]. The source of the first output gate tube SEL_T1 of the conventional pixel unit 201 is connected to the drain of the second amplifier tube MSF1; the drain of the first output gate tube SEL_T1 is connected to the power line; the drain of the second output gate tube SEL_B1 is electrically connected to the source of the second amplifier tube MSF1; the gate of the first output gate tube SEL_T1 is connected to a gate control line SEL[n+1], and the gate of the second output gate tube SEL_B1 is connected to another gate control line SEL[n-1].

[0048] Preferably, see Figure 4The image sensor further includes a reference pixel unit 30, which includes a third photosensitive element PD2, a third reset tube RST2, a third amplifier tube MSF2, a first reference gate tube SEL_T2, and a second reference gate tube SEL_B2, wherein the gate of the third reset tube RST2 is electrically connected to the power line VDD. The first reference gate tube SEL_T2 and the second reference gate tube SEL_B2 are electrically connected to the gate control line SEL[n0+1] and the gate control line SEL[n0-1], respectively. The reference pixel unit 30 can be used to generate a reference value that is not affected by the light pulse signal, and is used to calculate the state difference, obtain the light pulse intensity, or obtain imaging information.

[0049] In some embodiments, the image sensor is not provided with a reference pixel unit, and the reference value may be a reset value of the sensing pixel unit 10, or a value from a readout circuit of a given input, or a preset value from the image sensor, or a value calculated from a reference pixel unit in the image sensor that is not affected by the light pulse signal, such as obtaining a reference value by shielding a conventional pixel unit with an obstruction. The obtaining of the reference value is not limited here.

[0050] Please see Figure 5 , Figure 5 This is a partial readout timing diagram of the sensing pixel unit. In this embodiment, when the sensing pixel unit 10 detects a light pulse signal, the first photosensitive element PD0 performs photoelectric conversion, converts the received light pulse signal into a corresponding electrical signal value through photoelectric conversion and stores it, and then the selection control line SEL[n+1] or SEL[n-1] electrically connected to the first sensing selection tube SEL_T0 of the first transmission circuit is converted to a high level. At this time, the electrical signal value stored in the sensing pixel is selected to be read, but the electrical signal obtained by the photoelectric conversion of the sensing pixel is not destroyed. After the output of the electrical signal value is completed, the transmission line SEL[n+1] or SEL[n-1] is converted from a high level to a low level. At the same time, the selection control line SEL[n0+1] and the selection control line SEL[n0-1] electrically connected to the reference pixel unit 30 are both converted to a high level. At this time, the corresponding reference value of the reference pixel unit is selected to be read.

[0051] Please see Figure 6 , Figure 6This is a partial readout timing diagram of a conventional pixel unit in an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the conventional pixel unit 201 reads out the stored electrical signal value after the light pulse signal ends. Specifically, the gate control line SEL[n+1] and the gate control line SEL[n-1] electrically connected to the first output gate tube SEL_T1 and the second output gate tube SEL_B1 are converted to a high level, and the electrical signal value converted by the light pulse of the conventional pixel unit 20 is first read out. Then the reset control line RST[n] electrically connected to the second reset tube RST1 is converted to a high level, and the conventional pixel unit is in a reset state. At this time, the reset value of the output pixel unit 20 is read out. The electrical signal value stored in the second photosensitive element PD1 and its reset value are sent to the subsequent signal processing unit. In the signal processing unit, the signal is first amplified and analog-to-digital converted, and then digital signal processing can be performed. Specifically, only when the selection control line SEL[n+1] and the selection control line SEL[n-1] are both in a high level state, the conventional pixel unit is selected and the electrical signal value is sent to the column signal line COL[M]. The conventional pixel unit 20 is selected through the first output selection tube SEL_T1 and the second output selection tube SEL_B1, which not only prevents the conventional pixel unit from being selected when the sensing pixel unit in the same row is read out, but also prevents the entire row of pixel units from being in the selected state when one selection control line is accidentally shorted with the power supply, thereby affecting the reading of the light pulse signal of the entire pixel array, thereby improving the stability and yield of the image sensor.

[0052] Please see Figure 7 When the image sensor is working, the specific method for the sensing pixel unit to detect the intensity of the light pulse includes:

[0053] Step S10: obtaining the electrical signal value of each sensing pixel unit;

[0054] Step S11: calculating the sensing signal value of the image sensor according to the electrical signal value;

[0055] Specifically, the electrical signal value is obtained by converting the optical pulse signal received by each sensing pixel unit 10 of the image sensor into a photoelectric signal. sig is obtained by calculating the electrical signal values ​​of all sensing pixel units 10 of the image sensor; in this embodiment, the sensing signal value V sig It is the average value of the electrical signal values ​​of all the sensing pixel units 10 of the image sensor.

[0056] Step S12: obtaining a reference value;

[0057] In this embodiment, the reference value V ref For the sensing signal value V sig Compare the difference and judge the start and end and size of the optical pulse signal.ref It can be the electrical signal value of the sensing pixel unit 10, or a value calculated from a reference pixel unit in the image sensor that is not affected by the light pulse signal, or a value from a readout circuit with a given input, or a preset value from the image sensor. ref The reference value is calculated for the reference pixel unit 30 in the image sensor that is not affected by the light pulse signal.

[0058] Step S13: Calculate and obtain a first state difference value according to the reference value and the sensing signal value;

[0059] Specifically, the sensing signal value V sig With reference value V ref Subtract to obtain the first state difference V dos By sensing the signal value V sig With reference value V ref Subtraction can eliminate the fixed bias of the sensor and provide more accurate sensing results.

[0060] Step S14: determining whether the first state difference is greater than a first preset difference; if the first state difference is greater than the first preset difference, executing step S15; otherwise, returning to step S10;

[0061] Step S15: setting the first state difference as an initial difference;

[0062] Specifically, when the first state difference is greater than the first preset difference, it indicates that the light pulse signal reaches a recognizable threshold, and the image sensor starts to obtain the light pulse signal.

[0063] Step S16: continue to obtain the current reference value and the sensing signal value, and calculate the second state difference;

[0064] Step S17: Determine whether the current second state difference is equal to the second state difference at the previous moment. If the difference between the current second state difference and the second state difference at the previous moment is less than the second preset difference, execute step S18; otherwise, continue to execute step S16.

[0065] Step S18: setting the current second state difference value as the stop state difference value;

[0066] Step S19: Calculate the optical pulse signal intensity according to the stop state difference.

[0067] Specifically, the stop state difference is the state difference at the end of the light pulse, which can be used to characterize the intensity of the light pulse signal, or combined with the time of the initial difference to obtain imaging information of the light pulse signal.

[0068] In this embodiment, the state difference between the sense pixel value output by the sense pixel unit 10 and the reference value is used to determine the start and end of the light pulse. The state difference read at the end of the light pulse can be used to characterize the intensity of the light pulse signal, thereby realizing rapid detection of the light pulse intensity. This can be applied to light pulse detection fields that require rapid imaging, such as X-ray radiation detection or rapid imaging. By detecting and calculating the sense pixel unit 10 of the image sensor to determine the presence of the light pulse signal, the reading speed is faster than the existing method of determining all pixel units of the image sensor.

[0069] For details, please see Figure 7 , Figure 7 FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the sensing process of the sensing pixel unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. dos is the first state difference, V th0 is the first preset difference, ΔV ref is the difference between the second state difference and the second state difference at the previous moment, V th1 is the second preset difference; it can be seen that the sensing signal value is obtained by the sensing pixel unit 10. When it is determined that there is a light pulse signal, the sensing pixel unit 10 periodically detects the state difference. As the light pulse signal changes, the state difference also gradually changes. Because the sensing pixel unit 10 does not read the reset value of the sensing pixel in the process of sensing the light pulse signal, the light pulse signal accumulated in the sensing pixel unit will not be destroyed, and the state difference of the light pulse signal is also in a continuous rising process. When the state difference reaches the stop state difference, that is, the current second state difference has no obvious change with the state difference of the previous cycle, the light pulse signal is judged to be cut off, and then the start and end time of the light pulse signal are obtained.

[0070] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, the reset tube, the output gate tube, the sensing gate tube, the reference gate tube, and the amplifier tube are all complementary metal oxide semiconductor transistors, specifically, NMOS (N-Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor) tubes, but the present invention is not limited to this. In other implementations, the reset tube, the output gate tube, the sensing gate tube, the reference gate tube, and the amplifier tube may also be PMOS (Positive channel Metal Oxide Semiconductor) tubes. Those skilled in the art may modify, deform, and replace the present invention relatively according to the above embodiments.

[0071] The present invention also provides an electronic device including any one of the image processors in the above-mentioned embodiments, and the electronic device includes but is not limited to a smart phone, a smart camera, an X-ray device, etc. The specific implementation of the image processor in the electronic device is basically the same as the embodiment of the above-mentioned image processor, and will not be repeated again.

[0072] The image sensor of the above-mentioned embodiment, by setting a sensing pixel unit, and without adding additional selection signal elements, increasing circuit complexity, and reducing the fill factor of the photosensitive element, the sensing pixel unit detects the light pulse signal. In addition to being able to quickly detect the light pulse signal, it is also possible to quickly detect the light pulse intensity, reduce the power consumption caused by detecting the light pulse signal, and have an energy-saving effect. The sensing pixel units are evenly arranged without affecting the photoelectric signals accumulated and stored by other conventional pixel units. At the same time, the two selection tubes of the conventional pixel unit are designed to ensure that the image sensor can still work normally in the case of a short circuit. The image sensor of the present invention can be used for rapid response of the system, such as in automatic gain control, light pulse intensity control, and scene change perception, and has a wide range of application scenarios.

[0073] Those skilled in the art can clearly understand that, for the convenience and brevity of description, the specific working processes of the systems, devices and units described above can refer to the corresponding processes in the aforementioned method embodiments and will not be repeated here.

[0074] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An image sensor, characterized in that: The image sensor comprises sensing pixel units and regular pixel units, wherein the sensing pixel units and regular pixel units are arranged in rows and columns; a preset first spacing distance is set between two adjacent sensing pixel units in the same row; a preset second spacing distance is set between two adjacent sensing pixel units in two rows; the image sensor further comprises a plurality of gating control lines; the sensing pixel units and regular pixel units are respectively connected to the gating control lines to control gating; The sensing pixel unit includes a first photosensitive element and a first transmission circuit electrically connected to the first photosensitive element; the first transmission circuit also includes a first sensing gating tube, and the first sensing gating tube is a transistor; The first transmission circuit further includes a second sensing gate tube, and the second sensing gate tube is a transistor; The gate of the first sensing gating tube and the gate of the second sensing gating tube are connected to the same gating control line; The gate of the first sensing gate tube is electrically connected to a gate control line, and the gate of the second sensing gate tube is connected to a power supply; The sensing pixel unit further includes a first reset tube and a first amplifier tube, wherein the first reset tube and the first amplifier tube are transistors; the first reset tube is electrically connected to the first amplifier tube, and the first sensing gate tube is electrically connected to the second sensing gate tube and connected to the source of the first amplifier tube, or The first sensing gate tube is connected to the drain of the first amplifier tube, and the second sensing gate tube is connected to the source of the first amplifier tube; The conventional pixel unit includes a second photosensitive element and a second transmission circuit electrically connected to the second photosensitive element; the second transmission circuit also includes a first output gating tube and a second output gating tube, the first output gating tube is connected to a gating control line, and the second output gating tube is connected to another gating control line; The second transmission circuit further includes a second reset tube and a second amplifier tube, wherein the second reset tube, the second amplifier tube, the first output gating tube and the second output gating tube are all transistors; the first output gating tube and the second output gating tube are electrically connected and connected to the source of the second amplifier tube, or The first output selection tube is connected to the drain of the second amplifier tube, and the second output selection tube is connected to the source of the second amplifier tube.

2. The image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that The image sensor also includes a reference pixel unit, which includes a third photosensitive element, a third reset tube, a third amplifier tube, a first reference gate tube and a second reference gate tube, and the gate of the third reset tube is electrically connected to the power line.

3. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises the image sensor according to claim 1 or 2.

4. A method for detecting an optical pulse signal: characterized in that: The optical pulse signal detection method is applied to the image sensor according to claim 1 or 2, and the optical pulse signal detection method comprises: Acquire the electrical signal value of each sensing pixel unit; the electrical signal value is converted by the light pulse signal received by the sensing pixel unit; Calculating a sensing signal value of the image sensor according to the electrical signal value; Get reference value; Calculate and obtain a first state difference value according to the reference value and the sensing signal value; Determine whether the first state difference is greater than a first preset difference; if the first state difference is greater than the first preset difference, set the first state difference as an initial difference; Continue to obtain the current reference value and the sensing signal value, and calculate to obtain a second state difference; Determine whether the difference between the current second state difference value and the second state difference value at the previous moment is less than the second preset difference value, and if the difference between the current second state difference value and the second state difference value at the previous moment is less than the second preset difference value, set the current second state difference value to the stop state difference value; The optical pulse signal intensity and the start and end time are calculated according to the stop state difference.

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