Method for reducing inter-module wiring, signal transmission method and device, image sensor

Abstract

The application discloses a method for reducing inter-module wiring, a signal transmission method and device, and an image sensor. The method for reducing inter-module wiring comprises the following steps: determining a first signal line and a second signal line which can be multiplexed, the first signal line is used for transmitting a first signal, and the second signal line is used for transmitting a second signal; determining time-sharing control logic; connecting two ends of the second signal line to two ends of the first signal line respectively, and deleting the second signal line; and transmitting the first signal and the second signal on the first signal line according to the time-sharing control logic. By using the application, the number of inter-module wirings can be effectively reduced, the chip volume is reduced, and the miniaturization degree of equipment is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of signal transmission technology, specifically to a method for reducing wiring between modules, a signal transmission method and apparatus, and an image sensor. Background Technology

[0002] Image sensors are devices that convert light signals into electrical signals and are widely used in digital television and visual communication markets. CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) image sensors are a typical type of solid-state imaging sensor. They integrate the image acquisition unit and signal processing unit onto the same chip, making them suitable for mass production and widely used in fields such as security cameras, mobile phones, computer network video conferencing systems, wireless handheld video conferencing systems, barcode scanners, fax machines, toys, and certain automotive camera systems.

[0003] A CMOS image sensor typically consists of several parts, including a pixel array, row drivers, column drivers, timing control logic, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), a data bus output interface, and a control interface. These parts are usually integrated onto a single chip. Furthermore, other digital signal processing circuits, such as automatic exposure control, non-uniformity compensation, white balance processing, black level control, and gamma correction, can be integrated onto the CMOS image sensor chip. For rapid calculations, programmable DSP devices can even be integrated with the CMOS device to form a single-chip digital camera and image processing system. Consequently, CMOS image sensors have a large number of signal traces between modules, especially in non-stacked image sensors where the number of metal layers is small, the distance between modules is large, and the distance between lines is long. The signal traces between modules require a significant amount of chip area, making the CMOS sensor larger and occupying more device space. Summary of the Invention

[0004] One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for reducing the number of traces between modules, which can effectively reduce the number of traces between modules, thereby reducing the chip size and improving the miniaturization of the device.

[0005] Another aspect of the present invention provides a signal transmission method and apparatus to improve the transmission capability of signal lines.

[0006] Another aspect of the present invention provides an image sensor that can effectively reduce the size of the image sensor.

[0007] Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0008] This invention provides a method for reducing wiring between modules, the method comprising:

[0009] A first signal line and a second signal line that can be reused are determined, wherein the first signal line is used to transmit a first signal and the second signal line is used to transmit a second signal;

[0010] Determine the time-sharing control logic;

[0011] Connect the two ends of the second signal line to the two ends of the first signal line respectively, and then delete the second signal line;

[0012] The first signal and the second signal are transmitted on the first signal line according to the time-division control logic.

[0013] Optionally, the first signal line can be any one of the following: a signal line for transmitting control waveforms, or a signal line for transmitting operating parameters.

[0014] Optionally, there may be one or more second signal lines; the second signal line may be any one or more of the following: a signal line for transmitting control waveforms, or a signal line for transmitting operating parameters.

[0015] Optionally, the time-division control logic includes: controlling the first signal line to transmit the first signal and the second signal in a time-division manner through a time-division selection signal and a latching signal.

[0016] Optionally, the method further includes: reducing the number of latch signals by encoding when multiple latch signals are required.

[0017] This invention also provides a signal transmission method, the method comprising:

[0018] The second signal is multiplexed onto the first signal line used to transmit the first signal;

[0019] The first signal and the second signal are transmitted in a time-division manner on the first signal line by time-division control logic.

[0020] Optionally, the first signal and the second signal include any one or more of the following: operating parameter signals and control waveform signals.

[0021] Optionally, controlling the time-division transmission of the first signal and the second signal on the first signal line through time-division control logic includes: controlling the time-division transmission of the first signal and the second signal on the first signal line through time-division selection signal and latching signal.

[0022] Optionally, the method further includes: generating different latch signals by encoding when multiple latch signals are required.

[0023] This invention also provides a signal transmission device, the device comprising: a first signal transmitting module, a first signal receiving module connected to the second signal transmitting module via a signal line, a second signal transmitting module, a second signal receiving module connected to the second signal transmitting module via the signal line, and a control module;

[0024] The first signal transmitting module is used to output a first signal;

[0025] The second signal transmitting module is used to output a second signal;

[0026] The control module is used to control the signal line to transmit the first signal to the first signal receiving module and the second signal to the second signal receiving module in a time-division manner through time-division control logic.

[0027] Optionally, the first signal and the second signal are any one of the following: operating parameter signal, control waveform signal.

[0028] Optionally, the second signal may be of the same type as the first signal or a different type of signal.

[0029] Optionally, the signal transmission device further includes: a port selection module; the control module outputs time-division selection signals to the first signal transmitting module and the second signal transmitting module respectively, and outputs control signals to the port selection module to control the port selection module to connect the first signal receiving module and the second signal receiving module in a time-division manner.

[0030] Optionally, the second signal is a working parameter signal; the port selection module includes a memory connected to the second signal receiving module for storing the second signal.

[0031] Optionally, there are multiple second signal transmitting modules and second signal receiving modules; the signal transmission device further includes an encoding module, which encodes the control signal and outputs latch signals for controlling the operation of each memory. This embodiment of the invention also provides an image sensor, including the aforementioned signal transmission device.

[0032] The method for reducing the number of traces between modules provided in this invention uses time-division multiplexing to multiplex signals that need to be transmitted by different signal lines onto a single signal line, thereby effectively reducing the number of signal lines. This is especially useful for layout designs with fewer metal layers, greater distances between modules, and longer distances between lines, as it can effectively reduce chip size and improve the miniaturization of the device.

[0033] Accordingly, the signal transmission method, apparatus, and sensor provided in the embodiments of the present invention multiplex different signals onto the same signal line, and control the transmission of the different signals on the signal line in a time-division manner through time-division control logic, which can effectively improve the transmission capacity of the signal line and reduce the number of signal lines. Attached Figure Description

[0034] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of a method for reducing wiring between modules according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the signal transmission method according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the signal transmission device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the above-mentioned objectives, features and beneficial effects of the present invention more apparent and understandable, specific embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] To address the issue that some existing chips (such as CMOS image sensors) require a large number of signal traces between internal modules, which consumes a significant amount of chip area and results in a large CMOS sensor size, this invention provides a method, signal transmission method, and apparatus for reducing the number of signal lines and improving their transmission capacity.

[0039] Generally, the aforementioned signal traces can be broadly categorized into two types: one is a waveform signal that changes in real time and serves a control function, and the other is a signal used to transmit stable circuit operating parameters. For signal traces transmitting different types of signals, either of these two types of signal lines can be used to transmit the other type of signal; that is, two different types of signals are multiplexed onto the same signal line and transmitted in a time-division multiplexing manner. Of course, two different signals of the same type can also be multiplexed onto any one of the signal lines for time-division multiplexing to reduce the total number of signal lines to be transmitted. It should be noted that the multiplexing method can involve multiplexing two or more signals for transmission, and the specific method can be comprehensively considered based on the needs and the complexity of the multiplexing logic. This embodiment of the invention does not limit this aspect.

[0040] like Figure 1 The diagram shows a flowchart of a method for reducing wiring between modules according to an embodiment of the present invention, including the following steps:

[0041] Step 101: Determine the reusable first signal line and second signal line.

[0042] The first signal line is used to transmit the first signal, and the second signal line is used to transmit the second signal.

[0043] It should be noted that, in specific applications, the first signal line can be, but is not limited to, any one of the following: a signal line for transmitting control waveforms, or a signal line for transmitting operating parameters; correspondingly, the second signal line can also be, but is not limited to, any one or more of the following: a signal line for control operations, or a signal line for transmitting operating parameters.

[0044] In addition, as needed, two or more signal lines used to transmit the same or different types of signals can be multiplexed. For example, one signal line transmitting a control waveform can be multiplexed with two signal lines transmitting different operating parameters; or two signal lines transmitting different control waveforms can be multiplexed; or three signal lines transmitting different operating parameters can be multiplexed.

[0045] Step 102: Determine the time-sharing control logic.

[0046] The time-division control logic refers to the time-division control logic for different signals multiplexed onto the same signal line.

[0047] Step 103: Connect the two ends of the second signal line to the two ends of the first signal line respectively, and then delete the second signal line.

[0048] It should be noted that connecting the two ends of two signal lines is equivalent to combining them into a single signal line. Accordingly, during routing, the trace of either signal line can be deleted. In other words, the first and second signal lines mentioned above do not specify any particular signal; they are merely used to distinguish different signal lines. Furthermore, if more than two signal lines are multiplexed, after connecting their corresponding ends, only the trace of one signal line can be retained, while the traces of the others can be deleted.

[0049] Step 104: Control the transmission of the first signal and the second signal on the first signal line according to the time-division control logic.

[0050] For example, if the first and second signals are multiplexed onto a first or second signal line for transmission, the time-division control logic must ensure that the first and second signals can be transmitted to the required signal receiving end in a time-division manner, and that the transmission of the two signals does not affect each other. Of course, if more than two different signals need to be multiplexed for transmission, it is also necessary to ensure that these signals do not interfere with each other. To this end, time-division selection signals and latching signals can be used to control the time-division transmission of all multiplexed signals on the first signal line, such as the first and second signals mentioned above.

[0051] Taking the time-division multiplexing of real-time changing control waveform signal lines as an example, when transmitting operating parameter signals onto the signal lines used to transmit control waveforms, the operating parameter signals can be output during a specific time period. These operating parameter signals are then latched by a storage unit based on a latch signal for use by the corresponding modules. At other times, the waveform signals continue to be transmitted. Furthermore, a single signal line can transmit one or more operating parameters in a time-division manner, requiring only multiple memory connections and corresponding latch signals.

[0052] It should be noted that the time-division selection signal generally needs to be provided independently, and the latch signal can be provided separately, i.e., transmitted independently. Of course, it can also be transmitted in a time-division multiplexed manner with other signals. This embodiment of the invention does not limit this.

[0053] In another non-limiting application, time-division selection signals and latch signals can control multiple channels of time-division multiplexed transmission operating parameters. When there are many multiplexed transmission signals and many latch signals, the number of latch signals can be reduced by encoding methods (such as address encoding).

[0054] The method for reducing the number of traces between modules provided in this invention uses time-division multiplexing to multiplex signals that need to be transmitted by different signal lines onto a single signal line, thereby effectively reducing the number of signal lines. This is especially useful for layout designs with fewer metal layers, greater distances between modules, and longer distances between lines, as it can effectively reduce chip size and improve the miniaturization of the device.

[0055] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a signal transmission method, such as... Figure 2 The diagram shown is a flowchart of the signal transmission method, which includes the following steps:

[0056] Step 201: Multiplex the second signal onto the first signal line used to transmit the first signal.

[0057] It should be noted that the first signal and the second signal can be of the same or different types. The signal type can be, but is not limited to, any of the following: waveform signals that change in real time to play a control role, signals used to transmit stable circuit operating parameters, etc.

[0058] Step 202: Control the first signal and the second signal to be transmitted on the first signal line in a time-division manner through time-division control logic.

[0059] The time-division control logic is used to control the time-division transmission of the first signal and the second signal on the first signal line, ensuring that they do not interfere with each other. Specifically, the time-division transmission of the first signal and the second signal on the first signal line can be controlled by a time-division selection signal and a latching signal.

[0060] Furthermore, when multiple latch signals are required, different latch signals can be generated through encoding.

[0061] It should be noted that in practical applications, two or more different signals can be multiplexed onto a single signal line for transmission. This can effectively improve the transmission capacity of the signal line, minimize the routing between different modules, reduce the number of signal lines, and thus reduce the chip size and improve the miniaturization of the device.

[0062] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a signal transmission device, such as... Figure 3 The diagram shown is a structural schematic of the device.

[0063] The signal transmission device includes the following modules: a first signal transmitting module 311, a second signal transmitting module 321, a first signal receiving module 312, a second signal receiving module 322, and a control module 300. The first signal transmitting module 311 and the first signal receiving module 312 are connected via a signal line 301, and the second signal transmitting module 321 and the second signal receiving module 322 are also connected via a signal line 301.

[0064] The first signal transmitting module 311 is used to output a first signal, and correspondingly, the first signal receiving module 312 is used to receive the first signal; similarly, the second signal transmitting module 321 is used to output a second signal, and correspondingly, the second signal receiving module 322 is used to receive the second signal.

[0065] In this embodiment, both the first signal and the second signal are transmitted through the signal line 301. The control module 300 controls the signal line 301 to transmit the first signal to the first signal receiving module 312 and the second signal to the second signal receiving module 322 in a time-division manner through time-division control logic.

[0066] It should be noted that the second signal may be of the same type as the first signal or a different type of signal; this embodiment of the invention does not limit this.

[0067] In order to enable the first signal and the second signal to be transmitted in a time-division multiplexing manner on the signal line and to prevent them from interfering with each other, in a non-limiting embodiment, the signal transmission device may further include: a port selection module (not shown).

[0068] Accordingly, in this embodiment, the control module 300 outputs time-division selection signals to the first signal transmitting module 311 and the second signal transmitting module 321, and outputs control signals to the port selection module, so as to control the port selection module to connect the first signal receiving module 312 and the second signal receiving module 322 in a time-division manner.

[0069] When there is a working parameter signal in the multiplexed signal, such as the second signal being a working parameter signal, the port selection module can latch the second signal through a memory connected to the second signal receiving module 322. When the port selection module connects to the second signal receiving module 322, the working parameters latched in the memory are transmitted to the second signal receiving module 322.

[0070] It should be noted that in practical applications, multiple operating parameter signals can be transmitted simultaneously on a single signal line. In this case, multiple memories are required, meaning each operating parameter needs a corresponding memory for latching. To avoid excessive latching signals, the control signals can be encoded using a corresponding encoding module (not shown), such as address encoding, to output latching signals for controlling the operation of each memory.

[0071] It should be noted that the memory may be a latch, a D flip-flop, or other circuit unit with storage function, and the embodiments of the present invention do not limit this.

[0072] The signal transmission method and apparatus provided in this invention multiplex different signals onto the same signal line and control the transmission of the different signals on the signal line in a time-division manner through time-division control logic, which can effectively improve the transmission capacity of the signal line and reduce the number of signal lines.

[0073] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide an image sensor, including the above-described signal transmission device.

[0074] Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention also provide a chip including the above-described signal transmission device.

[0075] Regarding the modules / units included in the various devices and products described in the above embodiments, they can be software modules / units, hardware modules / units, or a combination of both. For example, for various devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip, all of their modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs that run on a processor integrated within the chip, while the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits; for various devices and products applied to or integrated into a chip module, all of their modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits, and different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or different components of the chip module, or at least some modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. The components can be implemented using software programs that run on the processor integrated within the chip module. The remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. For various devices and products applied to or integrated into the terminal, each of its components / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits. Different modules / units can be located in the same component (e.g., chip, circuit module, etc.) or in different components within the terminal. Alternatively, at least some modules / units can be implemented using software programs that run on the processor integrated within the terminal, while the remaining (if any) modules / units can be implemented using hardware methods such as circuits.

[0076] This invention also discloses a storage medium, which is a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program thereon, the computer program being executable during runtime. Figure 1 or Figure 2 The steps of the method shown are illustrated. The storage medium may include ROM, RAM, disk, or optical disk, etc. The storage medium may also include non-volatile memory or non-transitory memory, etc.

[0077] It should be understood that the term "and / or" in this article is merely a description of the relationship between related objects, indicating that three relationships can exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A existing alone, A and B existing simultaneously, and B existing alone. Additionally, the character " / " in this article indicates that the preceding and following related objects have an "or" relationship.

[0078] In the embodiments of this application, "multiple" refers to two or more.

[0079] The descriptions of "first," "second," etc., appearing in the embodiments of this application are for illustrative purposes and to distinguish the objects being described. They have no order and do not indicate any special limitation on the number of devices in the embodiments of this application, nor do they constitute any limitation on the embodiments of this application.

[0080] It should be understood that in the various embodiments of this application, the order of the above-mentioned processes does not imply the order of execution. The execution order of each process should be determined by its function and internal logic, and should not constitute any limitation on the implementation process of the embodiments of this application.

[0081] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed methods and apparatus can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for example, the division of units is merely a logical functional division, and there may be other division methods in actual implementation; for example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, and the indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0082] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0083] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of the present invention can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can be physically comprised separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit described above can be implemented in hardware or in the form of hardware plus software functional units.

[0084] The integrated unit implemented as a software functional unit described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. This software functional unit, stored in a storage medium, includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, a server, or a network device, etc.) to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0085] While the present invention has been disclosed above, it is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for reducing the wiring between modules in an image sensor, characterized in that, The method includes: A reusable first signal line and a second signal line are identified. The first signal line is used to transmit a first signal, and the second signal line is used to transmit a second signal. The second signal and the first signal are signals of different types, one of which is a waveform signal that changes in real time and plays a control role, and the other is a stable operating parameter signal. Determine the time-division control logic; the time-division control logic includes: controlling the first signal line to transmit the first signal and the second signal in a time-division manner through a time-division selection signal and a latch signal; connecting the two ends of the second signal line to the two ends of the first signal line respectively; and deleting the second signal line. The first signal and the second signal are transmitted on the first signal line according to the time-division control logic.

2. The method for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first signal line can be any one of the following: a signal line for transmitting control waveforms, or a signal line for transmitting operating parameters.

3. The method for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 2, characterized in that, There are one or more second signal lines; The second signal line can be any one or more of the following: a signal line for transmitting control waveforms, or a signal line for transmitting operating parameters.

4. The method for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: When multiple latch signals are required, the number of latch signals can be reduced by encoding.

5. A signal transmission method for reducing the wiring between modules in an image sensor, characterized in that, The method includes: The second signal is multiplexed onto the first signal line used to transmit the first signal; the second signal and the first signal are signals of different types, one of which is a waveform signal that changes in real time and plays a control role, and the other is a stable operating parameter signal; The first signal and the second signal are transmitted in a time-division manner on the first signal line by using a time-division selection signal and a latching signal.

6. The signal transmission method for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first signal and the second signal include any one or more of the following: operating parameter signal, control waveform signal.

7. The signal transmission method for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that, The method further includes: When multiple latch signals are required, different latch signals are generated through encoding.

8. A signal transmission device for reducing the wiring between modules in an image sensor, characterized in that, The device includes: a first signal transmitting module, a first signal receiving module connected to the first signal transmitting module via a signal line, a second signal transmitting module, a second signal receiving module connected to the second signal transmitting module via the signal line, and a control module; The first signal transmitting module is used to output a first signal; The second signal transmitting module is used to output a second signal; the second signal and the first signal are signals of different types, one of which is a waveform signal that changes in real time and plays a control role, and the other is a stable operating parameter signal; The control module is used to control the signal line to transmit the first signal to the first signal receiving module and the second signal to the second signal receiving module in a time-division manner through time-division control logic; the time-division control logic includes: controlling the signal line to transmit the first signal and the second signal in a time-division manner through time-division selection signal and latching signal.

9. The signal transmission device for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 8, characterized in that, The signal transmission device further includes: a port selection module; The control module outputs time-division selection signals to the first signal transmitting module and the second signal transmitting module respectively, and outputs control signals to the port selection module to control the port selection module to connect the first signal receiving module and the second signal receiving module in a time-division manner.

10. The signal transmission device for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 9, characterized in that, The second signal is a working parameter signal; the port selection module includes a memory connected to the second signal receiving module for storing the second signal.

11. The signal transmission device for reducing inter-module wiring in an image sensor according to claim 10, characterized in that, There are multiple second signal transmitting modules and second signal receiving modules; The signal transmission device further includes an encoding module, which encodes the control signal and outputs latch signals for controlling the operation of each memory.

12. An image sensor, characterized in that, Includes a signal transmission device for reducing the wiring between modules in an image sensor as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

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