Sony patent discloses global shutter technology and foveon like sensor.
Sony fulfilled a new patent describing a sensor with global shutter (Click here to see the original patent). This is Sony’s description:
“In the CMOS type image sensor, the photoelectric conversion unit reads out the signal charges for each pixel or for each row where a plurality of pixels is arranged. In this case, exposure time for accumulating the signal charges is difficult to match in all the pixels, and thus in some cases, a captured image is distorted. Particularly, if the motion of a subject is great, this defect is noticeably generated. In order to prevent this defect from being generated, a “global exposure” is performed in which all the pixels start exposure at the same time and finish the exposure at the same time. The “global exposure” is performed by simultaneously driving all the pixels through an electrical control without using the mechanical shutter”
The same patent describes also how Sony wants to increase the number of Megapixels without to lose image quality. It’s the “foveon” alike approach. It’s not the first time we see such a patent:
“In order to realize the high sensitivity, there has been proposed one where a chalcopyrite based compound semiconductor film such as a CuInGaSe2 film with high light absorption coefficient is used in the photoelectric conversion unit (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 2007-123720).
In addition, there has been proposed a “lamination type” where photoelectric conversion units for respective colors are laminated and disposed in a depth direction perpendicular to an imaging surface, instead of disposing the photoelectric conversion units which selectively sense light beams of respective colors in a direction along the imaging surface. In the “lamination type,” each pixel senses not only light of one color but also light of plural colors. For this reason, a light sensing surface is extensively formed and thus use efficiency of light can be improved, thereby improving sensitivity (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publications No. 2006-245088).”
Can’t wait to see such a sensor coming soon!!!