| US 7,592,576 B1 | ||
| Optical sensor array, sensing method and circuit therefore, and device and apparatus thereby | ||
| Yutaka Hayashi, Ibaraki (Japan); Yasushi Nagamune, Ibaraki (Japan); and Toshitaka Ohta, Ibaraki (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to National Instute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo (Japan) | ||
| Filed on Jul. 02, 2007, as Appl. No. 11/772,475. | ||
| Int. Cl. H01L 27/00 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 250—208.1 | 90 Claims |
| 1. An optical sensor array comprising:
optical sensors disposed in a first direction and in a second direction;
a first group of plurality of interconnecting means extending in said first direction;
a second group of plurality of interconnecting means extending in said second direction;
said first group of plurality of interconnecting means and said second group of plurality of interconnecting means being insulated
each other and intersecting each other;
each one of said optical sensors being connected to one of said first group of plurality of interconnecting means and to one
of said second group of plurality of interconnecting means;
an optical sensor being selected from said optical sensors at a cross-point of selected one of said first group of plurality
of interconnecting means and selected one of said second group of plurality of interconnecting means, wherein;
selected one group of plurality of interconnecting means are selected out of said first group of plurality of interconnecting
means and said second group of plurality of interconnection means, and selected one of said selected group of plurality of
interconnecting means is further selected and is driven from a first electrical potential to a second electrical potential
while rest of said selected group of plurality of interconnecting means are kept to said first electrical potential, wherein;
photo-electrical current from optical sensors connected to said selected one of said selected group of plurality of interconnecting
means is sequentially sensed at around said second electrical potential through said selected one of said selected group of
plurality of interconnecting means,
by sequentially driving each one of unselected group of plurality of interconnecting means from a third electrical potential
to a fourth electrical potential and then from said fourth electrical potential to said third electrical potential while rest
of said unselected group of plurality of interconnecting means are kept to said third electrical potential;
said fourth electrical potential supplied to said optical sensor through said one of said unselected group of plurality of
interconnecting means and said second electrical potential supplied to said selected optical sensor through said selected
one of said selected group of plurality of interconnecting means making said photo-electrical current from said selected optical
sensor available;
said third electrical potential supplied to said optical sensor through said one of said unselected group of plurality of
interconnecting means and said first electrical potential supplied to said selected optical sensor through said selected one
of said selected group of plurality of interconnecting means making the photo-electrical current from said selected optical
sensor unavailable except a leakage current.
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