Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080277700 | Imaging Device by Buried Photodiode Structure - To achieve an image sensor with low noise, small dark current and the high sensitivity, an n-type region serving as a charge storage region ( | 11-13-2008 |
20090102695 | A/D Converter with Noise Cancel Function - An A/D converter comprises capacitors C | 04-23-2009 |
20090114919 | SEMICONDUCTOR RANGE-FINDING ELEMENT AND SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A semiconductor range-finding element and a solid-state imaging device, which can provide a smaller dark current and a removal of reset noise. With n-type buried charge-generation region, buried charge-transfer regions, buried charge read-out regions buried in a surface of p-type semiconductor layer, an insulating film covering these regions, transfer gate electrodes arranged on the insulating film for transferring the signal charges to the buried charge-transfer regions, read-out gate electrodes arranged on the insulating film for transferring the signal charges to the buried charge read-out regions, after receiving a light pulse by the buried charge-generation region, in the semiconductor layer just under the buried charge-generation region, an optical signal is converted into signal charges, and a distance from a target sample is determined by a distribution ratio of the signal charges accumulated in the buried charge-transfer regions. | 05-07-2009 |
20090146854 | PIPELINE TYPE A/D CONVERTER APPARATUS PROVIDED WITH PRECHARGE CIRCUIT FOR PRECHARGING SAMPLING CAPACITOR - In a pipeline type A/D converter apparatus including A/D converter circuit parts connected in cascade with each other and A/D converting a sample hold signal in a pipeline form, each A/D converter circuit part includes a pre-A/D converter circuit for A/D converting an input signal into a digital signal, and a multiplying D/A converter circuit for D/A converting the digital signal into an analog control signal, and D/A converting the input signal by sampling, holding and amplifying the input signal using a sampling capacitor based on the analog control signal. A precharge circuit precharges a sampling capacitor before sampling so as to attain a predetermined output value in accordance with a digital input to output characteristic substantially adapted to an input to output characteristic of each A/D converter circuit part that presents an output signal corresponding to the input signal to each A/D converter circuit part. | 06-11-2009 |
20090237545 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image sensor controls the gain of a pixel signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis and extends a dynamic range while maintaining a S/N ratio at a favorable level. A column unit in an image sensor is independently detects a level of each pixel signal and independently sets a gain for level of the signal. A photoelectric converting region unit has pixels arranged two-dimensionally with a vertical signal line for each pixel column to output each pixel signal. The column unit is on an output side of the vertical signal line. The column unit for each pixel column has a pixel signal level detecting circuit, a programmable gain control, a sample and hold (S/H) circuit. Gain correction is performed according to a result of a detected level of the pixel signal. | 09-24-2009 |
20090243900 | ANALOG DIGITAL CONVERTER, A/D CONVERSION STAGE, METHOD FOR GENERATING DIGITAL SIGNAL CORRESPONDING TO ANALOG SIGNAL, AND METHOD FOR GENERATING SIGNAL INDICATING CONVERSION ERROR IN THE A/D CONVERSION STAGE - A conversion operation B is performed with respect to a sample value R in an A/D conversion stage | 10-01-2009 |
20090303358 | A/D CONVERTER AND READOUT CIRCUIT - An A/D converter | 12-10-2009 |
20100073541 | SEMICONDUCTOR RANGE-FINDING ELEMENT AND SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A semiconductor range-finding element encompasses a semiconductor region ( | 03-25-2010 |
20100182176 | CONVERTER CIRCUIT, ANALOG/DIGITAL CONVERTER, AND METHOD FOR GENERATING DIGITAL SIGNALS CORRESPONDING TO ANALOG SIGNALS - A charge corresponding to an analog signal V | 07-22-2010 |
20100187401 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICK-UP DEVICE AND PIXEL SIGNAL READOUT METHOD - A solid-state image pick-up device and a method of reading out a pixel signal thereof are provided, and the solid-state image pick-up device provides a large dynamic range without an increase in the area of a pixel. Plural pixels are arranged therein. Each pixel includes a first potential well PW | 07-29-2010 |
20110006935 | CYCLIC ANALOG/DIGITAL CONVERTER - A cyclic A/D converter | 01-13-2011 |
20110025420 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A pre-amplifier (column region unit) of a solid-state imaging device including a pixel-signal controller. The pixel-signal controller, for each vertical signal line, detects the level of each pixel signal independently by a pixel-signal detector on the output side of a pixel-signal amplifier, and sets a gain independently to the pixel-signal amplifier according to the level of the signal. At a subsequent stage of the solid-state imaging device, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a signal extending unit are provided. The A/D converter digitizes a pixel signal, and the digitized pixel signal is corrected by a gain set to the pixel-signal amplifier with reference to a classification signal from the pixel-signal detector, so that the dynamic range of signals of one screen is extended. | 02-03-2011 |
20110090385 | IMAGING DEVICE - Charge generated in a photodiode is properly split for difference processing. An imaging element is constituted by a semiconductor such that a charge accumulation portion is connected to a light receiving portion using a buried photodiode and charge is split from the charge accumulation portion by a plurality of gates and is accumulated. An imaging device includes a control device performing control so as to accumulate charge that is generated by a photoelectric conversion at an exposure cycle synchronous with the light emission of a light source. The exposure cycle includes a first period for receiving reflection light from a subject illuminated by light from the light source and a second period for receiving light from the subject illuminated by an environmental light not including the light from the light source. The imaging device includes a charge accumulation region connected to each photoelectric conversion region, a first charge storage region for receiving charge generated in the photoelectric conversion regions during the first period via the charge accumulation portion, and a second charge storage region for receiving charge generated in the photoelectric conversion regions during the second period via the charge accumulation portion. | 04-21-2011 |
20110157354 | DISTANCE IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR GENERATING IMAGE SIGNAL BY TIME-OF-FLIGHT METHOD - A distance image sensor capable of enlarging the distance measurement range without reducing the distance resolution is provided. A radiation source | 06-30-2011 |
20110187908 | HIGH-SPEED CHARGE-TRANSFER PHOTODIODE, A LOCK-IN PIXEL, AND A SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention provides a high-speed charge-transfer photodiode encompassing a first conductivity type semiconductor layer ( | 08-04-2011 |
20110226935 | INFORMATION-ACQUISITION DEVICE AND OPTICAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM - At least one cell implementing a sensor array embraces a photoelectric-conversion accumulation element configured to generate and accumulate signal charges, a potential detection circuit configured to detect the signal charges generated by the photoelectric-conversion accumulation element as a potential change, and an amplification circuit configured to amplify the potential change and to transmit to an output-signal line. The photoelectric-conversion accumulation element and the potential detection circuit are connected in series between a first potential terminal and a second potential terminal, and the potential detection circuit has an insulated-gate transistor, which detects the potential change in a weak inversion state, in a period when an optical-communication signal is received. | 09-22-2011 |
20110240832 | CYCLIC A/D CONVERTER, IMAGE SENSOR DEVICE, AND METHOD FOR GENERATING DIGITAL SIGNAL FROM ANALOG SIGNAL - A cyclic A/D converter which can reduce the number of reference voltages for D/A conversion is provided. The cyclic A/D converter ( | 10-06-2011 |
20110298079 | SEMICONDUCTOR ELEMENT AND SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A semiconductor element includes: a p-type semiconductor region; an n-type light-receiving surface buried region buried in the semiconductor region; an n-type charge accumulation region buried in the semiconductor region, continuously to the light-receiving surface buried region, establishing a deeper potential well depth than the light-receiving surface buried region; a charge read-out region configured to read out the charges accumulated in the charge accumulation region; an exhaust-drain region buried in the semiconductor region, configured to extract the charges from the light-receiving surface buried region; a first potential controller configured to extract the charges from the light-receiving surface buried region to the exhaust-drain region; and a second potential controller configured to transfer the charges from the charge accumulation region to the charge read-out region. | 12-08-2011 |
20120091323 | SENSOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT - Provided is a sensor integrated circuit capable of reducing a signal transmission time from a sensor circuit to a signal processing time without impairing the accuracy of a final value. The sensor circuit | 04-19-2012 |
20120104235 | METHOD OF CONTROLLING SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A pre-amplifier (column region unit) of a solid-state imaging device including a pixel-signal controller. The pixel-signal controller, for each vertical signal line, detects the level of each pixel signal independently by a pixel-signal detector on the output side of a pixel-signal amplifier, and sets a gain independently to the pixel-signal amplifier according to the level of the signal. At a subsequent stage of the solid-state imaging device, an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter and a signal extending unit are provided. The A/D converter digitizes a pixel signal, and the digitized pixel signal is corrected by a gain set to the pixel-signal amplifier with reference to a classification signal from the pixel-signal detector, so that the dynamic range of signals of one screen is extended. | 05-03-2012 |
20120153130 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image sensor controls the gain of a pixel signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis and extends a dynamic range while maintaining a S/N ratio at a favorable level. A column unit in an image sensor is independently detects a level of each pixel signal and independently sets a gain for level of the signal. A photoelectric converting region unit has pixels arranged two-dimensionally with a vertical signal line for each pixel column to output each pixel signal. The column unit is on an output side of the vertical signal line. The column unit for each pixel column has a pixel signal level detecting circuit, a programmable gain control, a sample and hold (S/H) circuit. Gain correction is performed according to a result of a detected level of the pixel signal. | 06-21-2012 |
20130284891 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image sensor controls the gain of a pixel signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis and extends a dynamic range while maintaining a S/N ratio at a favorable level. A column unit in an image sensor is independently detects a level of each pixel signal and independently sets a gain for level of the signal. A photoelectric converting region unit has pixels arranged two-dimensionally with a vertical signal line for each pixel column to output each pixel signal. The column unit is on an output side of the vertical signal line. The column unit for each pixel column has a pixel signal level detecting circuit, a programmable gain control, a sample and hold (S/H) circuit. Gain correction is performed according to a result of a detected level of the pixel signal. | 10-31-2013 |
20140218576 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - An image sensor controls the gain of a pixel signal on a pixel-by-pixel basis and extends a dynamic range while maintaining a S/N ratio at a favorable level. A column unit in an image sensor is independently detects a level of each pixel signal and independently sets a gain for level of the signal. A photoelectric converting region unit has pixels arranged two-dimensionally with a vertical signal line for each pixel column to output each pixel signal. The column unit is on an output side of the vertical signal line. The column unit for each pixel column has a pixel signal level detecting circuit, a programmable gain control, a sample and hold (S/H) circuit. Gain correction is performed according to a result of a detected level of the pixel signal. | 08-07-2014 |