Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090026352 | PHYSICAL QUANTITY DETECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - In a solid state imaging device to be included in an imaging device such as a digital camera, a ramp run-up AD conversion circuit for AD converting a pixel signal is provided corresponding to one or a plurality of pixel columns. A column counter provided in each ramp run-up AD conversion circuit holds an upper bit, and a clock signal is supplied to one or plural latches for holding a lower bit. Thus, fast and accurate AD conversion can be realized while suppressing increase of clock frequency. | 01-29-2009 |
20090166513 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device in the present invention includes pixels, arranged in a matrix, each of which converts light into a signal voltage; column signal lines each of which is provided for corresponding one of columns, so that the signal voltage is provided to corresponding one of the column signal lines; and AD converting units each of which is provided for the corresponding one of the column signal lines, and configured to convert the signal voltage into a digital signal, wherein each of the AD converting units includes: a comparing unit generating an output signal indicating a greater voltage of the signal voltage and a reference voltage; and a counting unit counting a count value until logic of the output signal is inverted, and the solid-state imaging device further includes a suspending unit suspending power supply to the comparing units after the logic of the output signals is inverted. | 07-02-2009 |
20090283663 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - It is an object of the present invention to provide a solid-state imaging device capable of significantly improving the signal readout characteristics of the pixel compared to the conventional technologies at low cost, without degrading the reliability, and a driving method thereof. The solid-state imaging device according to the present invention is a solid-state imaging device which includes a drive circuit, and the drive circuit includes: a P-channel transistor and a N-channel transistor which include gates connected to an output of the scanning circuit, and which include drains that are connected to each other, and a connecting point of the drains is connected to the control signal line, a switch which switches between VHI and DVDD to be supplied to a source of the P-channel transistor, and a switch which switches between VLOW and VGND to be supplied to a source of the N-channel transistor. | 11-19-2009 |
20100020217 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA - The solid-state imaging device having pixels that are arranged in rows and columns and convert optical signals to electric signals to output the electric signals as voltage signals includes column signal lines each provided for a corresponding one of the columns and transmitting, in the direction of the columns, voltage signals outputted from the pixels, current sources each provided for and connected to a corresponding one of the column signal lines, column amplification circuits each provided for a corresponding one of the column signal lines and amplifying the voltage signals transmitted through the column signal lines, a current-source ground potential supply line supplying the current sources with ground potential, and a column amplification circuit ground potential supply line supplying the column amplification circuits with ground potential. The current-source ground potential supply line and the column amplification circuit ground potential supply line are interconnected at positions corresponding to the columns. | 01-28-2010 |
20100110252 | PHYSICAL QUANTITY DETECTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - In a solid state imaging device to be included in an imaging device such as a digital camera, a ramp run-up AD conversion circuit for AD converting a pixel signal is provided corresponding to one or a plurality of pixel columns. A column counter provided in each ramp run-up AD conversion circuit holds an upper bit, and a clock signal is supplied to one or plural latches for holding a lower bit. Thus, fast and accurate AD conversion can be realized while suppressing increase of clock frequency. | 05-06-2010 |
20110019039 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA - Specifically, the solid-state imaging device includes: pixels each of which includes an amplifying transistor that amplifies a signal; first column signal lines each of which is connected to one of the columns of the pixels; first load transistors each of which is connected to one of the first column signal lines; a bias circuit which supplies a bias voltage to a gate of each of the first load transistors; first detection units each of which is connected to the one of the first column signal lines; a second detection unit which detects a noise component of each of the rows, the noise component occurring in each of the first column signal lines and resulting from fluctuation in the bias voltage; and a correction unit which corrects, the pixel signal detected by each of the first detection units, using the noise component detected by the second detection unit. | 01-27-2011 |
20110254986 | ANALOG-DIGITAL CONVERTER, IMAGE SENSOR SYSTEM AND CAMERA DEVICE - An analog-digital converter includes n comparators arranged in a first direction with a predetermined cell pitch and corresponding respectively to n input voltages, each comparator comparing a voltage value of a reference signal whose voltage value increases or decreases over time with an input voltage corresponding to the comparator. Each of the n comparators includes differential transistors to which the reference signal and the input voltage are given respectively. A differential transistor is formed by p unit transistors connected in series whose gates are given the reference signal, and another differential transistor is formed by p unit transistors connected in series whose gates are given the input voltage. | 10-20-2011 |
20110317051 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels, which convert light into signal voltages, and a plurality of analog-digital (AD) converters, which convert the signal voltages into a plurality of digital signals. Each of the plurality of AD converters includes an analog circuit, which receives a same power as a power of the plurality of pixels, and a digital circuit, which receives power having a voltage lower than a voltage of the analog circuit. The solid-state imaging device further includes a controller configured to suspend supplying the same power to the analog circuit, which is included in one of the plurality of AD converters that has finished a conversion. | 12-29-2011 |
20120104233 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging device counts down clock pulses until a comparator indicates a predetermined comparison result using a counter while comparing, in the comparator, a reset component outputted from one of pixel circuits which is yet to receive light with a reference signal, and holds in a latch a value indicated by the counter as a result of the count down. The solid-state imaging device counts up, after presetting the value held in the latch to the counter, the clock pulses until the comparator indicates a predetermined comparison result using the counter while comparing, in the comparator, a signal component outputted from one of the pixel circuits which has received light with the reference signal, and outputs a value indicated by the counter as a result of the count up as a digital signal that indicates an amount of light received by the one of the pixel circuits. | 05-03-2012 |
20120153131 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device includes: plural pixel cells that are two-dimensionally arrayed, the pixel cell including a photoelectric conversion element and an amplification transistor; plural vertical signal lines; at least two reference current source circuits that includes a reference transistor; and plural load transistors each of which is connected to the vertical signal line, the load transistor constituting a current mirror in conjunction with the reference transistor. The load transistor and the reference transistor are grounded to a common ground line in different positions, and, in at least two position, a distance between connection points at which the load transistor and the reference transistor, which constitute the current mirror, are grounded to the ground line is shorter than a distance between connection points of the load transistors adjacent to each other on the ground line. | 06-21-2012 |
20120320246 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME, AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device includes unit pixels arranged in rows and columns, and reads a pixel signal from the unit pixels selected for each of the rows. The device includes: column signal lines provided for the columns of the unit pixels; amplifying transistors included in the unit pixels and each outputting the pixel signal; correlated double sampling units provided for the columns of the unit pixels and each performing correlated double sampling on a reset component of the pixel signal and on a data component including the reset component and a signal component of the pixel signal so as to sample the signal component; and low-pass filters each (i) inserted in the column signal line between an output terminal of the amplifying transistor and the correlated double sampling unit or (ii) included in the correlated double sampling unit. | 12-20-2012 |
20130120622 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - In a solid-state imaging device which includes column analog-to-digital conversion circuits (ADCs) for converting pixel signals output from pixels into digital signals, each of the column ADCs includes a comparator which outputs a result of voltage comparison (comparison result signal) between the voltage of the pixel signal and an analog ramp voltage; a column counter which counts a column counter clock signal, which is either a clock signal or a phase-shifted clock signal, and stores a value represented by upper bits of a count value at a time of change in the comparison result signal; and a first latch unit which stores a value represented by lower bits of the count value. A second latch unit stores the value stored in the first latch unit. | 05-16-2013 |
20140036124 | RAMP-SIGNAL GENERATOR CIRCUIT, AND IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGING SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME - The ramp-signal generator circuit includes a reference voltage generator that changes the voltage of a reference signal Vr to a comparator setting voltage VR for compensating for a voltage difference between a reference signal Vr and an analog input signal (Vs | 02-06-2014 |
20140160331 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixel cells arranged in rows and columns, a plurality of vertical signal lines each of which is provided for a corresponding one of the columns, and a plurality of column circuits each of which is provided for a corresponding one or more of the columns and into each of which are input the signal voltages output to one or more of the vertical signal lines disposed in the corresponding one or more of the columns. Each of the plurality of column circuits includes an amplifier that includes a constant current source transistor, the solid-state imaging device further includes a reference current source circuit that supplies a first bias voltage to gates of a plurality of the constant current source transistors included in the column circuits, and each of the column circuits further includes a sample-and-hold circuit that holds the first bias voltage. | 06-12-2014 |
20140252208 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS HAVING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging device includes the following. Pixels arranged in matrix converts received light into signal voltage. A column AD conversion unit, which includes a comparison unit and an up-down counting unit, converts signal voltage to digital signal. The comparison unit compares a value of signal voltage to a gradually changing value of reference signal voltage. The up-down counting unit counts, by one of down-counting and up-counting, a time period until the comparison result is reversed if the signal voltage is of a base signal component of each pixel at reset level, and counts, by an other of down-counting and up-counting, the time period if the signal voltage is of a superimposed signal component in which the base signal component is superimposed on a pixel signal component corresponding to an amount of light received by the pixel. The comparison unit has switchable kinds of frequency band characteristics. | 09-11-2014 |
20140267854 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS INCLUDING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging device including: a plurality of pixels which are on a same semiconductor substrate and each of which generates a pixel signal; a comparison circuit that is connected to the pixels in each of columns; a D/A conversion circuit that generates a comparison potential and provide the generated comparison potential in common to the comparison circuit in each column; and a D/A conversion circuit output unit provided in a common line for providing the comparison potential to the comparison circuit in each column, wherein the D/A conversion circuit output unit includes: a source follower circuit that is provided to the line and includes a first current source having a transistor, and an amplification transistor having a gate oxide film that is thinner than a gate oxide film of the transistor; and a voltage control circuit that controls a drain-to-source voltage of the amplification transistor. | 09-18-2014 |
20150163436 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit which includes a plurality of pixels arranged in rows and columns and which generates pixel signals according to an amount of incident light; a column analog-to-digital converter (ADC) which is disposed for each of the columns of the pixel unit and which performs digital conversion on each of the pixel signals output from the pixels in the column; a timing control unit which generates a control signal for controlling the digital conversion performed by the column ADC; and a logic swing and delay adjusting circuit which is disposed in a signal path for supplying the control signal from the timing control unit to the column ADC and which at least either reduces an amplitude of the control signal or delays the control signal. | 06-11-2015 |