Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080266159 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AD CONVERTER, AND AD CONVERTING METHOD - The present invention provides a solid-state imaging device which can output a digital signal at a high speed without using a high-speed clock. The solid-state imaging device includes light receiving elements provided in an array and generating signal voltages based on light intensity of received light and AD converters each of which is provided in each of columns in the array. Each of the AD converters includes: a reference voltage generating unit ( | 10-30-2008 |
20080291305 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA - In a solid state imaging device having a wide dynamic range, a pixel includes a photodiode that generates a charge in accordance with an intensity of incident light, signal generation units that generate a first voltage level in accordance with an amount of charge generated by the photodiode in an exposure period T | 11-27-2008 |
20090021619 | Solid state image pickup device and camera using the same - A solid state image pickup device | 01-22-2009 |
20090033780 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - An object of the present invention is to provide a two-dimensional solid state imaging device which can realize speeding up of signal output. The two-dimensional solid state imaging device includes: a pixel region; a first capacitance element and a second capacitance element each of which is arranged for a different column of pixels and accumulates pixel signals of the corresponding column of pixels; a first horizontal signal line and a second horizontal signal line each of which transmits the pixel signals accumulated in a corresponding capacitance element; a common signal line connected to the horizontal signal lines; a scan timing generation unit and a switch unit which control readout of the pixel signals from the capacitance element to the horizontal signal line; and an external output timing unit and a switch unit which select the horizontal signal line and control output of the pixel signals from the selected horizontal signal line to the common signal line. Here, the scan timing generation unit and the switch unit, and the external output timing unit and the switch unit control the readout and the output of the pixel signals, respectively, so that a time period required for the readout of the pixel signals from the capacitance element to the signal line is longer than a time period required for the output of the pixel signals from the signal line to the common signal line. | 02-05-2009 |
20090059047 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - Provided is a solid-state imaging device having pixel units that are two-dimensionally arranged, and including: a photodiode that generates an optical signal charge corresponding to an intensity and an exposure time of light; a MOS transistor that transfers the optical signal charge; an accumulating unit that generates a voltage corresponding to the signal charge through the MOS transistor; a storing unit that stores a voltage corresponding to an optical signal charge in the accumulating unit; and a voltage setting unit that sets a value of a voltage in the accumulating unit to a value corresponding to the voltage in the storing unit. | 03-05-2009 |
20090079857 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, RECEIVED-LIGHT INTENSITY MEASURING DEVICE, AND RECEIVED-LIGHT INTENSITY MEASURING METHOD - The received-light intensity measuring device includes: a pixel circuit | 03-26-2009 |
20090212985 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, SEMICONDUCTOR INTEGRATED CIRCUIT, AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - A solid-state imaging device includes: pixel circuits arranged in a matrix which perform photoelectric conversion on received light; and an AD conversion unit converting the resultant signal voltage of the photoelectric conversion. The AD conversion unit includes: a reference voltage generation unit generating plural reference voltages which are different from each other within a possible range for a signal voltage; a most significant bit conversion unit that identifies a voltage section including the signal voltage from among the voltage sections each having a corresponding one of the reference voltages as a base point and determines the identified result as the value of the most significant bit of the digital signal; and a least significant bit conversion unit that converts, into the least significant bit of the digital signal, the difference voltage between the signal voltage and the reference voltage as the base point of the identified voltage section. | 08-27-2009 |
20110109779 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, ITS PRODUCTION METHOD, CAMERA WITH THE SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND LIGHT RECEIVING CHIP - Provided is a light-receiving chip whose transparent protection plate has an area equal to or smaller than an area of the light-receiving chip, and which does not require a base portion for mounting. Provision of the light-receiving chip contributes to reduction in size and weight of cameras. In addition, provision of a solid-state imaging apparatus having excellent productivity contributes to reduction in price of cameras. A solid-state imaging apparatus ( | 05-12-2011 |
20110121162 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND DIFFERENTIAL CIRCUIT - A solid-state imaging device that is configurable into a small size appropriate for expanding dynamic range includes: a photodiode which is a photoelectric conversion unit that generates charge by incident light; a MOS transistor which is connected to the photodiode and transfers the charge; a floating diffusion region which is a first accumulation unit which accumulates the charge via the MOS transistor; a MOS transistor which is a second transfer unit connected to the floating diffusion region and connected in series to the MOS transistor; and a MOS transistor which is an output unit which outputs, via the MOS transistor, a signal voltage in accordance with an amount of the charge. | 05-26-2011 |
20120033117 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD - A plurality of pixel circuits arranged in rows and columns, and each of which outputs an electric signal according to an amount of received light; a first column signal line provided for each of the columns, and for sequentially transferring the electric signals from said pixel circuits in a corresponding column; and a holding circuit provided for each of the pixel circuits in each column, and which holds the electric signal transferred through the column signal line in the corresponding column are provided. A holding circuit includes a first capacitor which holds a first electric signal of the corresponding pixel circuit in a reset state; and a second capacitor which holds a second electric signal after the corresponding pixel circuit receives light. A difference circuit calculates a difference between two electric signals held by the first capacitor and the second capacitor in a same holding circuit. | 02-09-2012 |
20120292485 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND AD CONVERSION METHOD - A solid-state imaging device includes an imager including pixels arranged in a matrix, and AD converters, each of which is provided in each pixel column and converts a signal voltage read from one of the pixels located in the column to a digital value. Each of the AD converters includes a comparator and a counter section including a counter circuit, which receives a comparison result of the comparator and includes a first DFF for n bits, and a transfer circuit, which includes a second DFF for n bits holding and outputting a count value of the counter circuit. The second DFFs provided in the columns are coupled in series to form a transfer section transferring the signal voltage which has been digitally converted. | 11-22-2012 |
20130120625 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device includes pixels, vertical signal lines, a high-order AD converter configured to convert M bits, a low-order AD converter, and first and second selection circuits. The first selection circuit is configured to output, in a normal mode, voltage of the selected vertical signal line and to output correction voltage in a correction mode. The high-order AD converter calculates 2 | 05-16-2013 |
20130314574 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging device includes: pixels arrayed two-dimensionally; pixel common circuits arrayed in a matrix, each shared by adjacent pixels of a certain number among the pixels; column common circuits, each provided for one of columns of the pixel common circuits, and shared by pixel common circuits belonging to a same column; column signal lines each provided for one of the columns of the pixel common circuits; and reset signal lines each provided for one of the columns of the pixel common circuits, in which an electric signal from each of the pixels is detected by a corresponding one of the pixel common circuits and read by a corresponding one of the column common circuits, and the electric signal detected by the corresponding one of the pixel common circuits is reset by a feedback path including one column signal line, one column common circuit, and one reset signal lines. | 11-28-2013 |
20140043510 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM USING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device in the present disclosure includes a semiconductor substrate, pixels, and column signal lines. Each of the pixels includes an amplifying transistor, a selection transistor, a reset transistor, and a photoelectric converting unit. The photoelectric converting unit includes a photoelectric converting film, a transparent electrode, a pixel electrode, and an accumulation diode. The pixel electrode and the accumulation diode are connected to a gate of the amplifying transistor. The amplifying transistor has a source connected to the column signal line and a drain connected to a power source line. The reset transistor has a source connected to the pixel electrode. The selective transistor is provided between the source of the amplifying transistor and the column signal line. A threshold voltage of the amplifying transistor is lower than a voltage of the accumulation diode. | 02-13-2014 |
20140131554 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND SWITCHING CIRCUIT - A solid-state imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion unit which converts light into signal charges; an accumulation unit which accumulates the signal charges; a transfer transistor connected between the photoelectric conversion unit and the accumulation unit for transferring to the accumulation unit, the signal charges obtained through the conversion by the photoelectric conversion unit; an amplification transistor for amplifying the signal charges accumulated in the accumulation unit to generate a voltage signal, the amplification transistor having a gate connected to the accumulation unit; a reset transistor for resetting a voltage of the accumulation unit; a first amplification circuit for negatively feeding back the voltage signal generated by the amplification transistor to the reset transistor; and a second amplification circuit for positively feeding back the voltage signal generated by the amplification transistor to the amplification transistor. | 05-15-2014 |