Patent application number | Description | Published |
20090079849 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus including: a pixel section where a plurality of pixel cells are two-dimensionally arranged with each having a photoelectric conversion section for generating signal electric charges corresponding to an object image, a memory means for temporarily retaining the signal electric charges, an electric charge transfer means for transferring the signal electric charges generated at the photoelectric conversion section to the memory means, an amplification means for outputting a signal corresponding to amount of the signal electric charges retained at the memory means, and a reset means for resetting the memory means; a plurality of vertical signal lines for reading output of the signal from the amplification means along a vertical direction with treating individual one of the pixel cells arranged in a horizontal direction as unit; a horizontal signal line for reading signals from the plurality of vertical signal lines along the horizontal direction; A/D converter for converting output from the horizontal signal line into digital signal; a frame memory for retaining output signal level of one or the other of a first output signal level of the pixel cell at the time of reset converted into the digital signal and a second output signal level of the pixel cell after transfer by the electric charge transfer means; a subtracter for computing a difference between the one output signal level retained at the frame memory and the other output signal level; a clip means for clipping the first output signal level to a predetermined clipping level when the first output signal level is changed more than a predetermined threshold only at the time of reading of the first output signal level; and a control section for executing a frame read mode where a control is effected so as to read the first output signal level and the second output signal level respectively at different timings with treating frame as unit. | 03-26-2009 |
20090207290 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus including: a pixel section having a plurality of pixels, each pixel containing an amplification section for outputting onto an output signal line, and a reset section for resetting an accumulation section; a noise suppressing section with using a first signal being an output from the pixel at the time of resetting for suppressing noise components contained in a second signal corresponding to the signal electric charges; and a control section for, of the outputs onto the output signal line of a first pixel being subject of the noise suppressing operation, respectively limiting the first signal and the second signal to a first electric potential and to a second electric potential with using an output resulting from reset operation onto the output signal line from a second pixel different from the first pixel and connected to the same one output signal line as the first pixel. | 08-20-2009 |
20100103302 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP METHOD - A solid-state image pickup apparatus comprising a pixel section which comprises a plurality of unit pixels which are arranged in a matrix, and converts an input optical signal to an electric signal, a column circuit which processes the electric signal which is outputted from the pixel section column by column, and a column circuit current controlling section which reduces current of column circuit, whose electric signal is not read out, than current of column circuit whose electric signal is read out, when a first mode which thins out and reads out electric signals of column circuits is set. | 04-29-2010 |
20100163711 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device comprises pixel units, column signal lines, column circuits, a switching unit, and a mode control unit. Pixel units are two-dimensionally disposed in a matrix direction, and each of them comprises a photoelectric conversion unit and an amplifying unit. Column signal lines are provided for each column and the pixel signals from the amplifying units are output to each of rows. Column circuits are provided for each column and process signals from the column signal lines. A switching unit switches connection between the column signal lines and the column circuits. A mode control unit outputs signals to the switching unit and controls switching between a first mode in which the column signal lines are connected to the column circuits on the same column thereof and a second mode in which the column signal lines are connected to the column circuits on another column. | 07-01-2010 |
20130126710 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device and an imaging device are capable of transferring a control signal to pixels formed in each chip of the solid-state imaging device, in which the plurality of chips are connected to each other, without an increase in a circuit size of the solid-state imaging device or an increase in the number of connectors between the chips. The solid-state imaging device, in which first and second substrates are electrically connected to each other via the connectors, includes a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element disposed in the first substrate and a reading circuit disposed in the second substrate are arrayed two-dimensionally, and a read control circuit that controls reading of a signal from the pixels. The read control circuit includes a pulse generation unit and a logical unit. | 05-23-2013 |
20130229560 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE, IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE, AND SIGNAL READING METHOD - A solid-state image pickup device according to one aspect of the present invention includes, but is not limited to: first and second substrates on which circuit elements constituting a pixel; a coupler electrically coupling the first and second substrates; a first photoelectric conversion element on the first substrate; a first amplifier circuit on the first substrate; a first storing unit on the second substrate; and an output circuit on the second substrate. The first photoelectric conversion element performs photoelectric conversion on a first incident light to generate a first signal. The first amplifier circuit is coupled in series to the first photoelectric conversion element. The first amplifier circuit amplifies the first signal to generate a first amplified signal and output the first amplified signal to the coupler. The first storing unit stores the first amplified signal. The output circuit sequentially outputs the first amplified signal stored. | 09-05-2013 |
20140042582 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus in which a first substrate, a second substrate electrically connected to the first substrate through a connector and circuit elements disposed in the first substrate and in the second substrate, and forming pixels, each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element disposed in the first substrate and configured to generate a signal corresponding to an amount of incident light, and a signal holder disposed in the second substrate in correspondence with the photoelectric conversion element and configured to hold an output signal corresponding to the signal generated by the corresponding photoelectric conversion element, and the signal holder is formed by laminating a capacitance element including a plurality of electrodes on a plurality of layers within the second substrate. | 02-13-2014 |
20140176770 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF CONTROLLING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND IMAGING DEVICE - In the solid-state imaging device, first and second substrates are electrically connected to each other via connectors electrically connecting the first and second substrates. A photoelectric conversion element is disposed in the first substrate. A read circuit is disposed in the second substrate and reads a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element and transmitted via the connector. In a signal processing circuit including elements or circuits performing signal processing on the read signal, some of the elements or circuits are disposed in the first substrate, the remaining elements or circuits are disposed in the second substrate, and the elements or circuits disposed in the first and second substrates are electrically connected to each other via the connector. | 06-26-2014 |