Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080231491 | Analog-to-Digital Conversion Method, Analog-to-Digital Converter, Semiconductor Device for Detecting Distribution of Physical Quantity, and Electronic Apparatus - In an analog-to-digital conversion method for converting a difference signal component representing a difference between a reference component and a signal component in an analog signal to be processed into digital data, in a first process, a signal corresponding to one of the reference component and the signal component is compared with a reference signal for conversion into the digital data. Concurrently with the comparison, counting is performed in one of a down-count mode and an up-count mode, and a count value at a time of completion of the comparison is held. In a second process, a signal corresponding to the other one of the reference component and the signal component is compared with the reference signal. Concurrently with the comparison, counting is performed in the other one of the down-count mode and the up-count mode, and a count value at a time of completion of the comparison is held. | 09-25-2008 |
20090009641 | DA CONVERTER, AD CONVERTER, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A DA converter includes a first DA conversion section for obtaining an analog output signal in accordance with a digital input signal value, and a second DA conversion section for obtaining an analog gain control output signal in accordance with a digital gain control input signal value. In the DA converter, the gain control of the analog output signal generated by the first DA conversion section is performed on the basis of the gain control output signal generated by the second DA conversion section. | 01-08-2009 |
20090051801 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus for photographing an image, includes: a photoelectric converter to convert incident light an electric charge and accumulate the electric charge, a transfer element to transfer the electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converter, a converter to convert the electric charge in the photoelectric converter transferred via the transfer element into a voltage, a reset element to reset potentials of the converter, and an amplifier to amplify a voltage converted by the converter to generate a pixel signal and output the pixel signal to a read signal line for reading the pixel signal. A plurality of the photoelectric converter and the transfer element are disposed at least in a horizontal direction share the amplifier and the read signal line. | 02-26-2009 |
20090084941 | COUNTER CIRCUIT, AD CONVERSION METHOD, AD CONVERTER, SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE FOR DETECTING DISTRIBUTION OF PHYSICAL QUANTITIES, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state image pick up device including a pixel array unit having unit pixels arranged in a matrix pattern. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter. Additionally, the solid-state image pick up device has column signal lines that correspond to the respective columns of the matrix pattern, a row scanning means for selectively controlling each unit pixel, and an analog-digital converting unit for converting analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selectively controlled by the row scanning means. The analog-digital converting unit further includes an asynchronous counter which performs counting in two modes and the asynchronous counter includes a counter processor configured so that when switching between the count modes occurs, a running count value is broken and there is an interval between the count modes and when a mode begins the running count value is reset to the value before the running count value was broken. | 04-02-2009 |
20090153708 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device includes pixel cells that are formed on a substrate having a first substrate surface side, on which light is irradiated, and a second substrate surface side, on which elements are formed, and separated by an adjacent cell group and an element separation layer for each of the pixel cells or with plural pixel cells as a unit. Each of the pixel cells has a first conductive well formed on the first substrate surface side and a second conductive well formed on the second substrate surface side. The first conductive well receives light from the first substrate surface side and has a photoelectric conversion function and a charge accumulation function for the received light. A transistor that detects accumulated charges in the first conductive well and has a threshold modulation function is formed in the second conductive well. | 06-18-2009 |
20090190021 | Solid-state Image Pickup Device Having Analog-Digital Converters Configured To Sum Values Of Multiple Pixels In The Array And Method For Driving The Same - A CMOS image sensor includes column-parallel ADCs. Each of the ADCs includes a comparator and an up/down counter. With this configuration, digital values of pixels in a plurality of rows can be added without using additional circuits, such as an adder and a line memory device, and the frame rate can be increased while maintaining constant sensitivity. | 07-30-2009 |
20100079611 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND AD CONVERSION GAIN ADJUSTING METHOD - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which unit pixels outputting processing target signals are arranged in a horizontal direction and scanning lines are wired such that the processing target signals can be read out in order in a vertical direction within a repetition unit of an array of the unit pixels in the horizontal direction; an AD conversion unit including comparing units that compare a reference signal supplied from a reference-signal generating unit and the processing target signals, and counter units that perform count operation, the AD conversion unit performing AD conversion processing based on output data of the counter units; and a driving control unit that performs control to read out the processing target signals in order in the vertical direction and controls the reference-signal generating unit and the AD conversion unit such that AD conversion gains are individually adjusted in order to correct an output amplitude characteristic difference within the repetition unit during AD conversion processing. | 04-01-2010 |
20100245649 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME IN A NUMBER OF MODES - A system and method for driving a solid-state image pickup device including a pixel array unit including unit pixels. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter, column signal lines and a number of analog-digital converting units. The unit pixels are selectively controlled in units of rows. Analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selected by the selective control though the column signal lines are converted to digital signals via the analog-digital converting units. The digital signals are added among a number of unit pixels via the analog-digital converting units. The added digital signals from the analog-digital converting units are read. Each unit pixel in the pixel array unit is selectively controlled in units of arbitrary rows, the analog-distal converting units being operable to performing the converting in a (a) normal-frame-rate mode and a (b) high-frame-rate mode in response to control signals. | 09-30-2010 |
20110176042 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT, METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, AND CAMERA SYSTEM - Provided is a solid-state imaging element including pixel signal read lines, and a pixel signal reading unit for reading pixel signals from a pixel unit via the pixel signal read line. The pixel unit includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion element. In the pixel unit, a shared pixel in which an output node is shared among a plurality of pixels is formed, and a pixel signal of each pixel in the shared pixel is capable of being selectively output from the shared output node to a corresponding one of the pixel signal read lines. The pixel signal reading unit sets a bias voltage for a load element which is connected to the pixel signal read line and in which current dependent on a bias voltage flows in the load element, to a voltage causing a current value to be higher than current upon a reference bias voltage when there is no difference between added charge amounts, when addition of pixel signals of the respective pixels in the shared pixel is driven. | 07-21-2011 |
20110199526 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - A system and method for driving a solid-state image pickup device including a pixel array unit including unit pixels. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter, column signal lines and a number of analog-digital converting units. The unit pixels are selectively controlled in units of rows. Analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selected by the selective control though the column signal lines are converted to digital signals via the analog-digital converting units. The digital signals are added among a number of unit pixels via the analog-digital converting units. The added digital signals from the analog-digital converting units are read. Each unit pixel in the pixel array unit is selectively controlled in units of arbitrary rows, the analog-distal converting units being operable to performing the converting in a (a) normal-frame-rate mode and a (b) high-frame-rate mode in response to control signals. | 08-18-2011 |
20110221619 | DA CONVERTER, AD CONVERTER, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A DA converter includes a first DA conversion section for obtaining an analog output signal in accordance with a digital input signal value, and a second DA conversion section for obtaining an analog gain control output signal in accordance with a digital gain control input signal value. In the DA converter, the gain control of the analog output signal generated by the first DA conversion section is performed on the basis of the gain control output signal generated by the second DA conversion section. | 09-15-2011 |
20120113292 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device includes pixel cells that are formed on a substrate having a first substrate surface side, on which light is irradiated, and a second substrate surface side, on which elements are formed, and separated by an adjacent cell group and an element separation layer for each of the pixel cells or with plural pixel cells as a unit. Each of the pixel cells has a first conductive well formed on the first substrate surface side and a second conductive well formed on the second substrate surface side. The first conductive well receives light from the first substrate surface side and has a photoelectric conversion function and a charge accumulation function for the received light. A transistor that detects accumulated charges in the first conductive well and has a threshold modulation function is formed in the second conductive well. | 05-10-2012 |
20130016238 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICEAANM Ebihara; HiroakiAACI KanagawaAACO JPAAGP Ebihara; Hiroaki Kanagawa JPAANM Nitta; YoshikazuAACI TokyoAACO JPAAGP Nitta; Yoshikazu Tokyo JPAANM Kitami; HirotakaAACI KanagawaAACO JPAAGP Kitami; Hirotaka Kanagawa JP - There is provided an image pickup device which eliminates the need for image processing different from one frame to another, and is capable of eliminating centroid displacement without additionally performing a centroid correction process, thereby improving an S/N ratio and image quality. A controller 140 sequentially reads signals from all pixels when an operation mode control signal designates all-pixel readout mode, whereas, controls to read a signal from a different pixel while varying a readout position from one field to another when the operation mode control signal designates selective readout mode, and a signal processing section 150 performs signal processing on a set of field data of a single field to output resultant data as frame data when the operation mode control signal designates all-pixel readout mode, whereas, adds up plural sets of field data over a plurality of fields to output resultant data as frame data when the operation mode control signal designates selective readout mode. | 01-17-2013 |
20140016011 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME IN SOLID-STATE IMAGING PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME IN A NUMBER OF MODES - A system and method for driving a solid-state image pickup device including a pixel array unit including unit pixels. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter, column signal lines and a number of analog-digital converting units. The unit pixels are selectively controlled in units of rows. Analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selected by the selective control though the column signal lines are converted to digital signals via the analog-digital converting units. The digital signals are added among a number of unit pixels via the analog-digital converting units. The added digital signals from the analog-digital converting units are read. Each unit pixel in the pixel array unit is selectively controlled in units of arbitrary rows, the analog-distal converting units being operable to performing the converting in a (a) normal-frame-rate mode and a (b) high-frame-rate mode in response to control signals. | 01-16-2014 |
20140168489 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus for photographing an image, includes: a photoelectric converter to convert incident light an electric charge and accumulate the electric charge, a transfer element to transfer the electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converter, a converter to convert the electric charge in the photoelectric converter transferred via the transfer element into a voltage, a reset element to reset potentials of the converter, and an amplifier to amplify a voltage converted by the converter to generate a pixel signal and output the pixel signal to a read signal line for reading the pixel signal. A plurality of the photoelectric converter and the transfer element are disposed at least in a horizontal direction share the amplifier and the read signal line. | 06-19-2014 |
20140267862 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT, METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, AND CAMERA SYSTEM - Provided is a solid-state imaging element including pixel signal read lines, and a pixel signal reading unit for reading pixel signals from a pixel unit via the pixel signal read line. The pixel unit includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion element. In the pixel unit, a shared pixel in which an output node is shared among a plurality of pixels is formed, and a pixel signal of each pixel in the shared pixel is capable of being selectively output from the shared output node to a corresponding one of the pixel signal read lines. The pixel signal reading unit sets a bias voltage for a load element which is connected to the pixel signal read line and in which current dependent on a bias voltage flows in the load element, to a voltage causing a current value to be higher than current upon a reference bias voltage when there is no difference between added charge amounts, when addition of pixel signals of the respective pixels in the shared pixel is driven. | 09-18-2014 |
20140285697 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - A system and method for driving a solid-state image pickup device including a pixel array unit including unit pixels. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter, column signal lines and a number of analog-digital converting units. The unit pixels are selectively controlled in units of rows. Analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selected by the selective control though the column signal lines are converted to digital signals via the analog-digital converting units. The digital signals are added among a number of unit pixels via the analog-digital converting units. The added digital signals from the analog-digital converting units are read. Each unit pixel in the pixel array unit is selectively controlled in units of arbitrary rows, the analog-distal converting units being operable to performing the converting in a (a) normal-frame-rate mode and a (b) high-frame-rate mode in response to control signals. | 09-25-2014 |
20150014516 | DA CONVERTER, AD CONVERTER, AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - A DA converter includes a first DA conversion section for obtaining an analog output signal in accordance with a digital input signal value, and a second DA conversion section for obtaining an analog gain control output signal in accordance with a digital gain control input signal value. In the DA converter, the gain control of the analog output signal generated by the first DA conversion section is performed on the basis of the gain control output signal generated by the second DA conversion section. | 01-15-2015 |