Panasonic Corporation

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Akiyoshi Kohno

Yoshiaki Kato

Takeshi Fujita

Toshiya Fujii

Yuji Matsuda

Shinichi Tashiro

Ryoichi Nagayoshi

Tomohiro Honda

Hiroshi Matsumoto

Akira Tsukamoto

Keijirou Itakura

Kazuya Yonemoto

Tsuyoshi Hasuka

Shunjiro Takemori

Kozo Orihara

Toshihumi Habara

Kunihide Hirai

Keijiro Itakura

Nobuhiko Mutoh

A driving method used for a solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes: imaging an object for a first storage time when a shutter is open, in a first state that is a state where either at least a part of the peripheral circuitry is suspended or a consumption current of the peripheral circuitry is limited; imaging, in the first state, a dark output signal image including only a dark output for a second storage time when the shutter is closed; converting the dark output signal image to correspond to the image obtained for the first storage time and subtracting, from the signal image of the object, the converted dark output signal image or converting the dark output signal image to correspond to the image obtained for the second storage time and subtracting, from the signal image of the object, the converted dark output signal image.

Driving method for solid-state imaging device and solid-state imaging device

A solid state image sensor capable of preventing image degradation, such as shading and ringing, from occurring in an image portion along the left edge of a screen. The solid state image sensor includes, in addition to a horizontal drive circuit that generates a horizontal drive pulse for driving a horizontal register, a pseudo-horizontal drive circuit that generates a pseudo-horizontal drive pulse successive to the horizontal drive pulse during a horizontal blanking interval. The horizontal drive circuit and pseudo-horizontal drive circuit are connected to a horizontal driver power supply unit, which generates, during the horizontal blanking interval, a current that is equal to a current generated by the horizontal driver power supply unit during an effective interval. This arrangement can prevent any power supply ripples from occurring immediately after the beginning of the effective interval.

Solid state image sensor

An objective of the present invention is to provide the solid-state imaging device and the driving method thereof which can control: a poor picture quality, such as blooming, to maximize a dynamic range of the photodiode; and a poor picture quality resulted from an incomplete read-out operation. A solid-state imaging device in the present invention includes: a solid-state imaging element; and a driving pulse controlling unit applying a driving pulse to each of read-out gates of a column CCD. The driving pulse controlling unit transfers in a column direction signal charge within a charge transfer region of the column CCD by applying a column transfer clock having a LOW level voltage and a MIDDLE level voltage, and the LOW level voltage and the MIDDLE level voltage are minus voltages.

Solid-state imaging device, driving method thereof, and camera

An imaging apparatus capable of suppressing deterioration of image qualities and output properties is provided having one or more output circuits in series and a buffer circuit, and processing luminance signals from photodetectors to output image information, the buffer circuit performing impedance conversion on signals outputted from a final output circuit of the one or more output circuits, the final output circuit being a source follower circuit that has an active element and a current source circuitwhich is inserted between a source terminal of the active element and a reference voltage terminal, wherein the current source circuit and the buffer circuitare external to a solid-state image sensorhaving the photodetectors, and a main part of the current source circuitand a main part of the buffer circuitare in a single package.

Imaging apparatus and device

Imaging apparatus and a device for use therewith

Provided is a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of vertical transfer units (VCCDs), a horizontal transfer unit (HCCD) and a driving unit. In a vertical final stage of the VCCDs, there are same transfer electrode structures in every m columns, where m is equal to or more than 2, the vertical final stage being a vertical transfer stage located the closest to the HCCD, in each vertical final stage of columns except one column among the m columns or of all columns among the m columns, there are transfer electrodes independent from electrodes in the other columns in the m columns, and the independent transfer electrodes are driven independently to perform transfer processing from the corresponding vertical final stage to the HCCD, the driving being independent from driving for the electrodes in the other columns in the m columns, and the driving unit performs sequential vertical transfer driving, by which first packets and second packets are sequentially and vertically transferred within one horizontal transfer period, the first packet including a signal component to be used as an image signal and the second packet not including any signal component to be used as an image signal, and to apply, in the sequential vertical transfer driving, respective transfer pulses to the transfer electrodes in the vertical transfer stage and transfer electrodes of the HCCD, so that the first packets and the second packets are separated to be allocated into respective different horizontal transfer stages of the HCCD.

Solid-state imaging device, driving method thereof, and camera that separate image component signal and non-image component signal

A solid-state imaging device of the present invention includes: photodiodes having a vertical overflow drain structure; vertical shift registers for temporarily storing signals transferred from the photodiodes; and a horizontal shift register for storing and horizontally transferring signals transferred from the vertical shift registers, wherein a &#x3c6;SUB pulse is applied to the substrate, the &#x3c6;SUB pulse having a larger pulse width than a &#x3c6;V pulse applied to the gate electrode of each vertical shift register. Thus, it is possible to sweep out smear charges from the photodiode toward the substrate.

Imaging device and driving method for solid-state imaging device

The present invention provides a solid-state image sensing device that can reduce at least the number of pixels arranged in the horizontal direction and can output high quality picture signals at high speed without generating moire or alias. The solid-state image sensing device includes vertical transfer partsin which signal charges read out from photoelectric conversion partsarranged bidimensionally are transferred in the vertical direction stage by stage, a horizontal transfer partin which signal charges received from the vertical transfer partsare transferred in the horizontal direction, and a control unit that controls transfer operations of the vertical transfer partsand horizontal transfer part, wherein vertical last stages of the vertical transfer partshave transfer electrodes formed to have identical configurations repeated every 2n+1 (n denotes an integer of 1 or higher) columns, and vertical last stages of columns other than one column among the 2n+1 columns or all vertical stages are provided with transfer electrodes that are independent of those of the other vertical last stages.

Solid-state image sensing device and camera using the same

The present invention provides a solid-state image sensor, a solid-state image sensing apparatus, and a camera realizing a high-speed operation, all operable to output signal charges so as to maintain the light sensitivity and generate high-quality video signals free from moir&#xe9; and aliased signals even if the number of pixels making up one frame of an image is reduced. The solid-state image sensor comprises a plurality of photoelectric converters, vertical transfer groups, and a horizontal transfer unit disposed at one side of the vertical transfer groups. Each vertical transfer group includes 2n+1 vertical transfer units, where n is an integer of 1 or more. Each vertical transfer unit includes a plurality of transfer electrodes arranged in columns and charge storage units receiving and storing charges from the photoelectric converters. In n out of the 2n+1 vertical transfer units, predetermined transfer electrodes disposed near the horizontal transfer unit are independent transfer electrodes.

Solid-state image sensor, solid-state image sensing apparatus, camera, and method for controlling a solid-state image sensor

An image defect correction apparatus that processes luminance signals output from two-dimensionally arranged light-sensitive elements via a plurality of vertical charge coupled devices and a horizontal charge coupled device in a predetermined order, outputs image information, and includes: a recording unit that records therein an X address for identifying a correction-target vertical line of pixels corresponding to a vertical charge coupled device in which a point defect exists; a correction value calculating unit that calculates a correction value from values of (i) a luminance signal corresponding to at least one pixel at a predetermined position on the correction-target vertical line identified by the X address and (ii) a luminance signal corresponding to at least one pixel at a predetermined position on another vertical line; and a correcting unit that corrects values of luminance signals corresponding to the correction-target vertical line, based on the calculated correction value.

Image defect correction apparatus and method

A driver unit of a solid state image sensing apparatus changes the substrate bias voltage from a first bias voltage to a second bias voltage which is lower than the first bias voltage and is for making a height of an overflow barrier higher than a height of the barrier in the readout gate. Moreover, the driver unit lowers the height of the overflow barrier by superimposing a saturation signal control pulse on the second bias voltage after an end of an exposure period and before sweeping out all the signal charge of vertical CCDs.

Growing community of inventors

Kyoto, Japan

Akiyoshi Kohno