Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Sony Corporation

Chihiro Okada

Luonghung Asakura

Atsushi Suzuki

Kouji Matsuura

Nobutaka Shimamura

Hung Luong

Hiroaki Nishiya

Kengo Iseki

Solid-state imaging apparatuses are disclosed. In one example, an apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate. The first substrate includes a pixel array that is arrayed in columns and rows. The second substrate is stacked on the first substrate, and includes first and second analog circuits that overlap with the pixel array in a third direction intersecting the column and row directions. A pixel divider section divides pixels in the array into a first area and a second area. The first and second analog circuits respectively connect to pixels in the first and second areas, and are adjacent to each other with a circuit divider section interposed therebetween, the circuit divider section being located with an overlap with the pixel divider section in the third direction.

Solid-state imaging apparatus

In a pixel array unit, pixels that generate pixel signals are arranged in a matrix. A control unitperforms reading of pixel signals in a first mode in which reading of the pixel signals is performed by thinning out lines from the pixel array unit, and reading of pixel signals in a second mode in which reading of the pixel signals is performed by including the lines thinned out in the first mode after the reading in the first mode. A signal processing unituses a pixel signal read in the first mode and a pixel signal read in the second mode, to set an amount of correction for a pixel of the lines thinned out in the first mode, on the basis of the pixel signal read in the second mode from a pixel in which reading of the pixel signal is performed in the first mode and the second mode, and corrects the pixel signal read in the second mode from the pixel of the lines thinned out in the first mode with the set amount of correction to reduce an influence of leakage light.

Solid-state imaging device, driving method, and electronic device

In a solid-state imaging element in which an ADC is disposed, deterioration of conversion accuracy of the ADC caused by a dark current is inhibited. A signal voltage sample-and-hold circuit samples and holds, as a sample signal voltage, a voltage obtained by dividing a difference between a voltage of a vertical signal line corresponding to a light reception amount in a pixel and a predetermined variable reference voltage. An analog-to-digital converter converts an analog signal corresponding to the sample signal voltage to a digital signal. A reference voltage control section performs control to modulate a value of the variable reference voltage according to a dark current amount in the pixel.

Solid-state imaging element, imaging device, and method for controlling solid-state imaging element

The present technology relates to an image pickup device and an electronic device that enables a reduction in influence exerted by a dark current. The image pickup device and the electronic device include a sample and hold unit configured to perform sampling and holding of a pixel signal, an analog digital (AD) conversion unit configured to perform AD conversion of the pixel signal that includes a digit after a decimal point, a digital gain processing unit configured to apply a predetermined gain to a digital signal from the AD conversion unit, and a gain setting unit configured to set an analog gain of a column unit including the sample and hold unit and the AD conversion unit. The gain setting unit sets the analog gain in accordance with a measured dark current amount. The present technology can be applied, for example, to a CMOS image sensor.

Image pickup device and electronic device

The present technology relates to an image-capturing device and an electronic apparatus that are capable of reducing kTC noise. A sample-hold unit that performs sampling and holding of a pixel signal, an analog-digital (AD) conversion unit that performs AD conversion of the pixel signal, and a setting unit that sets a transconductance of an operational amplifier included in the sample-hold unit to a transconductance where kTC noise is minimized are included. Alternatively, a sample-hold unit that performs sampling and holding of a pixel signal, a kTC cancellation unit that reduces kTC noise in the sample-hold unit, an analog-digital (AD) conversion unit that performs AD conversion of the pixel signal, and a setting unit that sets a capacitance value of a capacitor included in the kTC cancellation unit to a capacitance value where the kTC noise is minimized are included.

Image-capturing device and electronic apparatus for suppressing noise

To prevent generation of an invalid frame while suppressing power consumption. An image processing device including an ADC unit including a plurality of ADCs configured to convert a pixel signal read from an image sensor from an analog format to a digital format, and a selection unit configured to select the number of used ADCs, which is the number of ADCs used, among the plurality of ADCs on the basis of a decimation rate of pixels in reading of the pixel signal from the image sensor, in which the number of used ADCs and the decimation rate are switched such that a product of the number of used ADCs and the decimation rate is maintained to be a constant state.

Image processing device, image processing method, and image processing system

The present disclosure relates to an imaging element, a control method, a program, and an electronic device that can provide an electronic ND function by means of a simpler configuration. The imaging element includes a reference signal generation unit and an A/D conversion unit that includes a comparison unit and a switching unit that switches a capacitance connected to a terminal through which the pixel signal is inputted to the comparison unit and A/D-converts the pixel signal. In the case where the exposure time at the time when the image one frame before was captured is smaller than a prescribed first threshold, the switching unit is controlled so as to increase the capacitance connected to the terminal through which the pixel signal is inputted to the comparison unit. The present technology can be applied to a CMOS image sensor, for example.

Imaging element, control method, program, and electronic device

The present disclosure relates to an imaging element, a gain control method, a program, and an electronic device that can capture an image with a high image quality or a high dynamic range with lower power consumption. The imaging element includes: an A/D conversion unit configured to A/D-convert a pixel signal outputted from a pixel; and a reference signal generation unit. The reference signal generation unit includes a prescribed number of pairs of transistors forming a current mirror circuit, and a switching unit configured to switch the number of transistors connected to the current mirror circuit. The switching unit is controlled so as to reduce the number of transistors connected to the current mirror circuit when the pixel signal is A/D-converted to a high gain. The present technology can be applied to a CMOS image sensor, for example.

Imaging element, gain control method, program, and electronic device

Provided is an image sensor having a column ADC configuration including, for every pixel row, an analog digital converter (ADC) that converts a pixel signal including an analog signal generated by photoelectric conversion into an output signal including a digital signal. The image sensor includes a plurality of clamp operation units each configured to calculate a reference level based on each output signal of a plurality of ADC groups, and a reference voltage output unit configured to convert a digital signal of the reference level calculated by the clamp operation unit into a reference voltage including an analog signal, and supply the reference voltage to each the ADC that constitutes the ADC group.

Growing community of inventors

Tokyo, Japan

Chihiro Okada