Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Daisuke Inoue

Tomohisa Kinugasa

Yukihiro Kuroda

Kouji Maeda

Kazuhiro Saito

Hidekazu Takahashi

Hirofumi Totsuka

Hideo Kobayashi

Tetsunobu Kochi

Koichiro Iwata

Yasuharu Ota

Kazuki Ohshitanai

Shinichiro Shimizu

Hiroo Akabori

Hiroyuki Morita

A photoelectric conversion device is provided. The photoelectric conversion device comprises a plurality of pixels each including a photoelectric conversion element, an output unit configured to output a signal for generating an image from each of the plurality of pixels, a detection unit configured to detect a maximum value and a minimum value of each of signals output from pixels included in a predetermined pixel group among the plurality of pixels; and a switching unit configured to allow the output unit or the detection unit to selectively process the signals output from the plurality of pixels. The detection unit and the switching unit are disposed for each of the plurality of pixels.

Photoelectric conversion device, photoelectric conversion system, and signal processing device

A solid-state image pick-up apparatus of an example includes a photoelectric conversion portion, a transfer transistor configured to transfer a charge in the photoelectric conversion portion, and a signal output circuit configured to supply selectively a first voltage to turn on the transfer transistor and a second voltage to turn off the transfer transistor to the transfer transistor. The signal output circuit is configured to supply the second voltage having a voltage value selected from two or more different voltage values based on an output signal from a pixel.

Solid-state image pick-up apparatus, image pick-up system, and method of driving solid-state image pick-up apparatus

A pixel portion includes a plurality of first pixel rows and a plurality of second pixel rows each being arranged so as to be adjacent to the first pixel row. Among the first pixel row and the second pixel row arranged so as to be adjacent to each other, during at least a part of a period from an end of the electric charge accumulation period in the second pixel row until an end of an output period in which signals from pixels in the first pixel row are output, electric charges accumulated in photoelectric conversion units of pixels in the second pixel row are reset.

Driving method for image pickup apparatus, and image pickup apparatus

A photoelectric conversion device includes a common output line, a sensor cell unit which outputs a signal to the common output line, a transfer circuit unit which is connected to the common output line, holds a signal from the common output line in a transfer capacitor, and transfers the signal, first, second and third memory cell units each of which stores a signal from the common output line in a memory capacitor, inverts and amplifies the signal in the memory capacitor, and outputs the signal to the common output line.

Photoelectric conversion device and camera system

A photoelectric-conversion device that allows for both of widening the dynamic range and performing an operation to monitor the amount of received light is achieved. A sensor-cell unit that can operate in low-sensitivity mode and high-sensitivity mode, a transfer unit transferring a signal outputted from a unit pixel, and a monitoring unit monitoring a signal transmitted from the sensor-cell unit, the signal being output from the transfer unit, are provided.

Photoelectric-conversion device, focus detection apparatus, and image-pickup system for performing an operation to monitor an amount of light

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of unit pixels each including a first photoelectric conversion unit, a second photoelectric conversion unit, and a pixel output unit shared by the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit. The unit pixels are arranged in a first direction, and the first and second photoelectric conversion units are arranged in a second direction different from the first direction.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, focus detection apparatus, and image pickup system

There is provided a photoelectric conversion apparatus which is characterized by comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion regions of a first conductivity type, and a plurality of semiconductor regions of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; and in that the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions of the first conductivity type and the plurality of semiconductor regions are alternately arranged, and a voltage controlling unit is further provided to change a width of a depletion layer formed in a semiconductor substrate by controlling a voltage to be applied to the semiconductor region of the second conductivity type provided between the plurality of photoelectric conversion regions of the first conductivity type.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a plurality of unit pixels each including a first photoelectric conversion unit and a second photoelectric conversion unit, and a pixel output unit shared by the first photoelectric conversion unit and the second photoelectric conversion unit. The first photoelectric conversion unit is configured to be depleted when it is reset, while the second photoelectric conversion unit is configured not to be depleted when it is reset.

A low cost and high speed AF sensor is realized by increasing AF speed without providing a sensor dedicated for a large de-focusing AF. The AF sensor has two sensors each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and detects a focus based on signals read from the sensors. The two sensors each includes a plurality of linear sensorstoThe two sensors each has a plurality of accumulation controlling circuits (PB detection circuitstoand accumulation decision circuitsto) for controlling the accumulation time of the photoelectric conversion elements and a plurality of scanning circuits (shift registersto) for reading out output signals from the photoelectric conversion elements. The AF sensor has a first mode in which the accumulation time of each linear sensor in the two sensors is independently controlled to independently read a signal output and a second mode in which the accumulation time of the linear sensors in the two sensors is collectively controlled to read a signal output.

Focus detection apparatus, method of driving the same and camera system

Each of a plurality of unit pixels includes first and second photoelectric conversion units, and a pixel output unit shared between the first and second photoelectric conversion units. A monitoring unit configured to control the charge-accumulation operation of the first photoelectric conversion unit by monitoring a signal generated based on the second photoelectric conversion unit is provided.

Photoelectric conversion device, auto-focusing apparatus, and image pickup system

Provided is a photoelectric conversion apparatus for detecting focus, which provides an increased number of ranging points while suppressing a chip-area increase. In a first mode, signals from a first line sensor Lgroup are written in a first line memory Lgroup while signals from a second line sensor Lgroup are written in a second line memory Lgroup. In a second mode, signals from the second line sensor Lgroup are written in the first line memory Lgroup while signals from the first line sensor Lgroup are written in the second line memory Lgroup, so that even one and the same line sensor can select different ranging point regions, enabling provision of an increased number of ranging points while suppressing a chip-area increase.

A low cost and high speed AF sensor is realized by increasing AF speed without providing a sensor dedicated for a large de-focusing AF. The AF sensor has two sensors each including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and detects a focus based on signals read from the sensors. The two sensors each includes a plurality of linear sensorsto. The two sensors each has a plurality of accumulation controlling circuits (PB detection circuitstoand accumulation decision circuitsto) for controlling the accumulation time of the photoelectric conversion elements and a plurality of scanning circuits (shift registersto) for reading out output signals from the photoelectric conversion elements. The AF sensor has a first mode in which the accumulation time of each linear sensor in the two sensors is independently controlled to independently read a signal output and a second mode in which the accumulation time of the linear sensors in the two sensors is collectively controlled to read a signal output.

Although an area type focus detecting device for performing phase difference detection type multi point autofocus is used for high speed high precision autofocus of multi points in a wide region, there is a problem of cost increase due to the increase of the chip area. In accordance with the present invention, the photoreceiving area of a specific pixel in an area sensor is made larger than the photoreceiving area of other pixels in the same area sensor. Thus, because the sensor sensitivity is improved and the increase of the chip area is suppressed to a minimum level, a low cost high precision area type focus detecting device can be provided.

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Ebina, Japan

Daisuke Inoue