Honda Motor Co., Ltd.

Keisuke Korekado

Tomoyuki Kamiyama

Toru Takenaka

Yoichi Nishimura

Nobuyuki Ohashi

A light emission reference signal, the timing of which is adjusted by a first delay time control circuit, is input as a timing adjustment signal to a light emitter driver. The light emission reference signal, which is delayed by a second delay time control circuit, is output as an offset signal. The offset signal and a light emission timing signal from the light emitter driver are input to a timing correction phase comparator, and a phase comparison result is output from the timing correction phase comparator. The phase comparison result is input to a timing correction control logic circuit, and a delay adjusting signal based on the phase comparison result is output from the timing correction control logic circuit. The delay adjusting signal is input to the first delay time control circuit, whereby the timing of the light emission reference signal is adjusted.

Distance measuring system

A unit pixel has a light receiving device containing a photoelectric conversion element for detecting a light to generate photoelectrons. The light receiving device contains a plurality of photoelectron distributors, which each have a first transfer unit for transferring the photoelectrons generated in the photoelectric conversion element, a photoelectron hold unit for temporarily holding the photoelectrons generated in the photoelectric conversion element, a second transfer unit for transferring the photoelectrons held in the photoelectron hold unit, and a floating diffusion layer for storing the transferred photoelectrons and converting the photoelectrons to a voltage. The unit pixel contains a reset transistor for resetting the potential of the floating diffusion layer to a reference potential and a photoelectron discharger for discharging the photoelectrons generated in the photoelectric conversion element.

Unit pixel for accurately removing reset noise, solid-state image sensing device, and method for summing unit pixel signals

A first photoelectric conversion element, which detects light and converts the light into photoelectrons has: one first MOS diode having a first electrode formed on a semiconductor base body with an insulator therebetween; and a plurality of second MOS diodes, each of which has a second electrode formed on the semiconductor base body with the insulator therebetween. The first electrode of the first MOS diode has, when viewed from the upper surface, a comb-like shape wherein a plurality of branch portions are branched from one electrode portion. Each second electrode of each of the second MOS diodes is, when viewed from the upper surface, separated from the first electrode, and is disposed to nest between the branch portions of the first electrode.

Photoelectric conversion element, light receiving device, light receiving system, and distance measuring device

A solid-state image sensing device comprises a unit pixel containing a photoelectric conversion element for detecting a light to generate photoelectrons and at least one electrode for forming an MOS diode structure, a first contact point connected to a first voltage supply for supplying a first voltage to the electrode, a second contact point connected to a second voltage supply for supplying a second voltage higher than the first voltage to the electrode, a first capacitor disposed between the first and second contact points, a change-over switch connected to one of the first and second contact points to selectively switch a voltage applied to the electrode to the first voltage or the second voltage, and pixel drive circuits for driving the change-over switch, thereby alternately applying the first voltage and the second voltage to the electrode to generate, hold, transfer, reset, or discharge the photoelectrons.

Solid-state image sensing device with a change-over switch

A first photoelectric conversion element, which detects light and converts the light into photoelectrons has: one MOS diode having an electrode formed on a semiconductor base body with an insulator therebetween; and a plurality of embedded photodiodes formed in the semiconductor base body. The electrode of the MOS diode has, when viewed from the upper surface, a comb-like shape wherein a plurality of branch portions are branched from one electrode portion. Each of the embedded photodiodes is disposed to nest between the branch portions of the electrode when viewed from the upper surface.

A first photoelectric conversion element for detecting light and converting the light into photoelectrons comprises one buried photodiode formed in a semiconductor substrate, and a plurality of MOS diodes each having an electrode formed on the semiconductor substrate with an insulator interposed therebetween. The buried photodiode has a comb shape, in which a plurality of diverging portions are disposed to diverge from one portion, when viewed from the top thereof, and the respective electrodes of the MOS diodes are disposed so as to be nested between the plurality of diverging portions of the buried photodiode when viewed from the tops thereof.

Disclosed is a solid-state imaging device capable of calculating the difference in charge obtained by photoelectric conversion, and capable of a high level of integration. A solid-state imaging device is provided with an AD converter which is provided with: a first comparator which outputs a signal corresponding to a first analog signal of a first pixel by comparing said first analog signal with a reference voltage supplied from the reference voltage generation unit which generates a reference voltage which gradually changes; a second comparator which outputs a signal corresponding to a second analog signal of a second pixel by comparing said second analog signal with the reference voltage supplied by the reference voltage generation unit; a difference circuit which finds the difference between the signal corresponding to said first analog signal and the signal corresponding to said second analog signal and outputs a difference signal; and a counter circuit which counts the number of pulses in a pulse sequence corresponding to the aforementioned difference signal and converts said difference signal into a digital signal.

Solid-state imaging device

In a distance measuring system, photoelectrons are generated depending on light energy received in a light-receiving period predetermined for the emission timing of pulsed light emitted to a target object and are cumulatively stored, and a distance to the target object is determined according to a time-of-flight process. A solid-state image sensing device cumulatively stores therein photoelectrons generated depending on the light energy received in each of the first and second light-receiving periods. The first light-receiving period is part of a rise period of the reflected light intensity received by the image sensing device, and the second light-receiving period includes a peak of the reflected light intensity and a fall period thereof. An arithmetic processing unit determines the distance to the object using a light energy ratio obtained by dividing information concerning photoelectrons stored in the second light-receiving period by information concerning photoelectrons stored in the first light-receiving period.

Distance measuring system and distance measuring method

Disclosed are a distance measuring apparatus which can measure the distance to an object with high accuracy, a distance measuring method, and a program. The distance measuring apparatus is provided with: a light source which emits light; an image pickup unit, which picks up an image of light which has been emitted from the light source and reflected by means of the object; an image distance data converting unit, which converts image data obtained by the image pickup performed by the image pickup unit into image distance data which indicates the distance to the object; an image pickup condition setting unit, which sets first image pickup conditions on the basis of the image distance data; and an image pickup control unit, which controls the light source and the image pickup unit and have an image of the object picked up under the first image pickup conditions.

Distance measuring apparatus, distance measuring method, and program

A solid-state image sensing device has a unit pixel containing a photoelectric conversion element for detecting a light to generate photoelectrons and pixel drive circuits for driving the unit pixel. The photoelectric conversion element has a photogate structure, and the pixel drive circuits apply a voltage selected from three voltages to the photogate of the photoelectric conversion element to generate or transfer the photoelectrons. The three voltages include at least a first voltage, a second voltage higher than the first voltage, and a third voltage higher than the first voltage and lower than the second voltage.

Solid-state image sensing device

A solid-state image sensing device reads repeatedly M times an analog signal having a black level, during a first A/D conversion period. A frequency divider frequency-divides by M a pulse train depending on the analog signal having a black level that is read repeatedly M times, and a counter circuit counts the pulses of the pulse train, which is frequency-divided by M. Thereafter, the solid-state image sensing device reads repeatedly N times an analog signal having a signal level, during a second A/D conversion period. The frequency divider frequency-divides by N a pulse train depending on the analog signal having a signal level that is read repeatedly N times, and the counter circuit counts the pulses of the pulse train, which is frequency-divided by N. M and N satisfy the relationship N&#x2266;M.

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Wako, Japan

Keisuke Korekado