Panasonic Corporation

Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd.

Panasonic I-pro Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd.

Kunihiko Hara

Yoshiyuki Matsunaga

Takashi Morimoto

Masashi Murakami

Masayuki Masuyama

Hiroshi Kubo

Shinsuke Nezaki

Tetsuro Tanaka

Makoto Inagaki

Hirohisa Ohtsuki

Yoshitaka Kitaoka

Yoshihisa Minami

Haruhiko Kohno

Masanao Wakikawa

Shigeki Ogata

Yasuhiro Nakagai

Hiroyuki Hayashita

Naoto Matsuo

Takeshi Sowa

Eisaku Sakoda

An endoscope system includes a first light source that emits visible light, a second light source that emits non-visible light, an image sensor that generates a first image including a subject through first photoelectric conversion using the visible light and generates a second image including a subject that emits fluorescence emission light due to excitation by the non-visible light through second photoelectric conversion using the non-visible light, and an output device that alternately switches between and outputs the first image and the second image. The second light source starts light emission by a predetermined time before start of the second photoelectric conversion due to driving of the driving circuit.

Endoscope system and light source control method

In a solid-state image capturing device, one or more vertical signal lines are disposed along one of columns of a pixel portion, and each of the vertical signal lines is divided into two parts between an upper region and a lower region of the pixel portion. Pixel signals output from a plurality of pixels of the one of the columns are read out to a plurality of column readout circuits through two or more parts of the vertical signal lines including the two parts of the one or more vertical signal lines disposed along the one of the columns. A division position of one vertical signal line among the vertical signal lines disposed in the pixel portion is different from a division position of another vertical signal line among the vertical signal lines in a row direction.

Solid-state image capturing device including divided column signal lines

An imaging unit includes a mount unit, an imaging element unit, a plurality of elastic members, a plurality of adjusting screws, and at least one restricting member. The mount unit is configured to support the interchangeable lens unit. The imaging element unit is disposed apart from the mount unit and is configured to produce image data for the subject by opto-electrical conversion. The plurality of elastic members is disposed in a compressed state between the mount unit and the imaging element unit. The plurality of adjusting screws is mounted to the mount unit and/or the imaging element unit to adjust the distance between the mount unit and the imaging element unit. The restricting member is mounted to the mount unit and/or the imaging element unit and configured to restrict the imaging element unit from moving close to the mount unit against the elastic force of the elastic members.

Imaging unit

A shutter drive device includes a base member, an actuator, a first drive member, and a second drive member. The actuator is fixed to the base member and produces a driving force to drive the shutter mechanism. The first drive member is rotatably supported by the base member and configured to be rotated by the driving force. The second drive member is supported by the base member so as to be linearly movable in a first direction and configured to transmit the driving force of the actuator to the shutter mechanism. The first drive member has a gear component to drive the second drive member in the first direction, and a cam component configured to hold the second drive member in a specific position. The second drive member has a rack gear configured to mesh with the gear component, and a cam follower configured to contact the cam component.

Shutter drive device, shutter device, and imaging device

The present invention provides a solid-state imaging device which is capable of high-speed and high-quality pixel mixture. The solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixels; a row selecting circuit; a plurality of column signal lines each of which is provided to a corresponding one of columns of pixels, is connected to pixels of the corresponding column, and transfers the signals outputted from the connected pixels; a pixel current source which (i) is provided to a corresponding one of the column signal lines, (ii) is connected to the corresponding column signal line, and (iii) supplies to the connected column signal line a current when the signal is outputted from the selected pixel to the connected column signal line; and a control unit which changes the number of rows of pixels being simultaneously selected by the row selecting circuit, and values of the current supplied by the pixel current source.

Solid-state imaging device

A solid-state image capturing device according to the present invention includes: pixel units arranged in rows and columns for outputting pixel signals corresponding to the amount of received light; and a first and a second vertical signal lines which are provided in each column of the pixel units and transmit the pixel signals. The pixel units in each of the columns are connected to the first and second vertical signal lines such that plural pixel signals of the same color are distributed among the plural vertical signal lines. The pixel signals of the same color in each of the columns may be evenly distributed among the vertical signal lines.

Solid-state image capturing device and camera

A solid-state imaging device includes first-group pixels, second-group pixelsskipped during thinning drive, and a scanning section. The scanning sectiondrives each of the first-group pixelsto perform read operation of outputting the output signal and initializing the amount of the signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to a first level, and also drives each of the second-group pixelsto perform discharge operation of initializing the amount of the signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element to a second level that is higher than the first level and lower than a saturation signal level of the photoelectric conversion element

Solid-state imaging device, imaging apparatus and driving method for the same

According to the present invention, as a structure of a pixel section (), in each of columns from a first to a m-th column, a plurality of pixel signals outputted from a plurality of pixels arranged in a column direction are transmitted, respectively, to a plurality of output signal lines (to) different from each other. Then, a read control and are set control are simultaneously executed on the plurality of pixels.

It is an object to obtain a solid-state imaging device that can reduce a variation in an electric current that flows between an amplifier power supply and ground wiring in a column amplifier, which occurs in accordance with an input signal level, without degrading manufacture and operation tolerances in terms of photoelectric conversion characteristics of the solid-state imaging device. A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array in which imaging pixels are arranged in row and column directions; a plurality of vertical signal lines, each of which commonly outputs signals from part of the imaging pixels that is aligned in each column of the pixel array; and a plurality of column amplifiers that are provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of vertical signals lines. In the solid-state imaging device, between a column amplifier power supply and a ground in each of the plurality of column amplifiers, a current generating circuit is provided that generates a correction current in such a direction as to cancel out a variation in an operation current of each of the plurality of column amplifiers.

Growing community of inventors

Osaka, Japan

Kunihiko Hara