Konica-minolta Holdings, Inc.

Minolta Company, Ltd.

Konica Minolta Business Technologies, Inc.

Masayuki Kusuda

Tomokazu Kakumoto

Koichi Kamon

Tsuyoshi Iwamoto

Yoshihiro Tanaka

Satoshi Masuda

Jun Minakuti

So Yano

Shigehiro Miyatake

Kazuchika Sato

A solid state image sensor and an image sensing apparatus incorporated with the solid state image sensor include: pixel arrays each provided with pixels, and an accumulating section e.g. a capacitor CX which sums up and accumulates signal charges obtained by exposure of an object with respect to a corresponding color at different timings when the signal charges are obtained by the pixels of each of the pixel arrays. A reset noise of a converting floating diffusion is outputted after the converting floating diffusion is reset. Thereafter, a summation of the reset noise, and the signal charges accumulated in the accumulating section is outputted.

Solid state image sensor adapted to remove noise

In a solid-state image sensing device, a method for driving the solid-state image sensing device, and an image sensing system incorporated with the solid-state image sensing device of the invention, pixel signals having two or more different photoelectric conversion characteristics to be outputted from a pixel section are amplified by using an analog gain with respect to each of the photoelectric conversion characteristics for outputting the amplified pixel signals. This enables to reproduce an image having a wide dynamic range while suppressing lowering of the frame rate.

Solid-state image sensing device, method for driving solid-state image sensing device, and image sensing system incorporated with solid-state image sensing device

To provide an image pickup device and an image pickup apparatus which are equipped with a linear-log sensor which can cancel variations between pixels in an inflection point caused by variations in a threshold of the transistors constituting a logarithmic conversion circuit while using a circuit constitution similar to a pixel circuit of an image pickup device having only an ordinary linear characteristic. When the photoelectric charge accumulated in a photoelectric conversion element is removed, a charge removing transistor is controlled such that the potential of the channel of the charge removing transistor is set to be higher than the minimum potential of the photoelectric conversion element.

Image pickup device and image pickup apparatus

A column A/D converter includes two column A/D converting elements. Each of the column A/D converting elements is operable to divide a pixel signal read out from a pixel array into two blocks i.e. an upper block constituted of upper two bit data, and a lower block constituted of lower two bit data, and sequentially perform A/D conversion with respect to the blocks in the unit of one horizontal scanning period. A controller causes each of the column A/D converting elements to concurrently perform A/D conversion with respect to different blocks of pixel signals at different rows.

Solid state image sensing device

An object of the present invention is to provide a solid-state image sensing device configured to change a bias voltage given to the photoelectric converting section at the time of resetting so that an operative condition of the photoelectric converting section after the resetting can be maintained a constant condition regardless of an amount of the incident light. To achieve the object, an MOS transistor Tis provided. The drain of the MOS transistor Tis connected with a gate and a drain of an MOS transistor Tand the source of the MOS transistor Tconfigured to be applied a DC voltage VRS. Here, a signal &#x3a6; V is given, an MOS transistor Tis turned on, and image data is output. A signal &#x3a6; RS is given and the MOS transistor Tis turned on. As a result, a gate voltage Vg of the MOS transistor Tis maintained as a constant voltage value. Then, a reset operation for pixels is stared.

Solid-state image sensing device including reset circuitry and image sensing device including the solid-state image sensing device and method for operating the same

A level shifter () shifts a signal level of a noise signal produced from a pixel so that the signal level becomes close to a reference level, and then a level shifter () complements the noise signal whose level was shifted by the level shifter () by a signal level corresponding to the level shifted by the level shifter (). After that, the differential amplifier () performs subtraction operation between the noise signal that has passed the level shifters () and the image signal from the pixel, so as to output the image signal without noises.

Solid state image sensing device with level fluctuation suppression

A database obtained based on the photoelectric conversion characteristics for R and G signals and a database obtained based on the photoelectric conversion characteristics for G and B signals are stored in LUTs respectively. Signal value calculators read out the databases from the LUTs respectively and perform white balance processing on the R and B signals respectively.

Image-sensing apparatus with a solid-state image sensor switchable between linear and logarithmic conversion

An image capturing apparatus comprises a solid image pickup element having pixels for outputting signals, which are logarithmically varied with respect to an incident light intensity, and a voltage controller. Each of the pixels includes an photoelectric conversion element, and a MOS transistor for logarithmic transformation, in which an output from the photoelectric conversion element is input into a drain. The voltage controller can apply, to a source, a reset voltage for resetting the transistor in such a manner that the photoelectric conversion element is operated in a moving object extraction image pickup mode. Furthermore, the voltage controller applies, to the source, the reset voltage for resetting the transistor to a level selected from a plurality of reset levels for moving object extraction image pickup.

Image capturing apparatus capable of extracting a moving object

In order to provide a solid state image pickup device in which an offset voltage in an image signal from which a noise signal is removed is made to be low, when an image pickup operation is performed while the MOS transistor Tis ON, after a signal &#x3c6;VD with a value Vh is integrated by a capacitor C, the signal &#x3c6;VD is Vm (Vm&#x3c;Vh) and a pulse signal &#x3c6;V is given so that an image signal is output. When dispersion of sensitivity is detected while the MOS transistor Tis OFF, after the signal &#x3c6;VD with the value Vh is integrated by the capacitor C, the signal &#x3c6;VD is V(V&#x3c;Vm) and the pulse signal &#x3c6;V is given so that a noise signal is output.

Solid state image pickup device including an integrator with a variable reference potential

Disclosed herein is a solid-state image sensing device comprising a plurality of pixels. Each of the pixels comprises (1) a photodiode for generating an electric signal according to an amount of light projected thereto, (2) a converter capable of logarithmically converting the electric signal into a converted electric signal while a first voltage is biased, and (3) a switching element for electrically connecting and disconnecting the photoelectric converting element and the converter. The switching element electrically disconnects the photodiode and the converter while outputting an electric signal for correcting a sensitivity unevenness among the plurality of pixels. The converting element is temporarily biased by a second voltage before taking the image, the second voltage being suitable for discharging an electric charge from the photodiode and being different from the first voltage.

Growing community of inventors

Akashi, Japan

Masayuki Kusuda