Olympus Corporation

Tohoku University

Olympus Medical Systems Corporation

Nana Akahane

Satoru Adachi

Makoto Ono

Shigetoshi Sugawa

Masashi Saito

Takanori Tanaka

Susumu Yamazaki

Katsumi Hosogai

Yoshio Hagihara

Noriyuki Fujimori

Takatoshi Igarashi

Makoto Ikeda

Ryuhi Okubo

Takahiro Nishiwaki

An imaging system includes: an optical system configured to form a subject image; a driver configured to drive the optical system; an imaging element configured to capture the subject image and generate image data; and a processor configured to control the imaging element and the driver. The imaging element includes: a first imaging portion configured to capture an image of a first light beam that travels through a first optical path in the optical system; a second imaging portion configured to capture an image of a second light beam that travels through a second optical path shorter than the first optical path; and plural phase difference pixels for phase difference autofocus, the plural phase difference pixels being arranged in at least one of the first imaging portion and the second imaging portion, the plural phase difference pixels being configured to output phase difference signals.

Imaging system, endoscope system, and control method

A control device includes: a processor configured to obtain a first picture signal and a second picture signal, calculate first ranging information based on the first picture signal, calculate second ranging information based on the second picture signal, estimate a first subject distance corresponding to the first ranging information, estimate ranging information corresponding to a second focal position, perform arithmetic processing to determine degree of reliability of the first ranging information, and output a result of the arithmetic processing.

Control device, endoscope system, and control method

An imaging element includes: a pixel chip where a pixel unit and a vertical selecting unit are arranged, the pixel unit including plural pixels that are arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, the pixels being configured to generate and output imaging signals; a transmission chip where at least a power source unit and a transmission unit are arranged; plural capacitative chips, each capacitative chip having capacitance functioning as a bypass condenser for a power source in the power source unit; and plural connecting portions configured to electrically connect the pixel chip, the transmission chip, and the capacitative chip respectively to another chip. The transmission chip is layered and connected at a back surface side of the pixel chip. The capacitative chips are layered and connected at a back surface side of the transmission chip. The connecting portions are arranged so as to overlap one another.

Imaging element, endoscope, and endoscope system

An image sensor includes: pixels; first transfer lines configured to transfer imaging signals of shared pixels that are present in a plurality of different rows and share a single column transfer line for each predetermined number of pixels adjacent in a row direction and; a constant current source configured to transfer the imaging signals; output units configured to externally output the imaging signals; and a control unit configured to simultaneously and externally outputs, by simultaneously driving the plurality of shared pixels present in a same single column transfer line in the plurality of different rows, each of the plurality of imaging signals, which are output from the shared pixels and are present in the same column in the plurality of different rows, and externally output all of the imaging signals of the shared pixels present in the plurality of different rows same number of times as the predetermined number.

Image sensor, endoscope, and endoscope system

An imaging device includes: a first chip including a light receiving unit, and a read circuit; a second chip including a timing control circuit, an A/D conversion circuit, and a cable transmission circuit; and a connection unit configured to connect the first and the second chips. The read circuit includes a column read circuit and a horizontal selection circuit, and a vertical selection circuit. The connection unit of the first chip is provided in a first area along a side of the rectangular light receiving unit, and in a second area adjacent to the column read circuit, the horizontal selection circuit, and the vertical selection circuit. The connection unit of the second chip is provided in a third area around the timing control circuit, the A/D conversion circuit, and the cable transmission circuit and in a fourth area adjacent to the timing control circuit and the A/D conversion circuit.

Imaging device, endoscope, and endoscope system

An image sensor includes: a pixel chip provided with a plurality of pixels, a plurality of first transfer lines, and a plurality of capacitors; a circuit chip provided with a plurality of column reading circuits, a plurality of column scanning circuits, a second transfer line, and a constant current source; and a connection portion stacked and provided between the pixel chip and the circuit chip and configured to connect a capacitor, which is arranged in the pixel chip and has a trench structure, and a first transistor arranged in the circuit chip to each other via an electrode. The capacitor is configured to form a transfer capacity removing a noise included in an imaging signal and connect the pixel chip and the circuit chip to each other via the electrode and the connection portion.

Image sensor

An image sensor includes: photoelectric conversion elements configured to receive light and accumulate a charge corresponding to an amount of received light; an imaging signal generating unit that converts the charge accumulated in each photoelectric conversion element into a voltage to generate an imaging signal; and a reference signal generating unit that generates a reference signal having a fluctuation component with a same phase as the imaging signal. The imaging signal generating unit includes: a conversion circuit that converts the charge accumulated in each photoelectric conversion element into the imaging signal; a noise eliminating circuit that eliminates a noise component included in the imaging signal; and an output circuit that outputs the imaging signal from the conversion circuit. The reference signal generating unit includes a circuit having a same structure as that of at least one of the conversion circuit, the noise eliminating circuit, and the output circuit.

Image sensor, imaging device, endoscope, and endoscopic system

An image sensor includes: a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional matrix form and configured to receive light from outside and generate and output an imaging signal depending on an amount of the received light; a transfer unit configured to transfer the imaging signal output from each of the pixels; a sample-and-hold unit configured to hold and output the imaging signal transferred from the transfer unit; a reference voltage generation unit configured to generate and output a reference voltage; an amplifier connected to the sample-and-hold unit and to the reference voltage generation unit and configured to amplify and output the imaging signal input from the sample-and-hold unit using the reference voltage as a reference; and a control unit configured to control the reference voltage to be input to the amplifier during at least one of a horizontal blanking period and a video signal period of the imaging signal.

Image sensor, imaging device, endoscope, and endoscope system

An imaging element includes: a plurality of pixels configured to receive light from outside and generate and output an imaging signal depending on an amount of the light received; a first transfer line connected to the pixel; a second transfer line; a column selection switch configured to select one pixel column and output the imaging signal to the second transfer line; a column source follower including a gate to which the imaging signal transferred by the first transfer line is input, a drain end being connected to a power supply voltage, and a source end being connected to the column selection switch; a constant current source configured to drive the column source follower and read out the imaging signal to the second transfer line; and a current generating unit configured to flow a predetermined current to the source end side of the column source follower.

Imaging element, imaging device and endoscope system

An imaging element includes: a plurality of pixels; first vertical transfer lines; a second vertical transfer line; a reference voltage generator configured to generate a first reference voltage for a column-black reference signal, a second reference voltage for a line-black reference signal and a third reference voltage for phase adjustment; a phase adjusting signal generator configured to output a phase adjusting signal corresponding to the third reference voltage; a first reference signal generator configured to generate a column-black reference signal corresponding to the first reference voltage; a second reference signal generator configured to generate a line-black reference signal corresponding to the second reference voltage; and a timing generator configured to drive the phase adjusting signal generator, the first reference signal generator and the second reference signal generator to transmit the phase adjusting signal, the column-black reference signal and the line-black reference signal, respectively.

Imaging element, imaging device, endoscope, endoscope system, and method of driving imaging element

A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes: two-dimensionally arrayed unit pixels, each including a PD performing optical-electrical conversion of an incident light; an FD and an output terminal provided for each of pixel groups, each including one or more pixels, the terminal being capable of outputting a noise signal and a signal-noise sum signal separately; first lines to which the terminals are connected in common and which are capable of holding voltages based on signals outputted from the terminals; second lines provided in parallel with the first lines and capable of holding a voltage; inter-transfer-line capacitive elements connecting the second lines and the first lines; a reset switch resetting each of the second lines to a reset voltage; a readout switch provided for each of the second lines; and a third line to which the second lines are connected in parallel via the readout switches, respectively.

Solid-state image pickup apparatus

A solid-state image pickup apparatus including: two-dimensionally arrayed unit pixels, each including a PD performing optical-electrical conversion of an incident light; an FD and two output terminals provided for each of pixel groups, each including one or more unit pixels, the two output terminals being capable of outputting a noise signal and a signal-noise sum signal separately; first and second transfer lines to which the output terminals are connected in common and which are capable of holding noise signal voltage and signal-noise sum signal voltage, respectively; first switches arranged between the output terminals and the first transfer lines; second switches arranged between the output terminals and the second transfer lines; third and fourth switches provided for the transfer lines, respectively; and third and fourth transfer lines to which the transfer lines are connected in parallel via third and fourth switches, respectively.

An imaging device causes a signal to be output from a first transfer line via a second transfer unit by a noise signal reading operation and a light-noise sum signal reading operation, the noise signal reading operation resetting a transfer capacitor when a signal of a charge converter is output to the first transfer line after a first transfer unit is turned into an OFF state and the charge converter is reset, and the light-noise sum signal reading operation outputting the signal of the charge converter to the first transfer line after the transfer capacitor resetting unit is turned into an OFF state, the first transfer unit is turned into an ON state, and a charge accumulated by a photoelectric conversion element is transferred.

Imaging device, endoscope system and method of eliminating noise

Provided is a solid-state imaging device that includes capacitors in a number greater than a unit read-out number that are connected to a plurality of pixels via transfer lines, and that performs a step of transferring to and retaining in separate capacitors from each other a noise signal output from the pixels in a number corresponding to the unit read-out number; and a step of repeating, for as many times as the unit read-out number, by switching the pixels and the capacitors, an operation in which a signal-plus-noise signal output from one of the pixels is transferred to and retained in one of the other capacitors, and the noise signal and the signal-plus-noise signal that have been output from the same pixel and retained in separate capacitors are subsequently output at the same time.

Signal processing system for solid-state imaging device and solid-state imaging device

A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of pixels stored in one-dimensional or two-dimensional array, each of the plurality of pixels including a photodiode receiving light and producing photocharges, an overflow gate coupled to the photodiode and transferring photocharges that overflow the photodiode during a storage operation, and a storage capacitor element that stores the photocharges transferred by the overflow gate during the storage operation.

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Yamanashi, Japan

Nana Akahane