Sony Corporation

Satoshi Yoshihara

Yasuhito Maki

Masahide Hirama

Yoshinori Kuno

Katsunori Noguchi

Nishio Yoshihiro

When a signal output by a solid-state image sensing device is clamped to a predetermined reference potential, a high voltage generated in a transfer suspension period after the clamping as generally supplied to an A/D converter is generated. A sample/hold output Va is clamped to a clamp level Vref over a period of time between a halfway point of time of a signal of a picture element preceding ahead by one line and the end of an inhibit period of transfer clocks of a signal output by an empty transmission unit via a first clamp pulse and a sample/hold output for the second picture element, or a subsequent one of an OPB unit is clamped to the clamp level via a second clamp pulse to prevent a signal output from exceeding a reference voltage from being supplied to an A/D converter at a later stage.

Solid-state image sensing device

When a signal output by a solid-state image sensing device is clamped to a predetermined reference potential, a high voltage generated in a transfer suspension period after the clamping as generally supplied to an A/D converter is generated. A sample/hold output Va is clamped to a clamp level Vref over a period of time between a halfway point of time of a signal of a picture element preceding ahead by one line and the end of an inhibit period of transfer clocks of a signal output by an empty transmission unit via a first clamp pulse and a sample/hold output for the second picture element, or a subsequent one of an ORB unit is clamped to the clamp level via a second clamp pulse to prevent a signal output from exceeding a reference voltage from being supplied to an A/D converter at a later stage.

A CCD linear sensor includes a monochrome sensor and a color sensor, which have different transfer speeds and which are mounted on the same chip. In the CCD linear sensor, while one read-out operation is performed by the color sensor, two read-out operations are performed by the monochrome sensor. During the second read-out period of the monochrome sensor, by stopping the generation of two-phase transfer pulses to be supplied to the transfer registers of the color sensors during a predetermined period of time before and after the second read-out pulse occurs, the transfer operation of the transfer registers of the color sensors is stopped.

Solid-state image sensing device, driving method thereof, and image scanner

The present invention relates to a solid-state image pickup device comprising a sensor array and a plurality of transfer registers for transferring signal charges from the sensors of the sensor array, wherein an accumulation gate is provided between the sensor array and the transfer registers for storing the signal charges from all the image sensors at a same time and subsequently allocating the signal charges to transfer registers. As a result, it is possible to provide a device capable of producing a higher-quality signal output by eliminating sensor to sensor variations in sensitivity and deviations in signal-charge fetching between sensors.

Solid-state image-pickup device having an accumulation gate for reading out, accumulating, and allocating signal charges

A solid-state image pickup device includes image pickup means having at least two sensor arrays disposed so as to be adjacent to each other, and horizontal charge transfer means having at least two horizontal registers which are disposed so as to be adjacent to the image pickup means and provided in association with the at least two sensor arrays respectively. A method of driving the solid-state image pickup device transfers the charges picked up at the respective pixels of the sensor arrays to the corresponding horizontal registers. After all the charges picked up at the respective pixels of the sensor arrays are transferred to the horizontal registers, the charges are successively transferred in the horizontal direction.

Solid-state image pickup device and method of driving the same

An image input device or a solid-state image sensing device using a CCD linear sensor includes a main sensor array and a sub sensor array. A transfer register for the sub sensor array is provided with charge sweep means for sweeping away unnecessary charges. Thus, only signals in the main sensor array are selectively read out without being affected by signals in the sub sensor array.

Image sensing array with sweep means for sweeping charges in non selected registers in the array

In a solid-state image pickup device, a transfer register is provided with an overflow control gate OFCG and an overflow drain OFD, and the gate electrode A of the overflow control gate OFCG is formed so as to be superposed on the lower-layer electrodes St of the transfer register side and the overflow drain OFD side.

Solid-state image pickup device

When a signal output by a solid-state image sensing device is clamped to a predetermined reference potential, a high voltage generated in a transfer suspension period after the clamping is generally supplied to an A/D converter as generated. A sample/hold output Va is clamped to a clamp level Vref over a period of time between a halfway point of time of a signal of a picture element preceding ahead by one line and the end of an inhibit period of transfer clocks of a signal oputput by an empty transmission unit via a first clamp pulse and a sample/hold output for the second picture element, or a subsequent one of an OPB unit is clamped to the clamp level via a second clamp pulse to prevent a signal output from exceeding a reference voltage from being supplied to an A/D converter at a later stage.

A CCD solid state imaging device has an overflow mechanism to discharge excess electric charges at the sensor section. An overflow level can be stabilized without adjustment. The CCD solid state imaging device includes an overflow barrier region for determining an amount of electric charges handled by a sensor section, and an overflow drain region for discharging excess electric charges at the sensor section adjacent to the sensor section. An intermediate region having the same potential as that of the sensor portion is provided between the overflow barrier region and the overflow drain region. Also, a CCD solid state imaging device includes linear sensors provided in a plurality of lines and vertical transfer registers provided at end of the linear sensors in the charge transfer direction of the horizontal transfer registers. When signal charges are overflowed in a part of the horizontal transfer register, signals of all pixels can be avoided from being destroyed. In a CCD solid state imaging device having linear sensors arranged in a plurality of lines, and vertical transfer registers provided at ends of the linear sensors in the charge transfer direction of the horizontal transfer registers, there is formed a limit region for limiting electric charges to a predetermined amount before electric charges are transferred from the horizontal transfer register to the vertical transfer register.

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Kanagawa, Japan

Satoshi Yoshihara