Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Shin Kikuchi

Toru Koizumi

Masanori Ogura

Tetsuya Itano

Akira Okita

Kazuaki Tashiro

Tomoyuki Noda

Noriyuki Kaifu

Shunsuke Inoue

Yuichiro Yamashita

Masaru Fujimura

Yu Arishima

Shoji Kono

Shinichiro Shimizu

Yoshio Nakamura

Takeshi Ichikawa

Osamu Ikeda

Hayao Ohzu

Mamoru Miyawaki

Masakazu Morishita

Tomoya Onishi

Tetsunobu Kohchi

Genzo Monma

Masahiro Kobayashi

Takashi Matsuda

Hiroki Hiyama

Tatsuya Ryoki

Ginjiro Toyoguchi

Masanori Shibata

Mahito Shinohara

Tetsunobu Kochi

Hirofumi Totsuka

Kazuyuki Shigeta

Toshiaki Sato

Hiroshi Yuzurihara

Yukihiko Sakashita

Osamu Yuki

Kei Ochiai

Yasuo Yamazaki

Satoko Iida

Eiji Shirai

Provided is an imaging apparatus, including: a vertical scanning circuit configured to output the reset signal and the image signal sequentially from each of a plurality of pixels by selecting the plurality of pixels sequentially; and an amplifier unit configured to output a plurality of image signals obtained by amplifying one image signal that is output from one of the plurality of pixels at a plurality of gains including a first gain and a second gain, in which, in a reading period, which is a period between selection of a first pixel by the vertical scanning circuit out of the plurality of pixels and subsequent selection of a second pixel out of the plurality of pixels, a number of times the amplifier unit is reset is less than a number of the plurality of amplified image signals.

Imaging apparatus, imaging system, and method of driving an imaging system

Provided is an imaging device, an imaging system, and a driving method of the imaging device. A signal of difference between a photogenerated signal of a first pixel which is an effective pixel, and a reference signal of a second pixel which is an effective pixel, is obtained.

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

One imaging apparatus includes a first amplifier circuit, a second amplifier circuit, and a limiter circuit that limits the output of the first amplifier circuit, and further includes a configuration to clamp the output of the limiter circuit. Moreover, another imaging apparatus includes a fully differential amplifier circuit that outputs an amplified noise signal amplified from a noise signal, and an amplified optical signal amplified from an optical signal, and an output limiting circuit that limits each of the amplitude range of the amplified noise signal and the amplitude range the amplified optical signal.

Imaging apparatus and imaging system

An image capturing apparatus having pixels is provided. Each pixel includes a photoelectric conversion unit including a charge accumulation region, an output unit configured to output a signal based on a potential of a node electrically connected to the charge accumulation region, and a connection unit configured to electrically connect a capacitance to the node. The charge accumulation region includes a first portion and a second portion. Charge is configured to be first accumulated in the first portion, and, after the first portion is saturated, be accumulated in the second portion. The output unit is configured to output a first signal based on the potential of the node before the capacitance is connected thereto, and, then a second signal based on the potential of the node after the capacitance is connected thereto.

Image capturing apparatus and control method therefor

An image pickup device according to the present invention is an image pickup device in which a plurality of pixel are arranged in a semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of pixels includes a photoelectric conversion element, a floating diffusion (FD) region, a transfer gate that transfers charges in the first semiconductor region to the FD region, and an amplification transistor whose gate is electrically connected to the FD region. The photoelectric conversion element has an outer edge which has a recessed portion in plan view, a source region and a drain region of the amplification transistor are located in the recessed portion, and the FD region is surrounded by the photoelectric conversion region or is located in the recessed portion in plan view.

Image pickup device

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel array, an effective signal line, a dummy pixel, a dummy signal line, and a processing unit. The effective pixels in the pixel array include a photoelectric converter, a charge-voltage converter, and an output unit. The dummy pixel includes a charge-voltage that has the same configuration as the charge-voltage converter of the effective pixel, and an output unit. A shortest distance between the charge-voltage converter of the dummy pixel and the effective signal line is longer than a shortest distance between the charge-voltage converter of the dummy pixel and the dummy signal line.

Solid-state imaging apparatus

A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a pixel array in which a plurality of pixels are arranged, wherein the pixel array has a region formed from one of an electrical conductor and a semiconductor to which a fixed electric potential is supplied, each pixel includes a photoelectric converter, a charge-voltage converter which converts charges generated by the photoelectric converter into a voltage, and an amplification unit which amplifies a signal generated by the charge-voltage converter by a positive gain and outputs the amplified signal to an output line, and the output line comprising a shielding portion arranged to shield at least part of the charge-voltage converter with respect to the region.

Solid-state imaging apparatus and imaging system

There is provided a solid-state imaging apparatus that can prevent degradation of image quality. The solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of pixels () including a photoelectric conversion element that performs photoelectric conversion; a signal line () to which the plurality of pixels output signals; and a first constant current circuit configured to supply a constant current to the signal line, wherein the first constant current circuit has a first transistor () having a drain or collector node connected to the signal line, and a first resistor () connected between a reference voltage node and a source or emitter node of the first transistor.

Solid-state imaging apparatus with plural current source circuits

A solid-state image sensor including a wiring portion which includes a first line, a second line and a control line, in first to third regions arranged sequentially, wherein the first line includes a first pattern in a first layer in the first and second regions and a second pattern in a second layer in the third region, and these patterns are connected each other between the second region and the third region, the second line includes a third pattern in the second layer in the first region and a fourth pattern in the first layer in the second and third regions, the these patterns are connected each other between the first region and the second region, and the control line includes a pattern in the second layer in the second region, intersecting with the first pattern and the fourth pattern.

Solid-state image sensor and camera

A solid-state imaging device includes a photoelectric conversion unit that has a charge accumulation region and is configured to accumulate a charge that is generated in accordance with incident light in the charge accumulation region, and a transfer unit configured to transfer the charge accumulated in the charge accumulation region from the charge accumulation region. A potential distribution having a plurality of steps is formed in the charge accumulation region, and the further away from the transfer unit a step of the plurality of steps is, the greater the magnitude of the step is.

Solid-state imaging device and camera

A solid state image pickup device which can prevent color mixture by using a layout of a capacitor region provided separately from a floating diffusion region and a camera using such a device are provided. A photodiode region is a rectangular region including a photodiode. A capacitor region includes a carrier holding unit and is arranged on one side of the rectangle of the photodiode region as a region having a side longer than the one side. In a MOS unit region, an output unit region including an output unit having a side longer than the other side which crosses the one side of the rectangle of the photodiode region is arranged on the other side. A gate region and the FD region are arranged between the photodiode region and the capacitor region.

Solid state image pickup device and camera

Growing community of inventors

Isehara, Japan

Shin Kikuchi