Sony Corporation

Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Takafumi Takatsuka

Yusuke Oike

Masaki Sakakibara

Akihiko Kato

Tadayuki Taura

Hongbo Zhu

Katsumi Honda

Jun Ogi

Kazuki Hizu

Yoshiaki Tashiro

Yutaka Inaoka

Ryoto Yoshita

Yasuhisa Tochigi

Yusaku Sugimori

An imaging unit according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix form, and a controller that performs TDI control on the plurality of pixels. Each of the pixels includes a light pulse responder and a counter section. The light pulse responder generates a light pulse in response to incidence of light. The counter section includes a rewrite circuit and an adder circuit. The rewrite circuit rewrites an initial value. The adder circuit adds information corresponding to the light pulse to the initial value. The controller causes information held in the counter section to be written as the initial value into the counter section included in the pixel of a next stage in a column direction, and thereafter causes the information corresponding to the light pulse obtained from the light pulse responder to be added to the initial value.

Imaging unit and information processing system

A photodetection device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pulse responder, an analog counter part, and a resetter. The pulse responder generates a pulse signal in response to light incidence. The analog counter part generates an analog first count value by performing count processing on the basis of the pulse signal. The resetter resets the first count value when the first count value exceeds a first threshold.

Photodetection device, imaging unit, and distance measurement apparatus

A light-receiving apparatus () includes a counting unit (), a setting unit (), and an acquiring unit (). The counting unit is configured to measure a detection number of times that represents the number of times incidence of a photon to a light-receiving element has been detected within an exposure period and to output a counted value. The setting unit is configured to set a cycle of updating time information in accordance with an elapsed time during the exposure period. The acquiring unit is configured to acquire the time information indicating a time at which the counted value reaches a threshold before the exposure period elapses.

Light-receiving apparatus with cycle setting according to illumination categories for updating luminance value

To reduce power consumption in a solid-state image sensor that detects weak light. The solid-state image sensor includes a photodiode, a resistor, a measuring unit, and a control unit. The photodiode photoelectrically converts incident light and outputs a photocurrent. The resistor drops a potential of one end of the photodiode to a value lower than a power supply potential every time a photocurrent is output. The measuring unit measures illuminance of the incident light on the basis of a frequency of dropping of the potential of one end. The control unit controls the power supply potential to a lower value as the measured illuminance is higher.

Image sensor and electronic device

A solid-state imaging device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a light receiving surface, and two or more pixels opposed to the light receiving surface. Each of the pixels includes a photoelectric conversion section that performs photoelectric conversion on light entering via the light receiving surface, a first charge holding section that holds a charge transferred from the photoelectric conversion section, and a second charge holding section disposed at a position where all or a portion thereof overlaps the first charge holding section in a planar layout, and formed to have no electrical continuity to the first charge holding section. Each of the pixels further includes a first transfer transistor that transfers the charge held by the first charge holding section to a floating diffusion, and a second transfer transistor that transfers a charge held by the second charge holding section to the floating diffusion.

Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus

Light-receiving apparatus with cycle setting according to photon count determinations

Solid-state image sensor, imaging device, and method of controlling solid-state image sensor

To reduce power consumption in a solid-state image sensor that measures a time. The solid-state image sensor includes a count unit, a count control unit, a clock unit, and an estimation unit. The count unit counts the number of times a photon has been incident within a predetermined exposure period, and outputs a count value. The count control unit performs control to stop the count unit and performs a request of time information in a case where the count value has reached a predetermined value before the predetermined exposure period elapses. The clock unit measures a time and outputs the time information in response to the request. The estimation unit estimates the number of incident times of a photon within the predetermined exposure period on the basis of the output time information.

An imaging device according to the present disclosure includes: a pixel including a photoelectric converter configured to generate a signal in response to entering light, a storage configured to store data corresponding to the signal, and an output section configured to output the data stored in the storage; and a controller configured to control the output section to output the data in a case where the data stored in the storage satisfies a predetermined condition.

Imaging device and imaging system

A solid-state imaging device and electronic device with improved charge transfer efficiency from a charge storage unit to a charge-voltage conversion unit via a transfer gate are disclosed. In one example, the solid-state imaging device is configured so that, before an A/D conversion operation for signal level acquisition, a switching unit switches a state to the LG state at least once and to the HG state at least once. A transfer unit is configured to transfer the charge stored in the charge storage unit to the charge-voltage conversion unit at least twice when the state is being switched to the LG state and when the state is being switched to the HG state. A charge-voltage conversion unit adds the charge that is transferred for the LG state and the HG state and convert the added charge into a voltage signal.

Solid-state imaging device and electronic device

A analog-digital conversion device is provided with a comparison unit, a holding unit, a bidirectional conveying unit, and a control unit. The comparison unit compares an input signal with a reference signal. The holding unit holds a digital signal corresponding to the reference signal in the timing in which a result of the comparison has changed. The bidirectional conveying unit inputs a digital signal into the holding unit to cause the holding unit to hold the digital signal, and reads the held digital signal as a result of analog-digital conversion for the input signal. The control unit controls internal resistance of the bidirectional conveying unit to be set at a value that differs between when the holding unit is caused to hold the digital signal, and when the held digital signal is read from the holding unit.

Analog-digital conversion device, solid state image pickup element, and image pickup device

A signal processing device includes a comparison unit to compare a signal level of an analog signal with a signal level of a reference signal; a selection unit configured to select the reference signal to be supplied to the comparison unit; and a switching unit capable of switching a signal line connected to an input terminal of the comparison unit such that a signal line via which the selected reference signal is transmitted is connected to the input terminal of the comparison unit, wherein the comparison unit includes a floating node as the input terminal, the selection unit includes a signal line in which a parasitic capacitance is caused between the signal line and the floating node as the input terminal of the comparison unit, and the signal line of the selection unit is configured to transmit an identical level of signal in multiple comparison processes of the comparison unit.

Signal processing device, imaging element, and electronic apparatus

A solid-state imaging device includes a first chip including a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a light sensing unit generating a signal charge responsive to an amount of received light, and a plurality of MOS transistors reading the signal charge generated by the light sensing unit and outputting the read signal charge as a pixel signal, a second chip including a plurality of pixel drive circuits supplying desired drive pulses to pixels, the second chip being laminated beneath the first chip in a manner such that the pixel drive circuits are arranged beneath the pixels formed in the first chip to drive the pixels, and a connection unit for electrically connecting the pixels to the pixel drive circuits arranged beneath the pixels.

Solid-state imaging device including nonvolatile memory, driving method of solid-state imaging device, and electronic apparatus

A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section that has at least one pixel with a photoelectric conversion unit and a charge detection unit. A driving section is configured to read out a signal of the pixel, a first portion of said signal being based on signal charge, a second portion of said signal being based on a reset potential. A signal processing section is configured to read out the first portion of the signal as a reference voltage, with the reference voltage being adjusted to cause the first and second portions of the signal to be within an input voltage range.

Solid-state image pickup apparatus, signal processing method for a solid-state image pickup apparatus, and electronic apparatus

The present technology relates to a signal processing device, an imaging element, and an electronic apparatus configured so that a cost increase can be suppressed. A signal processing device of the present technology includes: a comparison unit configured to compare a signal level of an analog signal with a signal level of a reference signal; a selection unit configured to select, from a plurality of reference signals, the reference signal to be supplied to the comparison unit; and a switching unit capable of switching a signal line connected to an input terminal of the comparison unit such that a signal line via which the reference signal selected by the selection unit is transmitted is connected to the input terminal of the comparison unit, wherein the comparison unit includes a floating node as the input terminal, the selection unit includes a signal line in which a parasitic capacitance is caused between the signal line and the floating node as the input terminal of the comparison unit, and the signal line of the selection unit is configured to transmit an identical level of signal in multiple comparison processes performed by the comparison unit. The present technology is applicable to, e.g., an imaging element and an electronic apparatus.

Growing community of inventors

Kanagawa, Japan

Takafumi Takatsuka