Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Takamasa Sakuragi

Keisuke Ota

Ikuo Fushimi

Noriyuki Kaifu

Hidetoshi Suzuki

Masaaki Minowa

Takahiro Yamasaki

Toru Koizumi

Kazuhiro Saito

Yuichiro Yamashita

Seiji Hashimoto

Hiroki Hiyama

Akira Okita

Katsuhito Sakurai

Daisuke Kobayashi

Kunihiro Sakai

Satoshi Suzuki

Fumihiro Inui

Takahiro Oguchi

Takanori Suzuki

Junji Iwata

Katsuhisa Ogawa

Hiroaki Kameyama

Hiraku Kozuka

Takahiro Shirai

Koji Tsuduki

Tomoya Kumagai

Yasuyuki Todokoro

Provided is an imaging apparatus, including: a photoelectric conversion element; an amplifier transistor configured to output a voltage corresponding to electric charges generated by the photoelectric conversion element; a load transistor configured to supply a bias current to the amplifier transistor; and a voltage supply unit configured to input one of a first voltage and a second voltage, which have different voltage values, to a control node of the load transistor via an input capacitor. In the imaging apparatus, a current value of the bias current to be supplied by the load transistor at a time when the second voltage is input to the control node via the input capacitor is larger than a current value of the bias current to be supplied by the load transistor at a time when the first voltage is input to the control node via the input capacitor.

Imaging apparatus, method of driving imaging apparatus, and apparatus using the imaging apparatus

Provided is a solid state imaging device including: pixels arranged in a first direction and provided in a pixel well region, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element and a pixel output unit configured to output a pixel signal based on a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element; a first wiring connected to the pixel output unit of each of the pixels and arranged extending in the first direction; a second wiring arranged extending in a direction corresponding to the first direction; a third wiring connected to the second wiring at a connection portion located inside the pixel well region in a planar view; and a differential amplification circuit having two input terminals. The pixel signal is input to one of the input terminals via the first wiring, and a potential of the third wiring is input to the other of the input terminals.

Solid state imaging device

Image sensor has pixel including photoelectric converter, pixel amplifier having input portion to receive signal from the photoelectric converter, and switch to connect reset terminal to the input portion. The sensor includes signal line to receive signal from the pixel amplifier, reset line connected to the reset terminal, and reset portion to reset voltage of the input portion. The reset portion includes capacitor to hold, in first period, second voltage appearing at the signal line in response to application of first voltage to the input portion, and supplier configured to set, in second period after the first period, the input portion to reset voltage via the switch by supplying third voltage corresponding to the second voltage held by the capacitor to the reset terminal via the reset line.

Image sensor and image sensing apparatus

An imaging device according to an exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of pixels, a differential amplifier circuit that includes a plurality of transistors forming a differential pair, and a current source configured to supply a bias current to the plurality of transistors, and is configured to receive a signal from the plurality of pixels, a capacitor element including a first terminal and a second terminal, a first switch through which the first terminal is connected to an electric path between the current source and the plurality of transistors, and a second switch through which the first terminal is connected to a voltage supply node supplied with a voltage.

Imaging device and imaging system

Provided is a solid state imaging device including a plurality of pixels, a signal line on which a pixel signal is transmitted, a load transistor having a drain connected to the signal line, a readout circuit that reads out the pixel signal from the signal line, and a control unit that controls a current flowing in the load transistor in accordance with a potential of a control terminal. When a reference potential of the pixel fluctuates relatively to a reference potential of the readout circuit, a potential of the control terminal relative to a potential of a source of the load transistor is changed in a same phase with a fluctuation of the reference potential of the pixel.

Solid state imaging device and imaging system which reduces noise caused by magnetic field fluctuation

An imaging apparatus includes: a first signal processing circuit arranged in a first direction to process a signal from a first group of pixels; a second signal processing circuit arranged in a second direction to process a signal from a second group of pixels; a first external connecting terminal arranged in the first direction to supply a first potential to the first signal processing circuit; a second external connecting terminal arranged in the second direction to supply the first potential to the second signal processing circuit; a third external connecting terminal arranged in the first direction to supply a second potential to the first group of pixels; and a fourth external connecting terminal arranged in the second direction to supply the second potential to the second group of pixels.

Imaging apparatus and imaging system

An imaging apparatus includes a pixel configured to generate a signal in accordance with an incident light by a photoelectric conversion; a differential amplifier including a first input terminal to which a voltage based on the signal from the pixel is input, and a second input terminal to which a reference voltage is input; a current supply unit configured to supply a bias current to the differential amplifier; and a comparing unit configured to compare the voltage of the first input terminal of the differential amplifier with a threshold voltage, and configured to output a control signal based on a comparison result to the current supply unit, and the current supply unit changes a magnitude of the bias current supplied to the differential amplifier in accordance with the control signal input from the comparing unit.

Provided is a solid-state image pickup element including: a plurality of pixels arranged in a pixel well region; a readout circuit arranged in a peripheral well region, having a first input terminal for receiving the pixel signals from the plurality of pixels and a second input terminal for receiving a reference signal; and a reference signal circuit arranged in the peripheral well region, having a first electrode to which a ground voltage is supplied, and being configured to output the reference signal to the second input terminal of the readout circuit, wherein a resistance value Rof an electrical path from one of a plurality of pixel well contacts to the first electrode and a resistance value Rof an electrical path from one of a plurality of peripheral well contacts closest to the first electrode to the first electrode satisfy a relationship of R&#x3c;R

Solid-state image pickup element, and image pickup system

An image sensor includes a semiconductor chip and a package covering the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip includes a pixel portion including a plurality of pixels, a memory, a readout unit configured to write, in the memory, a signal corresponding to a signal from the pixel portion, an output unit configured to output an image signal corresponding to the signal written in the memory, a control unit configured to output a control signal to an output pin of the package via an output pad of the semiconductor chip, and a pad to which a power supply voltage is supplied from outside the semiconductor chip. The control signal is a signal indicating a period during which the signal corresponding to the signal from the pixel portion is written in the memory of the readout unit.

Image sensor, image sensing device, camera, and method of driving image sensing device

An image capturing apparatus includes a solid-state image sensor, a support member for the sensor, and electrically conductive members. The conductive members are electrically connected to the sensor, attached to support member, and arranged in a direction along one side of the sensor. The sensor is configured to receive a power supply voltage via a first conductive member, receive a ground voltage via a second conductive member, and transmit a signal via a third conductive member. The first and second conductive members are located on one side in the direction with respect to the third conductive member. The conductive members do not include a conductive member configured to supply a power supply voltage or a ground voltage to the sensor on the other side of the direction with respect to the third conductive member.

Image capturing apparatus, solid-state image sensor, and camera that may suppress electrical interference

A ferromagnetic body is provided at a front-surface side of a reference plane and located outside a region that overlaps an electronic device in a direction perpendicular to the reference plane, and a conductor is provided at a back-surface side of the reference plane and that overlaps the electronic device in the direction perpendicular to the reference plane.

Electronic component packaging that can suppress noise and electronic apparatus

An imaging device includes a pixel section and an amplification unit which amplifies the signal of the pixel section. The amplification unit includes an input capacitor having first and second nodes, an amplification circuit, a first feedback capacitor connected between the input capacitor and an output portion of the amplification circuit, a first MOS transistor switch connected in series with the first feedback capacitor, a second MOS transistor switch which is connected in series with the first feedback capacitor, and has a drain and a source connected to each other, a second feedback capacitor connected between the input capacitor and the output portion, a third MOS transistor switch connected in series with the second feedback capacitor, and a fourth MOS transistor switch which is connected in series with the second feedback capacitor, and has a drain and a source connected to each other.

Imaging device

An imaging apparatus comprises: a plurality of memory capacitors for holding signals output from pixels; and a plurality of first switches for respectively connecting the memory capacitors to a common signal line, wherein each of the plurality of memory capacitors includes a terminal connected to the corresponding first switch and supplied with the corresponding signal output from the corresponding pixel, and another terminal supplied with a reference potential, a reference potential supplying unit supplies a first reference potential during a period in which the plurality of memory capacitors hold the signals, and supplies a second reference potential having a potential difference from a potential of the common signal line before turning-on of the first switch, the potential difference being larger than that of the first reference potential, during a period in which the first switches are turned on.

Imaging apparatus for high-speed signal reading

An image sensing apparatus having a pixel array with a plurality of pixels, comprises an amplification unit, wherein the amplification unit amplifies a difference-voltage between a voltage level input corresponding to signals output from the pixel array and a reference voltage level, outputs a non-inverted output signal to a first output signal line, and outputs an inverted output signal to a second output signal line and a switch short-circuiting the first output signal line and the second output signal line in response to a reset signal.

Growing community of inventors

Machida, Japan

Takamasa Sakuragi