Canon Kabushiki Kaisha

Fujitsu Corporation

Yasuji Ikeda

Hiroki Hiyama

Shintaro Takenaka

Daisuke Yoshida

Seiji Hashimoto

Kazuo Yamazaki

Kohichi Nakamura

Hideo Kobayashi

Tetsuya Itano

Koichiro Iwata

Yasushi Matsuno

Hiroaki Kameyama

Noriyuki Shikina

Yu Arishima

Iwao Okamoto

Yu Maehashi

Kenji Sato

Yuki Yoshida

Kazuhiro Sonoda

Takashi Muto

Kazuki Ohshitanai

Kiyoshi Yamaguchi

Hidetoshi Hayashi

Masayoshi Shinohara

A solid-state imaging device includes a photon detector that operates in a Geiger mode and outputs an output signal in accordance with incidence of a photon, a quench element that causes the photon detector to transition to a non-Geiger mode in accordance with the output signal, a control unit that, when the photon detector transitions from a Geiger mode to a non-Geiger mode, switches the quench element from a detection mode, in which the quench element is in a relatively low resistance state and the photon detector detects a photon, to a hold mode, in which the quench element is in a relatively high resistance state and holds the output signal, and a signal processing circuit that performs a predetermined process on the output signal.

Solid-state imaging device, method of driving solid-state imaging device, imaging system, and movable object

An imaging sensor according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first semiconductor substrate, a second semiconductor substrate, a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric conversion unit arranged on the first semiconductor substrate, a plurality of transfer units arranged on the first semiconductor substrate and configured to transfer charges generated in the photoelectric conversion unit or signals based on the charges via a plurality of mutually parallel paths respectively, and a plurality of signal holding units connected to the plurality of transfer units respectively, and a plurality of lines that are arranged between the first semiconductor substrate and the second semiconductor substrate, each of the plurality of lines connecting a corresponding one of the plurality of transfer units to a corresponding one of the plurality of signal holding units in one pixel.

Imaging sensor, imaging system, and moving body

Provided is an imaging device including row drive unit having a first storage unit that stores and outputs a first signal for a readout from the pixels on an associated row, a second storage unit that stores and outputs a second signal for an operation for causing the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row to be reset to a charge accumulation state, and a third storage unit that stores and outputs a third signal for maintaining the photoelectric conversion element on an associated row in a charge accumulation state or a reset state based on the first signal output from the first storage unit and the second signal output from the second storage unit.

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

An imaging apparatus includes a first holding circuit, a second holding circuit, and a calculator. The first holding circuit is configured to hold and output a logical value based on a logical value supplied from an address decoder. The second holding circuit is configured to hold and output a logical value based on the logical value output from the first holding circuit. The calculator is configured to receive the logical values supplied from the first and second holding circuits and perform a logical operation for generating a driving signal.

Imaging apparatus and imaging system having logical circuit to generate pixel driving signals

In a photoelectric conversion apparatus, the number of differential transistors in which ON states thereof overlap with one another is increased when the number of the amplification transistors in which ON states thereof overlap with one another is increased.

Photoelectric conversion apparatus, imaging system, and method for driving photoelectric conversion apparatus

Provided is an image pickup device in which intervals at which well contacts are arranged are different.

Image pickup device and image pickup system

In a period in which a pixel signal of another pixel is read out from the pixel, a transistor connected to a floating diffusion region of a pixel not performing reading out of a pixel signal from the pixel is turned off.

Driving method of imaging apparatus, imaging apparatus, and imaging system

A driving method of an imaging device, and a driving method of an imaging system set the number of unit cells based on signals output from a plurality of unit cells in a phase difference detection area within an imaging area to a number larger than the number of unit cells based on signals output from a plurality of unit cells in a range other than the phase difference detection area within the imaging area.

Driving method of imaging device and driving method of imaging system

A solid-state imaging apparatus and an imaging system which can reduce the occurrence of darkening and decrease deterioration in CDS performance are provided. The solid-state imaging apparatus has: a pixel unit including a photoelectric conversion unit for generating a signal by a photoelectric conversion; an amplifier unit for amplifying the signal generated by the photoelectric conversion unit; and a limiting circuit for limiting a level of an output signal from the amplifier unit. The pixel unit outputs a noise signal under a reset state during a first period and outputs a pixel signal under a non-reset state during a second period. The limiting circuit limits the level of the output signal from the amplifier unit in the first period, lower than the level of the output signal from the amplifier unit in the second period.

Solid-state imaging apparatus and imaging with a limiting circuit for limiting an amplifier output in first and second periods to first and second ranges

An imaging apparatus includes: a pixel configured to generate a signal through photoelectric conversion; a comparator configured to compare a signal generated by the pixel with a first reference signal that changes with time; and a control unit configured to change the rate of change of the first reference signal with respect to time according to a comparison result of the comparator.

Imaging apparatus having comparator configured to compare pixel signal with reference signal that changes with time

The imaging apparatus has a plurality of pixels each of which has a plurality of photoelectric conversion units; generates a plurality of first combined signals obtained by combining signals based on electric charges of photoelectric conversion units in one side with each other, and a plurality of second signals obtained by combining signals based on electric charges of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units with each other; and outputs a part of the first combined signals out of the plurality of first combined signals.

Imaging apparatus, imaging system, and method for driving imaging apparatus

A solid state imaging apparatus includes: a pixel array in which pixels having color filters are arrayed in a matrix shape in accordance with a predetermined color arrangement, with each pixel including a plurality of divided pixels having a color filter of the same color; and an adding circuit that performs addition averaging of a plurality of signals output from the divided pixels included in a plurality of pixels having color filters of the same color. Among a plurality of pixels that are an object of the addition averaging, a number of signals output from the respective divided pixels of which the adding circuit performs addition averaging is different for at least one pixel relative to the other pixels.

Solid state imaging apparatus and imaging system using the same

Column signal processing units are provided in correspondence with respective columns of a pixel array. The column signal processing unit includes a sample-and-hold unit configured to hold an analog signal output from a pixel, a buffer unit configured to buffer the signal held in the sample-and-hold unit, and an AD conversion unit. The AD conversion unit converts the signal held by the sample-and-hold unit and buffered by the buffer unit into a digital signal.

Growing community of inventors

Kawasaki, Japan

Yasuji Ikeda