Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation

Yuki Ozawa

Atsushi Suzuki

Hiromu Kato

Toshikazu Oda

Tomohiko Shibata

Takehiro Otani

Tomoyuki Hiro

[Problem] An excessive amount of light received by an image sensor is detected with high accuracy without increasing the circuit scale. [Solution] An imaging apparatus includes a pixel, unit including a photoelectric conversion element and a first transistor that outputs a signal photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion element to a signal line; and an excessive light amount detection circuit that detects that the photoelectric conversion element receives an excessive amount of light. The excessive light amount detection circuit includes a second transistor and a capacitor that are connected in series between the signal line and a reference potential node; and a dummy circuit that adjusts a gate voltage of the second transistor in consideration of at least one of fluctuations in a voltage level of a power supply voltage, a parasitic resistance of the signal line, and variations in a threshold voltage of the first transistor.

Imaging apparatus and electronic device

Power consumption is reduced in an analog-to-digital conversion circuit using a TDC. The analog-to-digital conversion circuit includes a comparator, a counter, a time-to-digital converter, and a holding unit. The comparator compares an analog signal with a predetermined reference signal and outputs a comparison result. The counter counts a predetermined count value and outputs a bit string indicating the count value. The time-to-digital converter converts, into a digital signal, a time from when the comparison result is inverted until a least significant bit of the bit string reaches a predetermined value. The holding unit holds the bit string of when the comparison result is inverted.

Analog-to-digital conversion circuit, solid-state image sensor, and method for controlling analog-to-digital conversion circuit

An event can be detected quickly and accurately regardless of surrounding brightness. An imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion element that photoelectrically converts incident light and generates an electrical signal corresponding to incident light intensity; a detection unit that outputs a detection signal indicating whether or not a change amount of the electrical signal exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and a threshold value selection circuit that selects the threshold value from among a plurality of threshold value candidates according to a magnitude of the electrical signal.

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KANAGAWA, Japan

Yuki Ozawa