Ricoh Company, Ltd.

Yuusuke Kudoh

Tohru Kanno

Yuuya Miyoshi

Nobunari Tsukamoto

Masaaki Tsuji

Koji Kawahata

An image capturing device includes a photoelectric converter including one of a plurality of pixels, an amplifier, and control circuitry. Each pixel includes at least a photoelectric conversion element, and is configured to output an electrical signal corresponding to an intensity of light received by the photoelectric conversion element. The control circuitry is configured to sequentially drive the plurality of pixels in a time staggered manner such that, during a time from when a certain pixel outputs a reset signal of the certain pixel to the amplifier to when the pixel outputs a signal of the certain pixel to the amplifier, a subsequent pixel of the certain pixel outputs one of a reset signal and a signal of the subsequent pixel to the amplifier. The reset signal represents an electrical signal of a reset voltage to reset a corresponding pixel. The signal represents the electrical signal.

Image capturing device and image capturing method

An imaging device includes a pixel region in which a plurality of pixels and a plurality of charge-to-voltage conversion circuits are arranged in matrix. The pixels include photoelectric conversion elements that output charges in accordance with intensity of received light. The charge-to-voltage conversion circuits convert the charges output from the pixels into voltage signals. The pixel region includes an isolated region including isolated shaded pixels covered with a first shading metal of the same layer as a layer of wiring metals of the charge-to-voltage conversion circuits, and an isolated pixel that is not covered with the metal. All the pixels surrounding the isolated pixel in the isolated region are the isolated shaded pixels.

Imaging device including pixel region having isolated region and shaded region and imaging system including imaging device

An image capturing device includes a pixel circuit, a programmable-gain amplifier, an analog-to-digital conversion circuit, and a control circuit. The pixel circuit outputs a photoreception signal. The programmable-gain amplifier amplifies the photoreception signal with a first gain. The analog-to-digital conversion circuit further amplifies the amplified signal that has been amplified by the programmable-gain amplifier, with a second gain by having a circuit configuration changeable by control, and digitally converts the resultant signal. The control circuit controls the analog-to-digital conversion circuit.

Image capturing device

A wireless communication apparatus includes an amplifier circuit configured to amplify a signal output by a wireless communication unit that executes wireless communication, to output the signal having amplified to a transceiver unit; and a decision unit configured to decide, based on an operational mode of the wireless communication unit, whether to transmit the signal from the transceiver unit via the amplifier circuit, or transmit the signal from the transceiver unit without going via the amplifier circuit.

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Osaka, Japan

Yuusuke Kudoh