The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 31, 2019
Filed:
Oct. 17, 2018
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Yoshiaki Inada, Tokyo, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
The present technology relates to an image sensor, an electronic apparatus, a comparator, and a drive method which enable achievement of a noise reduction while maintaining high speed of AD conversion. An ADC for performing AD conversion for an electrical signal output from a pixel includes a comparator that compares the electrical signal and a reference signal, a level of which is changed and a counter that counts time necessary for a change of the reference signal to a coincidence of the electrical signal and the reference signal on the basis of output signals from the comparator. The comparator includes a differential amplifier that outputs a comparison result signal indicating a comparison result obtained by comparing the electrical signal and the reference signal and a plurality of output amplifiers that outputs signals obtained by amplifying the comparison result signal output from the differential amplifier as the output signals at different timings. The present technology can be applied to, for example, an ADC that performs AD conversion for an electrical signal output from a pixel.