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:
Oct. 20, 2020
Filed:
Mar. 09, 2018
Applicant:
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Inventor:
Keisuke Ota, Tokyo, JP;
Assignee:
CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 31/02 (2006.01); H04N 5/3745 (2011.01); H04N 5/235 (2006.01); H01L 31/107 (2006.01); H01L 27/146 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H01L 31/02027 (2013.01); H01L 27/146 (2013.01); H01L 27/14634 (2013.01); H01L 31/107 (2013.01); H01L 31/1075 (2013.01); H04N 5/2358 (2013.01); H04N 5/37457 (2013.01); H01L 27/1464 (2013.01);
Abstract
An imaging device includes a plurality of pixels each including a plurality of avalanche photodiodes, a setting unit configured to set the plurality of avalanche photodiodes to an active state or an inactive state separately, and a counter circuit that counts and outputs number of photons determined by the avalanche photodiode(s) set to the active state out of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes, wherein the imaging device is configured to change the number of avalanche photodiodes set to the active state out of the plurality of avalanche photodiodes in accordance with brightness of an object.