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:
Aug. 31, 2021
Filed:
Jul. 23, 2019
Applicant:
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Inventor:
Norio Negishi, Tokyo, JP;
Assignee:
CANON KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G01T 1/17 (2006.01); G01T 1/29 (2006.01); G01J 1/42 (2006.01); G01J 1/18 (2006.01); G01J 1/04 (2006.01); G01T 1/24 (2006.01); H04N 5/345 (2011.01); G01J 1/44 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G01T 1/17 (2013.01); G01J 1/0492 (2013.01); G01J 1/18 (2013.01); G01J 1/4228 (2013.01); G01T 1/247 (2013.01); G01T 1/2928 (2013.01); H04N 5/3456 (2013.01); G01J 2001/442 (2013.01); G01J 2001/4466 (2013.01);
Abstract
An image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel including: a light-receiving element that outputs an output voltage that varies in response to a photon entering; at least one comparator that compares the output voltage with a plurality of mutually-different threshold voltages and outputs a single signal each time the output voltage varies so as to exceed either of the threshold voltages; and at least one counter that counts a number of signals output by the comparator upon comparing the output voltage with the plurality of threshold voltages and outputs a count value, for each of the threshold voltages.