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:
May. 26, 1998
Filed:
Nov. 08, 1996
Keiichi Akagawa, Kamakura, JP;
Tetsuya Tomofuji, Kawasaki, JP;
Nikon Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A power source is electrically connected to a capacitance element arranged corresponding to either a Shottky barrier diode (SBD) or a bolometer at a predetermined timing through a resistor by a driving pulse provided from a horizontal scanning circuit and a driving pulse provided from a vertical scanning circuit. At this time, charges charged by a voltage of the power source in the Shottky barrier diode are discharged by either a reverse current of the Shottky barrier diode or a current through the bolometer, immediately after the power source is disconnected from the capacitance element, arranged for either the Shottky barrier diode or the bolometer. After a storing period of time, when the power source and the capacitance element are connected, the charges corresponding to the charge amount discharged for the storing period of time are charged in the capacitance element. At this time, a voltage according to the charge amount is provided. Thus, an infrared-ray image sensor can be obtained using a Shottky barrier diode or a bolometer.