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. 08, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 08, 2008
Yoshinori Muramatsu, Kanagawa, JP;
Noriyuki Fukushima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikazu Nitta, Tokyo, JP;
Yukihiro Yasui, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshinori Muramatsu, Kanagawa, JP;
Noriyuki Fukushima, Kanagawa, JP;
Yoshikazu Nitta, Tokyo, JP;
Yukihiro Yasui, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A solid-state image pick up device including a pixel array unit having unit pixels arranged in a matrix pattern. Each unit pixel includes a photoelectric converter. Additionally, the solid-state image pick up device has column signal lines that correspond to the respective columns of the matrix pattern, a row scanning means for selectively controlling each unit pixel, and an analog-digital converting unit for converting analog signals output from the unit pixels in a row selectively controlled by the row scanning means. The analog-digital converting unit further includes an asynchronous counter which performs counting in two modes and the asynchronous counter includes a counter processor configured so that when switching between the count modes occurs, a running count value is broken and there is an interval between the count modes and when a mode begins the running count value is reset to the value before the running count value was broken.