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. 29, 2009
Filed:
Dec. 13, 2006
Masaya Oita, Daito, JP;
Hiromichi Tanaka, Daito, JP;
Masafumi Kimata, Kusatsu, JP;
Sumio Terakawa, Ibaraki, JP;
Masaya Oita, Daito, JP;
Hiromichi Tanaka, Daito, JP;
Masafumi Kimata, Kusatsu, JP;
Sumio Terakawa, Ibaraki, JP;
Funai Electric Co., Ltd., Daito-shi, JP;
Abstract
Adjacent pixels in a pixel circuit of an imaging device use a primary capacitance, an amplifying transistor, a reset switch and a selection switch in common. Each pixel has a photodiode and a transfer switch having first and second gates provided on the photodiode side and the primary capacitance side, respectively. In a pixel downsampling read mode, the first and second gate voltages of each pixel to be discarded are brought to high level, and thereafter the first and second gate voltages of each pixel to be read are brought to high level, to transfer charge generated in the photodiode of the pixel to be read to the primary capacitance and the photodiode in each pixel to be discarded. This enables reduction of the potential of the primary capacitance, and hence reduction of the pixel sensitivity than using only the primary capacitance to store charge transferred from the transfer switch.