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:
Mar. 29, 2011
Filed:
Jan. 31, 2007
Keiichiro Kagawa, Osaka, JP;
Jun Ohta, Kyoto, JP;
Yugo Nose, Gifu, JP;
Atsushi Wada, Ogaki, JP;
Hajime Takashima, Atsugi, JP;
Keiichiro Kagawa, Osaka, JP;
Jun Ohta, Kyoto, JP;
Yugo Nose, Gifu, JP;
Atsushi Wada, Ogaki, JP;
Hajime Takashima, Atsugi, JP;
National University Corporation Nara, Nara, JP;
Institute of Science and Technology Sanyo Electric Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A pixel includes a photodiode, an overflow circuit, a first sensing circuit, and a second sensing circuit. The first sensing circuit charges and discharges a cathode capacitance by a photocurrent flowing through a photodiode, and amplifies an obtained voltage by a source follower amplifier so as to be outputted to a data line. The second sensing circuit charges and discharged the cathode capacitance by the photocurrent flowing through the photodiode, and outputs electric charge stored in the cathode capacitance via the data line. A pixel circuit is configured so that a first mode in which the first sensing circuit becomes active and a second mode in which the second sensing circuit becomes active can be switched. The first mode and the second mode are switched according to an amount of light received by the photodiode included in each pixel circuit. Gain is controlled according to the amount of light received, in the first mode, and the storage time is controlled in the second mode.