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:
Sep. 11, 2012
Filed:
Mar. 28, 2008
Yusuke Hashimoto, Neyagawa, JP;
Fumi Tsunesada, Osaka, JP;
Kenji Imai, Kadoma, JP;
Yuji Takada, Kyoto, JP;
Yusuke Hashimoto, Neyagawa, JP;
Fumi Tsunesada, Osaka, JP;
Kenji Imai, Kadoma, JP;
Yuji Takada, Kyoto, JP;
Panasonic Corporation, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
A compact image pickup device with high sensitivity is provided, which is suitable for a spatial information detecting apparatus. The image pickup device has a plurality of image pickup units arranged on a semiconductor substrate. Each of the image pickup units has a light receiving array of photoelectric conversion elements for generating electric charges corresponding to a received-light amount, a transfer array of charge transfer elements, an accumulation array of charge accumulation elements each having a greater charge storage capacity than a saturation charge amount of the photoelectric conversion element, and a charge-amount adjusting portion configured to determine an amount of undesired electric charges to be separated from the electric charges generated by each of the photoelectric conversion elements. The transfer array and the light receiving array are arranged in a line in a vertical direction. The accumulation array is disposed adjacent to the transfer array in a horizontal direction.