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:
Nov. 18, 2014
Filed:
Mar. 15, 2013
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Minoru Hirose, Tokyo, JP;
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha, , JP;
Abstract
An image pickup device which makes it possible to expand the dynamic range of photometry. The image pickup device comprises a pixel array, a pixel reader, a row selector, a column selector, a gain circuit, a gain selector. The pixel array comprises a plurality of pixels including photoelectric conversion elements and arranged in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction. The pixel reader reads out selected pixel signals from the pixel array. The gain circuit is capable of having at least two gains set therein, and amplifies and outputs the pixel signals read out from the pixel array by the pixel reader. The gain selector sets different gains in the gain circuit such that pixel signals amplified by the different gains can be obtained for one-time read-out from the pixel array by the pixel reader.