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:
Jun. 16, 2015
Filed:
Mar. 18, 2013
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, JP;
Ricoh Company, Ltd., Tokyo, JP;
Yutaka Hayashi, Tsukuba, JP;
Kazuhiro Yoneda, Osaka, JP;
Hirofumi Watanabe, Miki, JP;
Katsuhiko Aisu, Takarazuka, JP;
Takaaki Negoro, Kishiwada, JP;
Toshitaka Ota, Tsukuba, JP;
Yasushi Nagamune, Tsukuba, JP;
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tokyo, JP;
RICOH COMPANY, LTD., Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
Provided is a method of varying the gain of an amplifying photoelectric conversion device and a variable gain photoelectric conversion device which are capable of achieving both signal processing under low illuminance and high-current processing under high light intensity, and thereby capable of securing a wide dynamic range. An amplifying photoelectric conversion part includes a photoelectric conversion element and amplification transistors forming a Darlington circuit. The sources and the drains of field-effect transistors are connected to the bases and the emitters of the amplification transistors, respectively. The gates of the field-effect transistors each function as a gain control part.