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, 2016
Filed:
Apr. 18, 2014
Renesas Electronics Corporation, Kawasaki-shi, Kanagawa, JP;
Hiroto Utsunomiya, Tokyo, JP;
Katsumi Dosaka, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroshi Kato, Tokyo, JP;
Fukashi Morishita, Tokyo, JP;
Fumiyasu Sasaki, Tokyo, JP;
RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
There is provided a solid-state image pickup device including ADCs that can be arranged in a limited space. The potential of a pixel signal outputted through a vertical readout line is held at a node. A plurality of capacitors are capacitively coupled to the node at which the pixel signal is held. The potential of the node is decreased in a stepwise manner by sequentially switching the voltages of the counter electrodes of the capacitors by the control of transistors. A comparator compares the potential of the node with the potential of the dark state of the pixel, and determines the upper bits of a digital value when the potential of the node becomes lower than the potential of the dark state. Following this, the conversion of the lower bits of the digital value is started. Therefore, it is possible to simplify the configuration of each ADC and arrange each ADC in a limited space.