Method for driving solid-state imaging device and camera

• US 20030107664A1
• Filed: 10/18/2002
• Published: 06/12/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Ryoji
• Granted Patent: US 6,999,118 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/296
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/70 Circuitry for compensating brightness variation in the scene
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/745 Detection of flicker frequency or suppression of flicker wherein the flicker is caused by illumination, e.g. due to fluorescent tube illumination or pulsed LED illumination
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for driving a solid-state image pickup device and a camera provided with the driving function. In the method for driving the solid-state image pickup device and the camera according to the present invention, the frame rate of the image pickup device is varied according to the frequency of illumination or the brightness. Alternatively, the frame rate of the image pickup device is varied and an electronic shutter is driven at the same time according to the brightness. Consequently, it is possible to suppress occurrence of flicker and give a liberal brightness condition under which an image can be picked up.

Claims

1. A method for driving a solid-state image pickup device characterized in that a frame rate of an image pickup device is varied according to the frequency of illumination.

2. A method for driving a solid-state image pickup device characterized in that a frame rate of an image pickup device is varied according to the brightness.

3. A method for driving a solid-state image pickup device characterized in that a frame rate of an image pickup device is varied and an electronic shutter is driven at the same time according to the brightness.

4. A camera characterized by having the function of varying a frame rate of a solid-state image pickup device according to the frequency of illumination.

5. A camera characterized by having the function of varying a frame rate of a solid-state image pickup device according to the brightness.

6. A camera characterized by having the function of varying a frame rate of a solid-state image pickup device and the function of an electronic shutter according to the brightness.