Image sensor

• US 20060007331A1
• Filed: 06/24/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Haruta, Tsutomu, Makino, Eiji, Izumi, Daisaku
• Granted Patent: US 7,508,975 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/246
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/68 applied to defects

Abstract

An image sensor is disclosed, which includes: a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels each outputting incident light as a pixel signal; an amplifier amplifying the pixel signal output from the pixel unit; and a defective pixel detection circuit performing a defective pixel detection on signals output from the amplifier, wherein the defective pixel detection circuit adjusts the detection accuracy of the defective pixel detection in accordance with an exposure condition of the pixel unit.

Claims

1. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels each outputting a pixel signal;

an amplifier amplifying the pixel signal output from the pixel unit; and

a defective pixel detection circuit performing a defective pixel detection on signals output from the amplifier, wherein

the defective pixel detection circuit adjusts the detection accuracy of the defective pixel detection in accordance with an exposure condition of the pixel unit.

2. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels each outputting a pixel signal and setting an exposure period for each of frames;

an amplifier setting a gain for each of the frames and amplifying the pixel signal output from the pixel unit;

a defective pixel detection circuit detecting a defective pixel at a detection accuracy by referring to a noted pixel and reference pixels which are the pixel signals amplified by the amplifier; and

a correction circuit referring to the noted pixel and the reference pixels which are the pixel signals amplified by the amplifier and correcting the pixel signal of the defective pixel detected by the defective pixel detection circuit, wherein

the defective pixel detection circuit adjusts the detection accuracy of the defective pixel detection in accordance with an exposure condition of the pixel unit.

3. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels each outputting a pixel signal and setting an exposure period for each of frames;

an amplifier setting a gain for each of the frames and amplifying the pixel signal output from the pixel unit;

a defective pixel detection circuit referring to a noted pixel and reference pixels which are the pixel signals amplified by the amplifier and detecting a defective pixel; and

a correction circuit referring to the noted pixel and the reference pixels which are the pixel signals amplified by the amplifier and correcting the pixel signal of the defective pixel detected by the defective pixel detection circuit, wherein

the correction circuit adjusts an amount of the correction of the pixel signal of the defective pixel in accordance with an exposure condition of the pixel unit.

4. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel unit having a plurality of pixels each outputting a pixel signal and setting an exposure period for each of frames;

an amplifier setting a gain for each of the frames and amplifying the pixel signal output from the pixel unit;

a defective pixel detection circuit referring to a noted pixel and reference pixels which are the pixel signals amplified by the amplifier and detecting a defective pixel at a detection accuracy; and

a correction circuit referring to the noted pixel and the reference pixels which are the pixel signals amplified by the amplifier and correcting the pixel signal of the defective pixel detected by the defective pixel detection circuit, wherein

the defective pixel detection circuit adjusts the detection accuracy of the defective pixel detection in accordance with an exposure condition of the pixel unit, and

the correction circuit adjusts an amount of the correction of the pixel signal of the defective pixel in accordance with an exposure condition of the pixel unit.

5. An image sensor comprising:

a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels each of which outputs a pixel signal; and

,

a circuit portion that detects a defective pixel of said pixel unit;

wherein said circuit portion has a first detection accuracy corresponding to a first exposure condition of said pixel unit and a second detection accuracy corresponding to a second exposure condition of said pixel unit being deferent from the first exposure condition.

6. The image sensor according to claim 5, wherein the first detection accuracy is automatically replaced with the second detection accuracy when said pixel unit is switched from the first exposure condition to the second exposure condition.

7. The image sensor according to claim 5, wherein said circuit potion includes a correction circuit that corrects the pixel signal from the defective pixel under a first correction level corresponding to the first exposure condition and a second correction level corresponding to the second exposure condition.

8. A camera including:

a pixel unit including a plurality of pixels each of which outputs a pixel signal; and

,

a circuit portion that receives the pixel signal from said pixel unit and detects a defective pixel of said pixel unit;

wherein said circuit portion has a first detection accuracy corresponding to a first exposure condition of said pixel unit and a second detection accuracy corresponding to a second exposure condition of said pixel unit being deferent from the first exposure condition.