SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, CAMERA, VEHICLE, SURVEILLANCE DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD FOR SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE

• US 20080143829A1
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: TAKEDA, Katsumi
• Application Number:
  US11/876,959
• Publication Number:
  US 20080143829A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/143
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 17/89 for mapping or imaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/214 using spectral multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/239 using two 2D image sensors having a relative position equal to or related to the interocular distance H04N13/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 13/296 Synchronisation thereof; Control thereof

Abstract

The solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit that include photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, and output a video signal according to incident light; a first light introduction unit which introduce light into the first imaging unit; a second light introduction unit installed apart from the first light introduction unit which introduces light into the second imaging unit; and a driving unit which outputs, in common to the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and a third control signal for controlling light exposure time.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit which include photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, and is operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light into said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit; and

a driving unit operable to output, in common to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit, a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and a third control signal for controlling light exposure time.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit respectively includes:

vertical transfer units operable to read out signal charge accumulated in said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column and transfer the signal charge along the column;

a horizontal transfer unit operable to transfer, along the row, the signal charge transferred by said vertical transfer units;

an output unit operable to convert the signal charge transferred by said horizontal transfer unit into voltage or current and to output the converted voltage or current as the video signal,

the first control signal is a horizontal transfer pulse which drives transfer in said horizontal transfer unit,

the second control signal is a vertical transfer pulse which drives transfer in said vertical transfer units, and

the third control signal is a signal charge ejection pulse which ejects signal charge accumulated by said photoelectric conversion elements.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit respectively includes:

a row selection unit operable to sequentially select a row of said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix;

a column selection unit operable to sequentially select a column of said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix;

an output unit operable to convert a signal charge accumulated in said photoelectric conversion elements of which a row has been selected by the row selection unit and a column is selected by said column selection unit, and to output the converted voltage or current as the video signal, and

the first control signal is a vertical synchronization signal which starts selection of a row by said row selection unit;

the second control signal is a horizontal synchronization signal which starts selection of a column by said column selection unit; and

the third control signal is a charge accumulation control signal which controls the driving timing of the first control signal.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit are placed horizontally, and

the solid-state imaging device further comprises:

a divergence value holding unit operable to hold a divergence value which is a value that indicates vertical pixel divergence of an image in the video signal outputted by said second imaging unit compared to an image in the video signal outputted by said first imaging unit; and

a row control unit operable to generate a row control signal which starts row selection by said row selection unit from a row according to the divergence value held by said divergence value holding unit.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4, further comprising

a divergence value calculation unit operable to calculate the divergence value from the video signal outputted by said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit,

wherein said divergence value holding unit is operable to hold the divergence value calculated by said divergence value calculation unit.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first light introduction unit includes:

a first collection unit operable to collect light of a first frequency band in said first imaging unit;

a first filter formed on said first imaging unit, which allows light of a third frequency band, which is included in the first frequency band, to pass;

a second collection unit operable to collect light of a second frequency band, which differs from the first frequency band, in said second imaging unit; and

a second filter formed on said second imaging unit, which allows light of a fourth frequency band, which is included in the second frequency band, to pass.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a third imaging unit which includes photoelectric conversion elements;

a third light introduction unit operable to introduce light to said third imaging unit,

wherein said third light introduction unit includes;

a third collection unit operable to collect light of a fifth frequency band, which includes the first frequency band and the second frequency band, in said third imaging unit;

a third filter formed on said third imaging unit, and

said third filter includes;

a fourth filter formed on said first photoelectric conversion elements, which are included in a photoelectric conversion elements included in said third imaging unit, and which is operable to allow light of the third frequency band to pass; and

a fifth filter formed on said second photoelectric conversion elements, which are included in a photoelectric conversion elements included in said third imaging unit, and operable to allow light of the fourth frequency band to pass.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7, further comprising:

an average value calculation unit operable to calculate a first average value which is an average value of the signal photoelectrically converted by said first photoelectric conversion elements, and a second average value which is an average value of the signal photoelectrically converted by said second photoelectric elements; and

a correction unit operable to correct the video signal outputted by said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit based on a ratio of the first average value and the second average value calculated by said average value calculation unit.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7,

wherein at least one of said first filter, said second filter, said fourth filter and said fifth filter includes:

a first conductor layer and a second conductor layer in which plural layers made up of different conductors are laminated;

an insulator layer formed between said first conductor layer and said second conductor layer and made up of an insulator, and

the optical thickness of said insulator layer differs from the optical thickness of said first conductor layer and said second conductor layer.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6, further comprising

a light source which projects a light onto an object with light of a frequency band that includes the first frequency band and the second frequency band.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6,

wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band are included in a near-infrared region.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising

a distance calculation unit operable to calculate a distance to an object using the video signal outputted by said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit.

13. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit are formed in a single package which includes plural external input terminals, and

at least one input pad into which the first control signal, the second control signal and the third control signal of the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit are inputted is connected to said common external input terminal.

14. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit are formed on different semiconductor substrates and are placed on the same substrate.

15. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit are formed on a same semiconductor substrate.

16. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit respectively includes;

photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix;

vertical transfer units operable to read out signal charge accumulated by said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and transfer the signal charge along the column,

a horizontal transfer unit operable to transfer the signal charge transferred by said vertical transfer units along rows,

an output unit operable to convert signal voltage or current transferred by said horizontal transfer unit and to output the converted voltage or current as the video signal, and

the solid-state imaging device further includes;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light to said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit, and

a driving unit operable to output a horizontal transfer pulse for driving transfer of said horizontal transfer unit, and a signal charge ejection pulse for ejecting signal charge accumulated in said photoelectric conversion elements, in common to said first imaging unit, and to output separately a first vertical transfer pulse which drives transfer of the vertical transfer units to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit.

17. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 16,

wherein said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit are placed horizontally,

the solid-state imaging device further comprises:

a divergence value holding unit which is operable to hold a value that indicates vertical pixel divergence in an image in the video signal outputted by said second imaging unit compared to an image in the video signal outputted by said first imaging unit, and

said driving unit is operable to apply a read-out pulse for said vertical transfer unit reading out the signal charge accumulated in said photoelectric conversion elements into the first imaging unit and the second imaging unit, and afterwards, to apply the vertical transfer pulse a number of times according to the divergence value to either said first imaging unit or said second imaging unit depending on which of said first imaging unit or said second imaging unit has a later video signal output timing for the object, and afterwards to apply the same vertical transfer pulse to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit.

18. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit which respectively include photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, and is operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light into said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit; and

a driving unit operable to output a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, and a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit, and to output separately a third control signal for controlling light exposure time in common to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit.

19. A camera comprising:

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit which include photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, and is operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light into said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit; and

a driving unit operable to output, in common to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit, a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and a third control signal for controlling light exposure time.

20. A vehicle comprising:

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit which include photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, and is operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light into said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit; and

a driving unit operable to output, in common to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit, a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and a third control signal for controlling light exposure time.

21. A surveillance device comprising:

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit which include photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix, and is operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light into said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit; and

a driving unit operable to output, in common to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit, a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and a third control signal for controlling light exposure time.

22. A driving method for a solid-state imaging device, said solid-state imaging comprising:

photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix;

a first imaging unit and a second imaging unit operable to output a video signal according to incident light;

a first light introduction unit operable to introduce light into said first imaging unit;

a second light introduction unit installed apart from said first light introduction unit and operable to introduce light into said second imaging unit;

wherein said driving method supplies, in common to said first imaging unit and said second imaging unit, a first control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a row, a second control signal for controlling transfer of a signal obtained from said photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a column, and a third control signal for controlling light exposure time.