SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM

• US 20130057744A1
• Filed: 08/24/2012
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Minagawa, Yusuke, Asayama, Go
• Granted Patent: US 8,908,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/311
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/50 Control of the SSIS exposure
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/585 with pixels having different sensitivities within the sensor, e.g. fast or slow pixels or pixels having different sizes
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/778 comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself

Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and a pixel signal read-out unit including an AD conversion unit performing analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal read out from the pixel unit, wherein each pixel included in the pixel unit includes division pixels divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another, the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode and a multiple read-out mode, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and

a pixel signal read-out unit that includes an AD conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal that is read out from the pixel unit,

wherein each pixel included in the pixel unit includes a plurality of division pixels that are divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another, wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode in which signals are sequentially read out for each row and a multiple read-out mode in which signals are read out from a plurality of rows in a simultaneous and parallel manner as read-out modes in which division pixel signals of each division pixel of the pixel are readout, performs read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of the pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and

wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals read out in accordance with the read-out mode while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.

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

wherein n division pixels are formed,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit performs read-out at a speed that is n times a speed of the normal read-out mode in a case where n divided pixels are readout in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein the number of AD conversion processes performed in one processing period is smaller in the multiple read-out mode than in the normal read-out mode.

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

wherein n (here, n is an integer that is equal to or greater than four) division pixels are formed, the n division pixels are classified into M (here, M is an integer that is equal to or greater than two) groups, and photosensitivity conditions or exposure time conditions of the division pixels included in each group are set to be the same,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit performs read-out at a speed that is (n/M) times a speed of the normal read-out mode in a case where a plurality of division pixels included in the same group out of the n divided pixels are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein the number of the AD conversion processes performed in one processing period in the normal read-out mode is the same as that in the multiple read-out mode.

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

wherein n division pixels are formed,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit includes a read-out function of performing read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in a period of a frame that is one/multiples of the frame of the normal read-out mode in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein, in the multiple read-out mode, read-out is performed at a speed that is n times a speed of the normal read-out mode in a period of (1/n) frame of the frame of the normal read-out mode in a case where the n divided pixels are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner.

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

wherein n (here, n is an integer that is equal to or greater than four) division pixels are formed, the n division pixels are classified into M (here, M is an integer that is equal to or greater than two) groups, and photosensitivity conditions or exposure time conditions of the division pixels included in each group are set to be the same,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit includes a function of performing read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of the pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in a period of a frame of one/multiples of the frame of the normal read-out mode in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein read-out is performed at a speed that is (n/M) times the speed of the normal read-out mode in a period of (M/n) frame of the frame of the normal read-out mode in a case where a plurality of division pixels included in a same group out of the n division pixels are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of photosensitivity conditions or exposure time conditions are set for the plurality of division pixels, and the photosensitivity conditions or the exposure time conditions of division pixels that are disposed so as to face each other in a diagonal direction are set to be the same.

7. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and

a pixel signal read-out unit that includes an AD conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal that is read out from the pixel unit,

wherein one pixel included in the pixel unit is formed as a plurality of division pixels that are divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another,

wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode in which signals are sequentially read out for each row and a multiple read-out mode in which signals are read out from a plurality of rows in a simultaneous and parallel manner as read-out modes in which division pixel signals of each division pixel of the pixel are read out, performs read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of the pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and

wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals read out in accordance with the read-out mode while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.

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

wherein n division pixels are formed,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit performs read-out at a speed that is n times a speed of the normal read-out mode in a case where n divided pixels are readout in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein the number of AD conversion processes performed in one processing period is smaller in the multiple read-out mode than in the normal read-out mode.

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

wherein n (here, n is an integer that is equal to or greater than four) division pixels are formed, the n division pixels are classified into M (here, M is an integer that is equal to or greater than two) groups, and photosensitivity conditions or exposure time conditions of the division pixels included in each group are set to be the same,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit performs read-out at a speed that is (n/M) times a speed of the normal read-out mode in a case where a plurality of division pixels included in the same group out of the n divided pixels are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein the number of the AD conversion processes performed in one processing period in the normal read-out mode is the same as that in the multiple read-out mode.

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

wherein n division pixels are formed,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit includes a read-out function of performing read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in a period of a frame that is one/multiples of the frame of the normal read-out mode in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein, in the multiple read-out mode, read-out is performed at a speed that is n times a speed of the normal read-out mode in a period of (1/n) frame of the frame of the normal read-out mode in a case where the n divided pixels are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner.

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

wherein n (here, n is an integer that is equal to or greater than four) division pixels are formed, the n division pixels are classified into M (here, M is an integer that is equal to or greater than two) groups, and photosensitivity conditions or exposure time conditions of the division pixels included in each group are set to be the same,

wherein the pixel signal read-out unit includes a function of performing read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of the pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in a period of a frame of one/multiples of the frame of the normal read-out mode in the multiple read-out mode, and

wherein read-out is performed at a speed corresponding to (n/M) times the speed of the normal read-out mode in a period of (M/n) frame of the frame of the normal read-out mode in a case where a plurality of division pixels included in a same group out of the n division pixels are readout in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7, wherein a plurality of photosensitivity conditions or exposure time conditions are set for the plurality of division pixels, and the photosensitivity conditions or the exposure time conditions of division pixels that are disposed so as to face each other in a diagonal direction are set to be the same.

13. A camera system comprising:

a solid-state imaging device; and

an optical system that forms a subject image in the solid-state imaging device,

wherein the solid-state imaging device includes

a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern and

a pixel signal read-out unit that includes an AD conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal that is read out from the pixel unit,

wherein each pixel included in the pixel unit includes a plurality of division pixels that are divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another,

wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode in which signals are sequentially read out for each row and a multiple read-out mode in which signals are read out from a plurality of rows in a simultaneous and parallel manner as read-out modes in which division pixel signals of each division pixel of the pixel are readout, performs read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of the pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and

wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals read out in accordance with the read-out mode while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.

14. A camera system comprising:

a solid-state imaging device; and

an optical system that forms a subject image in the solid-state imaging device,

wherein the solid-state imaging device includes

a pixel unit in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern, and

a pixel signal read-out unit that includes an AD conversion unit that performs analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal that is read out from the pixel unit,

wherein one pixel included in the pixel unit is formed as a plurality of division pixels that are divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another,

wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode in which signals are sequentially read out for each row and a multiple read-out mode in which signals are read out from a plurality of rows in a simultaneous and parallel manner as read-out modes in which division pixel signals of each division pixel of the pixel are read out, performs read-out at a speed corresponding to the times of the number of the pixels that are read out in a simultaneous and parallel manner in the multiple read-out mode, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and

wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals read out in accordance with the read-out mode while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals.