IMAGING APPARATUS

• US 20180035065A1
• Filed: 07/10/2017
• Published: 02/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nishino, Hironori, MATSUMIYA, Yasuo
• Granted Patent: US 10,616,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14612 involving a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14625 Optical elements or arrangements associated with the device
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14649 Infrared imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/23 from thermal infrared radiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• 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 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/33 Transforming infrared radiation cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from infrared radiation H04N23/20; circuitry of SSIS for transforming infrared radiation into image signals H04N25/20

Abstract

An imaging apparatus includes an image sensor including a common sensor element, the common sensor element having a plurality of output systems therefrom, and a signal processing circuit that generates an image signal from outputs of the image sensor, wherein the plurality of output systems individually include a transistor, a capacitor that stores charge in accordance with a current flowing through the sensor element via the transistor, and output circuitry that outputs a sensor signal in accordance with a voltage of the capacitor, wherein the transistors individually allow the current to flow in time periods different with each other, and the signal processing circuit does not use the sensor signals if the sensor signals do not match with each other, and the signal processing circuit uses the sensor signals for generating the image signal if the sensor signals match with each other.

Claims

1. An imaging apparatus comprising:

an image sensor including a common sensor element, the common sensor element having a plurality of output systems therefrom; and

a signal processing circuit that generates an image signal from outputs of the image sensor,

wherein the plurality of output systems individually include

a transistor,

a capacitor that stores charge in accordance with a current flowing through the sensor element via the transistor, and

output circuitry that outputs a sensor signal in accordance with a voltage of the capacitor,

wherein the transistors individually allow the current to flow in time periods different with each other, and

the signal processing circuit does not use the sensor signals if the sensor signals do not match with each other, and the signal processing circuit uses the sensor signals for generating the image signal if the sensor signals match with each other.

2. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein if the sensor signals match with each other, the signal processing circuit adds the sensor signals with each other for use in generating the image signal.

3. The imaging apparatus according to claim 1,

wherein the transistors individually allow the currents to flow by turns.