Driving method for solid-state imaging device provided with blooming prevention structure
First Claim
1. A driving method for a solid-state imaging device provided with a blooming prevention structure for causing charge generated by photoelectric conversion of each pixel section to overflow, comprising the single step of:
- performing reset gate voltage driving so that a voltage to be applied to a reset gate of the pixel section for controlling a resetting operation for discharging accumulated charge from a charge accumulation portion of the pixel section is varied midway in a charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary an overflow level of the pixel section in the charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary a dynamic range of the solid-state imaging device midway.
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Abstract
The invention provides a driving method suitable for a solid-state imaging device provided with a blooming prevention structure by which the dynamic range of the solid-state imaging device can be varied suitably. Each pixel section of a solid-state imaging device includes a reset gate for controlling a resetting operation for discharging accumulated charge from a charge accumulation portion of the pixel section. By performing reset gate voltage driving so that the voltage to be applied to the reset gate may vary midway in a charge accumulation period of the pixel section, the overflow level can be raised midway in the charge accumulation period of the pixel section to expand the dynamic range. Or, the voltage to be applied to a transfer gate for controlling a transferring operation of forwarding accumulated charge from a charge accumulation portion into a floating diffusion portion or the voltage to be applied to a bias gate for controlling the potential of a floating gate is varied.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A driving method for a solid-state imaging device provided with a blooming prevention structure for causing charge generated by photoelectric conversion of each pixel section to overflow, comprising the single step of:
performing reset gate voltage driving so that a voltage to be applied to a reset gate of the pixel section for controlling a resetting operation for discharging accumulated charge from a charge accumulation portion of the pixel section is varied midway in a charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary an overflow level of the pixel section in the charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary a dynamic range of the solid-state imaging device midway. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A driving method for a solid-state imaging device provided with a blooming prevention structure for causing charge generated by photoelectric conversion of each pixel section to overflow, comprising the single step of:
performing transfer gate voltage driving so that a voltage to be applied to a transfer gate of the pixel section for controlling a transfer operation for transferring accumulated charge from a charge accumulation portion to a floating diffusion portion of the pixel section is varied midway in a charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary an overflow level midway in the charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary a dynamic range of the solid-state imaging device midway. - View Dependent Claims (4)
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5. A driving method for a solid-state imaging device provided with a blooming prevention structure for causing charge generated by photoelectric conversion of each pixel section to overflow, comprising the single step of:
performing bias gate voltage driving so that a voltage to be applied to a bias gate of the pixel section is varied midway in a charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary an overflow level of the pixel section midway in the charge accumulation period of the pixel section to vary a dynamic range of the solid-state imaging device. - View Dependent Claims (6)
Specification