Solid state imaging device and image read apparatus with polygonal photosensitive pixels

• US 6,184,929 B1
• Filed: 01/21/1997
• Issued: 02/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Xerox Company Limited (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Noda, Satoshi, Takashima, Izumi, Takahagi, Hisahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vu, Ngoc-Yen, VU, NGOC YEN T
• Application Number:
  US08/785,273
• Time in Patent Office: 1,477 Days
• Field of Search: 382/162, 382/167, 382/199, 382/312, 358/518, 358/530, 358/533, 348/262, 348/265, 348/266, 348/267, 348/272, 348/273, 348/275, 348/277, 348/280, 348/294, 348/311, 348/315-317, 348/320-324, 348/241, 348/242, 348/250
• US Class Current: 348/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/03 with photodetectors arranged in a substantially linear array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/0308 characterised by the design of the photodetectors, e.g. shape

Abstract

A solid state imaging device comprising:

a plurality of photosensitive pixels for scanning an optical image signal falling thereon and converting the same photoelectrically which are arranged in parallel to one another in a main scan direction,

wherein the photosensitive pixels are respectively formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, the two mutually adjoining ones of the photosensitive pixels are positioned in point symmetry in which the two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels are rotated in 180° about a point from each other, and the oblique sides of the two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels are opposed to and in contact with each other.

Claims

1. A solid state imaging device comprising:

a plurality of photosensitive pixels for scanning an optical image signal falling thereon and converting the same photoelectrically which are arranged in parallel to one another in a main scan direction,

wherein said photosensitive pixels are respectively formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, the two mutually adjoining ones of said photosensitive pixels are positioned in point symmetry in which said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels are rotated in 180°

about a point from each other, and the oblique sides of two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels are opposed to and in contact with each other,

wherein the vertex of one mutually adjoining pixel and the base of another mutually adjoining pixel of said two mutually adjoining pixels, formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

2. The solid state imaging device of claim 1,

wherein the vertexes and bases of said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels, the upper bases, or the lower bases thereof are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

6. The solid state imaging device of claim 2,

wherein the vertexes and bases of said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels, the upper bases, or the lower bases thereof are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

3. A solid state imaging device comprising:

a first, a second, and a third photosensitive pixel for scanning an optical image signal falling thereon and converting the same photoelectrically which are arranged in parallel to one another in a main scan direction to form a photosensitive pixel line, a plurality of said photosensitive pixel lines being arranged in parallel to one another in the main scan direction,

wherein at least one photosensitive pixel of said one photosensitive pixel line is formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, and the remaining one or two pixels of said photosensitive pixel line are respectively formed in a slanted parallelogram, the oblique sides of two mutually adjoining pixels formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid being opposed to and in contact with each other,

wherein the vertex of one mutually adjoining pixel and the base of another mutually adioiningz pixel of said two mutually adjoining pixels, formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

4. The solid state imaging device of claim 3, wherein all angles of the pixels of the photosensitive pixel line are angles other than 90 degrees.

5. The solid state imaging device of claim 3,

wherein said parallelogram-shaped photosensitive pixel reads an optical image of blue.

7. The solid state imaging device of claim 5,

wherein the vertexes and bases of said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels, the upper bases, or the lower bases thereof are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

8. An image read apparatus comprising:

a solid state imaging device onto which the reflected light of an image illuminated by illuminating means is allowed to fall as an optical image signal, the optical image signal being scanned and converted photoelectrically by said solid state imaging device to thereby read the image,

wherein said solid state imaging device includes;

a plurality of photosensitive pixels for scanning and photoelectrically converting an optical image signal falling thereon are arranged in parallel to each other in a main scan direction, said photosensitive pixels being respectively formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, the two mutually adjoining ones of said photosensitive pixels being positioned in point symmetry in which said photosensitive pixels are rotated in 180°

about a point from each other, and the oblique sides of said two mutually adjoining pixels being opposed to and in contact with each other,

wherein the vertex of one mutually adjoining pixel and the base of another mutually adjoining pixel of said two mutually adjoining pixels, formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

9. The image read apparatus of claim 8,

wherein the vertexes and bases of said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels, the upper bases, or the lower bases thereof are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

10. An image read apparatus comprising:

a solid state imaging device onto which the reflected light of an image illuminated by illuminating means is allowed to fall as an optical image signal, the optical image signal being scanned and converted photoelectrically by the solid state imaging device to thereby read the image,

wherein said solid state imaging device includes;

a first, a second, and a third photosensitive pixel for scanning the optical image signal falling thereon and converting the same photoelectrically which are arranged in parallel to one another in a main scan direction to form a photosensitive pixel line, a plurality of said photosensitive pixel lines being arranged in parallel to one another in the main scan direction, and

at least one photosensitive pixel of said one photosensitive pixel line is formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, and the remaining one or two pixels of said photosensitive pixel line are respectively formed in a slanted parallelogram, and the oblique sides of two mutually adjoining pixels formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid are opposed to and in contact with each other,

wherein the vertex of one mutually adjoining pixel and the base of another mutually adjoining pixel of said two mutually adjoining pixels, formed in a triangle or in a trapezoid, are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

11. The image read apparatus of claim 10,

wherein the vertexes and bases of said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels, the upper bases, or the lower bases thereof are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.

12. The image read apparatus of claim 10,

wherein said parallelogram-shaped photosensitive pixel reads an optical image of blue.

13. The image read apparatus of claim 12,

wherein the vertexes and bases of said two mutually adjoining photosensitive pixels, the upper bases, or the lower bases thereof are present on a straight line along said main scan direction.