Photoelectric conversion device

• US 6,798,453 B1
• Filed: 11/16/1998
• Issued: 09/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Kaifu, Noriyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Nhan T
• Application Number:
  US09/192,370
• Time in Patent Office: 2,143 Days
• Field of Search: 348/304, 348/308, 378/98.8
• US Class Current: 348/304
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/41 Extracting pixel data from a plurality of image sensors simultaneously picking up an image, e.g. for increasing the field of view by combining the outputs of a plurality of sensors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/32 Transforming X-rays cameras or camera modules for generating image signals from X-rays H04N23/30; circuitry of SSIS for transforming X-rays into image signals H04N25/30

Abstract

For accomplishing increase in S/N ratios, improvement in operability, and decrease of cost, a photoelectric conversion device comprises: a photoelectric conversion portion comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in row and column directions, a plurality of signal wires wired in the column direction, each of the signal wires connecting outputs of photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in the same column, and a plurality of control lines wired in the row direction, each of the control lines connecting control terminals for controlling signal output operation of photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in the same row; a plurality of analog memory means for storing analog voltages obtained from analog voltage conversion means for converting information charges based on the photoelectric conversion pixels to the analog voltages and for maintaining the analog voltages as outputs, each of the analog memory means being connected to each of the signal wires; and a plurality of A/D conversion means each connected to each output of analog switch means, each of the analog switch means being connected to each of a plurality of output line groups which are formed by dividing output lines of each of the analog memory means into a plurality of groups.

Claims

1. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a photoelectric conversion portion comprising a plurality of photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in row and column directions, a plurality of signal wires wired in the column direction, each of the signal wires connecting outputs of the photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in the same column, and a plurality of control lines wired in the row direction, each of the control lines connecting control terminals for controlling signal output operation of the photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in the same row;

a plurality of analog memory means for storing an analog voltage obtained from analog voltage conversion means for converting an information charge based on the photoelectric conversion pixels to the analog voltage, each of the analog memory means being connected to at least one of the signal wires and each of the signal wires being connected to at least one of the analog memory means; and

a plurality of A/D conversion means each connected to at least one output of at least one of a plurality of analog switch means, each of the analog switch means being connected to at least one of a plurality of output line groups which are formed by dividing output lines of each of the analog memory means into a plurality of groups,

wherein, when the plurality of output line groups are composed of N groups of output lines, the photoelectric conversion pixels are arranged in n columns, a conversion time of the A/D conversion means is Tad second, and a time for conversion of the information charge outputted from the photoelectric conversion pixel to the analog voltage through the analog voltage conversion means is Ttft second, then N satisfies the condition;

2. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein N satisfies the condition:

3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion pixel has a photoelectric conversion element and a switching element for controlling the signal output operation of the photoelectric conversion element, and wherein a control terminal of the photoelectric conversion pixel is a control terminal of the switching element.

4. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a plurality of photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in row and column directions;

a plurality of signal wires wired in the column direction, each of the signal wires connecting outputs of the photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in the same column;

a plurality of control lines wired in the row direction, each of the control wires connecting control terminals for controlling signal output operation of the photoelectric conversion pixels arranged in the same row;

analog voltage conversion means for converting an information charge in the photoelectric conversion pixels to an analog voltage;

analog memory means for storing and maintaining as an output the analog voltage converted from the information charge based on the photoelectric conversion pixels by the analog voltage conversion means, the analog memory means being connected to each of the signal wires;

respective ones of a plurality of analog switch means each connected to a respective one of output line groups which are formed by dividing output lines of the analog memory means;

respective ones of a plurality of A/D conversion means each connected to an output of a respective one of the analog switch means;

respective ones of buffer memories each connected to a respective one of the A/D conversion means; and

a multiplexer connected to the buffer memories,

wherein the plurality of output line groups are composed of N groups of output lines, the photoelectric conversion pixels are arranged in n columns, a conversion time of the A/D conversion means is Tad second, and a time for conversion of the information charge outputted from the photoelectric conversion pixel to the analog voltage through the analog voltage conversion means is Ttft second, then N satisfies the condition;

5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 4, wherein the buffer memories are First In First Out type memories.