Image pickup apparatus

• US 6,956,605 B1
• Filed: 08/05/1999
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hashimoto, Seiji
• Primary Examiner(s): Garber, Wendy R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Villecco, John M.
• Application Number:
  US09/368,496
• Time in Patent Office: 2,266 Days
• Field of Search: 348/300, 348/301, 348/302, 348/303, 348/304, 348/305, 348/306, 348/307, 348/308, 348/294, 348/315, 348/316, 348/319, 348/321, 348/323, 348/273, 348/280, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 348/301
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14609 Pixel-elements with integrated switching, control, storage or amplification elements scanning details of imagers (circuitry of solid-state image sensors H04N25/00); circuitry of imagers H04N25/70
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14641 Electronic components shared by two or more pixel-elements, e.g. one amplifier shared by two pixel elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/134 based on three different wavelength filter elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/70 SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/76 Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/779 Circuitry for scanning or addressing the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/7795 Circuitry for generating timing or clock signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Abstract

To provide an image pickup apparatus capable of adding signals from a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions, an image pickup apparatus including a plurality of unit cells arranged in an array, each unit cell including a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions and a common circuit for inputting signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions and outputting the signals from the unit cell, a first addition circuit for adding the signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions in the unit cell, and a second addition circuit for adding the signals from the plurality of photoelectric conversion portions outside the unit cell is provided.

Claims

1. An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a plurality of unit cells arranged in an array, each unit cell including a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions and a common circuit for inputting signals from said plurality of photoelectric conversion portions and outputting the signals to the outside of said unit cell;

a first control portion for effecting control so that signals from a predetermined number (more than two) of photoelectric conversion portions for outputting signals of a same color are added at input portions of said common circuits included in said unit cells;

a common output line to which a plurality of signals from said plurality of unit cells are output sequentially; and

a second control portion for effecting control so that the signals from a predetermined number (more than two) of photoelectric conversion portions for outputting signals of the same color are added outside of said unit cells and the added signals are output from said common output line.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said common circuit comprises amplification means for amplifying the signals from said plurality of photoelectric conversion portions and outputting the signals.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second control portion adds the signals using horizontal transfer means.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising read means for reading out signals from photoelectric conversion portions of two lines in a vertical direction by interlaced scanning.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a color filter arranged in said photoelectric conversion portions.