Image-capturing device that utilizes a solid state image capturing element and electronic camera

• US 7,573,517 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Issued: 08/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibazaki, Kiyoshige
• Primary Examiner(s): Misleh; Justin P
• Application Number:
  US10/981,515
• Publication Number:
  US 20050062865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 348/294, 348/300, 348/301, 348/302, 348/311, 348/316
• US Class Current: 348/300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/67 applied to fixed-pattern noise, e.g. non-uniformity of response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/709 Circuitry for control of the power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/713 Transfer or readout registers; Split readout registers or multiple readout registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/73 using interline transfer [IT]

Abstract

An image-capturing device includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed; a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from the photoelectric conversion elements; and an amplifier that is connected to an end of the charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, converts an electrical charge into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, and at least the photoelectric conversion elements, the charge transfer circuit and the amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate. And the image-capturing device further includes an amplifier power control circuit that controls power to the amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from outside.

Claims

1. An electronic camera comprising:

an image-capturing device that captures an image of a subject and outputs image data; and

a control device that controls an image-capturing operation including an exposure operation, wherein said image-capturing device comprises;

a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed;

a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements; and

an amplifier that is connected to an end of said charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, sequentially converts each of the electrical charges into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, wherein;

at least said photoelectric conversion elements, said charge transfer circuit and said amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate;

said image-capturing device further comprises an amplifier power control circuit that changes a bias current supplied to said amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from the control device; and

said control device outputs said control signal to said amplifier power control circuit so that a normal bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal when discharging unnecessary electrical charges and reading out electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements, and a reduced bias current that is less than the normal bias current and more than zero is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal at other times.

2. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein:

said control device outputs said control signal to said amplifier power control circuit so that the reduced bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal during said exposure operation.

3. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein said charge transfer circuit transfers the electrical charges to said amplifier by employing a CCD (charge-coupled device).

4. An electronic camera according to claim 1, wherein said charge transfer circuit reads the electrical charges out to said amplifier through XY address scanning.

5. An electronic camera comprising:

an image-capturing device that captures an image of a subject and outputs image data; and

a control device that controls an image-capturing operation including an exposure operation, wherein said image-capturing device comprises;

a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed;

a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements; and

an amplifier that is connected to an end of said charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, sequentially converts each of the electrical charges into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, wherein;

at least said photoelectric conversion elements, said charge transfer circuit and said amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate;

said image-capturing device further comprises an amplifier power control circuit that changes a bias current supplied to said amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from the control device; and

said control device judges whether or not said exposure operation is performed over a length of time equal to or less than a specific length of time, outputs said control signal to said amplifier power control circuit so that a normal bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal during reading out electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements and a reduced bias current that is less than the normal bias current and more than zero is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal during said exposure operation when said exposure operation is performed over a length of time longer than the specific length of time, and outputs said control signal to said amplifier power control circuit so that the normal bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal even during said exposure operation when said exposure operation is performed over a length of time equal to or less than the specific length of time.

6. An electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein said charge transfer circuit transfers the electrical charges to said amplifier by employing a CCD (charge-coupled device).

7. An electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein said charge transfer circuit reads the electrical charges out to said amplifier through XY address scanning.