CMOS image sensor having wide dynamic range
First Claim
1. A solid-state image sensing device comprising:
- a pixel unit in which cells are two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate, each cell including photoelectric converting means for storing an electric charge obtained by photoelectrically converting incident light, reading means for reading out the electric charge stored in the photoelectric converting means to a detection node, amplifying means for amplifying the electric charge read out to the detection node and outputting the amplified electric charge, and resetting means for resetting the detection node;
an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an output analog signal from the amplifying means into a digital signal, and output the digital signal;
a controller configured to control the pixel unit and the analog-to-digital converter, and cause the analog-to-digital converter to digitize an analog short-storage-time signal and an analog long-storage-time signal read out, by using a same vertical signal line, from the pixel unit during a storage period of an electric charge of one frame so as to obtain a digitized analog short-storage-time signal and a digitized analog long-storage-time signal; and
a wide dynamic range mixer circuit configured to amplify the digitized analog short-storage-time signal to obtain an amplified digitized analog short-storage-time signal, and add the amplified digitized analog short-storage-time signal and the digitized analog long-storage-time signal to make the number of bits larger than the number of bits of the analog-to-digital converter, and output a sum signal.
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Abstract
A solid-state image sensing device includes a pixel unit, analog-to-digital converter, controller, and adder. In the pixel unit, cells are two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate. An output analog signal from the pixel unit is converted into a digital signal by the analog-to-digital converter and output. The controller controls the pixel unit and analog-to-digital converter, and causes the analog-to-digital converter to digitize a plurality of analog signals different in storage time in the pixel unit during the storage period of the electric charge of one frame. The adder adds digital signals corresponding to the analog signals different in storage time and output from the analog-to-digital converter.
56 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A solid-state image sensing device comprising:
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a pixel unit in which cells are two-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate, each cell including photoelectric converting means for storing an electric charge obtained by photoelectrically converting incident light, reading means for reading out the electric charge stored in the photoelectric converting means to a detection node, amplifying means for amplifying the electric charge read out to the detection node and outputting the amplified electric charge, and resetting means for resetting the detection node; an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert an output analog signal from the amplifying means into a digital signal, and output the digital signal; a controller configured to control the pixel unit and the analog-to-digital converter, and cause the analog-to-digital converter to digitize an analog short-storage-time signal and an analog long-storage-time signal read out, by using a same vertical signal line, from the pixel unit during a storage period of an electric charge of one frame so as to obtain a digitized analog short-storage-time signal and a digitized analog long-storage-time signal; and a wide dynamic range mixer circuit configured to amplify the digitized analog short-storage-time signal to obtain an amplified digitized analog short-storage-time signal, and add the amplified digitized analog short-storage-time signal and the digitized analog long-storage-time signal to make the number of bits larger than the number of bits of the analog-to-digital converter, and output a sum signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification