Solid-state imaging device, method of driving solid-state imaging device, and camera

• US 7,864,237 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2007
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Muramatsu, Yoshinori
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Daniels; Anthony J
• Application Number:
  US11/679,544
• Publication Number:
  US 20080117321A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 348294-310, 250/208.1
• US Class Current: 348/302
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/00 Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/46 by combining or binning pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/772 comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 3/155 Control of the image-sensor operation, e.g. image processing within the image-sensor

Abstract

A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixels each converting the amount of incident light into an electric signal and disposed in a plurality of columns to be deviated from the neighboring pixels in a row direction or in a column direction; a plurality of analog-to-digital converting units each converting an analog signal obtained from a corresponding pixel into a digital signal and disposed along a column in parallel; a plurality of column signal lines outputting the analog signals of the pixels of each of the plurality of pixel columns, disposed along the pixel columns, and making pairs; and a plurality of switching circuit units each selecting one column signal line of a corresponding pair of column signal lines. In the solid-state imaging device, the analog-to-digital converting units are connected to the output sides of the switching circuit units.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels units, each of which converts an amount of incident light into an electric analog signal, and which are disposed in a plurality of columns so as to be staggered relative to and to deviate from adjacent pixels in a row direction or in a column direction;

a plurality of analog-to-digital converting units, each of which converts an electric analog signal into a digital signal, and which are disposed along ends of said columns;

a plurality of column signal lines associated with each of the plurality of pixel columns via which the electric analog signals of the pixel units of each of the plurality of pixel columns are output, and which are disposed along the pixel columns, and which are arranged in pairs;

a plurality of switching circuit units coupled between said analog-to-digital converting units and said column signal lines, each switching unit selectively connecting one column signal line of a corresponding pair of column signal lines to a corresponding one of said analog-to-digital converting units, and each of which has an output side;

a row scanning circuit that controls row addressing and row scanning of said pixel units so as to enable output of said electric analog signals from said pixel units onto said column signal lines; and

a column scanning circuit that controls column addressing and column scanning of said pixel units so as to enable reading of said electric analog signals from said pixel units,

wherein,

the row scanning circuit is supplied with digital row address signals, and

only the least significant bit of the row address signals is supplied to the row scanning circuit, before decoding of same, is used as a switching control signal for the switching circuit units.

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1,

wherein each of the switching circuit units selects one column signal line of a corresponding pair of column signal lines and does not select the other column signal line.

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of current source circuits corresponding to signal lines connected to the switching circuit units and the analog-to-digital converting units corresponding to the switching circuit units.

4. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels units, each of which converts an amount of incident light into an electric analog signal, and which are disposed in a plurality of columns so as to be staggered relative to and to deviate from adjacent pixels in a row direction or in a column direction;

a plurality of analog-to-digital converting units, each of which converts an electric analog signal into a digital signal, and which are disposed along ends of said columns;

a plurality of column signal lines associated with each of the plurality of pixel columns via which the electric analog signals of the pixel units of each of the plurality of pixel columns are output, and which are disposed along the pixel columns, and which are arranged in pairs;

a plurality of switching circuit units coupled between said analog-to-digital converting units and said column signal lines, each switching unit selectively connecting one column signal line of a corresponding pair of column signal lines to a corresponding one of said analog-to-digital converting units, and each of which has an output side;

a row scanning circuit that controls row addressing and row scanning of said pixel units so as to enable output of said electric analog signals from said pixel units onto said column signal lines; and

a column scanning circuit that controls column addressing and column scanning of said pixel units so as to enable reading of said electric analog signals from said pixel units

wherein,

the row scanning circuit is supplied with digital row address signals, and

only the least significant bit of the row address signals, supplied to the row scanning circuit before decoding of same, is used as a switching control signal for one of the switching circuit units, and

an inversion signal of the least significant bit signal is used as a switching control signal for another switching circuit unit.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4,

wherein the switching circuits selecting or not selecting the corresponding pair of column signal lines are alternately selected for the analog-to-digital converting unit corresponding to the switching circuit unit.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a plurality of current source circuits corresponding to signal lines connected to the switching circuit units and the analog-to-digital converting units corresponding to the switching circuit units.

7. A method of driving a solid-state imaging device which includes

(a) a plurality of pixels units, each of which converts an amount of incident light into an electric analog signal, and which are disposed in a plurality of columns so as to be staggered relative to and to deviate from adjacent pixels in a row direction or in a column direction,

(b) a plurality of analog-to-digital converting units, each of which converts an electric analog signal into a digital signal, and which are disposed along ends of said columns,

(c) a plurality of column signal lines associated with each of the plurality of pixel columns via which the electric analog signals of the pixel units of each of the plurality of pixel columns are output, and which are disposed along the pixel columns, and which are arranged in pairs,

(d) a plurality of switching circuit units coupled between said analog-to-digital converting units and said column signal lines, each switching unit selectively connecting one column signal line of a corresponding pair of column signal lines to a corresponding one of said analog-to-digital converting units, and each of which has an output side;

(e) a row scanning circuit that controls row addressing and row scanning of said pixel units so as to enable output of said electric analog signals from said pixel units onto said column signal lines; and

(f) a column scanning circuit that controls column addressing and column scanning of said pixel units so as to enable reading of said electric analog signals from said pixel units,

said method comprising the steps of;

supplying the row scanning circuit with a digital row address signal;

supplying only the least significant bit signal of the row address signal, before decoding of same, to a switching circuit unit, and

controlling switching by the switching circuit unit with the least significant bit signal of the row address signal.