Solid state imaging device, signal processing method of solid-state imaging device and imaging apparatus capable of removing vertical smears

• US 8,264,580 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakamura, Nobuo, Mori, Tomonori
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, LUONG TRUNG
• Application Number:
  US12/052,399
• Publication Number:
  US 20080239124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/51 Control of the gain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/618 for random or high-frequency noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/63 applied to dark current
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/633 by using optical black pixels
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/673 by using reference sources
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/677 for reducing the column or line fixed pattern noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/771 comprising storage means other than floating diffusion
• 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 is disclosed. The device includes: a pixel array unit in which unit pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are two-dimensionally arranged and a first signal and a second signal are outputted to a signal line as a pixel signal; a signal processing unit including a variable gain amplifier, and an analog/digital converter; a signal supply unit supplying a reference signal; plural memory units holds the reference signal passed through the signal processing unit so as to correspond to the plural gains respectively when the variable gain amplifier is set at the plural gains respectively; and a correction unit subtracting the reference signal held in the plural memory units from the pixel signal outputted from each unit pixel in an active pixel area of the pixel array unit and passed through the signal processing unit when the variable gain amplifier is set at the plural gains respectively.

Claims

1. A solid-state imaging device, comprising:

a pixel array unit in which unit pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix, the pixel array unit configured to (1) generate a first signal at the time of reset of a unit pixel and a second signal corresponding to electric charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion element of the pixel unit and (2) output the first and second signals to a signal line as a pixel signal;

a signal supply unit configured to supply a reference signal to the signal line;

a signal processing unit including (1) a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify various signals including the reference signal and the pixel signal at a plurality of gains, each gain set in accordance with the strength of the pixel signal, and (2) an analog/digital converter configured to convert amplified signals into digitized signals;

a plurality of memory units configured to store digitized reference signal after the digitized reference signal has been generated by the signal processing unit such that the plurality of memory units respectively store the digitized reference signal for each gain from the variable gain amplifier; and

a correction unit configured to subtract the digitized reference signal for each gain stored in the plurality of memory units from the digitized pixel signal that has passed through the signal processing unit such that the vertical smear noise component of the digitized pixel signal is removed.

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

wherein the signal supply unit includes a switching element connected to the signal line, the switching element configured to selectively supply the reference signal to the signal line.

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

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to the unit pixels in a shielded state when part of the pixel array unit is shielded.

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3,

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to the unit pixels in an optical black pixel area provided in a shielded state at the periphery in the pixel array unit.

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

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to the unit pixels in the optical black pixel area provided at one side of a periphery in the pixel array unit in the wiring direction of the signal line.

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

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to a plurality of rows of unit pixels in the optical black pixel area, and

the plurality of memory units hold average values of pixel signals of the rows of unit pixels.

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

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to unit pixels in the optical black pixel area provided at both sides of the periphery in the pixel array unit in the wiring direction of the signal line.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7,

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to respective plural rows of unit pixels with respect to the optical black pixel area at the both sides of the periphery, and

wherein the plural memory units hold average values of respective pixel signals of the respective plural rows of unit pixels.

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5 or 7,

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to unit pixels in the optical black pixel area provided at one side of the periphery in the pixel array unit in the direction orthogonal to the wiring direction.

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 9,

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to plural columns of unit pixels in the optical black pixel area, and

wherein the plural memory units hold average values of respective pixel signals of the plural columns of unit pixels.

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5 or 7,

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to unit pixels in the optical black pixel area provided at both sides of the periphery in the pixel array unit in the direction orthogonal to the wiring direction of the signal line.

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 11,

wherein the signal supply unit corresponds to respective plural columns of unit pixels with respect to the optical black pixel area at the both sides of the periphery, and

wherein the plural memory units hold average values of respective pixel signals of the respective plural columns of unit pixels.

13. A signal processing method of a solid-state imaging device, the solid-state imaging device comprising (1) a pixel array unit in which unit pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix the pixel array unit configured to generate a first signal at the time of reset of a unit pixel and a second signal corresponding to electric charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion element of the pixel unit, and output the first and second signals to a signal line as a pixel signal, (2) a signal processing unit having a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify various signals including a plurality of gains each gain set in accordance with the strength of the pixel signal, and an analog/digital converter configured to convert amplified signals into digitized signals, the method comprising the steps of:

supplying a reference signal to the signal line;

passing the reference signal through the signal processing unit and storing a digitized reference signal in a plurality of memory units such that the plurality of memory units respectively store the digitized reference signal for each gain from the variable gain amplifier;

passing a pixel signal through the signal processing unit; and

subtracting the digitized reference signal for each gain stored in the plurality of memory units from the digitized pixel signal that has passed through the signal processing unit such that the vertical smear noise component of the digitized pixel signal is removed.

14. An imaging apparatus comprising:

a pixel array unit in which unit pixels including photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a matrix, the pixel array unit configured (1) to generate a first signal at the time of reset of a unit pixel and a second signal corresponding to electric charges obtained by the photoelectric conversion in the photoelectric conversion element of the pixel unit and (2) output the pixel signal to a signal line;

a signal processing unit including (1) a variable gain amplifier configured to amplify various signals at a plurality of gains, each gain set in accordance with the strength of the pixel signal and (2) an analog/digital converter configured to convert amplified signals into digitized signals;

a signal supply unit configured to supply a reference signal to the signal line;

a plurality of memory units configured to store the digitized reference signal after the digitized reference signal has passed through the signal processing unit such that the plurality of memory units store a reference signal for each gain from the variable gain amplifier; and

a correction unit configured to subtract the digitized reference signal for each gain stored in the plurality of memory units from the digitized pixel signal after the digitized pixel signal has passed through the signal processing unit such that the vertical smear noise component of the digitized pixel signal is removed.