DA converter and solid-state imaging device that provides reduced power consumption

• US 8,587,707 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2010
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Matsumoto, Shizunori, Miyazaki, Chikao
• Primary Examiner(s): Giles, Nicholas
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tissire, Abdelaaziz
• Application Number:
  US12/845,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20110050967A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 348/294
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/64 with intermediate conversion to phase of sinusoidal or similar periodical signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03M 1/745 with weighted currents
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/766 comprising control or output lines used for a plurality of functions, e.g. for pixel output, driving, reset or power
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/767 Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/78 Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Abstract

A DA converter includes: a reference current generating circuit that generates a reference current; current sources that supply currents according to the reference current; a voltage output circuit that outputs a voltage according to a current to be supplied thereto; switch circuits provided for the current sources respectively to each switch a connection of each of the current sources to the voltage output circuit or a predetermined load; a control section that controls the switch circuits based on an input digital signal to select that of the current sources which is to be connected to the voltage output circuit, and outputs a voltage according to the digital signal from the voltage output circuit; and a switch that stops an operation of at least one of the current sources based on a control signal from the control section, without stopping an operation of the reference current generating circuit.

Claims

1. A digital-analog (DA) converter comprising:

a reference current generating circuit that generates a reference current;

a plurality of current sources that supply currents according to the reference current;

a voltage output circuit that outputs a voltage according to a current to be supplied thereto;

a plurality of switch circuits provided for the current sources respectively to each switch a connection of each of the current sources to the voltage output circuit or a predetermined load;

a control section that controls the plurality of switch circuits based on an input digital signal to select that of the plurality of current sources which is to be connected to the voltage output circuit, and outputs a voltage according to the digital signal from the voltage output circuit;

a switch, different from the plurality of switch circuits, that stops an operation of one of the plurality of current sources based on a control signal from the control section, without stopping an operation of the reference current generating circuit, said switch being electrically disposed between the one of the plurality of current sources and a corresponding one of the plurality of switch circuits;

a current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the voltage output circuit and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses an influence of the stop of the operation of the one of the plurality of current sources on the reference current or another of the plurality of current sources;

an offset regulating current source that supplies a positive current or a negative current to the voltage output circuit to correct an offset level; and

a switch that stops an operation of the offset regulating current source based on a control signal from the control section, wherein

the plurality of current sources include a first current source with a current value according to the reference current, and a plurality of second current sources with current values proportional to the current value of the first current source,

the switch stops an operation of the first current source,

the current transfer circuit includes a first current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the first current source and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses the influence of the stop of the first current source on the reference current, and

the current transfer circuit includes a second current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the offset regulating current source and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses the influence of the stop of an operation of the offset regulating current source on the reference current.

2. The DA converter according to claim 1, wherein the DA converter further includes

a switch in association with each of the second current sources to stop operations of the second current sources collectively or individually based on the control signal from the control section.

3. The DA converter according to claim 1, wherein the DA converter further includes

a switch between the first current source and the plurality of second current sources to stop operations of the second current sources collectively based on the control signal from the control section.

9. The DA converter according to claim 1, wherein the second current transfer circuit is electrically disposed between the first current source and the plurality of second current sources and suppresses the influence of the stop of the operation of at least one of the plurality of second current sources on the first current source.

10. The DA converter according to claim 9, further comprising:

wherein the current transfer circuit includes a third current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the offset regulating current source and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses the influence of a stop of an operation of the offset regulating current source on the reference current.

4. A solid-state imaging device comprising:

a plurality of pixels laid out in a matrix form for converting an amount of input light to an electric signal;

a row scan circuit that selectively controls the plurality of pixels row by row;

a digital-analog (DA) converter that generates a reference voltage according to an input digital signal; and

a plurality of AD converters that compare analog signals acquired from the pixels with the reference voltage generated by the DA converter to convert the analog signals to digital signals,

the DA converter including

a reference current generating circuit that generates a reference current,

a plurality of current sources that supply currents according to the reference current,

a voltage output circuit that outputs a voltage according to a current to be supplied thereto,

a plurality of switch circuits provided for the current sources respectively to each switch a connection of each of the current sources to the voltage output circuit or a predetermined load,

a control section that controls the plurality of switch circuits based on the input digital signal to select that of the plurality of current sources which is to be connected to the voltage output circuit, and outputs a voltage according to the digital signal from the voltage output circuit,

a switch, different from the plurality of switch circuits, that stops an operation of one of the plurality of current sources based on a control signal from the control section, without stopping an operation of the reference current generating circuit, said switch being electrically disposed between the one of the plurality of current sources and a corresponding one of the plurality of switch circuits,

a current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the voltage output circuit and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses an influence of the stop of the operation of the one of the plurality of current sources on the reference current or another of the plurality of current sources,

an offset regulating current source that supplies a positive current or a negative current to the voltage output circuit to correct an offset level, and

a switch that stops an operation of the offset regulating current source based on a control signal from the control section, wherein

the plurality of current sources include a first current source with a current value according to the reference current, and a plurality of second current sources with current values proportional to the current value of the first current source,

the switch stops an operation of the first current source,

the current transfer circuit includes a first current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the first current source and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses the influence of the stop of the first current source on the reference current, and

the current transfer circuit includes a second current transfer circuit electrically disposed between the offset regulating current source and the reference current generating circuit that suppresses the influence of the stop of an operation of the offset regulating current source on the reference current.

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the control section controls the switch to stop the operation of the one of the plurality of current sources in a horizontal blanking period where the pixels are not selected in an operation of the row scan circuit.

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the control section controls the switch to stop the operation of the one of the plurality of current sources in a vertical blanking period where the digital signal is not output in an operation of the row scan circuit.

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the DA converter further includes

a switch in association with each of the second current sources to stop operations of the second current sources collectively or individually based on the control signal from the control section.

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 4, wherein the DA converter further includes

a switch between the first current source and the plurality of second current sources to stop operations of the second current sources collectively based on the control signal from the control section.