Photoelectric conversion device, imaging system, photoelectric conversion device testing method, and imaging system manufacturing method

• US 9,204,072 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Hiyama, Hiroki, Nakamura, Kohichi, Yamazaki, Kazuo, Saito, Kazuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): OSINSKI, MICHAEL S
• Application Number:
  US14/042,097
• Publication Number:
  US 20140092286A1
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/002 for television cameras
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/75 Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/77 Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components

Abstract

A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, a plurality of blocks including a plurality of pairs, each of the pairs including a comparator provided correspondingly with a column in the pixel array and a memory provided correspondingly with the comparator, and a block information supply unit configured to supply block information which indicates a location of a block, to the plurality of memories included in the blocks.

Claims

1. A photoelectric conversion device comprising:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of blocks including a plurality of pairs, each of the pairs including a comparator provided correspondingly with a column in the pixel array and a memory provided correspondingly with the comparator; and

a block information supply unit that includes a signal line group including a plurality of single lines and is configured to supply block information to the plurality of memories included in the plurality of blocks, the block information being information for distinguishing a signal read from one block among the plurality of blocks and a signal read from another block, wherein the plurality of memories included in one of the plurality of blocks are connected to the signal line group with a pattern different from that for the plurality of memories included in another one of the plurality of blocks.

2. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the block information supplied to adjacent blocks among the plurality of blocks is different from each other.

3. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the block information is information unique to each of the plurality of blocks.

4. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of block output units respectively provided correspondingly with the plurality of blocks, and

wherein each of the plurality of block output units outputs data held in the plurality of memories included in an associated block.

5. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 4, wherein each of the plurality of block output units includes a selective-output unit configured to selectively output any of data held in the plurality of memories included in the associated block and other blocks.

6. The photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion device operates to be switchable between a partial read mode for reading a signal from the pixels in a partial area in the pixel array and a block information read mode for reading the block information, and

wherein the photoelectric conversion device successively executes an operation in the block information read mode and an operation in the partial read mode.

7. An imaging system comprising:

the photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1; and

a signal processing unit,

wherein the signal processing unit compares a previously held expected value with the block information output from the photoelectric conversion device.

8. An testing method for a photoelectric conversion device, the photoelectric conversion device including:

a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix;

a plurality of blocks including a plurality of pairs, each of the pairs including a comparator provided correspondingly with a column in the pixel array and a memory provided correspondingly with the comparator; and

a block information supply unit that includes a signal line group including a plurality of single lines and is configured to supply block information for distinguishing between a signal read from one block among the a plurality of blocks and a signal read from another block, to the a plurality of memories included in the plurality of blocks, wherein the plurality of memories included in one of the plurality of blocks are connected to the signal line group with a pattern different from that for the plurality of memories included in another one of the plurality of blocks, the testing method comprising;

comparing a preset expected value with the block information output from the photoelectric conversion device; and

determining whether the expected value coincides with the block information.

9. A manufacturing method for an imaging system, the method comprising:

assembling a photoelectric conversion device for determining that an expected value coincides with block information during a testing method according to the photoelectric conversion device and testing method of claim 8, and a signal processing unit configured to process a signal output from the photoelectric conversion device, into a casing.