Image-capturing device and electronic camera

• US 20050062865A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nikon Corporation
• Inventors: Shibazaki, Kiyoshige
• Granted Patent: US 7,573,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/300
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/651 for reducing power consumption by affecting camera operations, e.g. sleep mode, hibernation mode or power off of selective parts of the camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/67 applied to fixed-pattern noise, e.g. non-uniformity of response
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/709 Circuitry for control of the power supply
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/713 Transfer or readout registers; Split readout registers or multiple readout registers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/73 using interline transfer [IT]

Abstract

An image-capturing device includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed; a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from the photoelectric conversion elements; and an amplifier that is connected to an end of the charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, converts an electrical charge into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, and at least the photoelectric conversion elements, the charge transfer circuit and the amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate. And the image-capturing device further includes an amplifier power control circuit that controls power to the amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from outside.

Claims

1. An image-capturing device comprising:

a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed;

a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements; and

an amplifier that is connected to an end of said charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, sequentially converts each of the electrical charges into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, wherein;

at least said photoelectric conversion elements, said charge transfer circuit and said amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate; and

said image-capturing device further comprises an amplifier power control circuit that controls power to said amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from outside.

2. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, wherein:

said amplifier power control circuit changes a bias current supplied to said amplifier by using said control signal.

3. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, wherein:

said charge transfer circuit transfers the electrical charges to said amplifier by employing a CCD (charge-coupled device).

4. An image-capturing device according to claim 1, wherein:

said charge transfer circuit reads the electrical charges out to said amplifier through XY address scanning.

5. An electronic camera comprising:

an image-capturing device that captures an image of a subject and outputs image data; and

a control device that performs a specific type of image processing on the image data, wherein said image-capturing device comprises;

a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements that are two-dimensionally arrayed;

a charge transfer circuit that transfers electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements; and

an amplifier that is connected to an end of said charge transfer circuit along a direction of charge transfer, sequentially converts each of the electrical charges into voltage, and amplifies the voltage, wherein;

at least said photoelectric conversion elements, said charge transfer circuit and said amplifier are provided on a single semiconductor substrate; and

said image-capturing device further comprises an amplifier power control circuit that controls power to said amplifier in conformance to a control signal provided from outside.

6. An electronic camera according to claim 5, wherein:

said amplifier power control circuit controls the power to said amplifier so that a normal bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal when discharging unnecessary electrical charges and reading out electrical charges from said photoelectric conversion elements, and the bias current to said amplifier is reduced in conformance to said control signal at other times.

7. An electronic camera according to claim 6, wherein:

said amplifier power control circuit controls the power to said amplifier so that the normal bias current is supplied to said amplifier in conformance to said control signal when exposure is performed over a length of time equal to or less than a specific length of time.

8. An image-capturing device comprising:

a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements; and

a heat generating component that constitutes a local heat source and includes at least an amplifier that converts an electrical charge from the photoelectric conversion elements into voltage and amplifies the voltage, wherein;

said plurality of photoelectric conversion elements and said heat generating component are provided on a single semiconductor substrate; and

said image-capturing device further comprises a heat generating component power control circuit that controls power to said heat generating component in conformance to a control signal provided from outside, the power to said heat generating component being provided from the outside.

9. An image-capturing device according to claim 8, wherein:

said plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are two-dimensionally arrayed on said semiconductor substrate.

10. An image-capturing device according to claim 8, wherein:

said heat generating component also includes an A/D converter.

11. An image-capturing device according to claim 8, wherein:

said heat generating component also includes a signal processor.