Solid-state image sensor with exposure controller

• US 4,471,228 A
• Filed: 12/02/1981
• Issued: 09/11/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1980
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fuji Photo Film Co Limited (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Konishi, Masahiro, Nishizawa, Jun-ichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Application Number:
  US06/326,884
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 250/211 R, 250/211 J, 250/578, 357/29, 357/30, 357/31, 357/32, 357/24 LR, 358/212, 358/213
• US Class Current: 348/298
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/14679 Junction field effect transistor [JFET] imagers; static induction transistor [SIT] imagers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/71 Circuitry for evaluating the brightness variation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/73 by influencing the exposure time

Abstract

A solid-state image sensor which detects the quantity of light incident on image sensor cells during exposure and performs exposure control in accordance with an exposure value thus obtained. The solid-state image sensor is provided with a photoelectric converter having a plurality of non-destructive readout type image sensor cells arranged in a matrix form; an exposure detector for reading out stored information of predetermined ones of the image sensor cells during exposure, obtaining an added value of the stored information thus read out and detecting that the added value reaches a predetermined level; an exposure controller which is supplied with the detected signal from the exposure detector to control at least one of the charge storage time of each image sensor cell by an optical signal, the intensity of light incident on the image sensor cell and the photosensitivity of the image sensor cell; and a scanner for scanning the photoelectric converter to read out stored information of the image sensor cells during exposure.

Claims

1. A two-dimensional solid-state image sensor comprising:

a photoelectric converter having a plurality of non-destructive readout type image sensor cells arranged in a predetermined form for exposure to a light pattern and for storing a charge in at least some of said cells related to the light pattern to form stored information which is not destroyed by reading out the stored information;

an exposure detector connected to the photoelectric converter for reading out the stored information of a plurality of predetermined ones of the cells during the exposure, for obtaining an added value of the stored information thus read out and for detecting when the added value reaches a predetermined level to form a detected signal;

an exposure controller connected to the exposure detector for being supplied with the detected signal from the exposure detector to control at least one of;

a charge storage time of each image sensor cell, the intensity of light incident on the image sensor cells and a photosensitivity of the image sensor cells, to terminate the building of charge in the cells; and

a scanner connected to the photoelectric converter for scanning the photoelectric converter to read out the stored information of the image sensor cells after the building of charge has been terminated.

2. A two-dimensional solid-state image sensor according to claim 1, wherein the non-destructive readout type image sensor cells are photoelectric conversion elements, each having a hook structure made of a plurality of semi-conductor layers forming a transistor with an electrically floating base.

3. A two-dimensional solid-state image sensor according to claim 1, wherein the exposure detector and the scanner include a word line driver for sequentially selecting picture element trains, each consisting of a plurality of image sensor cells arranged in a column direction on the photoelectric converter;

a plurality of bit lines each connected to a plurality of the cells for taking out the outputs from the cells of each picture element train selected by the word line driver;

a plurality of main analog switches for connecting the bit lines to a video signal readout line;

sub analog switches for connecting predetermined ones of the bit lines which are connected to the predetermined ones of the cells, to an exposure readout line;

a controller for performing ON-OFF control of the sub analog switches and the main analog switches to read out stored information of the predetermined ones of the cells during exposure and to read out stored information of the cells after the building of charge has been terminated; and

a comparator for comparing a voltage of the exposure readout line with an exposure reference voltage to produce an exposure detected signal.

4. A two-dimensional solid-state image sensor according to claim 3 wherein the sub analog switches are connected to those of the bit lines connected to the image sensor cells disposed centrally of the photoelectric converter, and the word line driver selects the centrally disposed image sensor cells in the column direction during exposure detection.

5. A two-dimensional solid-state image sensor according to claim 3 wherein the sub analog switches are connected to those of the bit lines connected to the image sensor cells disposed at the central and a peripheral portion of the photoelectric converter, and the word line driver selects the centrally disposed image sensor cells in the column direction during exposure detection.