Entries |
Document | Title | Date |
20080204586 | IMAGE SENSOR FOR STILL OR VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY - A method for reading out charge from an interlined CCD having a plurality of photo-sensing regions and a plurality of vertical shift registers, and each photosensitive region is mated respectively to a CCD of a vertical shift register and a color filter having a repeating pattern of two rows in which each row includes at least two colors spanning the photo-sensing regions, the method includes reading out one row from each of the two row pattern; summing the same color from each row in the vertical shift register to reduce the resolution by one half; without transferring charge out of the vertical shift register, repeating the reading and summing steps for the remaining row; and reading out the charge in the vertical shift registers in a manner in which different colors are not summed together. | 08-28-2008 |
20080211953 | LINEAR IMAGE SENSOR - A linear image sensor with low noise and low power consumption comprises both high and low resolution analog shift registers for each photocell array. Noise in the output signals is decreased by driving either the low resolution analog shift register or the high resolution analog shift register depending on a required resolution. The power consumption of the linear image sensor is decreased because a charge detector receives charges from the high and low resolution analog shift registers. | 09-04-2008 |
20080211954 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A lower electrode, a photoelectric conversion layer, and an upper electrode are stacked in order above a semiconductor substrate, and a charge storage section that stores charge generated in the photoelectric conversion layer is connected to the lower electrode. The charge stored in the charge storage section is swept away by a charge sweeping away section for a given time from the endpoint of exposure. The given time is a time taken until the residual image charge existing in the photoelectric conversion layer at the exposure end point time is sufficiently discharged to the outside of the photoelectric conversion layer in a state in which the same bias as that at the exposure start time point is applied to the photoelectric conversion layer. | 09-04-2008 |
20080225151 | DEVICE OF OFFSET COMPENSATION FOR SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND RELATED METHOD - A method of offset compensation for solid-state imaging devices is provided. In the method a first and second detection signal are obtained. The two signals are compared to obtain a difference value. A variable voltage is output according to the difference value to drive a magnetic element. The solid-state imaging device is moved by the magnetic element to compensate the offset of the solid-state imaging device. A system of offset compensation of the solid-state imaging device is also disclosed. | 09-18-2008 |
20080225152 | CCD IMAGE SENSOR HAVING CHARGE STORAGE SECTION BETWEEN PHOTODIODE SECTION AND CHARGE TRANSFER SECTION - The signal charge corresponding to the amount of light is obtained from a photodiode section and is then stored in a charge storage section under the control of a first control gate. An additional charge storage section may be provided between the photodiode section and the charge storage section. The signal charge thus stored in the charge storage section is supplied to a charge transfer section under the control of a second control gate. The charge storage section is set to operate in a PIN-ing state during its operation, which may be carried out by, for example, covering an N-type region with a storage control electrode to which a predetermined DC bias voltage is applied, or by forming a P-type region in surface portion of the N-type region | 09-18-2008 |
20080231739 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A transfer film, on which an adhesive is applied, is glued to plural spacers formed on a glass substrate. The glass substrate is laid on a working table, and one end of the transfer film is fixed to a winding roller. A peeling guide is set at a position over the transfer film. The winding roller is driven to wind the transfer film while the working table moves horizontally. While winding the transfer film, the angle between the glass substrate and the transfer film is kept constant. After the transfer film is peeled off, the adhesive is uniformly transferred to each of the spacers. | 09-25-2008 |
20080239128 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND DRIVE CONTROL METHOD FOR IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A drive control method for an image pickup device is disclosed. The image pickup device includes two-dimensionally arranged light receiving elements to photoelectrically convert incoming light, vertical transfer paths to transfer charges, which have been generated through the photoelectric conversion by the light receiving elements, in the vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer path to transfer the charges, which have been transferred by the vertical transfer path, row by row in the horizontal direction. In the method, the charges, which have been horizontally transferred by the horizontal transfer path, are directed and outputted in more than one directions, and the directed charges are respectively transferred and are added by temporarily stopping the transfer of the charges. | 10-02-2008 |
20080239129 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE SYNTHESIZING METHOD - A method for driving a solid-state imaging device including a plurality of pixels arranged in a two-dimensional array, each of the plurality of pixels accumulating a signal charge according to an amount of incident light, is provided. The method includes: performing electron multiplication of a first signal charge at a first multiplication factor to output a first image signal; and performing electron multiplication of a second signal charge at a second multiplication factor to output a second image signal, at least the first and second image signals being image signals of the same scene of a subject and being successively output. | 10-02-2008 |
20080239130 | DRIVE METHOD OF CCD-TYPE SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A drive method of a CCD-type solid-state image pickup device, the image pickup device comprising vertical charge transfer path with vertical transfer electrodes, wherein the method transfers signal charges read from pixels of the image pickup device along the vertical charge transfer path, the method comprising a plurality of steps each of where transferring the signal charges along the vertical charge transfer path is stopped and the signal charges are retained in potential well(s) formed under given one(s) of the vertical transfer electrodes during the stopping of the transferring, wherein said plurality of steps comprises a given step in which the given one(s) of the vertical transfer electrodes are changed from those of the vertical transfer electrodes in another one of said plurality of steps. | 10-02-2008 |
20080246870 | TRANSFER PULSE GENERATOR CIRCUIT AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A transfer pulse generator circuit for outputting a vertical register transfer pulse includes transfer pulse control means for controlling to set rise and fall timings of the vertical register transfer pulse to desired timings in a predetermined period. | 10-09-2008 |
20080252766 | Method for solid-state imaging device - A first transfer process for transferring signal charges in a vertical direction on vertical transfer sections, a second transfer process for transferring signal charges received from outputs of the vertical transfer sections from line memory to a horizontal transfer section, and a third transfer process for transferring signal charges in a horizontal direction on the horizontal transfer section are controlled at predetermined timings, and the timings are controlled such that at least part of a second time period T | 10-16-2008 |
20080259196 | GENERATING AN INSTANT REVIEW IMAGE USING FRACTIONAL READOUTS - A method for creating an instant review image is disclosed. The method starts by creating image data by exposing an image sensor to a scene. A first sub-set of the image data is transferred from the image sensor and used to create an instant review image. The rest of the data is transferred from the image sensor and essentially all of the data from the image sensor is used to create a second image. | 10-23-2008 |
20080259197 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND GAIN ADJUSTING METHOD FOR THE SAME - An imaging apparatus | 10-23-2008 |
20080266436 | TRANSFER PULSE SUPPLYING CIRCUIT - A transfer pulse supplying circuit for supplying transfer pulses to a solid-state imaging apparatus including a charge transfer unit includes N (N is an integer of two or more) transfer pulse supplying wirings to which the transfer pulses are supplied, and lead-in wirings connecting the transfer pulse supplying wirings to corresponding lead-out wirings from the charge transfer unit. The respective lead-in wirings have almost the same width and length as one another. At least part of the lead-in wirings is divided into a first region and a second region by slits, and the first region is connected to the transfer pulse supplying wirings and the lead-out wiring, the second region is connected to the lead-out wiring. Regions of the respective lead-in wirings connected to the transfer pulse supplying wirings have almost the same ratio of width to length as one another. | 10-30-2008 |
20080284892 | Imaging apparatus - An imaging apparatus includes an image pickup device having a two-dimensionally arrayed pixel structure, an A/D converter which converts analog signals from the respective pixels into digital data signals, and a DSP | 11-20-2008 |
20080284893 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A signal charge transfer channel region includes a first polysilicon gate electrode as a storage electrode for storing signal charges and a second polysilicon gate electrode as a barrier electrode for transferring the signal charges stored under the first polysilicon gate electrode to under the first polysilicon gate electrode adjacent to the first polysilicon gate electrode. The both end portions of the plurality of first and second polysilicon gate electrodes are alternately arranged perpendicularly to a transfer direction of signal charges and central portions thereof are alternately arranged obliquely to a transfer direction of signal charges. | 11-20-2008 |
20080291314 | IMAGING DEVICE WITH AUTO-FOCUS - A handheld portable imaging device ( | 11-27-2008 |
20080303933 | Solid-State Image Pickup Apparatus, Image Pickup Apparatus, and Image Sensor - In a solid-state image sensor according to this invention, an image signal temperature variation suppressing unit changes a voltage value of a driver voltage applied to multiplying registers in response to varations in sensor temperature of a CCD image sensor. Thus, a charge multiplication gain of a charge multiplying unit is electrically controlled to supress varations in signal strength of image signals due to the variations in the sensor temperature of the CCD image sensor. As a result, without relying on thermal control with which it is very diffcult to realize high precision control, varations in the signal stregth of the image signals due to the varations in the sensor temperature of the CCD image sensor are suppressed easily by controlling the charge multiplication gain of the charge multiplying unit based on the electric control, with which it is very easy to realize high precision control, performed by the image signal temperature variation suppressing unit in response to the variations in the sensor temperature of the CCD image sensor. | 12-11-2008 |
20080303934 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS - A structure which meets a high-quality reading requirement and realizes high-speed color reading when the reading section of a color image forming apparatus adopts a color contact image sensor using CCDs as reading element arrays is disclosed. The image sensor of a color image reading section uses a color contact image sensor in which a plurality of CCDs are aligned as reading element arrays in the main scanning direction. In this case, each CCD has one analog shift register for RGB time-division reading, and three R, G, and B reading apertures arranged parallel to each other at a pitch corresponding to the reading resolution. The pixel pitch in the main scanning direction is constant. | 12-11-2008 |
20090002537 | METHOD FOR DRIVING CCD-TYPE SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A method for driving a CCD-type solid-state imaging device includes: reading charges detected by photoelectric conversion elements into potential packets A (B) formed in a charge transfer path, dividing each potential packet A (B) into plural segment packets A | 01-01-2009 |
20090002538 | SOLID STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME AND CAMERA USING THE SAME - A solid state imaging apparatus includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion cells each including a plurality of photoelectric sections arranged in an array of at least two rows and two columns; a plurality of floating diffusion sections each being connected to each of ones of the photoelectric sections which are included in the same row of each said photoelectric conversion cell via each of a plurality of transfer transistors, and being shared by said ones of the photoelectric sections; a plurality of read-out lines each being selectively connected to at least two of the transfer transistors; and a plurality of pixel amplifier transistors each detecting and outputting the potential of each said the floating diffusion section. Charges of the photoelectric conversion sections each being connected to one of the read-out lines and being read out by the transfer transistors are read out by different floating diffusion sections. | 01-01-2009 |
20090015701 | IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD AND DEVICE - An image processing method and a device thereof are disclosed. In an image signal processor of the present invention, a process clock rate or an output clock rate for a preview mode is applied differently from a process clock rate or an output clock rate for a capture mode. When performing the capture mode, however, the process clock rate can be controlled to be the same as or larger than the output clock rate. With the present invention, the lagging can be reduced during the image processing. | 01-15-2009 |
20090021628 | CCD SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVE METHOD THEREOF AND IMAGING APPARATUS - In a CCD solid-state imaging device that transfers, in an output charge transfer path, a first charge detected in a pixel of an effective pixel area and a second charge detected in a pixel of an optical black portion adjacent to the effective pixel area, and outputs the first and second charges, a charge transfer speed of the second charge is made lower than that of the first charge whenever the second charge is transferred in the output charge transfer path and is output. | 01-22-2009 |
20090021629 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid state imaging device includes color pixels to generate color signals and white pixels to generate luminance signals. The color pixels are arranged in a checkered pattern, and the white pixels are surrounded by the color pixels. Each color pixel has a light receiving element, a color filter and a first micro-lens. Each white pixel has a light receiving element and a second micro-lens. The first micro-lens is higher than the second micro-lens, so that an incident angle range is wide on the first micro-lens. The color pixels achieve better light-collection efficiency for oblique incident light than the white pixels. | 01-22-2009 |
20090021630 | SOLID STATE IMAGING ELEMENT AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - A solid state imaging element comprises: a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a two-dimensional array-shape; a plurality of first electric charge transmission sections that transmit signal electric charges detected by the photoelectric conversion elements; a plurality of second electric charge transmission sections having the same transmission stage numbers, wherein said plurality of second electric charge transmission sections corresponds to said plurality of first electric charge transmission sections respectively and comprises plural subgroups each including adjacent second electric charge transmission sections in given numbers; electric charge detection sections that detects the signal electric charge transmitted from said plurality of second electric charge transmission sections, each of the electric charge detection sections being provided for each of the plural subgroups; and a transmission control section that controls, for each of the plural subgroups, an order of transmission of the signal electric charges detected by the electric | 01-22-2009 |
20090027535 | SOLID STATE IMAGING ELEMENT, IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD OF DRIVING SOLID STATE IMAGING ELEMENT - A solid state imaging element comprises: photoelectric conversion elements; a plurality of vertical electric charge transfer passages that transfer, in a vertical direction, electric charges generated by the photoelectric conversion elements; and a horizontal electric charge transfer passage that transfers, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the vertical direction, the electric charges transferred in the vertical electric charge transfer passage, wherein the horizontal electric charge transfer passage comprises a plurality of electric charge transferring stages each of which operates as an electric charge accumulating region or a barrier region according to a level of an applied voltage, and each of said plurality of electric charge transferring stages is connected to plural ones of the vertical electric charge transfer passages. | 01-29-2009 |
20090027536 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, PIXEL-SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, ANALOG-SIGNAL TRANSFERRING DEVICE, AND ANALOG-SIGNAL TRANSFERRING METHOD - A solid-state imaging device including:
| 01-29-2009 |
20090027537 | CHARGE TRANSFER DEVICE AND A DRIVING METHOD THEREOF AND A DRIVING METHOD FOR SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE - A driving method for a solid-state image sensing device having a plurality of sensor portions being disposed two-dimensionally in a horizontal and a vertical directions, and a vertical charge transfer portion being disposed between said plurality of sensor portions and being provided with transfer electrodes of a plurality of systems disposed along its disposed direction, including the steps of; selectively applying high level driving pulses to the transfer electrodes of said plurality of systems in respective sectional periods in a vertical transfer period, and transferring the signal charges read out from said plurality of sensor portions in the vertical direction, wherein a sectional period in a vertical transfer period, in which the number of systems of the transfer electrodes to be applied with high level driving pulses becomes minimum is set longer than that of the other sectional periods. It is thus made possible to increase the handling charge quantity in the vertical charge transfer portion without changing time for transfer in the vertical transfer period. | 01-29-2009 |
20090033784 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device is provided and includes: a plurality of pairs of photoelectric conversion elements, each pair including a first photoelectric conversion element and a second photoelectric conversion element which are adjacent to each other; a charge transfer path that is disposed adjacently to the first photoelectric conversion element and that transfers in a first direction an electric charge stored in the first photoelectric conversion element; a first charge reading section that is disposed between the charge transfer path and the first photoelectric conversion element and that reads the electric charge stored in the first photoelectric conversion element to the charge transfer path; and a second charge reading section that is disposed between the first photoelectric conversion element and the second photoelectric conversion element and that reads an electric charge stored in the second photoelectric conversion element to the first photoelectric conversion element. | 02-05-2009 |
20090046191 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - The image pickup device includes a color separation prism, solid-state image sensors, a light shielding layer and a heat radiating layer. The color separation prism, made up of a plurality of prism members, separates light incident thereon through an image pickup lens into a plurality of color components. The plurality of solid-state image sensors are fixed to the plurality of prism members, respectively. The light shielding layer is placed so as to cover surfaces of the color separation prism. The heat radiating layer, formed from a high heat conductivity material, is placed on a surface of the light shielding layer so as to be kept from contact with each of the solid-state image sensors. Thus, in the image pickup device, temperature increases of the solid-state image sensors are suppressed while external-force loads applied to the solid-state image sensors are reduced, with a relatively simple structure. | 02-19-2009 |
20090046192 | AUTOMATED DIGITAL IMAGE RECORDING SYSTEM FOR AND METHOD OF DIGITIZING SLIDES - The present invention relates to an automated digital image recording system ( | 02-19-2009 |
20090051799 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup device includes: a plurality of photoelectric converting portions that are arranged at predetermined intervals in horizontal and vertical directions of an imaging region, and that generate signal charges corresponding to incident light; a vertical charge transfer portion that transfers the signal charges generated in the photoelectric converting portions, in the vertical direction for each column; two horizontal transfer portions that are extended in the horizontal direction, and that transfer the signal charges transferred from the vertical charge transfer portion, in the horizontal direction; and a connecting portion that is disposed on a line connecting the two horizontal transfer portions, and between the two horizontal transfer portions, accumulates the signal charges transferred from each of the two horizontal transfer portions, and transfers the signal charges to an output amplifier. | 02-26-2009 |
20090051800 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND DRIVE METHOD OF SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device includes R photoelectric conversion elements, G photoelectric conversion elements, and B photoelectric conversion elements. A charge read part is provided between each of the R photoelectric conversion elements, the G photoelectric conversion elements, and the B photoelectric conversion elements and a vertical charge transfer passage on the right side corresponding thereto. Another charge read part is provided between the G photoelectric conversion element and the vertical charge transfer passage on the left side of the G photoelectric conversion element. A voltage can be applied separately to the charge read part and the another charge read part. | 02-26-2009 |
20090051801 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus for photographing an image, includes: a photoelectric converter to convert incident light an electric charge and accumulate the electric charge, a transfer element to transfer the electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric converter, a converter to convert the electric charge in the photoelectric converter transferred via the transfer element into a voltage, a reset element to reset potentials of the converter, and an amplifier to amplify a voltage converted by the converter to generate a pixel signal and output the pixel signal to a read signal line for reading the pixel signal. A plurality of the photoelectric converter and the transfer element are disposed at least in a horizontal direction share the amplifier and the read signal line. | 02-26-2009 |
20090059049 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image pickup apparatus includes a plurality of pixels and increasing portions increasing charges stored in the pixels, wherein the frequency of increasing the charges is controlled every group of at least one pixel in response to luminance of light incident upon the pixels by the increasing portions. | 03-05-2009 |
20090059050 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD OF CCD TYPE SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - There is provided a driving method of a CCD solid-state imaging device that includes: a first pixel group including pixels arranged in a square lattice; a second pixel group including pixels shifted in a row direction and a column direction of the square lattice by 2/1 of a pixel pitch with respect to the pixels in the first pixel group; color filters arranged in Bayer array with respect to each of the first pixel group and the second pixel group; vertical transfer paths; a horizontal charge transfer path; and a line memory. The method includes adding signal charges, which are detected in two same color pixels adjacent in a horizontal direction in the first pixel group, in the horizontal charge transfer path and outputting the added signal charges, by means of a four-phase drive pulse of the horizontal charge transfer path and a drive pulse of the line memory. | 03-05-2009 |
20090059051 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND DRIVING METHOD FOR CCD TYPE SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A driving method for driving a CCD type solid-state imaging device, includes: controlling, when taking dynamic images without a mechanical shutter, exposure time of a first pixel group and exposure time of a second pixel group separately by an electronic shutter function and by timings of reading pulses applied to transfer electrodes which concurrently functions as reading electrodes and which are included in vertical charge transfer paths; causing the vertical charge transfer paths to hold, until the reading pulses are applied to the second pixel group, signal charges read from the respective pixels of the first pixel group to which the reading pulses are applied beforehand of the first pixel group and the second pixel group; and transferring the signal charges read from the first pixel group and signal charges read from the second pixel group together on the vertical charge transfer paths. | 03-05-2009 |
20090066827 | METHOD FOR DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A plurality of charge accumulation packets each of which is configured to accumulate signal charges from photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to (2n−1) rows where n denotes an integer equal to or larger than 2 are formed in to vertical charge transfer sections. The signal charges of the same color component are read from the photoelectric conversion elements corresponding to plural rows into each charge accumulation packet and are added in each charge accumulation packet. Then, the signal charges in the vertical charge transfer sections are transferred by a distance corresponding to one charge accumulation packet. A signal charge, which remains in the photoelectric conversion element and has the same color component as the electric charges previously read into each charge accumulation packet, is read into each charge accumulation packet. The newly read signal charge and the previously read signal charges are added in each charge accumulation packet. | 03-12-2009 |
20090066828 | SOLID IMAGING DEVICE - In a solid imaging device, a photoelectric converting section is configured to generate electric charges through photoelectric conversion, and a first charge transfer section is connected with the photoelectric converting section. A first read gate section is provided between the photoelectric converting section and the first charge transfer section, and is configured to transfer the electric charges from the photoelectric converting section to the first charge transfer section. A second charge transfer section operates independently from the first charge transfer section and configured to receive the electric charges transferred from the first charge transfer section. | 03-12-2009 |
20090073299 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR VARIABLE MODE DRIVERS - In one aspect, a method of transferring charge from a photosensitive array using a plurality of vertical shift registers each having a plurality of vertical elements including a first vertical element and a last vertical element, each of the plurality of vertical elements capable of storing charge, the plurality of vertical shifter registers, when operated, are capable of transferring charge from each of the plurality of vertical elements to a respective adjacent one of the plurality of vertical elements in a first direction from the first vertical element to the last vertical element, and using at least one horizontal shift register having a plurality of horizontal elements, each of the plurality of horizontal elements of the at least one horizontal shift register arranged to receive charge transferred from the last vertical element of a respective one of the plurality of vertical shift registers, the at least one horizontal shift register, when operated, capable of transferring charge from each of the plurality of horizontal elements to a respective adjacent one of the plurality of horizontal elements is provided. The method comprises operating the at least one horizontal shift register during a plurality of horizontal operating intervals and operating the plurality of vertical shift registers during at least a portion of the plurality of horizontal operating intervals. | 03-19-2009 |
20090079859 | IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING CIRCUIT, IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD AS WELL AS COMPUTER PROGRAM - An image signal processing circuit for executing signal processing for an output of an image pickup device, includes an image signal correction section; the image signal correction section including a calculation section, and a correction section. | 03-26-2009 |
20090086078 | IMAGING DEVICE DRIVING METHOD AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An aspect of the invention is directed to a method for driving the imaging device as defined herein, in which a smear suppression driving operation which applies a transfer pulse to the transfer electrodes to transfer the charge is executed in such a manner that a standby place of the charge in the vertical charge transfer path for a horizontal transfer period for transferring the charge through the horizontal charge transfer path is at the vertical charge transfer path provided below the transfer electrode other than the transfer electrode which is adjacent to any of the photoelectric converting devices which has a detected wavelength on the shortest wavelength side. | 04-02-2009 |
20090086079 | CCD TYPE SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A CCD type solid-state imaging device includes plural pixels | 04-02-2009 |
20090109315 | DATA PROCESSOR, SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A data processor includes: a reference signal generator generating a reference signal that gradually varies to enhance an amplitude of the processing signal; a comparator comparing the processing signal with the reference signal generated by the reference signal generator; a count period controller determining to perform a real number count operation or a complement number count operation; a counter performing the count operation during the count period determined by the count period controller and acquiring a predetermined level of digital data by storing the count value at the time of completion of the count operation; and a corrector acquiring the digital data as a value of a real number by correcting the complement number count operation. The count period controller independently controls the real number count operation and the complement number count operation of the counter on the basis of a predetermined criterion. | 04-30-2009 |
20090135285 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND DRIVE METHOD THEREOF - A solid-state image pickup device relating to the present invention comprises a pixel area where multiple pixels used for photoelectric conversion of incident light are two-dimensionally arranged. Vertical signal input lines to which vertical transfer signals for transferring signal charges generated at the pixels vertically in the pixel area are applied are connected to the pixel area. Furthermore, horizontal signal input lines to which horizontal transfer signals for horizontally transferring the signal charges are applied are connected to a horizontal transfer part for horizontally transferring the signal charges transferred vertically in the pixel area. A signal separation part separates vertical and horizontal transfer signals from a pulse signal supplied via a complex signal input terminal and supplies the separated signals to the vertical signal input line and the horizontal signal input line, respectively. | 05-28-2009 |
20090141158 | Reduced-component digital image capturing apparatus - Provided is a digital image capturing apparatus which has a reduced number of components so that manufacture thereof is simplified and manufacturing costs are reduced. The digital image capturing apparatus includes a main printed circuit board (PCB) on which a charge-coupled device (CCD) and a control component for controlling the digital image capturing apparatus are directly mounted. A lens barrel is aligned with the CCD and directly connected with the main PCB. | 06-04-2009 |
20090141159 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An image sensor and a manufacturing method for an image sensor. An image may include a central pixel array that contains pixels disposed in a center of a pixel area, and a peripheral pixel array that contains pixels disposed in a periphery of the pixel area. A gate oxide layer at a center area of a photodiode may have a smaller thickness than a gate oxide layer of pixels at a center area of the photodiode. | 06-04-2009 |
20090147120 | IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGE TAKING APPARATUS, AND STATE INSPECTION SYSTEM - An image sensor includes: a photoelectric conversion unit including a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements, the photoelectric conversion elements being disposed in a two-dimensional matrix, the photoelectric conversion elements converting received light into electric charge and accumulating the electric charge; a reset processing unit for performing a reset process, the reset process being a process of removing electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion elements of the photoelectric conversion unit in a first sub-frame period among the first to N-th sub-frame periods, the N being a natural number of two or more, the first to N-th sub-frame periods being obtained by dividing each frame period of a frame rate corresponding to a normal exposure time into an N number of periods in the first to N-th order; and a pixel signal readout unit for reading out a pixel signal in a non-destructive manner, the pixel signal being an electric signal corresponding to an amount of electrical charge accumulated in each of the photoelectric conversion elements in each of the first to N-th sub-frame periods | 06-11-2009 |
20090147121 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid state imaging device including a plurality of photo diodes disposed in a matrix shape, a vertical transfer unit disposed along each vertical column of the photo diodes, and a horizontal transfer unit in which a predetermined number, two or more, of adjacent vertical transfer units are used as one group to correspond to a unit transfer bit, wherein at least one charge transfer unit corresponding to each group of the vertical transfer unit is provided for each group. | 06-11-2009 |
20090153719 | Digital photographing apparatus and method of operating image pickup device - A digital photographing apparatus and a method of operating an image pickup device reduce generation of smear. The image pickup device includes a matrix of photoelectric converters which generate charges from incident light, vertical transfer paths for reading charges generated in the photoelectric converters and for transferring the read charges in a vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer path for transferring the charges on the vertical transfer paths in a horizontal direction. The method includes: applying vertical and horizontal transfer signals for causing the charges generated in photoelectric converters defining a subset of rows of the photoelectric converters to be read by the vertical transfer paths and to be transferred in the horizontal direction along the horizontal transfer path; and providing a predetermined period of time in which the horizontal transfer signals are not applied to the horizontal transfer path while charges are being transferred to the horizontal transfer path. | 06-18-2009 |
20090167917 | IMAGING DEVICE - To improve sensitivity by adding pixels, and improve precision of pixel interpolation in an imaging device. An imaging device is provided in which pixels are added along a horizontal direction or a vertical direction to improve sensitivity of an imaging element. An R pixel signal, a G pixel signal, and a B pixel signal in which pixels are added, for example, along the vertical direction are output from a CCD ( | 07-02-2009 |
20090180018 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH CHARGE MULTIPLICATION - An image sensor includes an array of pixels arranged into two or more subarrays and each subarray captures charge; and an output charge-coupled device that receives charge from the array of pixels; wherein the output charge-coupled device is divided into substantially two equal first and second portions in which either one portion receives charge from only one subarray or both portions receive charge respectively from a subarray, and the first portion of the charge-coupled device is a charge-multiplying charge-coupled device in which charge is amplified, and the second portion of the charge-coupled device does not amplify charge. | 07-16-2009 |
20090207295 | IMAGING DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD THEREOF - An imaging device includes a vertical transfer unit to sequentially transfer the charges generated by photoelectric conversion elements in a vertical direction with the transfer registers, during a vertical transfer period, a horizontal transfer unit to horizontally transfer the charges transferred by the vertical transfer unit, during a horizontal transfer period, and a controller to control the vertical transfer unit and the horizontal transfer unit. The controller controls the vertical transfer unit such that the number of transfer registers used to store the charges during the horizontal transfer period is larger than the number of transfer registers used to store the charges during the vertical transfer period. | 08-20-2009 |
20090244349 | SOLID STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid state image pickup device includes a plurality of light receiving sections formed in a regular pattern, transfer channels, a plurality of first transfer electrodes and a plurality of second transfer electrodes formed on the transfer channels, a plurality of first wires each applying a potential to the corresponding first transfer electrodes and a plurality of second wires each applying a potential to the corresponding second transfer electrodes. The first and second wires extend in the directions intersecting each other. | 10-01-2009 |
20090244350 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units having plural first photoelectric conversion units and plural second photoelectric conversion units, a drive section and a signal processing section. The drive section controls the solid-state imaging device to read first pixel signals that are accumulated over an exposure period, from the first photoelectric conversion units, respectively, to read low-sensitivity pixel signals from the second photoelectric conversion units, respectively, to read second pixel signals that are accumulated in at least a part of the exposure period, from the second photoelectric conversion units, to mix the first pixel signals and the second signals for producing a high-sensitivity pixel signals. The signal processing section combines the low-sensitivity pixel signals and the high-sensitivity pixel signals and produces an image. | 10-01-2009 |
20090256943 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - An image converter tube | 10-15-2009 |
20090256944 | Solid-State Image Sensing Device - When a signal output by a solid-state image sensing device is clamped to a predetermined reference potential, a high voltage generated in a transfer suspension period after the clamping as generally supplied to an A/D converter is generated. A sample/hold output Va is clamped to a clamp level Vref over a period of time between a halfway point of time of a signal of a picture element preceding ahead by one line and the end of an inhibit period of transfer clocks of a signal output by an empty transmission unit via a first clamp pulse and a sample/hold output for the second picture element, or a subsequent one of an OPB unit is clamped to the clamp level via a second clamp pulse to prevent a signal output from exceeding a reference voltage from being supplied to an A/D converter at a later stage. | 10-15-2009 |
20090262229 | IMAGE SENSOR FOR HIGH-SPEED DATA READOUT - An image sensor for high-speed data readout is provided. The image sensor includes a line memory block temporarily storing a digital signal in unit of lines which is generated based on an analog signal output from a pixel array. The line memory block includes a plurality of line memories, a plurality of data line pairs respectively connecting the line memories to a sense amplifying unit, and a plurality of data line prechargers each including at least two precharge units separately connected with a corresponding one of the data line pairs to precharge the corresponding data line pair with a predetermined precharge voltage. Accordingly, the image sensor performs high-speed digital signal readout based on precharge operation of the data line prechargers. | 10-22-2009 |
20090268072 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND CAMERA - To provide a solid-state imaging device which suppresses light emission caused by hot electrons, and reduces the difference in the impact of heat emission between fields. In the solid-state imaging device in the present invention, the final-stage source-follower circuit within the output circuit includes a drive transistor and a load transistor connected to the drive transistor, and, by applying, to the load transistor, a control signal having different levels for a first period including a charge sweep-out period and an exposure period of the light-receiving elements in a signal outputting period, and a second period which is a period excluding the charge sweep-out period from the signal outputting period, the source-to-drain voltage of the final-stage drive transistor in the first period is made lower than the source-to-drain voltage in the second period. | 10-29-2009 |
20090268073 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, PRODUCTION METHOD AND DRIVE METHOD THEREOF, AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device capable of reducing an eclipse (blocking) of an incident light at a circumferential portion of a light receiving portion and realizing a larger angle of view and high-speed driving. A single-layer transfer electrode configuration of forming first transfer electrodes and second transfer electrodes by one polysilicon layer is adopted. Two shunt wirings extending in a horizontal direction are formed on the first transfer electrodes connected in a horizontal direction and, for example, four-phase transfer pulses are supplied to first transfer electrodes and second transfer electrodes on transfer channels through low-resistance shunt wirings extending in the horizontal direction. | 10-29-2009 |
20090278970 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR, AND IMAGE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND REDUCTION METHOD - An image sensing apparatus has an image sensor including two-dimensionally arranged photoelectric conversion elements, a VCCD for transferring in a vertical direction electric charge accumulated in the photoelectric conversion elements, and a HCCD for transferring in a horizontal direction the electric charge transferred from the VCCD, the image sensor for carrying out transfer of electric charge by the VCCD during transfer of electric charge by the HCCD; a noise reduction unit for reducing noise including noise caused by driving the VCCD from an image signal output from the HCCD; and a control unit for controlling whether or not noise reduction is to be carried out based on at least one of the sensitivity, shutter speed, and temperature of the image sensor. | 11-12-2009 |
20090295971 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING DEVICE AND DRIVING METHOD OF SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array section having unit pixels arranged two-dimensionally in a matrix form. Each of the unit pixels includes a charge generation section configured to generate a signal charge, charge transfer sections configured to transfer the signal charge generated by the charge generation section, and a signal output section configured to generate and output a target signal commensurate with the charge of the signal generated by the charge generation section. The plurality of charge transfer sections are provided for each of the charge generation sections. The plurality of charge transfer sections are connected, on the side opposite to the charge generation section, to the signal output sections in different rows. | 12-03-2009 |
20090295972 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND CAMERA - In a solid-state imaging device, a VDr controls charge transfer performed by a column CCD such that: the column CCD consecutively transfers plural packets each of which is the charge transferred in well regions which are successive and segmentalized by barrier regions; a waiting period in which the charge transfer of the packets is halted is longer than a transfer period in which the charge transfer of the packets is performed; the charge transfer stages which operate as the barrier region are at least three adjacent stages among seven or more charge transfer stages in the waiting period; and a charge transfer stage in which a potential shape is inclined in a charge transfer direction is positioned most downstream among adjacent charge transfer stages which operate as the barrier region in the waiting period. | 12-03-2009 |
20090295973 | Solid-State Image Pickup Device - This invention is a solid-state image pickup device that solves the problem of limited dynamic range in the high luminance region in an image sensor having white pixels. White pixels or yellow pixels and at least red pixels, green pixels or blue pixels are arranged in array form on the light receiving surface of a semiconductor substrate. White pixels or yellow pixels have an additional capacitance C | 12-03-2009 |
20090295974 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND METHOD OF RESETTING THE SAME - A solid-state image pickup device comprises for each pixel a photoelectric converter PD, an input terminal FD of a signal amplifier and a transfer switch TX for transferring an optical signal from the photoelectric converter to the input terminal. The device additionally comprises means for resetting the photoelectric converter by opening the transfer switch TX under a condition of holding the voltage of the input terminal FD to a fixed high level before storing the optical signal in the photoelectric converter PD. With this arrangement, any residual electric charge in the photoelectric converter can be eliminated without paying the cost of reducing the manufacturing yield and degrading the chip performance. | 12-03-2009 |
20090303370 | SOLID STATE IMAGE SENSOR - A solid state image sensor capable of preventing image degradation, such as shading and ringing, from occurring in an image portion along the left edge of a screen. The solid state image sensor includes, in addition to a horizontal drive circuit that generates a horizontal drive pulse for driving a horizontal register, a pseudo-horizontal drive circuit that generates a pseudo-horizontal drive pulse successive to the horizontal drive pulse during a horizontal blanking interval. The horizontal drive circuit and pseudo-horizontal drive circuit are connected to a horizontal driver power supply unit, which generates, during the horizontal blanking interval, a current that is equal to a current generated by the horizontal driver power supply unit during an effective interval. This arrangement can prevent any power supply ripples from occurring immediately after the beginning of the effective interval. | 12-10-2009 |
20090303371 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVE METHOD THEREOF AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes: plural photodiodes formed in different depths in a unit pixel area of a substrate; and plural vertical transistors formed in the depth direction from one face side of the substrate so that gate portions for reading signal charges obtained by photoelectric conversion in the plural photodiodes are formed in depths corresponding to the respective photodiodes. | 12-10-2009 |
20090310006 | Solid-state image pickup device - There is provided a solid-state imaging device suitable for taking and analyzing binary or multilevel images including a plurality of regions that are partitioned under a certain rule. A solid-state imaging device | 12-17-2009 |
20090310007 | IMAGE-PICKUP DEVICE AND DISPLAY APPARATUS - An image-pickup device includes a photoelectric conversion element | 12-17-2009 |
20090316035 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes an imaging unit, a charge control unit, and a horizontal transfer unit. The imaging unit includes a plurality of pixels arranged into a matrix for performing photoelectric conversion, and a plurality of vertical transfer units arranged in columns for vertically transferring signal charges of the plurality of pixels on a column-by-column basis. In a predetermined operation mode, a predetermined number of columns greater than one are used as a unit, and the charge control unit stops transferring charges from a vertical transfer unit in a predetermined column of the predetermined number of columns, and adds the signal charges transferred from the vertical transfer units in the two or more remaining columns of the predetermined number of columns to output the added signal charges. The horizontal transfer unit horizontally transfers the signal charges output from the charge control unit. | 12-24-2009 |
20100002119 | METHOD AND APPARATUS TO EXTEND THE EFFECTIVE DYNAMIC RANGE OF AN IMAGE SENSING DEVICE - An image sensor generates an image signal with a differential response to image light. The image sensor has an array of photosites divided into standard photosites and non-standard photosites. A limiter provides the standard photosites with a predetermined standard response to a light exposure and the non-standard photosites with a predetermined slower response to the same light exposure. The standard photosites and nonstandard photosites both sparsely sample the array in a predetermined pattern. | 01-07-2010 |
20100007780 | Imaging device, camera, control method for imaging device, and computer program - An imaging device includes: plural pixel blocks with a predetermined number of pixel circuits of respective plural blocks set as one unit, the plural blocks being obtained by dividing a pixel area formed by arraying plural pixel circuits, which convert incident light into charges according to photoelectric conversion, in a matrix shape; and a selection control unit that selects desired ones of the pixel blocks and collectively executes reset control for discharging charges accumulated by the respective pixel circuits in the selected pixel blocks, wherein the selection control unit changes timing for executing the reset control for each of the selected pixel blocks and allocates different charge accumulating times to the pixel circuits. | 01-14-2010 |
20100007781 | Solid-State Image Capturing Device, Driving Method Thereof, Camera, Electric Charge Transfer Device, Driving Method and Driving Device for Driving Load, and Electronic Equipment - A solid-state image-capturing device which has built in an image-capturing area including a light receiving element provided on a semiconductor substrate, a substrate bias circuit, and a clamp circuit for receiving output of the substrate bias circuit and applying the output of the substrate bias circuit to the semiconductor substrate in accordance with a substrate pulse, comprises a substrate bias control circuit for controlling so as to reduce an electric current of the clamp circuit during a predetermined period. | 01-14-2010 |
20100007782 | Solid-state image-capturing device, driving method thereof, camera electric charge transfer device, driving method and driving device for driving load, and electronic equipment - A solid-state image-capturing device which has built in an image-capturing area including a light receiving element provided on a semiconductor substrate, a substrate bias circuit, and a clamp circuit for receiving output of the substrate bias circuit and applying the output of the substrate bias circuit to the semiconductor substrate in accordance with a substrate pulse, comprises a substrate bias control circuit for controlling so as to reduce an electric current of the clamp circuit during a predetermined period. | 01-14-2010 |
20100013976 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, A METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME, A SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A solid-state image pickup device including: a pixel array portion; a dummy pixel; a differential circuit; a reset voltage supplying section; and a common phase feedback circuit. | 01-21-2010 |
20100020218 | Method for driving semiconductor device having capacitive load, method and apparatus for driving load, and electronic apparatus - When a signal is read from a CCD solid-state image pickup element, the CCD solid-state image pickup element is driven with at least two driving voltages so that high-speed reading is performed with generation of noise due to interference between the driving voltages reduced. The CCD solid-state image includes a charge storage section between a vertical transfer register and a horizontal transfer register. By performing the transfer of charge in the direction of columns during an effective transfer period of the transfer in the direction of rows, signal charge of one row generated by a light receiving sensor is transferred to the charge storage section, and by performing the transfer outside the effective transfer period in the transfer in the direction of the row, the signal charge of one row transferred to the charge storage section is transferred to the horizontal transfer register. | 01-28-2010 |
20100020219 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR FABRICATING THE SAME - A solid-state image sensing device includes: a plurality of light receiving elements arranged in a matrix in a device formation region surrounded by a device isolation region of a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of vertical transfer sections for transferring charges of the light receiving elements in the column direction; and a horizontal transfer section for receiving the charges from the vertical transfer sections and for transferring the received charges in the row direction. The horizontal transfer section includes: a horizontal channel region; and a plurality of horizontal transfer electrodes extending over the horizontal channel region and the device isolation region and being spaced apart from each other. The distance between the horizontal transfer electrodes is larger at a boundary between the device formation region and the device isolation region than in the middle of the horizontal channel region. | 01-28-2010 |
20100026869 | IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME - An image sensor and a method for manufacturing the same are provided. The image sensor comprises a readout circuitry, an interlayer dielectric, an interconnection, and a CuInGaSe2 (CIGS) image sensing device. The readout circuitry is disposed on a first substrate. The interlayer dielectric is disposed over the first substrate. The interconnection is in the interlayer dielectric and electrically connected to the readout circuitry. The CIGS image sensing device is disposed over the interconnection and electrically connected to the readout circuitry through the interconnection. | 02-04-2010 |
20100045840 | IMAGE SENSOR FOR STILL OR VIDEO PHOTOGRAPHY - An image sensor includes a plurality of vertical CCDs; first HCCD receiving charge packets from even numbered vertical CCDs; and a second HCCD receiving charge packets from odd numbered vertical CCDs; wherein four charge packets are summed together from the first HCCD, and four charge packets are summed together in the second HCCD such that the summing process in the second HCCD begins one or two charge packets spatially after the first charge packet of the four charge packets summed in the first HCCD. | 02-25-2010 |
20100053401 | Method and Apparatus for Imaging - According to one embodiment, a shading correction circuit, which corrects for the influence of ambient light quantity shading, for input image light from three CCD sensors of R, G and B, based on a distance from the center of a screen. A shading correction circuit does not make correction for a maximum correction area which is out of a circle with a distance a from the central part of a screen, and corrects for the influence of ambient light quantity shading for a minimum correction area with a distance b from the central part of a screen, after calculating a square L | 03-04-2010 |
20100053402 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes: a lens; a solid-state imaging device having, on its top surface, an imaging area in which pixels for converting incident light to a signal are arranged in rows and columns, a vertical scanning circuit located adjacent to the imaging area in a row direction, a peripheral circuit for processing the signal read from the imaging area, and a plurality of terminals; and a prism placed directly on the imaging area for leading the incident light to the imaging area. Light exposure is adjusted by varying brightness of light output from a processor according to a magnitude of the signal output from the solid-state imaging device. | 03-04-2010 |
20100053403 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITIONING A PORTION OF AN OBJECT TO BE MEASURED - A system and method for positioning a portion of an object to be measured includes installing a digital camera adjacent to a charge coupled device (CCD) lens of an image measuring machine, setting positioning parameters corresponding to different positions of the digital camera on a Z-axis of a world coordinate system, receiving an image of the object captured by the digital camera, and selecting corresponding positioning parameters according to a position of the digital camera. The method further includes selecting a point of the portion of the object in the image, calculating coordinates of the selected point in a plane of the CCD lens, and controlling the CCD lens to move to the calculated coordinates so as to position the CCD lens on the portion of the object. | 03-04-2010 |
20100053404 | CHARGE-TRANSFER APPARATUS, METHOD FOR DRIVING CHARGE-TRANSFER APPARATUS, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - Driving is performed so that a transition start time point ta of drive pulse signals φH | 03-04-2010 |
20100053405 | Demodulation Pixel with Daisy Chain Charge Storage Sites and Method of Operation Therefor - A demodulation pixel architecture allows for demodulating an incoming modulated electromagnetic wave, normally visible or infrared light. It is based on a charge coupled device (CCD) line connected to a drift field structure. The drift field is exposed to the incoming light. It collects the generated charge and forces it to move to the pick-up point. At this pick-up point, the CCD element samples the charge for a given time and then shifts the charge packets further on in the daisy chain. After a certain amount of shifts, the multiple charge packets are stored in so-called integration gates, in a preferred embodiment. The number of integration gates gives the number of simultaneously available taps. When the cycle is repeated several times, the charge is accumulated in the integration gates and thus the signal-to-noise ratio increases. The architecture is flexible in the number of taps. A dump node can be attached to the CCD line for dumping charge with the same speed as the samples are taken. Different implementations are described herein, which allow for smaller design or faster speed. The pixel structure can be exploited for e.g. 3D time-of-flight imaging. Both heterodyne and homodyne measurements are possible. Due to the highly-efficient charge transport enabled by static drift fields in the photo-sensitive region and small-sized gates in the CCD chain, high frequency bandwidth from just a few Hertz (Hz) up to greater GHz is supported. Thus, the pixel allows for highly-accurate optical distance measurements. Another possible application of this pixel architecture is fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), where short laser pulses for triggering the fluorescence have to be suppressed. | 03-04-2010 |
20100053406 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state image sensor includes: photoelectric conversion section; a floating gate provided above a semiconductor substrate; a first transistor for accumulating charge generated in said photoelectric conversion section into said floating gate; and a second transistor for reading a signal corresponding to the charge accumulated in said floating gate. A distance between a gate electrode of said first transistor and said floating gate is shorter than a distance between a gate electrode of said second transistor and said floating gate. | 03-04-2010 |
20100053407 | Wafer level compliant packages for rear-face illuminated solid state image sensors - A solid state image sensor includes a microelectronic element having a front face and a rear face remote from the front face, the rear face having a recess extending towards the front surface. A plurality of light sensing elements may be disposed adjacent to the front face so as to receive light through the part of the rear face within the recess. A solid state image sensor can include a microelectronic element, e.g., a semiconductor chip, having a front face and a rear face remote from the front face, a plurality of light sensing elements disposed adjacent to the front face, the light sensing elements being arranged to receive light through the rear face. A packaging structure, which can include a compliant layer, can be attached to a front surface of the microelectronic element. Electrically conductive package contacts may directly overlie the light sensing elements and the front face and be connected to chip contacts at the front face through openings in an insulating packaging layer overlying the front face. | 03-04-2010 |
20100060768 | IMAGING APPARATUS, ADJUSTMENT METHOD OF BLACK LEVEL, AND PROGRAM - An imaging apparatus according to the present invention is arranged with an OB level difference correcting unit for performing a process by sectionalizing a vertical pre-stage OB unit to a first region positioned on a side opposite to an effective pixel unit along a vertical transfer direction and a second region positioned on the effective pixel unit side and read out after the first region, and calculating a correction amount for correcting the OB level difference using a signal corresponding to a dark current obtained from the first region, and a correction table described with a relationship of a signal corresponding to the dark current generated in the vertical pre-stage OB unit and an OB level difference which is a difference between a black level in the vertical pre-stage OB unit and a black level of an image signal. | 03-11-2010 |
20100060769 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate and a plurality of pixel portions arranged over the substrate, each of the pixel portions includes a photoelectric conversion portion provided over the substrate and a color filter provided over the photoelectric conversion portion, and the solid-state imaging device includes partitions for preventing light that is incident on the color filter of each pixel portion from entering adjacent pixel portions. | 03-11-2010 |
20100060770 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device | 03-11-2010 |
20100066885 | IMAGING-DEVICE DRIVING UNIT AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A imaging-device driving unit, comprising a signal generator, a detector, and a controller, is provided. The imaging-device driving unit drives an imaging device that has a charge-transfer channel. The charge-transfer channel transfers the signal charges at a speed according to a frequency of a channel-driving signal. The signal generator generates one among a normal transfer signal, and a first and second discharge signals. The first discharge signal is the channel-driving signal whose frequency is determined for discharging an electrical charge remaining in the charge-transfer channel and greater than that of the normal transfer signal. The detector detects a remaining power. The controller orders the signal generator to generate the first discharge signal if the electrical charges remaining in the charge-transfer channel should be discharged and the remaining power is less than a threshold. | 03-18-2010 |
20100066886 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel section including light receiving sensors, horizontally spaced vertical transfer registers including vertical transfer channel regions and vertical transfer electrodes formed above the vertical transfer channel regions, vertically spaced horizontal transfer registers each including a horizontal transfer channel region and horizontal transfer electrodes formed side by side in a horizontal direction above the horizontal transfer channel region and formed in the same layer as the vertical transfer electrodes, and a horizontal-to-horizontal transfer portion formed between adjacent two of the horizontal transfer registers and including a horizontal-to-horizontal transfer channel region interconnecting respective parts of the horizontal transfer channel regions positioned under the horizontal transfer electrodes to which the transfer drive pulses having different phases are applied, and a horizontal-to-horizontal transfer electrode formed above the horizontal-to-horizontal transfer channel region in the same layer as both the vertical transfer electrodes and the horizontal transfer electrodes. | 03-18-2010 |
20100066887 | IMAGE SENSOR DRIVING UNIT AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An image sensor driving unit, comprising a first controller, a second controller and a third controller, is provided. The image sensor driving unit drives an image sensor to carry out the capture of an image. The capture is carried out by ordering pixels to generate signal charges and the charge-transfer channel to transfer the signal charges. The first controller orders the image sensor to carry out a rapid discharge operation before the charge-transfer channel transfers the signal charges. The second controller controls the first controller to order the image sensor to carry out the rapid discharge operation when light is made incident for capture after the first capture with the image sensor operating in continuous photographing mode. The third controller decreases the discharge number for capture after the first capture. | 03-18-2010 |
20100073541 | SEMICONDUCTOR RANGE-FINDING ELEMENT AND SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A semiconductor range-finding element encompasses a semiconductor region ( | 03-25-2010 |
20100073542 | IMAGE SENSOR AND CONTROL METHOD OF THE IMAGE SENSOR - An image sensor has plural array blocks B | 03-25-2010 |
20100079652 | Solid-state image pickup device and driving method therefor, and electronic apparatus - A solid-state image pickup device includes a plurality of light sensing sections; a plurality of vertical transfer registers configured to transfer signal charge of the plurality of light sensing sections in the vertical direction; a horizontal transfer register configured to transfer the signal charge in the horizontal direction; a floating gate amplifier that is placed at an output side of the horizontal transfer register; a floating diffusion amplifier that is placed in a horizontal transfer register which is provided at a stage subsequent to the floating gate amplifier; and an overflow drain mechanism that is placed in the horizontal transfer register between the floating gate amplifier and the floating diffusion amplifier. | 04-01-2010 |
20100085459 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device 1 includes N pixel sections | 04-08-2010 |
20100085460 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGE DATA - Disclosed herein is a photographing device that includes a number of light-receiving elements, a number of vertical transfer registers, a first drive-voltage applying electrode, and a second drive-voltage applying electrode. The light-receiving elements are arranged in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The vertical transfer registers transfers the electric charges accumulated in the light-receiving elements in the vertical direction. The first drive-voltage applying electrode is arranged parallel to the vertical transfer registers, for applying a drive voltage to a specific one of the vertical transfer registers. The second drive-voltage applying electrode is arranged perpendicular to the vertical transfer registers, for applying a second drive voltage to the vertical transfer registers at the same time. The electric charges accumulated in the light-receiving elements are transferred to the vertical transfer registers, due to the voltage output from the first drive-voltage applying electrode or the second drive-voltage applying electrode, or the voltages output from both electrodes. Therefore, the light-receiving elements can have different sensitivities, and the photographing device can photograph dynamic scenes in a broad dynamic range. | 04-08-2010 |
20100091165 | IMAGE SENSOR DRIVING UNIT AND CAMERA - An image sensor driving unit, comprising a signal generator and a controller, is provided. The charge-transfer channel transfers the signal charges at a speed according to the frequency of a transfer signal. The signal generator transmits the first discharge signal and the second discharge signal to the image sensor. The first and second discharge signals are the transfer signals for the charge-transfer channel to carry out rapid discharge. The frequency of the second discharge signal is greater than that of the first discharge signal. The controller orders the signal generator to generate the first discharge signal during an overlap period when a driving period is at least partially overlapped with a discharge period. The controller orders the signal generator to generate the second discharge signal when the driving period is not overlapping with the discharge period. | 04-15-2010 |
20100091166 | Multi Spectral Sensor - A light sensor having a light conversion element between first and second electrodes is disclosed. The light conversion element includes a body of semiconductor material having first and second surfaces. The body of semiconductor material is of a first conductivity type and has doping elements in a concentration gradient that creates a first electrostatic field having a magnitude that varies monotonically from the first surface to the second surface. A bias circuit applies a variable potential between the first and second electrodes to create a second electrostatic field having a direction opposite to that of the first electrostatic field and a magnitude determined by the potential. One of the electrodes is transparent to light in a predetermined band of wavelengths. The body of semiconductor material can include an epitaxial body having a monotonically increasing concentration of a doping element as a function of the distance from one the surfaces. | 04-15-2010 |
20100097512 | Solid-state imaging apparatus, camera, and method of manufacturing solid-state imaging apparatus - A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured to generate signal charge from light received at light-receiving surfaces thereof, the plurality of photoelectric conversion units being provided in the image-sensing area of a substrate; a charge reading unit configured to read signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion units, a charge readout channel area thereof being provided in the image-sensing area of the substrate; a transfer register unit configured to transfer signal charge read from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units by the charge reading unit, a charge transfer channel area thereof being provided in the image-sensing area of the substrate; and a light-shielding unit that is provided in the image-sensing area of the substrate and that has an opening through which light is transmitted formed in an area corresponding to a light-receiving surface of a respective photoelectric conversion unit. | 04-22-2010 |
20100110259 | Multi-lens image sensor module - The present invention relates to a multi-lens image sensor module utilizing optical fibers as communication paths between the multiple lenses and the image sensor chip formed on the base board. The image sensor chip has an image sensing area formed thereon. The image sensor module of the present invention uses the lid for image division to separate the image sensing area into a plurality of subareas. Each divided subarea of the sensing area is corresponding to one lens. | 05-06-2010 |
20100110260 | DEVICE AND METHOD FOR RECORDING AND RECONSTRUCTING DIGITAL HOLOGRAM WITHOUT VIRTUAL IMAGE - The present invention relates to a device and method for digital hologram recording and reconstructing that solves the problem of overlapping real and virtual images when reconstructing a hologram with a digital hologram device such as a digital hologram microscope. The device comprises a hologram reconstructing module for dividing the hologram area recorded on the CCD, recording in the interim each divided area whereby for each of the areas the pixel values of the rest of the areas except for that divided area is set to zero, outputting a reconstructed image with the virtual image removed by integrating each of the reconstructed hologram images recorded in the interim, and a control unit for controlling the hologram recording on the CCD, including dividing, mid-recording, and integration operations of the hologram reconstructing module, thus leading to perfect holographic information of the object. | 05-06-2010 |
20100110261 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING APPARATUS, PIXEL DRIVING VOLTAGE ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS, AND PIXEL DRIVING VOLTAGE ADJUSTMENT METHOD - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel array unit having arranged unit pixels, each having a charge generator generating signal charges, and a signal output unit having a charge transfer unit, and generating and outputting a processing-target signal corresponding to the signal charges; a driving controller driving the unit pixels, the driving controller sequentially driving the charge transfer unit; and a transfer driving voltage setting unit setting, on the basis of a pixel signal based on a saturated charge amount of the charge generator and a pixel signal based on an intermediate voltage retained charge amount retained in the charge generator after intermediate transfer in which charge transfer is performed at a level between a complete transfer level and an off level, the level of the intermediate voltage such that an actual intermediate voltage retained charge amount becomes the expectation value of the intermediate voltage retained charge amount. | 05-06-2010 |
20100110262 | IMAGING DEVICE UNIT AND IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging device unit completely removing dust attached to an optical device and an imaging apparatus. The imaging device includes: an imaging device including an imaging surface on which an optical image of a subject is formed and converting the optical image into an electric signal; a low pass filter (LPF) disposed between the imaging device and the subject; a plate mounted on a peripheral portion of the LPF and including arm units extending in a direction parallel to the plate; a piezoelectric device mounted on the plate and vibrating the plate and the LPF; and a support frame that surface-contacts with the arm units of the plate and supports the plate in the direction parallel to the one surface of the plate. | 05-06-2010 |
20100110263 | DIGITAL CAMERA WITH AUTOMATIC FUNCTIONS - A digital camera can employ logic to delay capturing a still image after a person has operated the control button until such time as predetermined subject criteria are met, e.g., the subject is smiling with eyes open, three or more players are in the field of view to ensure a good action shot, etc. | 05-06-2010 |
20100123813 | Solid-state imaging device and readout method thereof - A solid-state imaging device includes: a plurality of pixels arrayed in the vertical transfer direction and in the horizontal transfer direction; a vertical CCD shift register disposed between two pixels adjacent in the horizontal transfer direction of the plurality of pixels; a first channel stop portion used for separation between pixels, formed between the two pixels adjacent in the horizontal transfer direction, and pixels adjacent to the two pixels adjacent in the horizontal transfer direction, in the horizontal transfer direction; and a readout gate portion and a second channel stop portion, formed in a direction parallel to the vertical transfer direction between the pixels and the vertical CCD shift register, with the two pixels adjacent in the horizontal transfer direction sharing the vertical CCD shift register, and with an insulating layer which is thicker than the gate insulating layer of the vertical CCD shift register being formed above the first channel stop portion. | 05-20-2010 |
20100128158 | IMAGE SENSORS HAVING NON-UNIFORM LIGHT SHIELDS - An image sensor includes a pixel array divided into two or more corresponding sub-arrays. The pixel array includes an imaging area having a plurality of pixels and one or more reference areas each having a plurality of reference pixels. A continuous non-uniform light shield overlies, or individual non-uniform light shields overlie, each reference pixel in a row or column of reference pixels. An image sensor can include one or more rows or columns of reference pixels. An output channel is electrically connected to each sub-array for receiving the signals generated by the plurality of pixels and reference pixels in each sub-array. The pixel signals generated by the reference pixel pairs in one or more rows or columns in corresponding sub-arrays are used to determine one or more correction factors that compensate for the differences or mismatches between the output channels. | 05-27-2010 |
20100128159 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND ITS DRIVE CONTROLLING METHOD - An imaging apparatus includes a solid-state imaging device and an imaging device driver. The imaging device includes first pixels and second pixels. The first pixels execute an imaging operation for a long exposure time. The second pixels execute an imaging operation for a short exposure time which overlaps with a part of the long exposure time. The first and second pixels are mixedly arranged in a two dimensional array. Plural different drive controlling modes each controlling operation timings of start and end of exposure of the first pixels and operation timings of start and end of exposure of the second pixels are prepared in advance. The imaging device driver selects one of the drive controlling modes in accordance with a shooting condition under which an object image is taken and drives the solid-state imaging device in accordance with the selected mode. | 05-27-2010 |
20100134675 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes a semiconductor substrate, a solid-state imaging element formed on the semiconductor substrate, and a transparent member placed on the solid-state imaging element. The solid-state imaging element includes light receiving units each of which is formed on the semiconductor substrate, and digital microlenses each of which is formed above an associated one of the light receiving units. Each of the digital microlenses has protruding portions and recessed portions, and each of the protruding portions and the recessed portions are alternately arranged in a concentric pattern. The protruding portions are placed in contact with the transparent member, and the recessed portions make no contact with the transparent member. | 06-03-2010 |
20100149396 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH INLAID COLOR PIXELS IN ETCHED PANCHROMATIC ARRAY - An image sensor includes a substrate with a plurality of photosensitive elements. A transparent inorganic layer is situated over the substrate, and a plurality of openings is formed in the transparent inorganic layer. A color filter array has a plurality of panchromatic filter elements that are formed by the transparent inorganic layer, and a plurality of color filter elements are situated in the openings. The panchromatic filter elements and the color filter elements each include top surfaces that are essentially planar with the top surface of the transparent inorganic layer. | 06-17-2010 |
20100149397 | Solid-state image capturing apparatus, method for manufacturing same, and electronic information device - A solid-state image capturing apparatus according to the present invention includes: a plurality of photoelectric conversion sections; a charge accumulation section; and a charge readout section, the apparatus further includes: a semiconductor substrate including a plurality of diffusion layers formed thereabove, the diffusion layers constituting the photoelectric conversion sections, the charge accumulation section and the charge readout section; a readout gate electrode formed above the semiconductor substrate and constituting the charge readout section; an insulation sidewall formed on a side surface of the readout gate electrode; and a surface diffusion layer constituting the photoelectric conversion sections, which is positioned in a self-aligning manner with respect to the readout gate electrode by the insulation sidewall. | 06-17-2010 |
20100157126 | CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE IMAGE SENSOR WITH EFFICIENT BINNING OF SAME-COLOR PIXELS - A CCD image sensor comprises photosensitive elements arranged in rows and columns, vertical CCDs each having vertical shift elements associated with respective ones of the photosensitive elements of a corresponding one of the columns, and a horizontal CCD coupled to each of the vertical CCDs. The horizontal CCD comprises horizontal shift elements of two different types interspersed with one another. The horizontal shift elements of the first type are configured to receive shifted charge packets directly from respective ones of the vertical CCDs. The horizontal shift elements of the second type are configured not to receive shifted charge packets directly from any of the vertical CCDs. This configuration facilitates binning of same-color pixels for both sparse CFA patterns and Bayer CFA patterns. | 06-24-2010 |
20100165166 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention has as an object to provide a solid-state imaging device which makes possible mixing pixels without causing quality deterioration, such as non-uniformity of an image. A VDr ( | 07-01-2010 |
20100165167 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, DRIVING METHOD OF THE SAME AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging apparatus has a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the pixels includes: a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric charge; an accumulating element accumulating the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element; a first transfer element for transferring the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element to the accumulating element; a second transfer element for transferring the electric charge accumulated in the accumulating element to a floating diffusion region; and an amplifying element for amplifying the electric charge in the floating diffusion region, wherein the first transfer element transfers the electric charge converted by the photoelectric conversion element to the accumulating element a plurality of times and causes the accumulating element to cumulatively accumulate the electric charge transferred the plurality of times. | 07-01-2010 |
20100171857 | METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device. Light-receiving sensor portions each constituting a pixel in the form of a matrix is arranged. The matrix has columns aligned in a vertical direction and rows aligned in a horizontal direction. Charge-transfer portions are formed on either side of the columns of said pixels. Transfer electrodes in said charge-transfer portions are formed to include a first transfer electrode formed of a first electrode layer and a second transfer electrode formed by electrically connecting the first electrode layer and a second electrode layer through a contact. The second transfer electrode being disposed in the vertical direction above the charge-transfer portion in a vicinity of the contact to decrease the width of the charge-transfer portions in the horizontal direction and increase the light receiving sensor portions in the vertical direction. | 07-08-2010 |
20100182476 | Imaging System Using Enhanced Spherical Aberration and Specifically Sized FIR Filters - A class of imaging systems in which the imaging optics, the sensor array and the image processing are related by three parameters: W | 07-22-2010 |
20100182477 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - In a solid-state imaging device, photodiodes ( | 07-22-2010 |
20100182478 | Image Processing Device, Imaging Device, Image Processing Method, Imaging Method, And Image Processing Program - An image processing device comprising
| 07-22-2010 |
20100188547 | Solid-state image capturing apparatus, driving method thereof and electronic apparatus - A solid-state image capturing apparatus includes: a plurality of light sensing units; a plurality of vertical transfer registers including a transfer channel region and a plurality of vertical transfer electrodes; and a first channel stop region provided in parallel to the transfer channel region of the vertical transfer register. Among the vertical transfer electrodes, a vertical transfer electrode serving as a reading electrode is formed without overlapping the first channel stop region. | 07-29-2010 |
20100194958 | IMAGING PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP METHOD - The present invention is an image pickup apparatus including a pixel section in which pixels each including a photoelectric conversion section are two-dimensionally arrayed, a transistor that collectively resets the photoelectric conversion sections, an exposure control section that performs control so as to perform exposure for a predetermined time after reset, a signal charge storage section that is light-shielded and stores signal charge generated by the photoelectric conversion sections, a transistor that collectively transfers signal charge from the photoelectric conversion sections to the signal storage section, and a selection transistor that reads still image signal charge for an LV pixel group before signal charge of other pixel groups, then reads signal charge for a live view generated by the LV pixel group one or more times within a time segment during which the still image signal charge of the other pixel groups is read. | 08-05-2010 |
20100194959 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING THE SAME, METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device including: a substrate; a substrate voltage supply that applies a first potential to the substrate during a light receiving period and applies a second potential to the substrate during a no-light receiving period; and a plurality of pixels including a light receiving portion that generates signal charges in response to received light, a storage capacitor that stores and holds the signal charges, a dark current suppressing portion, an electronic shutter adjusting layer that adjusts potential distribution in a substrate so that the signal charges are swept to the rear surface side of the substrate, a readout gate portion that reads out the signal charges stored in the storage capacitor, and a vertical transfer register that transfers the signal charges read out by the readout gate portion in a vertical direction. | 08-05-2010 |
20100194960 | CHARGE INCREASER - This charge increaser includes a charge supplying portion having a signal source formed by a measurement object other than visible light and supplying signal charges corresponding to the signal source and a charge increasing portion for increasing the amount of charges corresponding to the signal charges stored in the charge supplying portion by measuring the measurement object other than visible light. | 08-05-2010 |
20100201861 | Charge detection device and charge detection method, solid-state imaging device and driving method thereof, and imaging device - A charge detection device includes: a substrate having a first conductive type of predetermined region; a second conductive type of drain region disposed in the predetermined region of the substrate; a second conductive type of source region disposed in the predetermined region of the substrate; a second conductive type of channel region disposed between the drain region and the source region; a gate formed via an insulating film on the channel region; a second conductive type of charge accumulation region disposed in the predetermined region of the substrate and changing a threshold voltage of a transistor having the drain region, the source region, and the gate by accumulating signal charges as a target to be measured; a first conductive type of channel barrier region disposed between the channel region and the charge accumulation region; and a charge sweep region sweeping away the signal charges accumulated in the charge accumulation region. | 08-12-2010 |
20100201862 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes: light receiving portions that accumulate signal charges corresponding to incident light; charge transfer portions that are formed to be adjacent to the light receiving portions so as to transfer the signal charges readout from the light receiving portions; readout electrodes to which a readout voltage for reading out the signal charges accumulated in the light receiving portions to the charge transfer portions is applied; and a controller that is configured to be able to apply the readout voltage to the readout electrodes corresponding to first predetermined light receiving portions which are part of the light receiving portions in an exposure period when the signal charges are accumulated in the light receiving portions. | 08-12-2010 |
20100208116 | COLOR CCD LINEAR IMAGE SENSOR - A color CCD linear image sensor has: first basic pixels arranged in a first column and configured to accumulate first-column pixel charges; and second basic pixels arranged in a second column adjacent to the first column and configured to add accumulated charges to the first-column pixel charges to generate second-column pixel charges. The first basic pixels include a first-column first-color pixel, a first-column second-color pixel adjacent to the first-column first-color pixel, and a first-column third-color pixel adjacent to the first-column second-color pixel. The second basic pixels include a second-column first-color pixel, a second-column second-color pixel adjacent to the second-column first-color pixel, and a second-column third-color pixel adjacent to the second-column second-color pixel. The second-column first-color pixel is arranged adjacent to the first-column second-color pixel. | 08-19-2010 |
20100208117 | IMAGING APPARATUS - An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging device for performing photoelectric conversion to convert light from an object into an electrical signal; a phase difference detection section for receiving the light from the object to the imaging device while the imaging device receives the light, and performing phase difference detection; a focus lens group for adjusting a focus position; a focus lens position detection section for detecting a position of a focus lens; and a control section for calculating an object distance based on an output of the focus lens position detection section and an output of the phase difference detection section and automatically selecting one of a plurality of shooting modes according to the calculated object distance. | 08-19-2010 |
20100214464 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus includes: an electric charge collecting region ( | 08-26-2010 |
20100220228 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR - A solid-state image sensor includes: a semiconductor substrate | 09-02-2010 |
20100225797 | TECHNIQUES FOR MODIFYING IMAGE FIELD DATA OBTAINED USING ILLUMINATION SOURCES - Techniques for modifying data of an image that can be implemented in a digital camera, video image capturing device and other optical systems are provided to correct for non-uniform illumination and/or effects of saturation appearing in data obtained using one or more artificial illumination sources. In an implementation, correction factors are derived using data from at least two images that have been captured with different illumination levels of the object scene and close in time to the capture of the image of interest. Typically, the image of interest is of higher resolution than at least one of the at least two images. | 09-09-2010 |
20100231773 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - A solid-state image pickup apparatus includes a reading unit having a plurality of pixels connected thereto, holding signals from the pixels, and a control unit capable of controlling operations of the pixels and reading unit. The control unit controls the pixels and reading unit in a first operation mode without addition, in a second operation mode in which signals from aa of the pixels are added, aa being an integer greater than one, and in a third operation mode in which signals from bb of the pixels are added, bb being an integer greater than aa. The reading unit includes a holding unit having a capacitance value of C, and the holding unit includes a first capacitor having a capacitance value of C/bb and a second capacitor having a capacitance value of C/p, p being a common multiple of aa and bb. | 09-16-2010 |
20100231774 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device comprises a first pixel group includes a first photoelectric conversion unit that converts into electric charges reflection light pulses from an object irradiated with an irradiation light pulse, a first electric charge accumulation unit accumulating the electric charges in synchrony with turning on the irradiation light pulses, and a first reset unit resetting the electric charges; and a second pixel group includes a second photoelectric conversion unit that converts the reflection light into electric charges, a second electric charge accumulation unit that accumulates the electric charges synchronously with a switching the irradiation light pulses from on to off, and a second reset unit that releases a reset of the electric charges converted by the second photoelectric conversion unit. | 09-16-2010 |
20100231775 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - A solid-state imaging element having high sensitivity and low smear in miniaturization is provided. The solid-state imaging element includes: a photoelectric conversion unit; a read-out unit; a charge transferring unit; a charge transfer electrode formed over the charge transferring unit; shielding film formed over the charge transfer electrode and has an opening part over the photoelectric conversion unit; and anti-reflection film formed (i) in the opening part, and (ii) over the charge transfer electrode. A first edge, of the to anti-reflection film formed in the opening part, stops protruding before reaching spacing found under the shielding film. A second edge, of the anti-reflection film formed over the charge transfer electrode, stops protruding before covering a side wall of the charge transfer electrode. The first edge faces the side wall of the charge transfer electrode, and the second edge protrudes in a read-out direction of the charge. | 09-16-2010 |
20100238340 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP ELEMENT INCLUDING A THINNING METHOD TO DISCHARGE UNNECESSARY IMAGE DATA - In a case where a thinning operation is implemented at the point when signal charges are read out from each of pixels to thin out pixel information by lines (row), the thinning may be performed only in the vertical direction, but not in the horizontal direction. In an all-pixel-read-out type CCD image pickup element, a discharge controlling section is provided in each of VH transfer stage sections transferring signal charges from vertical CCDs to a horizontal CCD, and where a thinning mode is selected, among those signal charges transferred from a plurality of the vertical CCDs, those of a given set of columns are stopped and discharged at the respective discharge controlling sections, and those of the rest of columns are transferred to the horizontal CCD, and at the same time, those of a given set of lines (rows) are stopped and discharged for all columns, thereby performing the thinning operation over the pixel information in both the vertical and horizontal directions at the VH transfer stage. | 09-23-2010 |
20100245650 | IMAGING DEVICES WITH COMPONENTS FOR REFLECTING OPTICAL DATA AND ASSOCIATED METHODS OF USE AND MANUFACTURE - The present disclosure is directed to imaging device, systems, and methods for collecting optical data for use with spectrometers. An imaging device configured in accordance with one aspect of the disclosure includes a lens configured to introduce light into the imaging device along an optical path, and an image sensor spaced apart from the lens and configured to receive at least a portion of the light along the optical path. The imaging device further includes a filter assembly positioned between the lens and the image sensor, and a reflector or mirror carried by the filter assembly. The filter assembly is configured to move the reflector between first and second positions. In the first position the reflector is at least partially aligned with the optical path and reflects at least a portion of the light to a corresponding light input for a spectrometer. In the second position the reflector is positioned outside of the optical path. | 09-30-2010 |
20100265376 | SEMICONDUCTOR IMAGE DEVICE - A line sensor includes a second conductive type semiconductor substrate where a first conductive type well region is formed, a pixel line formed in the well region, a plurality of pixels being formed on the well region, the plurality of pixels generating charges corresponding to an incident light, a CCD register unit formed on the well region, a transfer electrode being arranged on the well region, the transfer electrode transferring the charges in response to a transfer clock, an output circuit which outputs a voltage signal corresponding to the charges transferred by the transfer electrode, a wiring part which supplies a reference potential to the well region and the output circuit, and a resistor which is included in a wiring, the wiring connecting a first contact between the well region and the wiring part to a second contact between the output circuit and the wiring part. | 10-21-2010 |
20100265377 | METHOD OF DRIVING AN IMAGE SENSOR, AND AN IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - When an external trigger is received as a predetermined signal after receiving a signal concerning a start of imaging, controls are carried out to stop driving of a CCD type solid-state image sensor (CCD) from receipt of the signal concerning a start of imaging until receipt of the external trigger, and to start the driving of the CCD synchronously with the receipt of the external trigger. Thus, the driving of the CCD is not started immediately upon receipt of the signal concerning a start of imaging, and the driving time of the CCD can be shortened by the time from receipt of the signal concerning a start of imaging until receipt of the external trigger, thereby suppressing heat generation of the CCD. | 10-21-2010 |
20100271526 | Solid-state imaging device, method for driving the same, and camera system - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which pixels, each of which converts light into a pixel signal and accumulates the pixel signal in accordance with a light exposure period, are arranged in a predetermined color layout and first-color pixel horizontal rows containing first-color pixels and second-color pixel horizontal rows containing second-color pixels are alternately arranged in a vertical row direction; readout units that select n (n≧2) single-color pixel signals from the first-color or second-color pixels in the first-color or second-color pixel horizontal rows, perform 1/n thinning-out on the selected n pixel signals to reduce the number of pixel signals to 1/n, and read the resultant pixel signal for each of the colors; and column processing units that perform column processing on the pixel signals having undergone the 1/n thinning-out. | 10-28-2010 |
20100271527 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND ITS PRODUCTION METHOD - A solid-state imaging device of the type having photoelectric conversion elements formed in a matrix pattern on a semiconductor substrate, vertical transfer elements each of which reads signal charges from the photoelectric conversion elements arranged in the column direction and transfers the signal charges in the vertical direction, and a horizontal transfer element which transfers in the horizontal direction the signal charges sent from each of the vertical transfer elements, the horizontal transfer element includes: a charge transfer channel; a first transfer electrode; a second transfer electrode; and an interelectrode insulating film; with the first transfer electrode and the second transfer electrode being at the same potential. | 10-28-2010 |
20100271528 | METHOD OF DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - The present invention has an object of providing a method of driving a solid-state imaging device which can reduce reading voltage even when transfer electrodes adjacent to reading electrodes are smaller than the reading electrodes as a result of miniaturization of pixels. The solid-state imaging device includes photodiodes and vertical CCDs each including transfer electrodes. The method includes: reading signal charges from the photodiodes by setting the electric potential of a predetermined transfer electrode among the reading electrodes to the electric potential V | 10-28-2010 |
20100277634 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus includes: an imaging element in which first and second pixels for storing signal charges in accordance with an amount of received light are alternately arranged in an array; a flash light emission unit that emits flash light in a shooting scene in which the flash light is emitted; and an imaging control unit that exposes the first pixels for a long time, and exposes the second pixels for a short time. The imaging control unit starts the short-time exposure and the long-time exposure at the same time in the shooting scene in which flash light is emitted, ends the short-time exposure earlier than the long-time exposure, and causes the flash light emission unit to start emitting the flash light at required timing immediately before the end timing of the short-time exposure. | 11-04-2010 |
20100283882 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOW NOISE IMAGING - An apparatus and method for low noise imaging uses an image sensor, such as an EMCCD in which charges are accumulated and shifted out using analog clock signals. A sensor controller generates the clock signals from digital waveforms stored in memory units that provide outputs to digital-to-analog converters that, in turn, convert the signals to analog form. The analog signals are then amplified and applied to the sensor. The specific waveforms are determined by a digital signal processor and stored in the memories, and the desired waveforms are read out the memories using addressing provided by a field-programmable gate array. The clock signals may be sinusoids, or may be more complex waveform shapes, and the waveform shapes may be varied by a user. The clock signal rise times may be made gradual so as to minimize noise contributions. | 11-11-2010 |
20100302427 | CCD IMAGE SENSORS HAVING MULTIPLE LATERAL OVERFLOW DRAIN REGIONS FOR A HORIZONTAL SHIFT REGISTER - A charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor includes a layer of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type. A horizontal CCD channel region of a second conductivity type is disposed in the layer of the semiconductor material. The horizontal CCD channel region includes multiple phases that are used to shift photo-generated charge through the horizontal CCD channel region. Distinct overflow drain regions are disposed in the layer of semiconducting material, with an overflow drain region electrically connected to only one particular phase of the horizontal CCD channel region. A buffer region of the second conductivity type can be used to electrically connect each overflow drain to the one particular phase of the horizontal CCD channel. Multiple barrier regions are disposed in the layer of semiconductor material, with each barrier region disposed between each overflow drain and the one particular phase electrically connected to the drain. | 12-02-2010 |
20100309358 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device includes: a photoelectric conversion section (PCS) generating signal charge from light; a charge accumulating section (CAS) accumulating the signal charge; a first charge transfer section (CTS | 12-09-2010 |
20100321552 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE-READING DEVICE - An image sensor includes: a charge generating unit that generates a charge in response to light, and has a potential well that stores the charge; a first charge storage unit the first charge storage unit having a potential well deeper than the potential well of the charge generating unit and storing a charge transferred from the charge generating unit; a first electrode covering an end of the charge generating unit, to which a voltage is applied, to form a gradient of a potential so that a charge stored in the charge generating unit is transferred to the first charge storage unit; and a second electrode covering a part of the charge generating unit, to which a voltage is applied to make a part of the potential well of the charge generating unit shallow, the shallow part corresponding to the part of the charge generating unit covered by the second electrode. | 12-23-2010 |
20110013068 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND NOISE REDUCTION METHOD THEREOF - There is provided an image pickup device capable of reducing noises, e.g., smears outputted from a CCD without using a special light amount adjusting device regardless of pixel defects. The image-pickup device includes a CCD having an image-pickup area and a storage area; a control unit for vertical-transferring signals of a line number having no pixel signal from a vertical-transfer register of the storage area and vertical-transferring more lines than the line number of a vertical-transfer register of the image-pickup area by the line number to the vertical-transfer register of the storage area during a period; an image signal obtaining unit for obtaining first image signals outputted from predetermined pixels of the CCD; an obtaining unit for obtaining the second image signals of the line number having no pixel signal of the storage area; and a correction unit for subtracting the second image signal from the first image signals. | 01-20-2011 |
20110019051 | IMAGE SENSORS WITH PIXEL CHARGE SUMMING - An image sensor has an array of pixels of different colors. The pixels may be arranged in a repeating pattern of eight pixels having four rows and two columns. During charge summing operations, the first and third rows may share a floating diffusion and the second and fourth rows may share a floating diffusion. When charge summing is inactive, transfer gates in the first and second columns may be controlled independently, while transfer gates in pairs of rows may be controlled simultaneously. When charge summing is active, summed charges from pixels of the same color in the first and third rows may be placed on the floating diffusion shared by the first and third rows and summed charges from pixels of the same color in the second and fourth rows may be placed on the floating diffusion shared by the second and fourth rows. | 01-27-2011 |
20110019052 | PHOTOELECTRIC CONVERSION DEVICE AND IMAGE CAPTURING SYSTEM - A photoelectric conversion device comprises an isolation portion defining an active region, a photoelectric converter arranged in the active region and including a charge accumulation region containing an impurity of a first conductivity type, a photoelectric converter arranged in the active region, a transfer electrode arranged on the active region and configured to form a channel to transfer charges generated by the photoelectric converter to the charge voltage converter, a first semiconductor region arranged in the active region between the photoelectric converter and the charge voltage converter, the first semiconductor region being covered with the transfer electrode and containing the impurity of the first conductivity type at a concentration lower than that in the charge accumulation region; and a second semiconductor region extending in the active region along an interface of the isolation portion facing at least the first semiconductor region, the second semiconductor region being of a second conductivity. | 01-27-2011 |
20110019053 | PIXEL CIRCUIT, SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE, AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A pixel circuit includes: a photoelectric conversion device; a source-follower circuit; a transfer transistor that transfers charge generated in the photoelectric conversion device to an input node of the source-follower circuit; and a readout system that reads out a signal in response to the generated charge through the source-follower circuit, wherein the readout system floats the input node of the source-follower circuit and turns on the transfer transistor to transfer the signal charge to the input node, includes a function of turning off the transfer transistor, sensing an output node potential of the source-follower circuit, and reading out an output signal, and further includes an output modulation degree control function unit that temporarily reduces an output modulation degree of the source-follower circuit when the transfer transistor is turned on. | 01-27-2011 |
20110019054 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGING SYSTEM, AND METHOD OF DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR - As nonvolatile memory is integrated on a substrate on which a solid-state image sensor device including: photoelectric converters arranged in rows and columns; vertical CCDs configured to transfer signal charge output from the photoelectric converters in the column direction; and a horizontal CCD configured to transfer signal charge output from the vertical CCDs in the row direction and output the signal charge as a video signal. The nonvolatile memory stores individual difference information indicating individual differences in dependence of saturation performance on a substrate voltage in the solid-state image sensor device, and outputs the stored individual difference information to the outside. | 01-27-2011 |
20110050970 | LOW NOISE SIGNAL REPRODUCING METHOD FOR A SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A method for reproducing a low noise signal for a solid state imaging device which can reduce not only the reset noise but the amplifier noise around frequency zero, avoiding the saturation of the voltage conversion part in a bright scene, is accomplished by controlling a reset pulse of a CCD imaging device according to the result of comparing the output signal of the CCD imaging device with a reference signal value. When the output signal of the CCD imaging device is smaller than the reference signal value, the reset pulse is not applied to the CCD imaging device. Thereat, a pixel signal is reproduced as a differential signal between two signals sampled at two points with an interval of T0, the amplifier noise around frequency zero being reduced in the pixel signals. | 03-03-2011 |
20110050971 | CCD IMAGE SENSOR - A CCD image sensor includes a photo-diode region segmented by an element separation region; and a CCD register connected with the photo-diode region through a transfer gate. The photo-diode region includes a plurality of tapered portions, and each of the plurality of tapered portions is formed to become wider in a direction of the transfer gate. | 03-03-2011 |
20110058083 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE WITH HORIZONTAL TRANSFER PATHS AND A DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR - In a solid state imaging device, signal charges are branched to be output to in the form of one or plural outputs. At a horizontal transfer speed not lower than a predetermined transfer speed, the imaging device transfers signal charges of color attributes classified by a branching section, to plural horizontal transfer paths, where the signal charges are converted into analog voltage signals, which will be output synchronously. At a horizontal transfer speed lower than the predetermined transfer speed, the analog voltage signal converted is output from, e.g. the horizontal transfer path which has been selected. Output amplifiers arranged on the horizontal transfer paths are differentiated in sensitivities in detecting signal charges, depending on color attributes of signal charges supplied, and output the analog voltage signals. | 03-10-2011 |
20110063487 | WAFER-LEVEL LENS ARRAY, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING WAFER-LEVEL LENS ARRAY, LENS MODULE AND IMAGING UNIT - Disclosed are a wafer-level lens array, a method of manufacturing a wafer-level lens array, a lens module, and an imaging unit that can prevent the influence of, for example, the shrinkage of a forming material, prevent the positional deviation between lenses when the wafer-level lens arrays overlap each other or when the wafer-level lens array overlaps an imaging element array, and be easily designed. | 03-17-2011 |
20110074996 | CCD IMAGE SENSORS WITH VARIABLE OUTPUT GAINS IN AN OUTPUT CIRCUIT - An output circuit in a charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor includes a charge-to-voltage conversion region, a gain control transistor connected to the charge-to-voltage conversion region and a reset transistor connected in series with the gain control transistor. One or more additional gain control transistors can be connected between the reset transistor and the gain control transistor. The one or more gain control transistors are used to set a capacitance of the charge-to-voltage conversion region to two or more difference capacitance levels. For each capacitance level, a reset voltage and a signal voltage are measured from the charge-to-voltage conversion region. A signal processing device computes multiple signal values for a single charge packet using the measured reset and signal voltages. The signal processing device selects one of the multiple signal values to be the signal value for the pixel. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074997 | METHODS FOR CAPTURING AND READING OUT IMAGES FROM AN IMAGE SENSOR - Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074998 | METHODS FOR CAPTURING AND READING OUT IMAGES FROM AN IMAGE SENSOR - Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur. | 03-31-2011 |
20110074999 | METHODS FOR CAPTURING AND READING OUT IMAGES FROM AN IMAGE SENSOR - Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur. | 03-31-2011 |
20110075000 | METHODS FOR CAPTURING AND READING OUT IMAGES FROM AN IMAGE SENSOR - Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur. | 03-31-2011 |
20110075001 | METHODS FOR CAPTURING AND READING OUT IMAGES FROM AN IMAGE SENSOR - Multiple images are captured where the exposure times for some of the images overlap and the images are spatially overlapped. Charge packets are transferred from one or more portions of pixels after particular integration periods, thereby enabling the portion or portions of pixels to begin another integration period while one or more other portions of pixels continue to integrate charge. Charge packets may be binned during readout of the images from the image sensor. Comparison of two or more images having different lengths of overlapping or non-overlapping exposure periods provides motion information. The multiple images can then be aligned to compensate for motion between the images and assembled into a combined image with an improved signal to noise ratio and reduced motion blur. | 03-31-2011 |
20110075002 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device includes vertical transfer units each including first and second transfer units. A drive control unit controls transfer processes of the vertical transfer units so that (i) after transferring a packet, the first transfer unit stops transferring another packet in a period during which the packet is horizontally transferred, (ii) the second transfer unit in the same group transfers the packet to a horizontal transfer unit at a timing different from a timing at which another second transfer unit in the same group transfers a different packet to the horizontal transfer unit, (iii) the horizontal transfer unit horizontally transfers the received packet in a horizontal transfer period different from another horizontal transfer period during which the different packet is horizontally transferred, and (iv) at least one charge transfer stage serving as the well region differs between these horizontal transfer periods. | 03-31-2011 |
20110075003 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA INCLUDING THE SAME - The solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes: vertical transfer units provided to each column of photoelectric conversion units in rows and columns, and which vertically transfer generated signal charges; a horizontal transfer unit which horizontally transfers signal charges; and a first transfer unit and second transfer unit provided between the vertical transfer units and the horizontal transfer unit. The first transfer unit selectively holds and transfers signal charges from the vertical transfer units to the second transfer unit to mix signal charges of m same-color photoelectric conversion units nearest each other in horizontal direction, m being an integer not less than two, and the second transfer unit selectively holds and transfers signal charges from the first transfer unit to the horizontal transfer unit to mix signal charges of n same-color photoelectric conversion units nearest each other in the horizontal direction, n being an integer greater than m. | 03-31-2011 |
20110075004 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING IMAGES USING BLACK CHARACTER SUBSTITUTION - An image correction section in an image processing section performs a resolution-enhancing process for an input R signal from a RED photodiode array | 03-31-2011 |
20110075005 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device | 03-31-2011 |
20110090386 | CCD FIXEL ELEMENT WITH GEOMETRY CAPABLE OF IMPROVING RESOLUTION - The present invention relates to the filed of fabrication and application of CCD devices, and provides a CCD pixel element with a geometry capable of improving a resolution of a CCD device having such pixel element. According to the present invention, a conventional CCD pixel element is divided into four sub-regions having same areas by two intersecting straight lines or cures with an intersection point positioned within the pixel element, and one of the sub-regions is removed so as to form the CCD pixel element geometry. It is possible to improve a resolution of a CCD device having pixel elements with such geometry. | 04-21-2011 |
20110090387 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD - When driven in an all-pixel read mode, a CCD outputs, with each horizontal sync timing signal, captured image signals including signal charges arranged in a different order from that in which the pixels are actually arranged on a photosensitive surface of the CCD. During this time, the respective pixel signals are digitized sequentially by an A/D converter to corresponding image data, which are then temporarily stored in units of a line in a line buffer via a data distributor. In this case, an address generator generates, for the respective image data, write addresses to store the respective image data in the line buffer in the same order as the pixels of the photosensitive surface are actually arranged. In accordance with these write addresses, the data distributor distributes the respective image data to appropriate addresses in the line buffer, thereby storing the image data there. | 04-21-2011 |
20110134298 | PIXEL, PIXEL FORMING METHOD, IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING FORMING METHOD - A pixel is provided with a photodiode region which includes a photoelectric conversion portion for receiving light and generating electrons, and a charge storage portion for storing electric charge. The pixel is configured in such a manner that an electron exclusion region is provided in the photodiode region with the diameter of a circle having the maximum diameter among circles that can exist in the surface of a region through which electrons can pass in the photodiode region as the width of an electron passage region in the photodiode region, and the width of the electron passage region is smaller than when the electron exclusion region is not provided. | 06-09-2011 |
20110164162 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND METHOD FOR DRIVING THE SAME - A solid-state imaging device includes vertical transfer units each of which is configured to transfer charge read from light receiving units, a first horizontal transfer unit and a second horizontal transfer unit each of which includes a plurality of transfer gate electrodes arranged in parallel to one another, a sorting transfer unit configured to transfer charge between the horizontal transfer units, and an output unit. In the first horizontal transfer unit, the transfer gate electrodes extend from the vertical transfer units toward the sorting transfer unit, and at least a part of each of the plurality of transfer gate electrodes located closer to the vertical transfer units is obliquely extends so that a horizontal distance from the output unit increases as it extends toward the sorting transfer unit. | 07-07-2011 |
20110169993 | METHOD AND APPARATUS PROVIDING CMOS IMAGER DEVICE PIXEL WITH TRANSISTOR HAVING LOWER THRESHOLD VOLTAGE THAN OTHER IMAGER DEVICE TRANSISTORS - A transistor of a pixel cell for use in a CMOS imager with a low threshold voltage of less than about 0.4 V is disclosed. The transistor is provided with high dosage source and drain regions around the gate electrode and with the halo implanted regions and/or the lightly doped LDD regions and/or the enhancement implanted regions omitted from at least one side of the gate electrode. The low threshold transistor is electrically connected to a high voltage transistor with a high threshold voltage of about 0.7 V. | 07-14-2011 |
20110221947 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A CCD image sensor which is a solid-state imaging device has four kinds of pixels of first pixel to fourth pixel arranged in a predetermined pattern. The each pixel has each PD and each microlens. The first pixel and the fourth pixel are dedicated imaging pixels. The fourth pixel is placed adjacent to the second pixel and the third pixel which are pixels for phase difference detection, and its microlens is formed smaller than the microlens of the first pixel. Accordingly, since quantity of the light to be incident on the PD from the microlens is lowered corresponding to the incident light from the gap between the microlenses, light with approximately uniform quantity is incident on the each PD. | 09-15-2011 |
20110228154 | CAMERA MODULE BACK-FOCAL LENGTH ADJUSTMENT METHOD AND ULTRA COMPACT COMPONENTS PACKAGING - The present invention relates to methods of manufacturing ultra-compact camera modules, adjusting them, post production, to precise focal point settings, and sealing the precisely aligned assembly to maintain the focal point. Also, the invention specifically relates to ultra-compact camera module apparatuses. | 09-22-2011 |
20110234877 | VARIABLE CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE FOCAL PLANE ARRAY - A charge coupled device imager, which can operate in time delay and integration mode, can be adapted to include variable columns having one or more blocking gates or other barriers that can be independently controlled and used to divide a used portion from an unused portion. The blocking gates may require less power to electrically insulate used from the unused sections. In this regard, an imager's charge handling capacity and dynamic range can be improved, while lowering CCD operating power requirements. Blooming drains can also be included to enhance the functionality of the imager and enable bidirectional imaging capability. | 09-29-2011 |
20110242389 | Solid-state imaging device, driving method and electronic apparatus - Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device employing a plurality of unit pixels each having an opto-electric conversion section configured to convert incident light into electric charge and an electric-charge holding section configured to hold a signal voltage representing the electric charge produced by the opto-electric conversion section, the solid-state imaging device further including a read section and a control section. | 10-06-2011 |
20110242390 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT - Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device including, a first semiconductor region of the first conduction type, a photoelectric conversion part having a second semiconductor region of the second conduction type formed in the region separated by the isolation dielectric region of the first semiconductor region, pixel transistors formed in the first semiconductor region, a floating diffusion region of the second conduction type which is formed in the region separated by the isolation dielectric region of the first semiconductor region, and an electrode formed on the first semiconductor region existing between the floating diffusion region and the isolation dielectric region and is given a prescribed bias voltage. | 10-06-2011 |
20110254989 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device | 10-20-2011 |
20110261243 | SOLID IMAGING APPARATUS - In an imaging apparatus which subjects signal electric charges of photodiodes of IT-CCD for interlaced scanning of 1080 effective scanning lines to vertical pixel addition to be read out as image signals, at least one of vertical transfer at the last horizontal period and horizontal transfer at half period in reading of pixels is stopped while fixing pairs of vertical pixels to be subjected to vertical pixel addition to be read out as image signals of progressive scanning of 540 effective scanning lines from the CCD and the read-out image signals of 540 effective scanning lines are subjected to scanning line conversion of 3 to 4 to be converted into image signals of progressive scanning of 720 effective scanning lines, the image signals of progressive scanning of 720 effective scanning lines being outputted. | 10-27-2011 |
20110273603 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device | 11-10-2011 |
20110292267 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND CAMERA - A solid-state image sensor includes: a transfer control section configured to control charge transfer from the vertical transfer section to the horizontal transfer section. The transfer control section has a plurality of unit control sections corresponding to the transfer packets. The unit control section has a vertical transfer channel and a plurality of control section electrodes formed over the vertical transfer channel. The control section electrodes include a signal charge accumulating electrode and a transfer inhibiting electrode, which are sequentially formed from a side of the vertical transfer section. The vertical transfer channels are independently connected to a horizontal transfer channel. When stopping the charge transfer from the vertical transfer section to the horizontal transfer section, a high-level voltage is applied to the signal charge accumulating electrode, and a low-level voltage is applied to the transfer inhibiting electrode. | 12-01-2011 |
20110298958 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device according to one embodiment is a multi-port solid-state imaging device, and includes an imaging region and a plurality of units. The imaging region includes a plurality of pixel columns. The units generate signals based on charges from the imaging region. Each of the units has an output register, a plurality of multiplication registers, and an amplifier. The output register transfers a charge from one or more corresponding pixel columns out of the plurality of pixel columns. The multiplication registers are provided in parallel, and receive the charge from the output register to generate multiplied charges individually. The amplifier generates a signal based on the multiplied charges from the multiplication registers. | 12-08-2011 |
20110298959 | IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREFOR - An image sensing apparatus capable of reducing degradation of a signal-to-noise ratio property occurring when a driving frequency of an image sensing element is high, depending on a state of an operation mode. An information table is stored in a memory section, which includes information on a timing of a horizontal transfer driving signal for performing charge transfer in the horizontal direction in an image sensing element, information on a timing of a reset gate signal for performing charge sweep per pixel, and information on a timing of a feed-through sample-hold signal for sample-holding a feed-through section of the output signal of the image sensing element which becomes a black reference per pixel, in association with an operation mode of an image sensing apparatus. The information table associated with the set operation mode is selected from the memory section, and the element is driven based on the information table. | 12-08-2011 |
20120002093 | CORRELATED DOUBLE SAMPLING CIRCUIT AND IMAGE SENSOR INCLUDING THE SAME - A correlated double sampling circuit includes a delta-sigma modulator, a selection circuit, and an accumulation circuit. The delta-sigma modulator is configured to receive an input signal, delta-sigma modulate the input signal, and output a modulation signal. The selection circuit is configured to invert the modulation signal and selectively output one of the modulation signal and an inverted modulation signal in response to a selection signal corresponding to an operation phase. The accumulation circuit is configured to generate a first accumulation result by performing an accumulation process on one of the modulation signal and the inverted modulation signal in a first operation phase, and generate a second accumulation result by performing the accumulation process on the first accumulation result and the other one of the modulation signal and the inverted modulation signal in a second operation phase. | 01-05-2012 |
20120008034 | CAMERA AND A METHOD OF OPERATING THE SAME - A method of operating a camera is disclosed. A shutter button is pressed to trigger capturing an image. Subsequently, a display-related signal is prevented from transferring to a display panel at least for a duration during which image data are being read out of an image sensor. | 01-12-2012 |
20120019700 | Optical system with automatic mixing of daylight and thermal vision digital video signals - An optical sight system that comprises a combination of a thermal scope with a CCD visible-range attachment connectable to the thermal scope with a quick-release connector. The system is equipped with a device for automatic interposition of the digital visible image of the CCD visible-range attachment onto the digital thermographic image when the attachment is electrically and mechanically connected to the thermal scope. The CCD is a light-weight device which does not have screen and which is easily attached to the thermal scope by means of a quick-release connection unit. Both digital images are observed on the screen of the thermal-scope display. | 01-26-2012 |
20120033122 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE - An imaging apparatus using a CCD image sensor in which a size of a circuit for generating a voltage to be applied to a substrate of the CCD image sensor is reduced. A partial range within a voltage range from a supply voltage Vcc to 0 V is divided by a resistance voltage divider and one of different voltage values obtained as a result of voltage division is selected by a selector according to external data and outputted to a high voltage amplifier. The high voltage amplifier generates a voltage signal with a voltage expressed by VMSUB=(Vdaout−Vdd | 02-09-2012 |
20120062778 | IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE AND IMAGE CAPTURING METHOD - An image capturing device includes a photodetector including a plurality of pixels, each having a photoelectric conversion unit outputting electric charges depending on received light, charge accumulation units accumulating the electric charges, and a drain electrode that discards the electric charges, a finite impulse response filter which is applied to images, a controller controlling the pixels so as to distribute the electric charges that are output by the photoelectric conversion units to the charge accumulation units and to the drain electrodes at a distribution ratio depending on a weight coefficient of a corresponding delay period of the finite impulse response filter at each delay period, and reading the electric charges accumulated in the charge accumulation units after a whole delay period of the finite impulse response filter elapses, and an image processor generating the images based on the electric charges that are read by the controller. | 03-15-2012 |
20120075515 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF - A radiation imaging apparatus includes: a radiation detection unit in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion units to convert radiation signals into charge signals and store the charge signals is located; a storage control unit configured to control the storage of the charge signals executed by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; a reading control unit configured to control reading of the charge signals stored by the plurality of photoelectric conversion units; and a control unit configured to fix an indefinite potential generated at the radiation detection unit while at least one of the storage control of the charge signals by the storage control unit and the reading control of the charge signals by the reading control unit is not carried out. | 03-29-2012 |
20120086845 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate, a through-hole, a vertical gate electrode, and a charge fixing film. A photoelectric conversion unit generating signal charges in accordance with the amount of received light is formed in the substrate. The through-hole is formed from a front surface side through a rear surface side of the substrate. The vertical gate electrode is formed through a gate insulating film in the through-hole and reads out the signal charges generated by the photoelectric conversion unit to a reading-out portion. The charge fixing film has negative fixed charges formed to cover a portion of the inner circumferential surface of the through-hole at the rear surface side of the substrate while covering the rear surface side of the substrate. | 04-12-2012 |
20120133813 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - The image pickup apparatus includes an image sensor. A first focus controller performs first focus control with a contrast detection method by using a first signal output from the image sensor. A second focus controller detects a focus state of an image-taking optical system with a phase difference detection method by using a second signal output from a focus detection element (image sensor), and performs second focus control based on the detected focus state. A charge accumulation controller causes the image sensor to alternately and repeatedly perform a first charge accumulation operation for producing the first signal and output of the first signal, and causes the focus detection element to perform a second charge accumulation operation for producing the second signal in a period between two consecutive ones of the first charge accumulation operations. | 05-31-2012 |
20120147239 | METHODS FOR PROCESSING AN IMAGE CAPTURED BY AN IMAGE SENSOR HAVING MULTIPLE OUTPUT CHANNELS - Charge packets are transferred from a pixel array in an image sensor to a horizontal shift register. Each charge packet is shifted to a non-destructive sense node. Each charge packet is non-destructively sensed and a signal representative of a number of charge carriers in the charge packet is produced. Respective charge packets are directed to a charge multiplying output channel when the signal representative of the number of charge carriers in each charge packet indicates the charge packet will not saturate the charge multiplying horizontal shift register. Respective charge packets are directed to a charge bypass output channel or an amplifier when the signal representative of the number of charge carriers in each charge packet indicates the charge packet will saturate the charge multiplying horizontal shift register. | 06-14-2012 |
20120147240 | METHOD OF PRODUCING AN IMAGE WITH PIXEL SIGNALS PRODUCED BY AN IMAGE SENSOR THAT INCLUDES MULTIPLE OUTPUT CHANNELS - An image sensor includes multiple output channels, a non-destructive charge sensing output channel having an associated gain value of G | 06-14-2012 |
20120147241 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR PRODUCING SAME, AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device includes a substrate with oppositely facing first surface and second surfaces, light being received through the second surface; a wiring layer on the first surface; a photodetector in the substrate; a charge accummulation region between the second surface and the photodetector; and an insulating layer over the second surface, the insulating layer have a region that is at least partially crystallized. | 06-14-2012 |
20120154658 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME AND CAMERA - An image sensor includes a charge accumulation region of a first conductivity type, an isolating semiconductor region formed from an impurity semiconductor region of a second conductivity type, a channel stop region formed from an impurity semiconductor region of the second conductivity type which is located on the isolating semiconductor region, and an insulator arranged on the channel stop region. The insulator includes a first insulating portion arranged above the isolating semiconductor region via the channel stop region, a second insulating portion arranged adjacent to an outside of the first insulating portion, wherein thickness of the second insulating potion decreases with an increase in distance from the first insulating portion, and a third insulating portion formed on the first insulating portion, wherein the third insulating portion has upper and side faces connecting the upper face to an upper face of the second insulating portion. | 06-21-2012 |
20120176524 | Image Processing Device, Imaging Device, Image Processing Method, Imaging Method, And Image Processing Program - An image processing device comprising
| 07-12-2012 |
20120182455 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE - A solid-state image pickup device includes a pixel unit in which pixels are arranged in a two-dimensional manner, the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element, a charge holding unit, a transmission unit, and a first output unit and a second output unit; a second processing unit; and a control unit configured to control exposure of the pixels such that exposure periods for still images of all pixels constituting an area to be read are equal to one another, and control reading of the still image signal and reading of the moving image signal in units of fields, the all pixels constituting the area to be read being divided into a plurality of fields, in such a manner that the still image signal is to be read from both the first output unit and the second output unit in units of fields. | 07-19-2012 |
20120188431 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state image pickup device includes: a photoelectric conversion portion formed on a substrate and composed of a photodiode; an image pickup area in which plural pixels each including a reading-out electrode for reading out signal electric charges generated and accumulated in the photoelectric conversion portion are formed; and a light blocking film having an opening portion right above the photoelectric conversion portion in an effective pixel area of the image pickup area, and light-blocking said photoelectric conversion portion in an OB pixel area of the image pickup area, in which a film deposited between the light blocking film and the substrate right above the photoelectric conversion portion in the OB pixel area is composed of only a silicon oxide film. | 07-26-2012 |
20120194724 | IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - There is provided an image pickup device, including a photoelectric conversion element converting light into charges, a transfer gate for transferring the converted charges to a floating node, a source follower transistor for outputting a signal based on a voltage of the floating node to a signal line, and a clip circuit clipping the signal line at a first voltage and a second voltage. | 08-02-2012 |
20120206636 | ADJUSTER FOR ADJUSTING THE DIRECTION OF A LIGHT BEAM AND OPTICAL DEVICE COMPRISING SUCH ADJUSTER - The invention provides an adjuster for adjusting the direction of a light beam ( | 08-16-2012 |
20120206637 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP ELEMENT AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - In a basic pixel arrangement of a solid-state image sensor, a dispersing element is arranged to face each of pixels that are located at row 1, column 2 and row 3, column 1 positions in order to make a light ray with a first color component incident on a horizontally adjacent pixel and also make a light ray with a complementary color component with respect to the first color component incident on that pixel that faces the dispersing element. A dispersing element is arranged to face each of pixels that are located at row 2, column 1 and row 4, column 1 positions in order to make a light ray with a second color component incident on a horizontally adjacent pixel and also make a light ray with a complementary color component with respect to the second color component incident on that pixel that faces the dispersing element. On the other hand, no dispersing elements are arranged to face pixels that are located at row 1, column 1, row 2, column 2, row 3, column 2 and row 4, column 2 positions. | 08-16-2012 |
20120236191 | IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS INCLUDING IMAGE PICKUP ELEMENT PROVIDED WITH CHARGE HOLDING PORTION, CONTROL METHOD AND CONTROL PROGRAM THEREFOR, AND STORAGE MEDIUM - An image pickup apparatus capable of reducing the influence of dark current noise to thereby obtain excellent image quality, even when the dynamic range is expanded under a photographing condition. In an image pickup element of a CMOS image sensor of the apparatus, a photo diode (PD) generates and accumulates electric charge according to an optical input, and a floating diffusion portion (FD) accumulates the electric charges. A charge holding portion (MEM) is disposed between PD and FD. A first transfer transistor selectively separates and connect between PD and MEM, and a second transfer transistor selectively separates and connects between MEM and FD. A system control circuit sets an operation mode to either a first operation mode in which PD and MEM are separated or a second operation mode according to photographing conditions for shooting an object in which PD and MEM are connected. | 09-20-2012 |
20120242879 | IMAGE PROCESSING DEVICE AND IMAGE PROCESSING METHOD - An image processing device includes: a first storage unit storing electric charges outputted from a photodiode; a reset unit resetting a voltage stored in the first storage unit; a transfer unit transferring electric charges outputted from the photodiode to the first storage unit; a switching unit switching a DC voltage supplied from a supply line of a pixel power source; an output unit outputting the voltage stored in the first storage unit to a signal output line; a second storage unit storing the DC voltage supplied through the switching unit; and a drive unit driving the output unit by receiving the DC voltage stored by the second storage unit as a power source. | 09-27-2012 |
20120249852 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE-CAPTURING APPARATUS - The capacitance of a charge-accumulating layer of an imaging pixel is made different from that of a charge-accumulating layer of a focusing pixel, thereby reducing the difference in saturation capacitance due to the difference between the light-reception efficiencies of the imaging pixel and the focusing pixel. The ratio between the capacitance of the charge-accumulating layer of the imaging pixel and that of the charge-accumulating layer of the focusing pixel is determined in consideration of a variation in ratio between the light-reception efficiencies of the imaging pixel and the focusing pixel with a change in at least one of the exit pupil distance and the aperture value. | 10-04-2012 |
20120262615 | Optical system consisting of digital optical attachment unit and basic day-vision optical device - An optical system consisting of a basic day-vision optical device, such as an optical sight, and a digital optical attachment unit, such as a CCD module, a thermovisor, a range finder, or the like. A distinguishing feature of the system is the optical attachment unit which does not have an eyepiece and contains a power supply unit for the basic day-vision optical device. On the other hand, the basic day-vision optical device does not have a power supply unit but among other things contains a beam splitter and an electronic microdisplay. When the digital optical attachment unit is attached to the basic day-vision optical device and electrically connected to the latter, the electronic microdisplay receives a target image from the digital attachment unit and through the beam splitter a target and reticle image obtained by the basic day-vision device. As a result, a viewer can see an enhanced fused image of both image components reproduced on the electronic microdisplay. | 10-18-2012 |
20120262616 | PIXEL, PIXEL ARRAY, IMAGE SENSOR INCLUDING THE SAME AND METHOD FOR OPERATING THE IMAGE SENSOR - Disclosed are a pixel, a pixel array, an image sensor and a method for operating the image sensor. The pixel includes a photo-electro conversion unit; a first charge storage unit for storing charges converted by the photo-electro conversion unit; a first switching unit for transferring the charges from the photo-electro conversion unit to the first charge storage unit; a second charge storage unit for storing the charges converted by the photo-electro conversion unit; a second switching unit for transferring the charges from the photo-electro conversion unit to the second charge storage unit; a third switching unit for connecting the second charge storage unit with the first charge storage unit; and an output unit for outputting information about quantity of the charges stored in the first and second charge storage units. The light having the high intensity of illumination or the low intensity of illumination is sensed in the wide range. | 10-18-2012 |
20120268638 | CORRELATED DOUBLE SAMPLING DEVICE OF IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD THEREOF - A correlated double sampling device (CDS device) of an image sensor is provided. The CDS device is coupled to a plurality of light-sensing pixels arranged along a first direction. The CDS device of the image sensor includes a regulator and a sampling circuit. The regulator provides the light-sensing pixels with a first voltage so that at least one of the light-sensing pixels provides a first linear current and a second linear current according to the first voltage. The sampling circuit is coupled between a second voltage and the regulator and includes a first sampling unit and a second sampling unit to respectively receive the first linear current for a first duration and the second linear current for a second duration and to respectively and correspondingly output a first sampling signal and a second sampling signal. | 10-25-2012 |
20120274824 | CCD IMAGE SENSORS AND METHODS - In various embodiments, image sensors include photosensitive pixels, associated vertical CCDs, sense nodes each accepting charge from one or more of the vertical CCDs, and readout circuitry accepting signals from the sense nodes. | 11-01-2012 |
20120300107 | MULTI-PURPOSE ARCHITECTURE FOR CCD IMAGE SENSORS - A charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor includes multiple vertical charge-coupled device (VCCD) shift registers and independently-controllable gate electrodes disposed over the VCCD shift registers and arranged into physically separate and distinct sections that are non-continuous across the plurality of VCCD shift registers. The CCD image sensor can be configured to operate in two or more operating modes, including a full resolution charge multiplication mode. | 11-29-2012 |
20120300108 | MULTI-PURPOSE ARCHITECTURE FOR CCD IMAGE SENSORS - A charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensor includes multiple vertical charge-coupled device (VCCD) shift registers and independently-controllable gate electrodes disposed over the VCCD shift registers and arranged into physically separate and distinct sections that are non-continuous across the plurality of VCCD shift registers. The CCD image sensor can be configured to operate in two or more operating modes, including a full resolution charge multiplication mode. | 11-29-2012 |
20120314112 | Method for Controlling a Light-Sensitive Device - The invention relates to a method for controlling a light-sensitive device comprising a matrix of light-sensitive points arranged into lines and columns. The invention can essentially but not exclusively be used in light-sensitive devices used for detecting X-ray images. The method includes a step (E | 12-13-2012 |
20130002918 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, METHOD OF MANUFACTURING SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging apparatus includes a transfer gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate; a photoelectric conversion unit including an electric charge storage area that is formed from a surface side of the semiconductor substrate in a depth direction, a transfer auxiliary area formed of a second conductive type impurity area that is formed in such a manner as to partially overlap the transfer gate electrode, and a dark current suppression area that is a first dark current suppression area formed in an upper layer of the transfer auxiliary and formed so as to have positional alignment in such a manner that the end portion of the transfer auxiliary area on the transfer gate electrode side is at the same position as the end portion of the transfer auxiliary area; and a signal processing circuit configured to process an output signal output from the solid-state imaging apparatus. | 01-03-2013 |
20130002919 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - An image capturing apparatus comprises an image sensor that includes a plurality of pixels each having a plurality of photoelectric conversion units and a microlens and that is capable of capturing a subject and periodically outputting image signals individually from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a control unit that performs control such that, within the period in which the image sensor outputs an image signal, charge accumulation durations of the plurality of photoelectric conversion units of each pixel of the image sensor are shifted with respect to each other, and a synthesizing unit that sums up, for each pixel, the image signals individually output from the plurality of photoelectric conversion units. | 01-03-2013 |
20130002920 | Image Pickup Lens - An image pickup lens has a configuration of five lenses whose aberrations are corrected favorably despite its compactness compared to a conventional type. | 01-03-2013 |
20130002921 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device is provided in which transfer failure of signal charges is suppressed. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion units, a plurality of vertical transfer units having a plurality of vertical transfer electrodes, a plurality of horizontal transfer units having a plurality of horizontal transfer electrodes, and an intermediate transfer unit having a branch transfer electrode. In the first horizontal transfer unit, one of the horizontal transfer electrodes includes a plurality of column direction electrodes that are disposed adjacent to one another in the vertical direction and transfer the signal charges via the intermediate transfer unit to the second horizontal transfer unit. The vertical transfer electrode, the horizontal transfer electrodes, and the branch transfer electrode are a single layer electrode. | 01-03-2013 |
20130016266 | HANDHELD IMAGING DEVICE WITH VLIW IMAGE PROCESSOR - A handheld imaging device includes an image sensor for sensing an image: a Very Long Instruction Word (VLIW) processor for processing the sensed image; a plurality of processing units provided in the VLIW processor, the plurality of processing units connected in parallel by a crossbar switch to form a multi-core processing unit for the VLIW processor; and an image sensor interface for receiving signals from the image sensor and converting the signals to a format readable by the VLIW processor, the image sensor interface sharing a wafer substrate with the VLIW processor. A transfer of data from the image sensor interface to the VLIW processor is conducted entirely on the shared wafer substrate. | 01-17-2013 |
20130027597 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH CONTROLLABLE VERTICALLY INTEGRATED PHOTODETECTORS - An image sensor includes front-side and backside photodetectors of a first conductivity type disposed in a substrate layer of the first conductivity type. A front-side pinning layer of a second conductivity type is connected to a first contact. The first contact receives a predetermined potential. A backside pinning layer of the second conductivity type is connected to a second contact. The second contact receives an adjustable and programmable potential. | 01-31-2013 |
20130027598 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH CONTROLLABLE VERTICALLY INTEGRATED PHOTODETECTORS - An image sensor includes front-side and backside photodetectors of a first conductivity type disposed in a substrate layer of the first conductivity type. A front-side pinning layer of a second conductivity type is connected to a first contact. The first contact receives a predetermined potential. A backside pinning layer of the second conductivity type is connected to a second contact. The second contact receives an adjustable and programmable potential. | 01-31-2013 |
20130050554 | IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING METHOD, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - Disclosed herein is an imaging device including: a pixel unit including a pixel disposed in a plane and a driving unit. The pixel includes an accumulating section configured to detect a physical quantity, and accumulate a charge corresponding to the physical quantity, a transfer section configured to transfer the charge from the accumulating section, a converting section configured to convert the charge into a voltage, an output section configured to output a signal of the voltage converted by the converting section, a reset section configured to reset the potential of the converting section, and a connecting section connected to the converting section. The driving unit is configured to transfer a signal for giving an instruction to transfer the charge, and a connecting signal for controlling connection and non-connection. The driving unit makes the charge transferred in a state of the converting sections being connected to each other. | 02-28-2013 |
20130057744 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device includes: a pixel unit in which pixels are arranged in a matrix pattern; and a pixel signal read-out unit including an AD conversion unit performing analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal read out from the pixel unit, wherein each pixel included in the pixel unit includes division pixels divided into regions in which photosensitivity levels or electric charge accumulating amounts are different from one another, the pixel signal reading unit includes a normal read-out mode and a multiple read-out mode, and includes a function of changing a configuration of a frame in accordance with a change of the read-out mode, and wherein the AD conversion unit acquires a pixel signal of one pixel by adding the division pixel signals while performing AD conversion for the division pixel signals. | 03-07-2013 |
20130063643 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD OF SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSING DEVICE - According to one embodiment, a solid-state image sensing device includes a pixel including a photoelectric conversion element, a signal detection unit, transistors, and a control signal selection circuit to select a control signal applied to the control signal line. The control signal selection circuit sets a potential of the control signal line at a first potential level while the pixel signal is read from the pixel, the control signal selection circuit sets the potential of the control signal line at a second potential level when the pixel is set in an unselected state, and the control signal selection circuit sets the potential of the control signal line at a third potential level after the pixel is set in the unselected state. | 03-14-2013 |
20130076953 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP DEVICE AND SOLID-STATE IMAGE PICKUP SYSTEM - Certain embodiments provide a solid-state image pickup device including a first pixel, a second pixel, and an output circuit. The first pixel has a first photodiode and a first microlens that is formed above the first photodiode. The second pixel has a second photodiode and a second microlens which is formed above the second photodiode and is smaller than the first microlens. Further, the second pixel has a sensitivity of 1/n times of the first pixel and has a photoelectric conversion period of n times of the first pixel. The output circuit outputs a differential signal of a difference between a first detection signal based on a charge amount of the first signal charge and a second detection signal based on a charge amount of the second signal charge. | 03-28-2013 |
20130076954 | DARK REFERENCE IN CCD IMAGE SENSORS - In various embodiments, image sensors include an imaging array of optically active pixels, a dark-reference region of optically inactive pixels, and two light shields disposed over the dark-reference region and having openings therein. | 03-28-2013 |
20130076955 | TIME-DELAY-AND-INTEGRATE IMAGE SENSORS HAVING VARIABLE INTEGRATION TIMES - In various embodiments, a time-delay-and-integrate (TDI) image sensor includes (i) a plurality of integrating CCDs (ICCDs), arranged in parallel, that accumulate photocharge in response to exposure to light, (ii) electrically coupled to the plurality of ICCDs, a readout CCD (RCCD) for receiving photocharge from the plurality of ICCDs, and (iii) electrically coupled to the RCCD, readout circuitry for converting charge received from the RCCD into voltage. | 03-28-2013 |
20130120627 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD FOR DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging device includes an imaging section having multiple pixels laid out in a matrix form for performing photoelectric conversion and multiple vertical transfer sections that vertically transfer signal charges of the multiple pixels in columns, a control section that controls the transfer, hold and addition of signal charges transferred from each of the vertical transfer sections, at least two horizontal transfer sections that horizontally transfer signal charges output from the control section, and a horizontal-horizontal transfer section that transfers the signal charges of one horizontal transfer section that has received the signal charges transferred from the control section to the other horizontal transfer section. | 05-16-2013 |
20130120628 | CONFIGURATION OF A DEVICE BASED UPON ORIENTATION - An application for a device that includes an image sensor, an orientation sensor and image capture capabilities. Operation of the device is based upon a detected orientation of the device by the orientation sensor. In one embodiment, when the device is in a horizontal orientation, the image capture operates as a digital still image camera and when the device is in a vertical orientation, the image capture operates as a digital video camera. Other orientations are anticipated including upside down as well as other operating modes such as flash enabled and flash disabled. Optionally, a control is provided to lock the operation in one of the modes irrespective of changes in the orientation of the device. | 05-16-2013 |
20130135504 | SIGNAL PROCESSING CIRCUIT OF SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT, SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD OF SOLID-STATE IMAGING ELEMENT, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A signal processing circuit of a solid-state imaging element which processes a signal of the solid-state imaging element having a first pixel group and a second pixel group in which a charge accumulation time or photosensitivity is different by α times from that of the first pixel group, includes a calculation unit that multiplies a signal value of a pixel of interest in the first pixel group by α times, a weighting unit that performs weighting with respect to the signal value of the pixel of interest based on a signal value of a pixel associated with the pixel of interest, and a synthesis unit that synthesizes the signal value which has been multiplied by α times in the calculation unit and on which the weighting has been performed in the weighting unit and a signal value of a pixel of the second pixel group. | 05-30-2013 |
20130135505 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes an imaging region having pixel units two-dimensionally arranged, each of the pixel units including a photoelectric converting device formed on a semiconductor substrate. The solid-state imaging device includes: an interlayer film made of a dielectric and formed above the photoelectric converting device; a light attenuation filter which is formed above the interlayer film for each of the pixel units or for each of pixel blocks, and changes a transmittance of light when a voltage is applied to the light attenuation filter, the pixel blocks each including a plurality of the pixel units; and a selecting transistor which is formed in the semiconductor substrate for each of the light attenuation filters, and connects or disconnects a path for applying the voltage to the light attenuation filter. | 05-30-2013 |
20130135506 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND IMAGING METHOD - An imaging apparatus having a solid state imaging device that includes first photoelectric conversion elements and second photoelectric conversion elements arranged in a two dimensional array, comprises a device control unit that performs a driving in which a first signal according to electrical charges accumulated in the first photoelectric conversion elements during a first exposure period and a second signal according to electrical charges accumulated in the second photoelectric conversion elements during each of second exposure periods are read by sequentially exposing the second photoelectric conversion elements for the second exposure periods, each of which overlaps with the first exposure period and has different length of time, during periods overlapped with the first exposure period while simultaneously exposing the first photoelectric conversion elements for the first exposure period. | 05-30-2013 |
20130162875 | Method and Device for Measuring a Difference in Illumination - A device for detecting a difference in illumination may include at least two adjacent photoelectric sensor element groups on which light falls during an adjustable illumination time, said light being converted to a quantity of electric charge, which corresponds to the quantity of light falling on each sensor element group during the illumination time, and having a detector, which detects a minimum charge of the charge quantities generated by both photoelectric sensor element groups and subtracts said minimum charge from both photoelectric sensor element groups. The device can be used in a variety of applications, e.g., for digital cameras and medical devices. Wavelet coefficients can be generated directly using metrological and sensory means and may be available for further signal processing. | 06-27-2013 |
20130176471 | CCD ACCUMULATING CHARGES OUTSIDE THE IMAGE FRAME - In one embodiment charges from the photodiodes in a CCD are interline-transferred to a vertical shift register; then they are transferred vertically to a second image frame, where they are interline-transferred to storage pixels in the second frame. Repeating this process one or more times leads to accumulation of charge in the storage pixels having full well capacity bigger than the original photodiodes. In another embodiment, charges from a CCD in the horizontal readout register are selectively transferred through a gate into a second horizontal register. From the second horizontal register charges are shifted vertically into vertical shift registers and then transferred into the storage pixels having big full well capacity. During readout time, in both cases charges are transferred to a horizontal shift register for readout as in a conventional CCD. In a plurality of embodiments this device can be used instead of a CCD with big pixels or binning, with the advantage that the photodiodes may be physically smaller in size compared to the size needed for storage of the full charge that is accumulated. This invention greatly extends the dynamic range that can be achieved with small pixels. | 07-11-2013 |
20130182165 | IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC DEVICE, AND IMAGING METHOD - There is provided an image sensor in which a first pixel group in which one pair of pixels of first spectral sensitivity and one pair of pixels of second spectral sensitivity are diagonally arranged and a second pixel group in which one pair of pixels of the first spectral sensitivity and one pair of pixels of third spectral sensitivity are diagonally arranged are arranged in a lattice shape, and analog addition is performed on image signals from the pixels for each pair of pixels of spectral sensitivity constituting each pixel group, and an analog addition result is designated as an output signal. | 07-18-2013 |
20130250154 | IMAGE CAPTURE APPARATUS - This invention includes an image sensor in which image forming pixels and focus detecting pixels which receive light beams from the exit pupil of the imaging lens which is partly light-shielded are arranged, the first vertical output line which outputs a signal from the image forming pixel in the vertical direction of the image sensor, a second vertical output line which outputs a signal from the focus detecting pixel in the vertical direction of the image sensor, a vertical addition unit which adds signals from a plurality of image forming pixels in the vertical direction, and a control unit which controls the vertical addition unit to add only signals from image forming pixels excluding focus detecting pixels, when the focus detecting pixels are included in targets for addition in the addition readout mode of making the vertical addition unit add signals from a plurality of image forming pixels. | 09-26-2013 |
20130258157 | STEPPED RAMP SIGNAL GENERATOR AND IMAGE SENSOR USING THE SAME - A stepped ramp signal generator includes a ramp signal generation unit configured to provide final values of previous stepped ramp signals as initial values of the next stepped ramp signals. The ramp signal generation unit includes a plurality of matching resistors, and a plurality of holders installed between the matching resistors, each holder storing a final value across a previous matching resistor and providing the final value to a next matching resistor. | 10-03-2013 |
20140009657 | SOLID STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, AND PIXEL READING METHOD - There is provided a solid state imaging apparatus, including a plurality of line sensors including a plurality of pixels arrayed in a line, each of the pixels including an amplifier which amplifies a signal corresponding to a charge accumulated in a photoelectric transducer, and signal lines each for reading a signal of each pixel of the line sensors. The plurality of line sensors are discretely arranged, and the signal lines are gathered and wired along a region in which a circuit block including the line sensors is arranged. | 01-09-2014 |
20140016012 | SOLID STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid state imaging device includes a semiconductor substrate having an element isolating layer and a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each formed in a respective one of a plurality of pixel regions that are isolated from each other by the element isolating layer, an interlayer dielectric layer having wires formed on a first surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a color filter layer having pigmented films of a plurality of colors, formed on a second surface of the semiconductor substrate and in the pixel regions. The element isolating layer has a part projecting from the second surface, and at least part of the pigmented films is formed in a space defined by the second surface and the projecting part of the element isolating layer. | 01-16-2014 |
20140043513 | SENSOR-INTEGRATED CHIP FOR CCD CAMERA - The present invention relates to a sensor-integrated chip for a CCD camera in which a CCD sensor, an H/V driver for driving the CCD sensor, and an ISP (Image Signal Process) chip, which inputs a control signal for driving the CCD sensor to the H/V driver and allows a video to be displayed on a monitor (not shown) in response to an output signal from the CCD sensor, are stacked and connected with each other by inter-pad wire bonding into one IC package to be one chip, by an SIP (system In Package) method. | 02-13-2014 |
20140049676 | MULTIMODE INTERLINE CCD IMAGING METHODS - In various embodiments, image-capture methods include a mode in which an image is acquired via charge accumulation in multiple regions of an imaging array and read out to one or more outputs, and/or a mode in which an image is acquired via charge accumulation in a first region of an imaging array, held in vertical CCDs of another region of the imaging array, and read out along with a second image acquired via charge accumulation in the first region of the imaging array. | 02-20-2014 |
20140063309 | SENSOR FOR CAPTURING A MOVING MATERIAL WEB | 03-06-2014 |
20140063310 | SENSOR FOR CAPTURING A MOVING MATERIAL WEB | 03-06-2014 |
20140078369 | IMAGE SENSOR, IMAGING DEVICE, IMAGING METHOD AND INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS - There is provided an image sensor including a plurality of sensors for autofocus. The sensors are divided into a plurality of groups. Clock signals for drive in different timings for each group are supplied to the sensors. | 03-20-2014 |
20140085523 | BACK SIDE ILLUMINATED GLOBAL SHUTTER IMAGE SENSORS WITH BACK SIDE CHARGE STORAGE - A back side illuminated image sensor may be provided with an array of image sensor pixels. Each pixel may include a substrate having a front surface and a back surface. The pixels may have a charge storage region at the back surface and a charge readout node at the front surface of the substrate. The pixels may receive light at the back surface. Photo-generated charge may be accumulated at the charge storage region during a charge integration cycle. Upon completion of the charge integration cycle, a transfer gate formed at the front surface may be pulsed high to move the charge from the charge storage region to the charge readout node using a global shutter algorithm. The pixels may include two reset transistors that are coupled to column feedback amplifier circuitry for mitigating kTC-reset noise when the pixels are operated in a global shutter mode. | 03-27-2014 |
20140118594 | IMAGING DEVICE AND PROTECTION DEVICE OF SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - Protection of a solid-state imaging device is disclosed. One example of a protection unit includes a capacitor connected between an output terminal of a shutter drive pulse of a pulse drive unit and a substrate voltage terminal of a solid-state imaging device, a diode connected between a predetermined potential point and the substrate voltage terminal, and a clamp circuit configured from a resistor element connected between the substrate voltage terminal and a reference potential point. An anode end of the diode is connected to the predetermined potential point to which a potential corresponding to a rated voltage of the substrate voltage terminal is applied. | 05-01-2014 |
20140139716 | IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE SENSING APPARATUS - An image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels, and each pixel having: a plurality of photoelectric conversion units configured to receive light fluxes that pass through different exit pupil regions of an optical system disposed on an object side of the image sensor and accumulate charges, respectively; a separation portion configured to separate the photoelectric conversion units; and setting means configured to selectively set an electric potential of the separation portion to any one of a plurality of electric potentials. Signals can be separately read out from the photoelectric conversion units. Taking an electric potential of a separation portion that separates the plurality of pixels as a reference potential, the plurality of electric potentials include first to third electric potentials; higher than the reference potential, lower than the reference potential, and higher than the reference potential and lower than the first electric potential. | 05-22-2014 |
20140160335 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME - A method of manufacturing a solid-state image sensor, includes forming a first isolation region of a first conductivity type in a semiconductor layer having first and second surfaces, the forming the first isolation region including first implantation for implanting ions into the semiconductor layer through the first surface, forming charge accumulation regions of a second conductivity type in the semiconductor layer, performing first annealing, forming an interconnection on a side of the first surface of the semiconductor layer after the first annealing, and forming a second isolation region of the first conductivity type in the semiconductor layer, the forming the second isolation region including second implantation for implanting ions into the semiconductor layer through the second surface. The first and second isolation regions are arranged between the adjacent charge accumulation regions. | 06-12-2014 |
20140204259 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - The solid-state imaging device includes lower electrodes acting as pixel electrodes, an organic photoelectric conversion film formed on the lower electrodes and generating electric charge in response to received light, and a transparent upper electrode that are formed on a substrate having signal readout circuits. The organic photoelectric conversion film, a transition area having at least one of its film thickness and film quality undergone transition from a film thickness and film quality of an area corresponding to a pixel electrode area in which the lower electrodes have been formed is an area that starts from an outer edge of the organic photoelectric conversion film and ends at a point away from the outer edge by a distance of 200 μm or less. | 07-24-2014 |
20140211059 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE CAPTURE ELEMENT, IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE, AND FOCUS CONTROL METHOD - A solid-state image capture element includes a pixel, which receives light of one of a pair of light beams which pass through iris regions of different locations on a photographic lens, and a pixel which receives light of the other, in a pair of said pixels. The pair of pixels are positioned shifted from one another in a direction which intersects the x-axis which is the phase difference direction. The pair includes a plurality of first pairs and second pairs which respectively have mutually inverse location relations with respect to the pixels and the pixels therein. The first pair and the second pair are alternately positioned in either the phase difference detection direction or the direction which is orthogonal thereto. | 07-31-2014 |
20140211060 | SIGNAL PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SIGNAL PROCESSING METHOD, SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, ELECTRONIC INFORMATION DEVICE, SIGNAL PROCESSING PROGRAM, AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM - A signal processing apparatus | 07-31-2014 |
20140247382 | Random Access Addressing on Active Pixel Image Sensor - An active pixel image sensor comprises a pixel array of active pixels that are capable of being random access addressed to provide pixel readout signals from the addressed pixels on N output lines, where N is a plural integer and M ADC lanes capable of performing analog-to-digital conversion of pixel readout signals, where M is a plural integer less than N. A switching arrangement is capable of selectively connecting output lines to the M ADC lanes. A control unit provides random access addressing of the pixels, and in synchronisation therewith controls the switching arrangement to connect the output lines on which the addressed pixels provide pixel readout signals to ADC lanes. | 09-04-2014 |
20140320720 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND CAMERA - A solid-state image sensor has a pixel array and a processor configured to process a signal from the pixel array, the pixel array including a light-receiving pixel having first and second photoelectric converters and a light-shielded pixel having third and fourth photoelectric converters. The processor outputs (a) a pixel signal corresponding to charges of the first photoelectric converter, (b) an added pixel signal corresponding to a sum of charges of the first photoelectric converter and charges of the second photoelectric converter, and (c) an added reference signal corresponding to a sum of charges of the third photoelectric converter and charges of the fourth photoelectric converter, and does not output (d) a reference signal corresponding to charges of the third photoelectric converter and a reference signal corresponding to charges of the fourth photoelectric converter. | 10-30-2014 |
20140354867 | LINEAR LIGHT SOURCE APPARATUS AND IMAGE READING APPARATUS - A linear light source apparatus is provided, being configured to convert light emitted from one light emitting element to light extended linearly, and output thus converted light. There is a lens that diffuses light flux within a predetermined region including the optical axis of the light emitting element, out of the light incident from the light emitting element, at a predetermined diffusion angle in the second direction (x-direction). The light is made to converge with respect to the first direction (y-direction). This converts the light from one light emitting element to light extended linearly and outputs the converted light. As for the second direction (x-direction), it is possible to make the light flux sparse in the predetermined region, and in the region outside thereof, the light flux is rendered to be dense. Therefore, a distribution of light quantity in the longitudinal direction (x-direction) is implemented by controlling the light flux density, upon employing the linear light source apparatus as a light source of the image reading apparatus. | 12-04-2014 |
20140368715 | Turbulence-free camera system and related method of image enhancement - A turbulence-free CCD camera system with nonclassical imaging resolution, for applications in long- distance imaging, such as satellite and aircraft-to-ground based distant imaging, utilizing an intensity- fluctuation correlation measurement of thermal light. The proposed camera system has the following advantages over classic imaging technology: (1) it is turbulence-free; (2) its spatial resolution is mainly determined by the angular diameter of the light source. For example, using sun as the light source, this camera may achieve a spatial resolution of 200 micrometer for any object on Earth. 200-micrometer resolution is insignificant for short distance imaging, however, taking a picture of a target at 10-kilometer, a classic camera must have a lens of 90-meter diameter in order to achieve 200-micrometer resolution. Unlike a classic camera, the proposed turbulence-free CCD camera system has adequate spatial resolution zoom a long distance and still distinguish the objects within a small area, even with a small lens. | 12-18-2014 |
20150015760 | IMAGING UNIT, IMAGING APPARATUS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM STORING THEREON AN IMAGING CONTROL PROGRAM - When the amplification ratio is low and strong incident light causes a large charge, the signal retrieved from regions where the incident light is weak is also weak, but when the amplification ratio is high in regions where the incident light is weak, the signal retrieved from regions where the incident light is strong becomes saturated. Therefore, the dynamic range of the imaging unit is narrow. Provided is an imaging unit comprising an imaging section that includes a first group having one or more pixels and a second group having one or more pixels different from those of the first group; and a control section that, while a single charge accumulation is performed in the first group, causes pixel signals to be output by performing charge accumulation in the second group a number of times differing from a number of times charge accumulation is performed in the first group. | 01-15-2015 |
20150029377 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD FOR THE SAME, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array unit, a pixel drive unit, and a signal processing unit. The pixel array unit includes first pixels and second pixels, the first pixels corresponding to respective color components of a plurality of color components, the second pixels having luminance components as main components, the first pixels and the second pixels being arranged regularly in a matrix. The pixel drive unit is configured to drive the pixels arranged in the pixel array unit. The signal processing unit is configured to execute predetermined weighted addition processing and calculate a pixel value of an output image by using only pixel information acquired from the first pixels. | 01-29-2015 |
20150042859 | 20987 - A method of operating an image sensor includes generating a plurality of ramping up/down signals, and comparing a correlated double sampled pixel signal produced from an output of a pixel with a correlated double sampled first ramping up/down signal among the plurality of ramping up/down signals in a reset interval. The method further includes comparing the correlated double sampled pixel signal with the correlated double sampled first ramping up/down signal at one sampling time or more in an image interval, and a step of outputting a selected ramping up/down signal among the plurality of ramping up/down signals based on a result of the comparison. | 02-12-2015 |
20150070556 | SOLID STATE IMAGE SENSOR, PRODUCTION METHOD THEREOF AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A solid state image sensor includes a semiconductor substrate where photoelectric conversion regions for converting light into charges are arranged per pixel planarly arranged; an organic photoelectric conversion film laminated at a light irradiated side of the semiconductor substrate via an insulation film and formed at the regions where the pixels are formed; a lower electrode formed at and in contact with the organic photoelectric conversion film at a semiconductor substrate side; a first upper electrode laminated at a light irradiated side of the organic photoelectric conversion film and formed such that ends of the first upper electrode are substantially conform with ends of the organic photoelectric conversion film when the solid state image sensor is planarly viewed; and a film stress suppressor for suppressing an effect of a film stress on the organic photoelectric conversion film, the film stress being generated on the first upper electrode. | 03-12-2015 |
20150077614 | ROTATE-PAN-TILT CAMERA FOR VIDEOIMAGING, VIDEOCONFERENCING, PRODUCTION AND RECORDING - The present invention is a videoimaging system with boom-mounted pan-tilt-zoom video camera in which the camera core is mounted on a remotely-controlled rotate-pan-tilt mount for three-axis rotation about three mutually orthogonal axes, a vertical yaw axis, a horizontal roll axis, and a horizontal pitch axis, all three axes intersecting at a common point. Rotation of the camera core about the yaw axis varies the azimuth (compass bearing) of the pointing direction of the camera, rotation about the roll axis varies the angular orientation of the field of view, and rotation about the pitch axis varies the altitude (angle of elevation) of the pointing direction. The camera and lighting unit disclosed herein provides a remote control zoom and improved pan-tilt mechanism for videoimaging, videoconferencing, production, lighting and recording. | 03-19-2015 |
20150116567 | MULTIPLE CHANNEL MATCHING METHOD - A method for matching one or more channels to a reference channel in a multiple-channel detector having a digital output, the method including: receiving an analog-to-digital unit (ADU) input value from the multiple-channel detector for each channel; and replacing the ADU input value by an output value corresponding to each channel from a look up table (LUT); wherein the LUT is created by taking a relative intensity ratio of signals from each channel compared to the reference channel over a range of voltage values; calculating a signal value on the detector that generates a specific ADU value across the entire ADU range of the detector; interpolating the relative intensity ratios to obtain ratios corresponding to the calculated signal values for each channel; and dividing the each of the specific ADU value by the corresponding interpolated ratio to obtain the corresponding output value for each channel. | 04-30-2015 |
20150130978 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND IMAGE SENSING SYSTEM - A solid-state image sensor has a plurality of pixels including at least a first pixel configured to detect light in a first wavelength range and a second pixel configured to detect light in a second wavelength range, the second wavelength range including a wavelength range on a longer-wavelength side than the first wavelength range. The sensor includes a control portion configured to supply a control signal to the first and second pixels such that a charge accumulation period of the first pixel is different from a charge accumulation period of the second pixel. | 05-14-2015 |
20150146068 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND IMAGING APPARATUS - The present technique relates to a solid-state imaging device and an imaging apparatus that enable provision of a solid-state imaging device having superior color separation and high sensitivity. | 05-28-2015 |
20150309286 | IMAGE CAPTURING OPTICAL LENS ASSEMBLY, IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE AND MOBILE TERMINAL - An image capturing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has negative refractive power. The third lens element has refractive power. The forth lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave or planar in a paraxial region thereof. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has an object-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. | 10-29-2015 |
20150319389 | PHOTOGRAPHING OPTICAL LENS ASSEMBLY, IMAGE CAPTURING UNIT AND MOBILE DEVICE - A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from object side to image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has positive refractive power. The third and fourth lens elements have refractive power. The fifth lens element with negative refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. An object-side surface and the image-side surface of the fifth lens element are aspheric. The sixth lens element with refractive power has an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof. When specific conditions are satisfied, it is easier to miniaturize the photographing optical lens assembly and achieve better image quality in a limited space. | 11-05-2015 |
20150331163 | IMAGE CAPTURING ELEMENT AND IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS - [Object] To provide an image capturing element and an image capturing apparatus in which an image capturing optical system can be thinned without degrading image capturing properties. | 11-19-2015 |
20150356371 | DETECTING CAMERA CONDITIONS TO INITIATE CAMERA MAINTENANCE - Generally discussed herein are techniques, software, apparatuses, and systems configured for detecting an anomaly in a camera. In one or more embodiments a method can include: (1) determining a first property of a reference image, (2) determining a second property of a second image captured after the first image, wherein the second property is the same property as the first property, (3) comparing the first property to the second property, (4) determining a lens condition, a protective cover condition, an image sensor condition, a focus, or a field of view of the camera has changed since the first time in response to determining the first property is substantially different from the second property, or (5) sending an alert indicating that the lens condition, the protective cover condition, the image sensor condition, the focus, or the field of view of the camera has changed. | 12-10-2015 |
20160006963 | IMAGE CAPTURING MODULE FOR INCREASING ASSEMBLY FLATNESS AND SHORTENING FOCUSING TIME AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME - An image capturing module includes an image sensing unit, a housing frame, an actuator structure and a reflecting material. The image sensing unit includes an image sensing chip having a first horizontal top surface. The reflecting material is temporarily placed on the movable lens assembly of the actuator structure. The reflecting material has a second horizontal top surface. The distance from the laser light source to the first horizontal top surface is defined as a first horizontal distance, the distance from the laser light source to the second horizontal top surface is defined as a second horizontal distance, and a predetermined fixed focusing distance from the second horizontal top surface to the first horizontal top surface is obtained by subtracting the second horizontal distance from the first horizontal distance, for shortening the focusing time of the movable lens assembly relative to the image sensing chip. | 01-07-2016 |
20160006964 | IMAGE CAPTURING MODULE FOR INCREASING ASSEMBLY FLATNESS AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME - An image capturing module includes an image sensing unit, a housing frame, an actuator structure and a reflecting material. The image sensing unit includes a carrier substrate and an image sensing chip, and the image sensing chip has a first horizontal top surface on the top side thereof. The housing frame is disposed on the carrier substrate to surround the image sensing chip. The actuator structure includes a lens holder disposed on the housing frame and a movable lens assembly movably disposed inside the lens holder. The reflecting material is movably and temporarily placed on the movable lens assembly, and the reflecting material has a second horizontal top surface on the top side thereof. The first horizontal top surface and the second horizontal top surface are horizontal to each other, for increasing the assembly flatness of the movable lens assembly relative to the image sensing chip. | 01-07-2016 |
20160014360 | AREA SCAN INTERLINE TRANSFER CCD IMAGING DEVICE AND APPARATUS WITH TDI SCANNING MODE | 01-14-2016 |
20160041370 | Photographic Lens Optical System - A photographic lens optical system having low manufacturing costs and high performance. The system includes first through sixth lenses, which are sequentially arranged along a light proceeding path between an object and an image sensor where an image of the object is formed, wherein the first lens has positive refractive power and an incident surface convex towards the object, the second lens has positive refractive power and an incident surface convex towards the object, the third lens has negative refractive power and an emitting surface concave with respect to the image sensor, a fourth lens has positive refractive power and is a meniscus lens convex towards the image sensor, the fifth lens has negative refractive power and is a meniscus lens convex towards the image sensor, and the sixth lens has positive refractive power, wherein an incident surface and/or an emitting surface of the sixth lens is aspheric. | 02-11-2016 |
20160041371 | Photographic Lens Optical System - A photographic lens optical system having low manufacturing costs and high performance. A lens optical system includes first through fifth lenses, which are sequentially arranged along a light proceeding path between an object and an image sensor where an image of the object is formed, wherein the first lens has positive refractive power and an incident surface convex towards the object, the second lens has negative refractive power and an emitting surface concave with respect to the image sensor, a third lens has positive refractive power and is a meniscus lens convex towards the image sensor, the fourth lens has negative refractive power and is a meniscus lens convex towards the image sensor, and the fifth lens has negative refractive power, wherein at least one of an incident surface and an emitting surface of the fifth lens is aspheric. | 02-11-2016 |
20160044260 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE - A solid-state imaging device includes photoelectric converting sections transfer sections first buffer sections second buffer sections first output sections, and second output sections. The photoelectric converting sections generate electric charges in response to incidence of light. The transfer sections transfer the generated electric charges in a first direction or in a second direction opposite thereto in response to three-phase or four-phase drive signals. The first buffer sections and the second buffer sections acquire the electric charges transferred in the first and second directions, respectively, by the transfer sections and transfer the acquired electric charges in the first and second directions, respectively, in response to two-phase drive signals. The first output sections and the second output sections acquire the electric charges transferred from the first buffer sections and from the second buffer sections respectively, and output signals according to the acquired electric charges. | 02-11-2016 |
20160048004 | PHOTOGRAPHING OPTICAL LENS ASSEMBLY, IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE - A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element and a fifth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface. The second lens element with negative refractive power has a concave image-side surface. The third lens element with positive refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a convex image-side surface. The fourth lens element with refractive power has a convex object-side surface and a concave image-side surface, wherein the surfaces thereof are aspheric. The fifth lens element with refractive power has a convex object-side surface, and an image-side surface being concave in a paraxial region thereof and having at least one convex shape in an off-axial region thereof, wherein the surfaced thereof are aspheric. | 02-18-2016 |
20160050348 | IMAGE SCANNING AND OBJECT STORAGE - An enclosure that can be utilized with an image capture device for digitizing documents can include a bin having a platform panel, an aperture panel, and side support panels. The aperture panel comprises an aperture passing through it. Documents or objects may be gathered and/or stored within the bin. When a user desires to digitally capture the documents or objects, the user may turn the bin on its side so that the aperture panel is on top and the platform panel is on bottom, place a document on the platform with the document facing the aperture, place an image capture device on the aperture panel with the image capture sensor aligned with the aperture and therefore facing the document, and capture an image of the document. | 02-18-2016 |
20160050379 | Curved Light Sensor - An optical system can include a curved light sensor and an optical system positioned in front of the curved light sensor. The curved light sensor includes a substrate and a patterned stress film formed over at least surface of the substrate. | 02-18-2016 |
20160064429 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE SENSOR AND CAMERA - A solid-state image sensor is provided. The sensor includes a semiconductor region having a first conductivity type, and a charge accumulation portion having a second conductivity type. The semiconductor region includes a first semiconductor region, and a second semiconductor region formed below the first semiconductor region and having an impurity concentration higher than that of the first semiconductor region. The charge accumulation portion has a side and a bottom covered with the semiconductor region, and includes at least three regions arranged along a depth direction. A first region formed in a shallowest position has a width larger than that of each of the at least three regions. An impurity concentration of a second region formed in a deepest position is higher than that of each region between the first and second region of the at least three regions. | 03-03-2016 |
20160112663 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING APPARATUS, DRIVING METHOD THEREFOR, AND IMAGING SYSTEM - A solid-state imaging apparatus comprises a pixel unit including G-pixels | 04-21-2016 |
20160173798 | IMAGE SENSING SYSTEM | 06-16-2016 |
20160182785 | PORTABLE DEVICE, COMMUNICATION SYSTEM, COMMUNICATION CONNECTION METHOD, AND COMPUTER-READABLE RECORDING MEDIUM | 06-23-2016 |
20160198111 | IMAGE CAPTURING APPARATUS AND CONTROL METHOD THEREOF | 07-07-2016 |