| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 348312000 | With timing pulse generator | 22 |
| 20080252767 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, METHOD OF DRIVING SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND CAMERA - A solid-state imaging device including: an analog-digital converter unit in column parallel arrangement, the analog-digital converter unit having a plurality of pixels arranged to convert an incident light quantity to an electric signal, in which an analog signal obtained from the pixel is converted into a digital signal, wherein the analog-digital converter unit is configured of: a comparator operable to compare a value of a column signal line from which an analog signal obtained by the pixel is outputted with a value of a reference line, and a counter operable to measure a time period by the time when comparison done by the comparator is finished and to store the comparison result, wherein the solid-state imaging device further includes: a module for controlling an output of the comparator operable to control the output of the comparator depending on the output of the comparator. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20080252768 | DIGITAL CAMERA USING A FOCAL-PLANE SHUTTER - A digital camera includes an image pickup device; a focal plane shutter including a shutter leading curtain and a shutter trailing curtain; a timer for measuring exposure time; a shutter controller which commences measurement of an exposure time when the shutter leading curtain starts traveling, and drives the shutter trailing curtain upon completing the exposure time measurement; and a charge readout controller which reads out electric charges accumulated by the image pickup device during the exposure time at least twice, first before the shutter trailing curtain commences traveling upon the shutter leading curtain commencing traveling and second upon the shutter trailing curtain commencing traveling. The charge readout controller carries out the electric charge readout, before the shutter trailing curtain commences traveling, at a scanning speed in synchronization with a travel speed of the shutter leading curtain in a same direction of the traveling shutter leading curtain. | 10-16-2008 |
| 20090002539 | PIXEL TO PIXEL CHARGE COPIER CIRCUIT APPARATUS, SYSTEMS, AND METHODS - Methods, apparatus and systems may operate to copy pixel charge, compensating for image subject shift within in an imaging array during exposure time of an imaging device. Activities may include transferring charge from one or more source pixels to one or more buffer pixels within the same pixel array, and copying the charge to destination pixels within the same pixel array prior to an end of the image integration time. Charge transfer may include transfer of charge from more than one array on a single die. Additional activities may include transferring charge from one or more source pixels to one or more destination pixels multiple times prior to the end of the image integration time. | 01-01-2009 |
| 20090009646 | Configurable timing generator - In one embodiment, a configurable timing generator outputs at least one timing signal. The configurable timing generator comprises a first timing generator configurable to output the at least one timing signal so that the at least one timing signal is adaptable to a plurality of applications. In one embodiment, a configurable parameter storage unit comprising a parameter storage area configurable so as to store a plurality of parameters at least partially defining a desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements, where the desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements enable the definition of a waveform. In one embodiment, a method of constructing a waveform for a configurable timing generator, the method comprising acts of constructing a first pattern waveform, where the first pattern waveform comprises a first basic pulse, and constructing a first sequence waveform, where the first sequence waveform comprises a plurality of repetitions of the first pattern waveform. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090009647 | Configurable timing generator - In one embodiment, a configurable timing generator outputs at least one timing signal. The configurable timing generator comprises a first timing generator configurable to output the at least one timing signal so that the at least one timing signal is adaptable to a plurality of applications. In one embodiment, a configurable parameter storage unit comprising a parameter storage area configurable so as to store a plurality of parameters at least partially defining a desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements, where the desired plurality of waveform hierarchy elements enable the definition of a waveform. In one embodiment, a method of constructing a waveform for a configurable timing generator, the method comprising acts of constructing a first pattern waveform, where the first pattern waveform comprises a first basic pulse, and constructing a first sequence waveform, where the first sequence waveform comprises a plurality of repetitions of the first pattern waveform. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090096906 | CLOCK SIGNAL GENERATION CIRCUIT, DISPLAY PANEL MODULE, IMAGE SENSOR APPARATUS, AND ELECTRONIC APPARATUS - A clock signal generation circuit of a delay locked loop type includes a delay line configured to delay a first clock signal to generate a second clock signal; a delay amount controller configured to change the amount of delay in the delay line in such a manner that a phase of the second clock signal is in synchronization with a phase of the first clock signal; a pseudo-lock detection section configured to detect a pseudo-locked state of the first clock signal and the second clock signal; and a pseudo-locked state release section configured to change the amount of delay in the delay line in a case that the pseudo-locked state is detected. | 04-16-2009 |
| 20090160993 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, DRIVING METHOD THEREOF, AND CAMERA - An objective of the present invention is to provide the solid-state imaging device and the driving method thereof which can control: a poor picture quality, such as blooming, to maximize a dynamic range of the photodiode; and a poor picture quality resulted from an incomplete read-out operation. A solid-state imaging device in the present invention includes: a solid-state imaging element; and a driving pulse controlling unit applying a driving pulse to each of read-out gates of a column CCD. The driving pulse controlling unit transfers in a column direction signal charge within a charge transfer region of the column CCD by applying a column transfer clock having a LOW level voltage and a MIDDLE level voltage, and the LOW level voltage and the MIDDLE level voltage are minus voltages. | 06-25-2009 |
| 20090213261 | TIMING GENERATOR AND IMAGE SCANNING APPARATUS - A clock output from a quartz oscillator is input to a timing generator via a spread spectrum clock generator that spreads the spectrum of the clock. The clock is multiplexed by a phase locked loop to generate pixel clocks having the same frequency as a pixel frequency. The pixel clock is input to a delay locked loop, which generates a multi-layer clock by dividing each cycle of the pixel clock by 60. Clock generating units select a required phase from the multi-layer clock, thereby generating a timing signal. The phase, the pulse width, and the output period of the timing signal are controlled as desired by setting appropriate values to a register. | 08-27-2009 |
| 20090278971 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DRAINING RESIDUAL CHARGE FROM CHARGE-COUPLED DEVICE (CCD) SHIFT REGISTERS IN IMAGE SENSORS HAVING RESET DRAINS - One or more charge storage regions in a charge-coupled device (CCD) shift register can contain residual charge that did not transfer to a reset drain during a reset operation. An image sensor drains the residual charge from each charge storage region by shifting the residual charge to an adjacent charge storage region and resetting the CCD shift register one more time. The process of resetting the CCD shift register, shifting the residual non-image charge to an adjacent charge storage region, and resetting the CCD shift register again can be repeated any number of times. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090278972 | 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. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090303372 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING IMAGE SENSOR OUTPUT - An apparatus and method for controlling an image sensor output are discussed. When a certain number of valid pixels of an image sensor, such as a CCD, is selected, a corresponding timing parameter is calculated. Signal values output from charge wells respectively corresponding to unit cells of the image sensor are separated or merged and then output by using the calculated timing parameter. Therefore, an image of a user-defined number of valid pixels can be varied and output in various ways, and all electric charges that are photoelectrically converted by the maximum number of valid pixels of the image sensor can be efficiently used. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20100002120 | COMPARATOR, METHOD OF CALIBRATING COMPARATOR, SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE, AND CAMERA SYSTEM - A comparator includes: a signal input terminal; a capacitor connected between the signal input terminal and a signal line; and a switching transistor for calibration which is turned on/off to periodically charge the capacitor with a voltage difference between a signal voltage and an operating point of the comparator, wherein an on-resistance of the switching transistor which is turned on when performing the charging is dynamically controlled by a control pulse having a limited amplitude. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20100271529 | TRANSFER PULSE GENERATOR CIRCUIT AND IMAGE PICKUP APPARATUS - A transfer pulse generator circuit for outputting a vertical register transfer pulse includes transfer pulse control circuit for controlling to set rise and fall timings of the vertical register transfer pulse to desired timings in a predetermined period. | 10-28-2010 |
| 20110063488 | SENSOR DRIVING CIRCUIT, DRIVER DEVICE, IMAGE READING APPARATUS, AND IMAGE FORMING APPARATUS - There is provided a sensor driving circuit that includes: an image sensor that converts light reflected from an original to be read into electric signals; a driver circuit that drives the image sensor; and a timing generator circuit that outputs timing signals for use in control of the image sensor. The driver circuit includes a first inverting buffer circuit and a second inverting buffer circuit that are equivalent to each other and arranged in series connection of two stages with the first inverting buffer circuit at the first stage of the two stages. The timing signal output from the timing generator circuit has the same polarity as the polarity of an input signal fed to the image sensor. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110134299 | CCD-type solid-state imaging device, driving method for CCD-type solid-state imaging device, and imaging system - A CCD-type solid-state imaging device includes: light receiving devices arranged in vertical and horizontal directions; vertical transfer parts arranged along vertical rows of the arranged light receiving devices, reading out charge accumulated in the adjacent light receiving devices, and transferring the read out charge in the vertical direction; a horizontal transfer part supplied with the charge transferred in the vertical transfer parts and transferring the supplied charge in the horizontal direction; an output part outputting the charge transferred in the vertical transfer parts; an input terminal for readout and transfer clocks that command readout of the charge from the light receiving devices and transfer of the read out charge in the vertical transfer parts; a resistor connected between the input terminal and a clock supply part of the vertical transfer parts; and a switch part connected to the resistor in parallel and switching between the charge readout and the charge transfer in the vertical transfer parts. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110157448 | Image sensor, semiconductor device and image sensing method - An image sensor and an image sensing method can obtain image signals with a high S/N ratio in a high-speed image pickup operation. Signal charges are input to input transfer stage | 06-30-2011 |
| 20120081590 | LINEAR IMAGE SENSOR WITH MULTIPLE OUTPUTS - A Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) image sensor includes a linear array of photodetectors. The photodetectors in the linear array are arranged into distinct sub-arrays with each sub-array including two or more photodetectors. An output channel is connected to each sub-array of photodetectors. Each output channel includes a horizontal CCD shift register and an output structure connected to an end of the horizontal CCD shift register in a linear arrangement with respect to each other. Each successive output channel is disposed on an alternate side of the linear array. Every other output channel is disposed on an alternate side of the linear array. One or more dark reference pixels can be connected to one or more additional shift register elements in the horizontal CCD shift registers. | 04-05-2012 |
| 20120327283 | SOLID-STATE IMAGING DEVICE AND METHOD OF EVALUATING BLOOMING - An embodiment includes a pixel array unit in which pixels configured to accumulate charges generated by photoelectric conversion are arranged in matrix, a row scanning circuit that drives the pixels in units of a row, a charge injecting unit that injects charges into the pixels of a portion of the pixel array unit, and a timing control circuit that controls driving timing and charge injection timing of the pixels. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20130076956 | TIME-DELAY-AND-INTEGRATE IMAGE SENSORS HAVING VARIABLE INTERGRATION 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 |
| 20140211061 | SOLID-STATE IMAGE CAPTURE DEVICE AND DRIVE METHOD THEREFOR - A solid-state image capture device includes; a solid-state imaging element having output portions configured to output signals read from pixels; samplers provided for the respective output portions and configured to sample the signals output from the output portions of the solid-state imaging element; and a controller configured to vary, at the samplers, sampling timings at which the samplers sample the signals or to vary, at the output portions, output characteristics with which the output portions output the signals read from the pixels. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20150124142 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus and a method of driving the same that can generate a digital data of a high resolution pixel signal are provided. The imaging apparatus includes: a pixel ( | 05-07-2015 |
| 20160065877 | IMAGING APPARATUS AND METHOD OF DRIVING THE SAME - An imaging apparatus and a method of driving the same that can generate a digital data of a high resolution pixel signal are provided. The imaging apparatus includes: a pixel ( | 03-03-2016 |
