# US 10,122,948 B2 · Solid-state image pickup element and image pickup apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,122,948 B2 - Document ID: US10122948B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/381,840 - Filed: 2016-12-16 - Published: 2017-06-29 - Granted: 2018-11-06 - Earliest claimed: 2015-12-28 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Satoshi Suzuki - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10122948B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/587: acquired sequentially, e.g. using the combination of odd and even image fields - H04N 25/534: depending on the spectral component - H04N 25/70: SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith - H04N 25/767: Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H04N 25/79: Arrangements of circuitry being divided between different or multiple substrates, chips or circuit boards, e.g. stacked image sensors - H10F 39/18: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor [CMOS] image sensors; Photodiode array image sensors - H10F 39/809: {of hybrid image sensors} - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION ## Abstract A solid-state image pickup element includes an image signal combining part configured to combine a first image signal read from a pixel portion at a first timing, and a second image signal read from the pixel portion at a second timing, which is different from the first timing, to generate a third image signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid-state image pickup element, comprising: a pixel portion in which a plurality of pixels are arranged; and at least one processor, included in the solid-state image pickup element, programmed to function as: an image signal combining part which combines a first image signal read from the pixel portion at a first timing, and a second image signal read from the pixel portion at a second timing, which is different from the first timing, to generate a third image signal; a signal level analysis part which analyzes a signal level of the first image signal; a memory which stores the first image signal; and a controller which controls the signal, level of the first image signal and a signal level of the second image signal to be different from each other based on a result of the analysis of the first image signal by the signal level analysis part, wherein the image signal combining part generates the third image signal by combining the second image signal read from the pixel portion with the first image signal stored in the memory, and wherein the third image signal has a ratio between a minimum expressible luminance and a maximum expressible luminance that is larger than that of the first image signal and that of the second image signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, further comprising an analog-to-digital converter which performs analog-to-digital conversion on a signal from the pixel, wherein the first image signal and the second image signal are digital image signals after being subjected to the analog-to-digital conversion by the analog-to-digital converter. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines an area including the pixel having the signal level that is one of a predetermined level or more and the predetermined level or less in the first image signal, as a reading area in which the pixel is read in a case where the second image signal is acquired. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, further comprising: a first substrate; and a second substrate arranged on the first substrate, wherein the image signal combining part is arranged on the first substrate, and the pixel portion is arranged on the second substrate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the signal level of the second image signal based on the result of the analysis by the signal level analysis part. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the controller determines the pixels to be read when the second image signal is acquired based on the result of the analysis of the first image signal by the signal level analysis part. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the image signal combining part generates the third image signal by combining image signals acquired at three or more different timings. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of substrates stacked on each other, wherein the image signal combining part is arranged on a substrate different from a substrate on which the pixel portion is arranged. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the signal levels of the first image signal and the second image signal to differ by making at least one of accumulation time, exposure time and an amplification factor different. ### Claim 10 An image pickup apparatus, comprising: a solid-state image pickup element, including: a pixel portion in which a plurality of pixels are arranged; and at, least one processor, included in the solid-state image pickup element, programmed to function as: an image signal combining part which combines a first image signal read from the pixel portion at a first timing, and a second image signal read from the pixel portion at a second timing, which is different from the first timing, to generate a third image signal; a signal level analysis part which analyzes a signal level of the first image signal; and a memory which stores the first image signal; a controller which controls the signal level of the first imago signal and a signal level of the second image signal to be different from each other based on a result of the analysis of the first image signal by the signal level analysis part; and a display which displays an image taken by the solid-state image pickup element, wherein the image signal combining part generates the third image signal by combining the second image signal read from the pixel portion with the first image signal stored in the memory, and wherein the third image signal has a ratio between a minimum expressible luminance and a maximum expressible luminance that is larger than that of the first image signal and that of the second image signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the third image signal has a dynamic range of an object to be photographed wider than that of the first image signal or the second image signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The solid-state image pickup element according to claim 1, wherein the image signal combining part generates the third image signal by combining image signals acquired at two different timings.