Solid-state imaging device, imaging system, and movable object
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsShoji Kono, Tetsuya Itano, Yasushi Iwakura
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel that outputs a pixel signal of an analog signal, a readout unit that converts the pixel signal into a digital signal to generate a digital pixel signal, a memory unit that stores the digital pixel signal, and a first inspection signal output unit that outputs a first inspection signal to the memory unit such that the memory unit stores the first inspection signal. The first inspection signal stored in the memory unit is output from the memory unit in a period after output of the digital pixel signal of a frame ends and before output of the digital pixel signal of a next frame starts.
Claims36
A solid-state imaging device comprising:
- a pixel that outputs a pixel signal of an analog signal;
- a readout unit that converts the pixel signal into a digital signal to generate a digital pixel signal;
- a memory unit that stores the digital pixel signal;
- and
- a first inspection signal output unit that outputs a first inspection signal to the memory unit such that the memory unit stores the first inspection signal, and outputs an initializing signal corresponding to an initial value of the memory unit when the pixel signal is converted to the digital signal,
- wherein the first inspection signal stored in the memory unit is output from the memory unit in a period after output of the digital pixel signal of a frame ends and before output of the digital pixel signal of a next frame starts.
A solid-state imaging device comprising:
- a plurality of pixels arranged to form a matrix including a plurality of columns and a plurality of rows;
- a plurality of memories provided correspondingly to the plurality of columns, wherein each of the plurality of memories holds, as a digital value, information based on a signal output from the pixel arranged on a corresponding column;
- an inspection information supply unit that supplies inspection information for failure inspection to the plurality of memories;
- and
- an output circuit that outputs information held by the plurality of memories,
- wherein the output circuit outputs information that is based on signals output from the plurality of pixels on a row-by-row basis,
- wherein the output circuit outputs the inspection information held in a part of the plurality of memories in a first period corresponding to an output period for one row and outputs the inspection information held in another part of the plurality of memories in a second period, which is different from the first period, corresponding to an output period for one row, and
- wherein each of the first period and the second period is a period between an output operation of pixel information for one row performed by the output circuit and an output operation of pixel information for another row performed by the output circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.