Voltage conversion circuit, solid-state imaging element, and method of controlling voltage conversion circuit
AssigneeSony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
InventorsYasunori Tsukuda, Kazutoshi Tomita
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Noise is reduced in a circuit that converts voltage. A voltage conversion circuit includes a conversion transistor, a current source transistor, and a control circuit. In this voltage conversion circuit, the conversion transistor converts a potential of an input signal, the potential being changed from one of two different potentials to the other, by using predetermined current, and outputs the converted signal as an output signal. Furthermore, the current source transistor supplies the predetermined current. Then, in a case where the potential of the input signal is changed to the other potential, the control circuit stops supplying the predetermined current.
Claims14
A voltage conversion circuit, comprising:
- a conversion transistor configured to:
- convert a potential of an input signal from a first potential to a second potential based on a specific current, wherein the second potential is different from the first potential;
- and
- output the converted input signal as an output signal;
- an enable control transistor configured to operate the conversion transistor based on reception of a specific enable signal;
- a current source transistor configured to supply the specific current to the conversion transistor;
- and
- a control circuit configured to stop supply of the specific current to the conversion transistor based on the conversion of the input signal from the first potential to the second potential.
A solid-state imaging element, comprising:
- a comparator configured to:
- compare a pixel signal with a reference signal;
- and
- generate an input signal having a potential changed from a first potential to a second potential based on a result of the comparison, wherein the second potential is different from the first potential;
- a conversion transistor configured to:
- convert the potential of the input signal based on a specific current;
- and
- output the converted input signal as an output signal;
- a current source transistor configured to supply the specific current over a period until a stop signal is received;
- and
- a control circuit configured to stop supply of the specific current to the conversion transistor based on the conversion of the input signal from the first potential to the second potential.
A method of controlling a voltage conversion circuit, comprising:
- converting, by a conversion transistor, a potential of an input signal from a first potential to a second potential based on a specific current, wherein the second potential is different from the first potential;
- outputting, by the conversion transistor, the converted input signal as an output signal;
- operating, by an enable control transistor, the conversion transistor based on reception of a specific enable signal;
- supplying, by a current source transistor, the specific current to the conversion transistor;
- and
- stopping, by a control circuit, supply of the specific current to the conversion transistor based on the conversion of the input signal from the first potential to the second potential.
A voltage conversion circuit, comprising:
- a conversion transistor configured to:
- convert a potential of an input signal from a first potential to a second potential based on a specific current, wherein the second potential is different from the first potential;
- and
- output the converted input signal as an output signal;
- a current source transistor configured to supply the specific current to the conversion transistor in an initial state;
- and
- a control circuit configured to:
- stop supply of the specific current to the conversion transistor based on the conversion of the input signal from the first potential to the second potential;
- and
- shift the current source transistor to the initial state based on reception of a specific reset signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.