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US 11,122,231 B2Granted
Image sensor and control method thereof, image capturing apparatus, and image processing apparatus
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorNorio Negishi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor comprises: a plurality of pixels each having an avalanche photodiode; and a control unit that controls, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage.
Claims12
An image sensor comprising:
- a plurality of pixels each including an avalanche photodiode;
- and
- a control unit that controls, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage,
- wherein the control unit includes a plurality of logic circuits, each having a plurality of input terminals, that have different configurations from each other and correspond to the plurality of pixel groups, respectively, wherein the plurality of logic circuits output different output signals with respect to a same combination of signals input to the plurality of input terminals as control signals for controlling the reverse bias voltage, and
- wherein the control unit is implemented by (a) one or more processors, (b) circuitry, or (c) a combination thereof.
2 more elements
An image capturing apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor comprising:
- (1) a plurality of pixels each including an avalanche photodiode;
- and (2) a control unit that controls, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage, and wherein the control unit includes a plurality of logic circuits, each having a plurality of input terminals, that have different configurations from each other and correspond to the plurality of pixel groups, respectively, wherein the plurality of logic circuits output different output signals with respect to a same combination of signals input to the plurality of input terminals as control signals for controlling the reverse bias voltage, and
- a unit that supplies the signals to be input to the plurality of input terminals of each of the plurality of logic circuits,
- wherein each unit is implemented by (a) one or more processors, (b) circuitry, or (c) a combination thereof.
2 more elements
An image processing apparatus comprising:
- an image sensor comprising:
- (1) a plurality of pixels each including an avalanche photodiode;
- (2) a control unit that controls, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage, wherein the control unit includes a plurality of logic circuits, each having a plurality of input terminals, that have different configurations from each other and correspond to the plurality of pixel groups, respectively, wherein the plurality of logic circuits output different output signals with respect to a same combination of signals input to the plurality of input terminals as control signals for controlling the reverse bias voltage;
- and
- (3) counters that (a) count numbers of pulse signals generated based on output of the avalanche photodiodes and (b) output count values;
- and
- a processing unit that processes the count values output from the image sensor and generates image data,
- wherein each unit is implemented by (a) one or more processors, (b) circuitry, or (c) a combination thereof.
5 more elements
A control method of controlling an image sensor that comprises a plurality of pixels each including an avalanche photodiode, the method comprising:
- controlling, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage,
- wherein the controlling uses a plurality of logic circuits, each having a plurality of input terminals, that have different configurations from each other and correspond to the plurality of pixel groups, respectively, wherein the plurality of logic circuits output different output signals with respect to a same combination of signals input to the plurality of input terminals as control signals for controlling the reverse bias voltage.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, the storage medium storing a program that is executable by the computer, wherein the program includes program code for causing the computer to perform a control method of controlling an image sensor that comprises a plurality of pixels each including an avalanche photodiode, the method comprising:
- controlling, for each of a plurality of pixel groups which are obtained by dividing the plurality of pixels, to supply either of a first voltage and a second voltage as a reverse bias voltage of the avalanche photodiodes, wherein the first voltage is greater than a breakdown voltage of the avalanche photodiodes and the second voltage is smaller than the breakdown voltage,
- wherein the controlling uses a plurality of logic circuits, each having a plurality of input terminals, that have different configurations from each other and correspond to the plurality of pixel groups, respectively, wherein the plurality of logic circuits output different output signals with respect to a same combination of signals input to the plurality of input terminals as control signals for controlling the reverse bias voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.