US 11,451,723 B2Granted

Image sensor and electronic camera

AssigneeNikon Corporation

InventorAtsushi Komai

Life of this patent

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Abstract

An image sensor, includes: a plurality of pixels arranged along a first direction, each of which includes a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light, and outputs a signal generated based upon the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit; a first signal line to which signals from one or more pixels among the plurality of pixels are output; a second signal line to which a signal from another pixel among the plurality of pixels is output; and an arithmetic unit that executes an arithmetic operation with a signal generated by combining the signals from the one or more pixels output to the first signal line and the signal output to the second signal line.

Claims19

Dependent claims

An image sensor, comprising:

a first pixel having a first photoelectric conversion unit, which generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light, and a first output unit that outputs a first signal generated based upon the electric charge generated in the first photoelectric conversion unit;
a second pixel having a second photoelectric conversion unit, which generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light, and a second output unit that outputs a second signal generated based upon the electric charge generated in the second photoelectric conversion unit;
a first signal line electrically connectable to the first output unit and the second output unit;
a second signal line electrically connectable to the first output unit and the second output unit;
and
an arithmetic unit that is electrically connectable to the first signal line and the second signal line and that performs an operation between the first signal and the second signal;
and
a control unit that performs a first control to read out the first signal and the second signal and performs a second control that causes the arithmetic unit to calculate and read out the first signal and the second signal.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/318,112Filed 12 May 2021 · continuation
Priority: JP JP2017-06319728 Mar 2017
Published: US 2021/0266475 A126 Aug 2021
Granted: 20 Sep 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification5 codes

H04N 25/46
Extracting pixel data from image sensors by controlling scanning circuits, e.g. by modifying the number of pixels sampled or to be sampled: by…
H04N 25/76
SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith: addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
H04N 25/77
Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors: pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components
H04N 25/78
Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors: readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters

Family

PCT/JP2018/012978Parent of this continuation · filed 28 Mar 2018
US 2021/0266475 A1Pre-grant publication · published 26 Aug 2021
Application16/498,688Parent of this continuation
US 11,039,093 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2020/0036917 A1Published application
US 11,451,723 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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