# US 11,910,116 B2 · Photoelectric conversion device, photoelectric conversion system, and moving body > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,910,116 B2 - Document ID: US11910116B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/690,236 - Filed: 2022-03-09 - Published: 2022-09-22 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2021-03-18 - Assignees: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Applicants: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha - Inventors: Hideo Kobayashi; Daisuke Yoshida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11910116B2 ## CPC - H04N 25/709: Circuitry for control of the power supply - H04N 25/75: Circuitry for providing, modifying or processing image signals from the pixel array - H04N 25/00: Circuitry of solid-state image sensors [SSIS]; Control thereof - H04N 25/616: involving a correlated sampling function, e.g. correlated double sampling [CDS] or triple sampling - H04N 25/618: for random or high-frequency noise - H04N 25/766: comprising control or output lines used for a plurality of functions, e.g. for pixel output, driving, reset or power - H04N 25/772: comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters - H04N 25/778: comprising amplifiers shared between a plurality of pixels, i.e. at least one part of the amplifier must be on the sensor array itself - H04N 25/78: Readout circuits for addressed sensors, e.g. output amplifiers or A/D converters - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract A photoelectric conversion device includes a pixel array and a reading unit including a plurality of reading circuits each configured to read a signal from the pixel array. Each reading circuit includes a sample-and-hold unit including a first sample-and-hold circuit configured to hold a reset level output from the pixel array and a second sample-and-hold circuit configured to hold a photo signal level output from the pixel array. The plurality of reading circuits include first reading circuits forming a first group and second reading circuits forming a second group. At least some of the plurality of first reading circuits are controlled by a first control signal given via a first control line, and at least some of the plurality of second reading circuits are controlled by a second control signal given via a second control line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photoelectric conversion device comprising: a pixel array including a plurality of pixels arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and a reading unit including a plurality of reading circuits each configured to read a signal from the pixel array, wherein each of the plurality of reading circuits includes a sample-and-hold unit, the sample-and-hold unit including (1) a first sample-and-hold circuit configured to hold a reset level output from the pixel array and (2) a second sample-and-hold circuit configured to hold a photo signal level output from the pixel array, wherein the plurality of reading circuits include (1) a plurality of first reading circuits forming a first group and (2) a plurality of second reading circuits forming a second group, wherein at least some of the plurality of first reading circuits are controlled by a first control signal given via a first control line passing through the plurality of reading circuits, and wherein at least some of the plurality of second reading circuits are controlled by a second control signal given via a second control line passing through the plurality of reading circuits. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the photoelectric conversion device has a plurality of operation modes, and wherein the plurality of operation modes include modes in which an active period of the first control signal and an active period of the second control signal are different from each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, further comprising a generator circuit configured to generate the first control signal and the second control signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, further comprising a first pad and a second pad which are configured to receive the first control signal and the second control signal from the outside, respectively. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the first control signal is a signal for setting the plurality of first reading circuits in one of a plurality of states including a first state and a second state, wherein the second control signal is a signal for setting the plurality of second reading circuits in one of the plurality of states, and wherein the second state is a state in which power consumption is lower than in the first state. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of reading circuits further includes an AD converter configured to AD-convert a signal provided from the sample-and-hold unit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device according to claim 6, wherein the AD converter includes a delta-sigma AD converter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device according to claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of first reading circuits includes a potential fixing device configured to fix a potential of an input node of the delta-sigma AD converter in accordance with the first control signal, and wherein each of the plurality of second reading circuits includes a potential fixing device configured to fix a potential of an input node of the delta-sigma AD converter in accordance with the second control signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The device according to claim 6, wherein the reading unit includes a switching circuit configured to supply an output from each sample-and-hold unit to at least two AD converters. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit is configured to generate a signal corresponding to a signal of a pixel assigned with one of the plurality of first reading circuits and a signal of a pixel assigned with one of the plurality of second reading circuits. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit further includes: a first switch configured to electrically connect an output of the first sample-and-hold circuit of one of the plurality of first reading circuits and an output of the first sample-and-hold circuit of one of the plurality of second reading circuits; and a second switch configured to electrically connect an output of the second sample-and-hold circuit of one of the plurality of first reading circuits and an output of the second sample-and-hold circuit of one of the plurality of second reading circuits. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The device according to claim 11, wherein the sample-and-hold unit includes a resistive element configured to connect the output of the first sample-and-hold circuit and the output of the second sample-and-hold circuit. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the reading unit includes a circuit configured to average an output from one of the plurality of first reading circuits and an output from one of the plurality of second reading circuits. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, wherein the first sample-and-hold circuit includes a first capacitive element and a first amplifier, and wherein the second sample-and-hold circuit includes a second capacitive element and a second amplifier. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device according to claim 14, wherein the first capacitive element and the second capacitive element are arranged to be adjacent to each other. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The device according to claim 14, wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are arranged to be adjacent to each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The device according to claim 14, wherein the first capacitive element and the second capacitive element are arranged to be adjacent to each other, and wherein the first amplifier and the second amplifier are arranged to be adjacent to each other. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A photoelectric conversion system comprising: a photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1; and a signal processor configured to process a signal output from the photoelectric conversion device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A moving body comprising: a photoelectric conversion device according to claim 1; and a signal processor configured to process a signal output from the photoelectric conversion device. ### Claim 20 A substrate comprising: a reading unit including a plurality of reading circuits each configured to read a signal from a pixel array including a plurality of pixels, wherein each of the plurality of reading circuits includes a sample-and-hold unit, the sample-and-hold unit including (1) a first sample-and-hold circuit configured to hold a reset level output from the pixel array and (2) a second sample-and-hold circuit configured to hold a photo signal level output from the pixel array, wherein the plurality of reading circuits include (1) a plurality of first reading circuits forming a first group and (2) a plurality of second reading circuits forming a second group, wherein at least some of the plurality of first reading circuits are controlled by a first control signal given via a first control line passing through the plurality of reading circuits, and wherein at least some of the plurality of second reading circuits are controlled by a second control signal given via a second control line passing through the plurality of reading circuits.