Photo voltaic image sensor to supress black solar

An image sensor including a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix, the image sensor comprising:

• a vertical scan circuit configured to sequentially control operation of the plurality of pixels row by row;
• and
• an analog-to-digital converter configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion by receiving readout signals for each column from the plurality of pixels, wherein
• each of the pixels includes:
• a photodiode configured to generate an output voltage corresponding to a light incident amount;
• a reset transistor configured to reset the photodiode by supplying a reset voltage to the photodiode;
• a peak hold transistor that includes a control end connected to the photodiode and the reset transistor, and is configured to allow a current corresponding to the output voltage of the photodiode or the reset voltage to flow through the peak hold transistor;
• and
• a first capacitor and a second capacitor each configured to hold the current supplied from the peak hold transistor,
• each of the pixels includes, as operation modes:
• a first mode in which the output voltage of the photodiode immediately after the reset transistor is turned on to reset the photodiode is held in the first capacitor, and the output voltage of the photodiode after the photodiode is reset and a predetermined signal integration period ends is held in the second capacitor;
• and
• a second mode in which the output voltage of the photodiode in a state where the reset transistor is turned on to reset the photodiode is held in the first capacitor or the second capacitor,
• in the first mode, an image signal corresponding to the light incident amount of the photodiode and a noise signal when the light incident amount is relatively low are obtained,
• in the second mode, a noise signal when the light incident amount of the photodiode is relatively high is obtained, and
• the analog-to-digital converter removes the noise signal to obtain the image signal based on the signals supplied from the respective pixels of one row.

An image sensor including a plurality of pixels, wherein

• each of the pixels includes:
• a photodiode configured to generate an output voltage corresponding to a light incident amount;
• a reset transistor configured to reset the photodiode by supplying a reset voltage to the photodiode;
• a peak hold transistor that includes a control end connected to the photodiode and the reset transistor, and is configured to allow a current corresponding to the output voltage of the photodiode or the reset voltage to flow through the peak hold transistor;
• and
• a first capacitor and a second capacitor each configured to hold the current supplied from the peak hold transistor,
• each of the pixels includes, as operation modes:
• a first mode in which the output voltage of the photodiode immediately after the reset transistor is turned on to reset the photodiode is held in the first capacitor, and the output voltage of the photodiode after the photodiode is reset and a predetermined signal integration period ends is held in the second capacitor;
• a third mode in which the output voltage of the photodiode in a state where the reset transistor is turned on to reset the photodiode is held in the second capacitor;
• and
• a fourth mode in which, during a period between the first mode and the third mode, charges accumulated in the first capacitor are refreshed into a predetermined value, and the output voltage of the photodiode is then held in the first capacitor,
• in the first mode, an image signal when the light incident amount of the photodiode is high and a noise signal when the light incident amount is relatively low are obtained,
• in the third mode, a noise signal when the light incident amount of the photodiode is relatively high is obtained, and
• in the fourth mode, an image signal when the light incident amount of the photodiode is low is obtained.