Driving controlling method for image sensing device, and imaging device

An imaging device including an interline transfer type solid-state image sensing device including:

• a light-receiving unit in which there is disposed in the form of a matrix a plurality of light-receiving elements each of which produces and stores a charge corresponding to the amount of light incident thereupon;
• vertical transfer units to transfer a charge read from each of the light-receiving elements in the light-receiving unit;
• and
• a horizontal transfer unit to output the charges transferred via the vertical transfer units,
• the interline transfer type solid-state image sensing device being adapted such that
• the charge stored in each of the plurality of light-receiving elements is read to the vertical transfer units synchronously with the timing of an external trigger signal,
• the charges read to the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a first transfer rate in response to a high-rate vertical transfer signal for a high-rate transfer period, and
• the charges in the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a second transfer rate slower than the first transfer rate in response to a normal-rate vertical transfer signal for a normal-rate transfer period following the high-rate transfer period, to thereby output the charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit for the normal-rate transfer period as valid ones from the horizontal transfer unit,
• the imaging device comprising:
• a parameter setting block to set an arbitrary horizontal extraction period in a horizontal sync period;
• a horizontal transfer signal generator to generate a first horizontal transfer signal and a second horizontal transfer signal whose rate is higher than that of the first horizontal transfer signal;
• a horizontal transfer signal switching means for switching the first horizontal transfer signal and second horizontal transfer signal which is to be transferred at a higher rate than the first horizontal transfer signal, supplied from the horizontal transfer signal generator, between the horizontal extraction period set by the parameter setting block and a period other than the horizontal extraction period;
• a horizontal sync signal generator to generate a first horizontal sync signal corresponding to the first horizontal transfer signal and a first horizontal blanking signal, and a second horizontal sync signal corresponding to the second horizontal transfer signal and a second horizontal blanking signal;
• a horizontal sync signal switching means for switching the first horizontal sync signal and horizontal blanking signal and the second horizontal sync signal and horizontal blanking signal, supplied from the horizontal sync signal generator, between the horizontal extraction period set by the parameter setting block and a period other than the horizontal extraction period;
• and
• a vertical sync signal generator to generate a vertical sync signal and vertical blanking signal by counting the horizontal sync signals supplied from the horizontal sync signal generator via the horizontal sync signal switching means,
• the imaging device controlling the interline transfer type solid-state image sensing device by
• making a selection between the first horizontal transfer signal and second horizontal transfer signal which is to be transferred at a higher rate than the first horizontal transfer signal while making a selection between the first horizontal sync signal corresponding to the first horizontal transfer signal and a first horizontal blanking signal and the second horizontal sync signal corresponding to the second horizontal transfer signal and a second horizontal blanking signal, to provide the first horizontal transfer signal, first horizontal sync signal corresponding to the first horizontal transfer signal and the second horizontal blanking signal for the horizontal extraction period while providing the second horizontal transfer signal and second horizontal sync signal corresponding to the second horizontal transfer signal, and second horizontal blanking signal for a period other than the horizontal extraction period, to thereby make high-rate transfer and sweep-away of valid ones, of all valid charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit, which correspond to a period other than the horizontal extraction period in response to the second horizontal transfer signal and extract the valid charges corresponding to the horizontal extraction period as a valid video signal from the horizontal transfer unit by a normal-rate transfer with the first horizontal transfer signal.

An imaging device including an interline transfer type solid-state image sensing device including:

• a light-receiving unit in which there is disposed in the form of a matrix a plurality of light-receiving elements each of which produces and stores a charge corresponding to the amount of light incident thereupon;
• vertical transfer units to transfer a charge read from each of the light-receiving elements in the light-receiving unit;
• and
• a horizontal transfer unit to output the charges transferred via the vertical transfer units,
• the interline transfer type solid-state image sensing device being adapted such that
• the charge stored in each of the plurality of light-receiving elements is read to the vertical transfer units synchronously with the timing of an external trigger signal,
• the charges read to the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a first transfer rate in response to a high-rate vertical transfer signal for a high-rate transfer period, and
• the charges in the vertical transfer units are vertically transferred at a second transfer rate slower than the first transfer rate in response to a normal-rate vertical transfer signal for a normal-rate transfer period following the high-rate transfer period, to thereby output the charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit for the normal-rate transfer period as valid ones from the horizontal transfer unit,
• the imaging device comprising:
• a parameter setting block to set an arbitrary horizontal extraction period in a horizontal sync period;
• a horizontal transfer signal generator to generate a first horizontal transfer signal and a second horizontal transfer signal whose rate is higher than that of the first horizontal transfer signal;
• a horizontal transfer signal switch for switching the first horizontal transfer signal and second horizontal transfer signal which is to be transferred at a higher rate than the first horizontal transfer signal, supplied from the horizontal transfer signal generator, between the horizontal extraction period set by the parameter setting block and a period other than the horizontal extraction period;
• a horizontal sync signal generator to generate a first horizontal sync signal corresponding to the first horizontal transfer signal and a first horizontal blanking signal, and a second horizontal sync signal corresponding to the second horizontal transfer signal and a second horizontal blanking signal;
• a horizontal sync signal switch for switching the first horizontal sync signal and horizontal blanking signal and the second horizontal sync signal and horizontal blanking signal, supplied from the horizontal sync signal generator, between the horizontal extraction period set by the parameter setting block and a period other than the horizontal extraction period;
• and
• a vertical sync signal generator to generate a vertical sync signal and vertical blanking signal by counting the horizontal sync signals supplied from the horizontal sync signal generator via the horizontal sync signal switch,
• the imaging device controlling the interline transfer type solid-state image sensing device by
• making a selection between the first horizontal transfer signal and second horizontal transfer signal which is to be transferred at a higher rate than the first horizontal transfer signal while making a selection between the first horizontal sync signal corresponding to the first horizontal transfer signal and a first horizontal blanking signal and the second horizontal sync signal corresponding to the second horizontal transfer signal and a second horizontal blanking signal, to provide the first horizontal transfer signal, first horizontal sync signal corresponding to the first horizontal transfer signal and the second horizontal blanking signal for the horizontal extraction period while providing the second horizontal transfer signal and second horizontal sync signal corresponding to the second horizontal transfer signal, and second horizontal blanking signal for a period other than the horizontal extraction period, to thereby make high-rate transfer and sweep-away of valid ones, of all valid charges supplied to the horizontal transfer unit, which correspond to a period other than the horizontal extraction period in response to the second horizontal transfer signal and extract the valid charges corresponding to the horizontal extraction period as a valid video signal from the horizontal transfer unit by a normal-rate transfer with the first horizontal transfer signal.