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US 2008/0259178 A1Published application
Solid-state imaging device, signal processing method for the same, and imaging apparatus
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorYusuke Oike
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a solid-state imaging device, including, a pixel array unit, driving means, and analog-to-digital conversion means.
Claims13
A solid-state imaging device, comprising:
- a pixel array unit constituted by arranging unit pixels in matrix, each of said unit pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert an optical signal into signal charges, a transfer element configured to transfer the signal charges obtained through photoelectric conversion in said photoelectric conversion unit, and output means configured to output the signal charges transferred by said transfer element;
- driving means configured to read out the signal charges accumulated in said photoelectric conversion unit for an accumulation period of time of one unit and transferred at least in two batches by said transfer element through said output section;
- and
- analog-to-digital conversion means configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion for a plurality of output signals read out from said unit pixel in plural batches with different conversion precisions.
1 more element
A signal processing method for a solid-state imaging device comprising:
- a pixel array unit constituted by arranging unit pixels in matrix, each of said unit pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert an optical signal into signal charges, a transfer element configured to transfer the signal charges obtained through photoelectric conversion in said photoelectric conversion unit, and an output section configured to output the signal charges transferred by said transfer element;
- and
- driving means configured to read out the signal charges accumulated in said photoelectric conversion unit for an accumulation period of time of one unit and transferred at least in two batches by said transfer element through said output section;
- wherein said solid-state imaging device performs analog-to-digital conversion for a plurality of output signals read out from said unit pixel in plural batches with different conversion precisions.
1 more element
An imaging apparatus, comprising:
- a solid-state imaging device constituted by arranging unit pixels in matrix, each of said unit pixels including a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert an optical signal into signal charges, a transfer element configured to transfer the signal charges obtained through photoelectric conversion in said photoelectric conversion unit, and output means configured to output the signal charges transferred by said transfer element;
- and
- an optical system for focusing an incident light onto an imaging area of said solid-state imaging device;
- wherein the solid-state imaging device comprises:
- driving means configured to read out the signal charges accumulated in said photoelectric conversion unit for an accumulation period of time of one unit and transferred at least in two batches by said transfer element through said output means;
- and
- analog-to-digital conversion means configured to perform analog-to-digital conversion for a plurality of output signals read out from said unit pixel in plural batches with different conversion precisions.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.