US 2016/0261817 A1Published application

Photoelectric conversion apparatus and photoelectric conversion system

AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha

InventorsHirofumi Totsuka, Daisuke Yoshida, Yasushi Matsuno, Takashi Muto, Toru Koizumi

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a pixel. The pixel includes a transfer transistor, a reset transistor, an amplification transistor, and a selection transistor. The photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a control line, a voltage control unit, and a current source. The control line is electrically connected to a source of the amplification transistor. The voltage control unit controls the voltage of the control line. The current source outputs a reference current. A path of a current from the amplification transistor is separated from a path of the reference current. The photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a comparison unit configured to compare the current from the amplification transistor with the reference current. During a period in which a transistor connected to the gate of the amplification transistor is in a conductive state, the selection transistor is in a non-conductive state.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A photoelectric conversion apparatus comprising:

a photoelectric conversion element;
an amplification transistor including a gate configured to receive a signal based on a charge generated at the photoelectric conversion element;
at least one transistor connected to the gate;
a selection transistor provided in series with respect to the amplification transistor and forming a first path through which a current from the amplification transistor flows;
a first current source configured to output a first reference current to a second path separated from the first path;
a voltage control unit configured to control a voltage of a control line electrically connected to one of a source and a drain of the amplification transistor;
and
a comparison unit configured to compare the current from the amplification transistor with the first reference current,
wherein the selection transistor is in a non-conductive state during a period in which the at least one transistor is in a conductive state.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 15/059,970Filed 3 Mar 2016
Priority: JP 2015-0438905 Mar 2015
Published: 8 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification7 codes

H04N 25/778
Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components: comprising amplifiers shared between a…
H04N 25/65
Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise: applied to reset noise, e.g. KTC noise related to CMOS structures by…
H04N 25/76
SSIS architectures; Circuits associated therewith: addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors
H04N 25/767
Addressed sensors, e.g. MOS or CMOS sensors: horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers

Family

US 9,967,494 B2Related patent
US 2016/0261817 A1This patent

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