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US 2019/0104274 A1Published application
Imaging sensor, chip, imaging system, and moving body
AssigneeCanon Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsDaisuke Yoshida, Takahiro Shirai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An imaging sensor includes a pixel, an amplifier, and a successive approximation analog-to-digital (AD) converter. The pixel is configured to output a pixel signal. The amplifier is configured to output an amplification signal obtained by amplifying the pixel signal. The successive approximation AD converter detects whether or not the amplification signal is within a predetermined signal range.
Claims19
An imaging sensor comprising:
- a pixel configured to output a pixel signal;
- an amplifier configured to output an amplification signal obtained by amplifying the pixel signal;
- and
- a successive approximation analog-to-digital (AD) converter configured to perform AD conversion of the amplification signal,
- wherein the AD converter detects whether or not the amplification signal is within a predetermined signal range,
- wherein, in a case where a result of the detection indicates that an amplitude of the amplification signal is smaller than a predetermined value, the amplifier sets a gain to be applied to the pixel signal as a first gain and outputs the amplification signal, and the AD converter performs the AD conversion of the amplification signal amplified at the first gain,
- wherein, in a case where the result of the detection indicates that the amplitude of the amplification signal is larger than the predetermined value, the amplifier sets the gain to be applied to the pixel signal as a second gain that is lower than the first gain and outputs the amplification signal, and the AD converter performs the AD conversion of the amplification signal amplified at the second gain, and
- wherein the pixel is arranged in a first chip, the amplifier and the AD converter are arranged in a second chip, and the first chip and the second chip are stacked on each other.
5 more elements
A chip stacked on a pixel chip, where a pixel is arranged, and configured to perform analog-to-digital (AD) conversion of a pixel signal output by the pixel chip, the chip comprising:
- an amplifier configured to output an amplification signal obtained by amplifying the pixel signal;
- and
- a successive approximation AD converter configured to perform AD conversion of the amplification signal,
- wherein the AD converter detects whether or not the amplification signal is within a predetermined signal range,
- wherein, in a case where a result of the detection indicates that an amplitude of the amplification signal is smaller than a predetermined value, the amplifier sets a gain to be applied to the pixel signal as a first gain and outputs the amplification signal, and the AD converter performs the AD conversion of the amplification signal amplified at the first gain, and
- wherein, in a case where the result of the detection indicates that the amplitude of the amplification signal is larger than the predetermined value, the amplifier sets the gain to be applied to the pixel signal as a second gain that is lower than the first gain and outputs the amplification signal, and the AD converter performs the AD conversion of the amplification signal amplified at the second gain.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.