Image sensor and electronic camera
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorShigeru MATSUMOTO
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An image sensor, includes: a plurality of pixels arranged along both of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, each having a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light; a plurality of signal lines disposed along the second direction, each connected to a plurality of pixels arranged along the first direction; and a control unit that executes control so as to output signals, each generated based upon the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, to the signal lines different from one another.
Claims12
An image sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of pixels arranged along both of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, each having a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light;
- a plurality of signal lines disposed along the second direction, each connected to a plurality of pixels arranged along the first direction;
- and
- a control unit that executes control so as to output signals, each generated based upon the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion unit, to the signal lines different from one another.
An image sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of pixels arranged along both of a first direction and a second direction different from the first direction, each having a photoelectric conversion unit that generates an electric charge through photoelectric conversion of light;
- a first signal line and a second signal line, disposed along the second direction, each connected to a plurality of pixels arranged along the first direction;
- a first connection unit that switches connection and disconnection between the first signal line and each of the plurality of pixels arranged along the first direction;
- and
- a second connection unit that switches connection and disconnection between the second signal line and at least one or more pixels among the plurality of pixels arranged along the first direction.
An image sensor, comprising:
- a plurality of pixels arranged along both of a row direction and a column direction;
- signal lines each disposed in correspondence to a plurality pixels arranged along the column direction;
- and
- a readout unit that reads out pixel signals from the plurality of pixels to the signal lines, wherein:
- the readout unit is able to set a readout mode in which a single pixel signal is read out from a pixel block made up with pixels present over m rows×n columns (m is an integer equal to or greater than 1 and n is an integer equal to or greater than 2);
- and
- in the readout mode, n or fewer pixel signals originating from n or fewer pixel blocks set side-by-side along the column direction are read out to n or fewer signal lines different from one another among the signal lines.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.