# US 2021/0243399 A1 · Solid-state electronic circuit, image pickup element, method of controlling image pickup element, and electronic device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0243399 A1 - Document ID: US20210243399A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/973,501 - Filed: 2019-07-05 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Earliest claimed: 2018-07-18 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: Masaki Sakakibara - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210243399A1 ## CPC - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 17/002: {for television cameras} - H04N 25/767: Horizontal readout lines, multiplexers or registers - H04N 25/772: comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract The present disclosure relates to a solid-state electronic circuit, an image pickup element, a method of controlling the image pickup element, and an electronic device that enable inhibition of a deterioration in yield due to densification of image pickup elements. Wiring replacement units are provided between a plurality of transfer paths allowing bitwise transfer of a predetermined bit length of time code for use in conversion of a pixel signal corresponding to a quantity of light received in a pixel into a digital signal. In a case where an error has occurred in any of the plurality of transfer paths, replacement with the transfer path lowest in priority is performed. The present disclosure can be applied to image pickup elements. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A solid-state electronic circuit comprising: a plurality of transfer paths allowing bitwise transfer of a predetermined bit length of digital code after a signal is converted into a digital signal; a determination unit configured to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths; and a replacement unit configured to replace the plurality of transfer paths for use in transfer of the predetermined bit length of digital code, on a basis of a determination result of the determination unit. ### Claim 2 An image pickup element comprising: a plurality of transfer paths allowing bitwise transfer of a predetermined bit length of time code for use in conversion of a pixel signal corresponding to a quantity of light received in a pixel into a digital signal; a determination unit configured to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths; and a replacement unit configured to replace the plurality of transfer paths for use in transfer of the predetermined bit length of time code, on a basis of a determination result of the determination unit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The image pickup element according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit compares an expected value to a transfer result of transfer of predetermined data through the transfer paths and the transfer result of the predetermined data transferred through the transfer paths, to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The image pickup element according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of transfer paths each includes a storage unit that stores the time code for the corresponding bit. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The image pickup element according to claim 4, wherein in the transfer of the predetermined data through the transfer paths, the predetermined data is written in the storage units corresponding one-to-one to the transfer paths and additionally is transferred, and the determination unit compares a transfer result of the predetermined data transferred through the transfer paths and the expected value, to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The image pickup element according to claim 5, wherein in a case where the expected value is a predetermined value, the determination unit compares the expected value and each of a transfer result of the predetermined data set to 1 and a transfer result of the predetermined data set to 0, to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The image pickup element according to claim 5, wherein on the basis of the determination result, the replacement unit replaces a transfer path determined to have the abnormality with a transfer path of a time code for a bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The image pickup element according to claim 7, wherein on the basis of the determination result, the replacement unit replaces the transfer path for a bit determined to have the abnormality with a transfer path of a time code for a least significant bit as the transfer path of the time code for the bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The image pickup element according to claim 7, wherein the replacement unit is provided between the transfer paths adjacent, and the replacement unit performs replacement such that a time code input to one of the transfer paths is output through the one of the transfer paths and a time code input to another of the transfer paths is output through the another of the transfer paths or such that the time code input to the one of the transfer paths is output through the another of the transfer paths and the time code input to the another of the transfer paths is output through the one of the transfer paths. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The image pickup element according to claim 9, wherein the replacement unit includes: a pre-stage replacement unit that replaces, on the basis of the determination result, the transfer path determined to have the abnormality with the transfer path of the time code for the bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths, at respective pre-stages of the transfer paths; and a post-stage replacement unit that replaces the transfer path determined to have the abnormality with the transfer path of the time code for the bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths, replaced by the pre-stage replacement unit, at respective post-stages of the transfer paths such that the transfer paths return to respective original transfer paths. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The image pickup element according to claim 10, wherein the pre-stage replacement unit and the post-stage replacement unit in each of a plurality of the replacement units provided one-to-one between the transfer paths are symmetric across the corresponding transfer paths. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The image pickup element according to claim 10, wherein the replacement unit is multistage in a transfer direction of the transfer paths, on the basis of the determination result, a replacement unit including the pre-stage replacement unit at a front stage and the post-stage replacement unit at a last stage replaces a transfer path for a bit highest in priority among a plurality of transfer paths each determined to have the abnormality, with a transfer path of a time code for a bit lowest in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths, and a replacement unit including the pre-stage replacement unit at a next stage to the pre-stage replacement unit at the front stage and the post-stage replacement unit at a preceding stage to the post-stage replacement unit at the last stage replaces a transfer path for a bit high in priority next to the bit highest in priority among the plurality of transfer paths each determined to have the abnormality, with a transfer path of a time code for a bit high in priority next to the bit lowest in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The image pickup element according to claim 7, further comprising: a randomizer configured to generate 0 or 1 randomly, wherein a time code output by the randomizer is output as a time code output through the transfer path of the time code for the bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The image pickup element according to claim 13, wherein when the replacement unit replaces, on the basis of the determination result, the transfer path determined to have the abnormality with the transfer path of the time code for the bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths, the time code output by the randomizer is output as the time code output through the transfer path of the time code for the bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code. ### Claim 15 (depends on 4) The image pickup element according to claim 4, wherein in the transfer of the predetermined data through the transfer paths, after the predetermined data is written in the storage units corresponding one-to-one to the transfer paths, the predetermined data is read out and additionally is transferred, and the determination unit compares the expected value and a transfer result of the predetermined data read out and transferred through the transfer paths after the predetermined data is written in the storage units, to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the storage units corresponding one-to-one to the transfer paths. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The image pickup element according to claim 15, wherein in a case where the expected value is a predetermined value, the determination unit compares the expected value and each of a transfer result of the predetermined data set to 1 and a transfer result of the predetermined data set to 0, to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the storage units corresponding one-to-one to the transfer paths. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The image pickup element according to claim 15, wherein on the basis of the determination result, the replacement unit replaces a transfer path corresponding to a storage unit determined to have the abnormality with a transfer path corresponding to a storage unit of a time code for a bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths. ### Claim 18 (depends on 4) The image pickup element according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit compares the expected value and a transfer result of the predetermined data transferred through the transfer paths to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths, and then compares the expected value and a transfer result of the predetermined data read out and transferred through the transfer paths after the predetermined data is written in the storage units, to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of storage units corresponding one-to-one to the transfer paths, and on the basis of the determination result, the replacement unit replaces a transfer path determined to have the abnormality and a storage unit corresponding to the transfer path, respectively, with a transfer path allowing transfer of a time code for a bit low in priority in the predetermined bit length of time code among the plurality of transfer paths and a storage unit corresponding to the transfer path. ### Claim 19 A method of controlling an image pickup device including a plurality of transfer paths allowing bitwise transfer of a predetermined bit length of time code for use in conversion of a pixel signal corresponding to a quantity of light received in a pixel into a digital signal, the method comprising: determining presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths; and replacing the plurality of transfer paths for use in transfer of the predetermined bit length of time code, on a basis of a determination result. ### Claim 20 An electronic device comprising: a plurality of transfer paths allowing bitwise transfer of a predetermined bit length of time code for use in conversion of a pixel signal corresponding to a quantity of light received in a pixel into a digital signal; a determination unit configured to determine presence or absence of abnormality in each of the transfer paths; and a replacement unit configured to replace the plurality of transfer paths for use in transfer of the predetermined bit length of time code, on a basis of a determination result of the determination unit.