# US 2026/0075331 A1 · Photodetection 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 2026/0075331 A1 - Document ID: US20260075331A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 19/108,792 - Filed: 2023-09-05 - Published: 2026-03-12 - Earliest claimed: 2022-09-13 - Assignees: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Applicants: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation - Inventors: FUTA MOCHIZUKI; ATSUMI NIWA; KOHEI YAMADA; YOSHITAKA NIIDA; YOTARO IMAI - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260075331A1 ## CPC - H04N 25/47: Image sensors with pixel address output; Event-driven image sensors; Selection of pixels to be read out based on image data - H04N 25/44: by partially reading an SSIS array - H04N 25/707: Pixels for event detection - H04N 25/77: Pixel circuitry, e.g. memories, A/D converters, pixel amplifiers, shared circuits or shared components - H04N 25/772: comprising A/D, V/T, V/F, I/T or I/F converters - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract To make it possible to downsize a pixel as compared with a conventional pixel, and to perform on/off switching control for each of functions. A photodetection element includes: a photoelectric conversion element that accumulates charges according to an amount of incident light; and a pixel circuit that outputs a pixel signal according to the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, in which the pixel circuit includes: at least one current path; and at least two current cutoff switching units that switch whether or not to cut off the current path. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A photodetection element comprising: a photoelectric conversion element that accumulates charges according to an amount of incident light; and a pixel circuit that outputs a pixel signal according to the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, wherein the pixel circuit includes: at least one current path; and at least two current cutoff switching units that switch whether or not to cut off the current path. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein the pixel circuit includes a first current path, a second current path, a first current cutoff switching unit, and a second current cutoff switching unit, the first current cutoff switching unit switches whether or not to cut off the first current path, and the second current cutoff switching unit switches whether or not to cut off the second current path. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein the pixel circuit includes a first current cutoff switching unit and a second current cutoff switching unit disposed on one current path, and the first current cutoff switching unit and the second current cutoff switching unit switch whether or not to cut off the current path independently of each other. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, further comprising: a first control unit that performs control to switch two or more of the current cutoff switching units in two or more of the pixel circuits arranged in a first direction at an identical timing; and a second control unit that performs control to switch sequentially two or more of the current cutoff switching units in two or more of the pixel circuits arranged in a second direction. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The photodetection element according to claim 4, further comprising a pixel array unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in the first direction and the second direction, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes the photoelectric conversion element and the pixel circuit, and the first control unit and the second control unit perform control to output, from the pixel array unit, a pixel signal in a focused pixel region including one or more pixels disposed at any location in the pixel array unit by performing switching control of the current cutoff switching units included in each of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The photodetection element according to claim 5, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit perform control to switch a location of the focused pixel region in the pixel array unit in units of frames such that a part of the focused pixel region overlaps or does not overlap, by performing switching control of the current cutoff switching units included in each of the plurality of pixels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The photodetection element according to claim 6, wherein some pixels of the plurality of pixels each output an event signal generated on a basis of an amount of change of the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element corresponding to each pixel, and the first control unit and the second control unit set the location of the focused pixel region by performing switching control of the current cutoff switching units in the some pixels in accordance with a pixel position at which the event signal is output. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The photodetection element according to claim 7, wherein the first control unit and the second control unit perform switching control of the current cutoff switching units in the plurality of pixels such that the focused pixel region is disposed within a range of an entire region in the first direction and a partial region in the second direction in the pixel array unit, within a range of a partial region in the first direction and an entire region in the second direction in the pixel array unit, or within a range of a partial region in the first direction and a partial region in the second direction in the pixel array unit. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The photodetection element according to claim 4, further comprising a pixel array unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in the first direction and the second direction, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of subpixels, each of the plurality of subpixels includes the photoelectric conversion element, the pixel circuit, the at least one current path, and the at least two current cutoff switching units, and the plurality of subpixels in the pixels sequentially outputs pixel signals for each of frames, by switching the current cutoff switching units included in each of the plurality of subpixels. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The photodetection element according to claim 4, further comprising a pixel array unit including a plurality of pixels arranged in the first direction and the second direction, wherein each of the plurality of pixels includes a plurality of subpixels, each of the plurality of subpixels includes the photoelectric conversion element, the pixel circuit, the at least one current path, and the at least two current cutoff switching units, and at least one subpixel of the plurality of subpixels in the pixels outputs the pixel signal including event information generated on a basis of an amount of change of the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element corresponding to the subpixel, and remaining subpixels each output the pixel signal including grayscale information according to the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element corresponding to each subpixel. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein some current cutoff switching units of the at least two current cutoff switching units perform control of a bias current and switching of whether or not to cut off the current path. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein the pixel circuit includes an event detection circuit that detects an event generated on a basis of an amount of change of the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, and the event detection circuit includes the at least one current path and the at least two current cutoff switching units. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The photodetection element according to claim 12, wherein the event detection circuit includes: a current-voltage conversion unit that converts the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element into a voltage; a buffer that generates a voltage signal according to an output of the current-voltage conversion unit; a differentiation circuit that detects an amount of change of the voltage signal; a comparison circuit that compares the amount of change of the voltage signal with a predetermined threshold; and an output circuit that outputs an event signal representing the event according to a comparison result by the comparison circuit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The photodetection element according to claim 13, wherein at least two of the current-voltage conversion unit, the buffer, the differentiation circuit, the comparison circuit, or the output circuit include the current path and the current cutoff switching units. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The photodetection element according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the current-voltage conversion unit, the buffer, the differentiation circuit, the comparison circuit, or the output circuit includes two or more of the current cutoff switching units disposed on one of the current paths. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein the pixel circuit includes an analog-to-digital conversion unit that converts a voltage signal according to the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element into a digital signal, and the analog-to-digital conversion unit includes the at least one current path and the at least two current cutoff switching units. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein the current cutoff switching units each include one transistor that switches whether or not to cut off the current path. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The photodetection element according to claim 1, wherein the current cutoff switching units each include one transistor that switches whether or not to cut off the current path, and switches whether or not to supply a bias current to the current path. ### Claim 19 An electronic device comprising: a photodetection element that outputs image data; and a processing unit that performs processing on the image data, wherein the photodetection element includes: a photoelectric conversion element that accumulates charges according to an amount of incident light; and a pixel circuit that outputs a pixel signal according to the charges accumulated in the photoelectric conversion element, and the pixel circuit includes: at least one current path; and at least two current cutoff switching units that switch whether or not to cut off the current path.