Method for reading out charges in solid-state image pickup unit
AssigneeFuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.
InventorsKazuhiro Kawajiri, Masatoshi Tabei
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for reading out signal charges in a solid-state image pickup unit providing either an improved resolution for a constant vertical integration density or a reduced vertical integration density while maintaining the same resolution. The photoelectric conversion elements of the unit are arranged in a matrix of rows and columns with m rows of photoelectric conversion elements being assigned to each scanning line. Signal charges generated in the photoelectric conversion elements during exposure are transferred to a vertical transfer section in the order of the m-th row to the first row in each scanning line, and then the charges are transferred to a horizontal charge transfer section using a four-phase driving method.
Claims6
A method for reading out signal charges from a solid-state image pickup unit having a plurality of photelectric conversion elements arranged in a matrix of rows and columns in which m rows are assigned to each scanning line with m being an integer greater than one, a vertical charge transfer section receiving signal charges from said photoelectric conversion elements, and a transfer control section for controlling the transfer of said signal charges, said method comprising the steps of:
- (1) exposing said pickup unit to light;
- (2) transferring a resulting signal charge in each photoelectric conversion element of the m-th row in each scanning line to said vertical charge transfer section;
- (3) transferring the signal charges transferred in step (2) within said vertical charge transfer section vertically through a distance corresponding to one cell of said vertical charge transfer section;
- (4) transferring a signal charge in each photoelectric conversion element of the (m-1)-th row to said vertical charge transfer section;
- (5) transferring said signal charges transferred in step (4) within said vertical charge transfer section vertically through said distance corresponding to one cell of said vertical charge transfer section;
- (6) repeating stps (2) to (5) in th order of said m-th row to second row;
- (7) transferring a signal charge in each photoelectric conversion element of a first row in each scanning line to said vertical charge transfer section;
- and
- (8) transferring the signal charges then stored in said vertical charge transfer section to a horizontal charge transfer section.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.