Solid state imager device and driving method thereof

A solid state imager device having a first layer of a second conductivity type formed on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and a light receiving portion formed on a surface side of the first layer, comprising:

• voltage application means for applying a predetermined voltage to the semiconductor substrate and sweeping out a signal charge accumulated in the light receiving portion to the semiconductor substrate;
• checking means for checking whether an effective exposure period ranging from a last application of the predetermined voltage to the semiconductor substrate to reading out the signal charge accumulated in the light receiving portion exceeds a predetermined reference period;
• and
• pulse generation means for controlling the voltage application means by generating a pulse which exists only within a horizontal blanking period when the effective exposure period is beyond the predetermined reference period and which covers an entire effective horizontal scanning period in the vertical scanning period when the effective exposure period is within the predetermined reference period.

A solid slate imager device having a first layer of a second conductivity type formed on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and a light receiving portion formed on a surface side of the first layer, comprising:

• voltage application means for applying a predetermined voltage to the semiconductor substrate and sweeping out a signal charge accumulated in the light receiving portion to the semiconductor substrate;
• setting means for setting an effective exposure period ranging from a last application of the predetermined voltage to the semiconductor substrate to reading out the signal charge accumulated in the light receiving portion;
• reference outputting means for outputting a reference value corresponding to a length of photometric period;
• integrating means for integrating an electrical signal converted by the light receiving portion every horizontal scanning period;
• upper level detecting means for detecting whether an output from the integrating means is beyond a predetermined upper limit;
• lower level detecting means for detecting whether the output from the integrating means is below a predetermined lower limit;
• counting means on an upper limit side for counting in a unit of horizontal scanning period a time length when the upper level detecting means is outputting a signal representing that the output from the integrating means is beyond the upper limit in the photometric period, and outputting a signal representing a too bright period on the basis of the count;
• counting means on a lower limit side for counting in a unit of horizontal scanning period a time length when the lower level detecting means is outputting a signal representing that the output from the integrating means is below the lower limit in the photometric period, and outputting a signal representing a too dark period on the basis of the count;
• level checking means for deciding every vertical scanning period whether to increase, decrease, or maintain the effective exposure period set in the setting means on the basis of a reference value output ted from the reference outputting means and respective signals from the counting means on the upper limit side and the counting means on the lower limit side;
• decision means for deciding whether the effective exposure period set in the setting means exceeds a vertical blanking period;
• and
• pulse generation means for controlling the voltage application means by generating a pulse which is entirely within a horizontal blanking period when the effective exposure period is beyond the vertical blanking period and which covers an entire effective horizontal scanning period in the vertical scanning period when the effective exposure period is within the vertical blanking period.