Solid-state imaging device with shutter operation in sync with signal charge reset and method of driving same
AssigneeSony Corporation
InventorYoshinori Kuno
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A solid-state imaging device includes a sensor portion for accumulating a signal charge produced by photoelectric conversion, a charge transfer register for transferring the signal charge, a charge/voltage converting portion connected to the charge transfer register, and a means for carrying out a shutter operation for discharging the charge accumulated by the sensor portion in synchronization with a signal charge reset period of the charge/voltage converting portion.
Claims19
A solid-state imaging device, comprising:
- a sensor portion for accumulating a signal charge produced by photoelectric conversion;
- a charge transfer register for transferring said signal charge;
- a charge/voltage converting portion connected to said charge transfer register;
- and
- a means for carrying out a shutter operation for discharging the charge accumulated by said sensor portion to a shutter drain portion via a shutter gate portion electrically coupled to said sensor portion by applying a shutter pulse to the shutter gate portion so that a transition of the shutter pulse is within a signal charge reset period of said charge/voltage converting portion, a reset pulse being applied to the charge/voltage converting portion during the signal charge reset period.
A method of driving a solid-state imaging device having a sensor portion for accumulating a signal charge generated by photoelectric conversion, a charge transfer register, a charge/voltage converting portion connected to said charge transfer register, and a shutter drain portion connected to said sensor portion via a shutter gate portion comprising the steps of:
- carrying out a shutter operation for discharging a charge accumulated by said sensor portion to the shutter drain portion via the shutter gate portion by applying a shutter pulse to the shutter gate portion so that a transition of the shutter pulse is within a signal charge reset period of said charge/voltage converting portion, a reset pulse being applied to the charge/voltage converting portion during the signal charge reset period.
A method of driving a solid-state imaging device having a plurality of line sensors each of which has a sensor line with a plurality of sensor portions for accumulating charges generated by photoelectric conversion and a charge transfer register for transferring said signal charges and a charge/voltage converting portion connected to said plurality of charge transfer registers and a shutter drain portion connected to said plurality of sensor portions via a shutter gate portion, comprising the steps of:
- carrying out a shutter operation for discharging the charges accumulated by said sensor lines to the shutter drain portion via the shutter gate portion by applying a shutter pulse to the shutter gate portion so that a transition of the shutter pulse is within a signal charge reset period of said charge/voltage converting portion, a reset pulse being applied to the charge/voltage converting portion during the signal charge reset period.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.