Solid-state imaging device
AssigneeNikon Corporation
InventorToshikazu Yoneyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid-state imaging device according to the present invention includes a plurality of amplifying picture elements for converting optical signals to electrical signals, amplifying the electrical signals and outputting the electrical signals, wherein at least one readout line for reading out the signals from a predetermined number of picture elements among the plurality of amplifying picture elements is employed. A plurality of switching devices are connected between each output of the plurality of amplifying picture elements and the corresponding readout lines.
Claims68
A solid-state imaging device comprised of:
- multiple picture elements that are arranged in an orientation of rows and columns along two dimensions and that output a signal readout as a current signal, wherein each of the picture elements includes:
- a photodetector that converts optical signals into an electrical charge signal and stores the electrical charge signal;
- an amplifying device that amplifies the electrical charge signal that is stored by the photodetector;
- a transfer device that transfers the electrical charge signal that is stored by the photodetector to a control electrode of the amplifying device;
- and
- a resetting device that resets the electrical charge signal stored in the control electrode of the amplifying device;
- multiple vertical readout lines provided on each of the columns of the multiple picture elements in order to read out signals from the picture elements that are arranged on a corresponding column;
- multiple switching devices wherein each switching device corresponds to a respective picture element and is connected between an output of the amplifying device of the picture element and a corresponding vertical readout line;
- a horizontal readout line that outputs signals from the multiple vertical readout lines;
- and
- multiple horizontal switching devices each horizontal switching device corresponding to each of the vertical readout lines, where signals from each vertical readout line are output to the horizontal readout line.
A solid-state imaging device exposure method, wherein the solid-state imaging device exposure method comprises the steps of:
- turning off transfer devices of all picture elements during a designated exposure time and transferring electrical charge signals of the picture elements to control electrodes of a plurality of amplifying devices by turning on the transfer devices of all the picture elements again;
- detecting signals with a designated frequency component by letting n be a positive integer and finding a first sum total by conducting a simultaneous read out of every other n-rows at a time, or every other n-columns at a time;
- determining a second sum total by conducting a simultaneous read out of every other n-rows, that are not read in finding the first sum, at a time, or every other n-columns, that are not read in finding the first sum, at a time;
- and
- determining a difference between the first and the second sum totals by using a differential circuit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.