US 6,784,935 B1 · Image pickup apparatus capable of wide dynamic range by double exposure, and control thereof

Abstract

An image pickup apparatus having:a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements each generating an electric signal through photoelectric conversion; a plurality of signal storage elements for storing the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements; a plurality of gates for reading the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements and storing the read electric signals in the signal storage elements; a controller for performing a first image pickup operation by making the photoelectric conversion elements generate the electric signals, reading the generated electric signals and storing the read electric signals in the signal storage elements, thereafter performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by making the photoelectric conversion elements generate the electric signals, thereafter outputting the electric signals generated by the first image pickup operation and stored in the signal storage elements to an external, and thereafter reading the electric signals generated by the second image pickup operation from the photoelectric conversion elements, storing the read electric signals in the signal storage elements, and outputting the electric signals to the external; and a synthesizing unit for generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals generated by the first and second image pickup operations to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements formed on said semiconductor substrate, each generating an electric signal through photoelectric conversion;
charge coupled device formed on said semiconductor substrate, having a plurality of charge transfer stages for storing and transferring the electric signals generated by said photoelectric conversion elements;
a plurality of gates formed on said semiconductor substrate, for reading the electric signals generated by said photoelectric conversion elements to said charge transfer stages of the charge coupled device;
control means for performing a first image pickup operation by allowing a first image to be incident on said photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals, reading the generated electric signals to the charge transfer stages adjacent to said photoelectric conversion elements and storing the read electric signals in said charge transfer stages, thereafter performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by allowing a second image to be incident on said photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals, while keeping the electric signals of the first image in said charge transfer stages of the charge coupled device thereafter transferring the electric signals of the first image through said charge coupled device and outputting them to an external, and thereafter reading the electric signals of the second image from said photoelectric conversion elements to said charge coupled device, transferring them through said charge coupled device, and outputting the electric signals to the external;
and
synthesizing means for generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals of the first and second images to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals.

4 more elements

An image pickup apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a matrix shape in vertical and horizontal directions on a surface of said semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of gates formed on said semiconductor substrate adjacent to said photoelectric conversion elements for reading electric charges stored in said photoelectric conversion elements;
a plurality of vertical charge transfer paths each having a plurality of charge transfer stages in the vertical direction, said vertical charge transfer path being capable of receiving electric charges stored in at least one or more of said photoelectric conversion elements via said gates;
a horizontal charge transfer path connected to lower ends of said vertical charge transfer paths for transferring electric charges from said vertical charge transfer path in the horizontal direction;
an output amplifier for outputting electric charges transferred from said horizontal charge transfer path to an external;
control means for performing a first image pickup operation by allowing a first image to be incident on said photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals, reading the generated electric signals to the charge transfer stages adjacent to said photoelectric conversion elements, thereafter performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by allowing a second image to be incident on said photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals, while keeping the electric signals of the first image in said charge transfer stages, thereafter transferring the electric charges of the first image to the external via said vertical charge transfer paths, said horizontal charge transfer path and said output amplifier, and thereafter reading and transferring the electric charges of the second image to the external via said vertical charge transfer paths, said horizontal charge transfer path and said output amplifier;
and
synthesizing means for generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals of the first and second image to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals.

6 more elements

A method of controlling an image pickup apparatus having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements formed in a semiconductor substrate, each generating an electric signal through photoelectric conversion, a charge coupled device having a plurality of charge transfer stages adjacent to said photoelectric conversion elements in the semiconductor substrate and a plurality of gates for reading the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements to the charge transfer stages of the charge coupled device, the method comprising the steps of;

(a) performing a first image pickup operation by allowing a first image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals;
(b) reading the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements to the charge transfer stages adjacent to the photoelectric conversion elements,
(c) performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by allowing a second image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals while keeping the electric signals of the first image in said charge transfer stages;
(d) transferring the electric signals of the first image in said charge coupled device, and outputting them to an external;
(e) reading the electric signals of the second image from the photoelectric conversion elements to the charge transfer stages and transferring the read electric signals in the charge coupled device;
(f) outputting the electric signals of the second image to the external;
and
(g) generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals of the first and second images to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals, said steps (a) to (g) being executed in this order.

5 more elements

when a still image is picked up,
(A) performing a first image pickup operation by allowing a first image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals;
(B) reading the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion element to the charge transfer stages adjacent to the photoelectric conversion elements,
(C) transferring the electric signals of the first image in said charge coupled device, and outputting them to an external;
(D) performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by allowing a second image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals while keeping the electric signals of the first image in said charge transfer stages;
(E) reading the electric signals of the second image from the photoelectric conversion elements to the charge transfer stages and transferring the read electric signals in the charge coupled device;
(F) outputting the electric signals of the second image to the external;
and
(G) generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals of the first and second images to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals, said steps (A) to (G) being executed in this order,
and when a moving image is picked up,
(a) performing a first image pickup operation by allowing a first image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals;
(b) reading the electric signals generated by the photoelectric conversion elements to the charge transfer stages adjacent to the photoelectric conversion elements,
(c) performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by allowing a second image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals while keeping the electric signals of the first image in said charge transfer stages;
(d) transferring the electric signals of the first image in said charge coupled device, and outputting them to an external;
(e) reading the electric signals of the second image from the photoelectric conversion elements to the charge transfer stages and transferring the read electric signals in the charge coupled device;
(f) outputting the electric signals of the second image to the external;
and
(g) generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals of the first and second images to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals, said steps (a) to (g) being executed in this order.

15 more elements

A method of controlling an image pickup apparatus having a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements disposed in a matrix shape in vertical and horizontal directions on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of gates formed adjacent to the photoelectric conversion elements for reading electric charges stored in the photoelectric conversion elements, a plurality of vertical charge transfer paths each having a plurality of charge transfer stages in the vertical direction, the vertical charge transfer path reading electric charges stored in at least one or more of the photoelectric conversion elements via the gates, a horizontal charge transfer path connected to lower ends of the vertical charge transfer paths for transferring electric charges from the vertical charge transfer path in the horizontal direction, an output amplifier for outputting electric charges transferred from the horizontal charge transfer path to an external, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) performing a first image pickup operation by allowing a first image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals;
(b) transferring the generated electric signals to the charge transfer stages adjacent to the photoelectric conversion elements;
(c) performing a second image pickup operation under an image pickup condition different from the first image pickup operation by allowing a second image to be incident on the photoelectric conversion elements to generate the electric signals while keeping the electric signals of the first image in said charge transfer stages;
(d) transferring the electric signals of the first image to an external via the vertical charge transfer paths, the horizontal charge transfer path and the output amplifier;
(e) outputting the electric signals of the second image to the external via the vertical charge transfer paths, the horizontal charge transfer path and the output amplifier;
and
(f) generating an image signal by subjecting the output electric signals of the first and second images to a white clip process and synthesizing the output electric signals.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Image pickup apparatus capable of wide dynamic range by double exposure, and control thereof

Life of this patent

Image pickup apparatus capable of wide dynamic range by double exposure, and control thereof

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20