# US 7,214,922 B2 · Semiconductor photosensor device and information apparatus with sensitivity region for wide dynamic range > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,214,922 B2 - Document ID: US7214922B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/215,229 - Filed: 2005-08-31 - Published: 2006-03-23 - Granted: 2007-05-08 - Earliest claimed: 2004-09-17 - Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba - Inventors: Yukiko Takiba; Hiroshi Suzunaga; Hideyuki Mori - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7214922B2 ## CPC - H10F 39/107: {having multiple elements covered by H10F30/00 in a repetitive configuration, e.g. radiation detectors comprising photodiode arrays} - H03K 17/005: {with several inputs only} - H03K 17/795: controlling bipolar transistors - H03K 17/941: {using an optical detector (H03K17/968 takes precedence)} - H03K 2217/94106: Passive activation of light sensor, e.g. by ambient light - H10F: INORGANIC SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES SENSITIVE TO INFRARED RADIATION, LIGHT, ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION OF SHORTER WAVELENGTH OR CORPUSCULAR RADIATION - H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M) ## Abstract A semiconductor photosensor device includes a plurality of photodiode sections, a switch, and an output section is provided. The plurality of photodiode sections have different illuminance-output characteristics. The switch selects any one of the plurality of photodiodes sections on the basis of an illuminance of incident light irradiated on the photodiode sections. The output section outputs an signal from the selected photodiode section through the switch. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor photosensor device comprising: a plurality of photodiode sections having different illuminance-output characteristics; a switch which selects any one of the plurality of photodiode sections on a basis of an illuminance of incident light irradiated on the photodiode sections; an output section which outputs an output signal from the selected photodiode section through the switch; a mode detecting circuit which compares output voltages from the photodiode sections with a first reference voltage to control the switch by a first logic signal based on a first comparison comparison result in the mode detecting circuit; a comparator circuit which compares an output signal from one of the photodiode sections selected by the switch with a second reference voltage to output a second logic signal based on a second comparison result in the comparator circuit; and a logic circuit connected to the mode detecting circuit and the comparator circuit and logically calculating the first logic signal and the second logic signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 1, further comprising: a storing section which stores a correction value for the first or second reference voltage to correct a variation between the semiconductor photosensor device and other semiconductor photosensor devices. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of photodiode sections include a first photodiode section and a second photodiode section, the first photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance not more than a certain threshold illuminance, and the second photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance exceeding the threshold illuminance. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 3, wherein the switch selects the first photodiode section when the output voltage is equal to or less than the reference voltage, and selects the second photodiode section when the output voltage is more than the reference voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 3, wherein the second photodiode section comprises a neutral density filter at a light-receiving region of the second photodiode section. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor photo sensor device according to claim 1, further comprising: said mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a first photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is equal to or less than the first reference voltage, the mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a second photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is more than the first reference voltage. ### Claim 7 A semiconductor photosensor device comprising: a plurality of photodiode sections having different illuminance-output characteristics; a switch which selects any one of the plurality of photodiode sections on the basis of an illuminance of incident light irradiated on the photodiode sections; an output section which outputs an output signal from the selected photodiode section through the switch; a mode detecting circuit which compares output voltages from the photodiode sections with a first reference voltage to control the switch by a first logic signal based on a first comparison result in the mode detecting circuit; a comparator circuit which compares an output signal from one of the photodiode sections selected by the switch with second reference voltages which are different from each other to output a second logic signal consisting of a plurality of bits based on a second comparison result in the comparator circuit; and a logic circuit connected to the mode detecting circuit and the comparator circuit and logically calculating the first logic signal and the second logic signal. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 7, further comprising: a storing section which stores a correction value for the first or second reference voltage to correct a variation between the semiconductor photosensor device and other semiconductor photosensor devices. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 7, further comprising: said mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a first photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is equal to or less than the first reference voltage, the mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a second photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is more than the first reference voltage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The semiconductor photo sensor device according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of photodiode sections include a first photodiode section and a second photodiode section, the first photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance not more than a certain threshold illuminance, and the second photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance exceeding the threshold illuminance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 10, wherein the switch selects the first photodiode section when the output voltage is equal to or less than the reference voltage, and selects the second photodiode section when the output voltage is more than the reference voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 10, wherein the second photodiode section comprises a neutral density filter at a light-receiving region of the second photodiode section. ### Claim 13 An information apparatus incorporating a semiconductor photosensor device comprising: a plurality of photodiode sections having different illuminance-output characteristics; a switch which selects any one of the plurality of photodiode sections on a basis of an illuminance of incident light irradiated on the photodiode sections; an output section which outputs an output signal from the selected photodiode section through the switch; a mode detecting circuit which compares output voltages from the photodiode sections with a first reference voltage to control the switch by a first logic signal based on a first comparison result in the mode detecting circuit; a comparator circuit which compares an output signal from one of the photodiode sections selected by the switch with a second reference voltage to output a second logic signal based on a second comparison result in the comparator circuit; and a logic circuit connected to the mode detecting circuit and the comparator circuit, and logically calculating the first logic signal and the second logic signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 13, further comprising: a storing section which stores a correction value for the first or second reference voltage to correct a variation between the semiconductor photosensor device and other semiconductor photosensor devices. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 13, wherein the plurality of photodiode sections include a first photodiode section and a second photodiode section, the first photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance not more than a certain threshold illuminance, and the second photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance exceeding the threshold illuminance. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 15, wherein the switch selects the first photodiode section when the output voltage is equal to or less than the reference voltage, and selects the second photodiode section when the output voltage is more than the reference voltage. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 15, wherein the second photodiode section comprises a neutral density filter at a light-receiving region of the second photodiode section. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 13, further comprising: said mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a first photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is equal to or less than the first reference voltage, the mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a second photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is more than the first reference voltage. ### Claim 19 An information apparatus incorporating a semiconductor photosensor device comprising: a plurality of photodiode sections having different illuminance-output characteristics; a switch which selects any one of the plurality of photodiode sections on a basis of an illuminance of incident light irradiated on the photodiode sections; an output section which outputs an output signal from the selected photodiode section through the switch; a mode detecting circuit which compares output voltages from the photodiode sections with a first reference voltage to control the switch by a first logic signal based on a first comparison comparison result in the mode detecting circuit; a comparator circuit which compares an output signal from one of the photodiode sections selected by the switch with a second reference voltage which are different from each other to output a second logic signal consisting of a plurality of bits based on a second comparison result in the comparator circuit; and a logic circuit connected to the mode detecting circuit and the comparator circuit, and logically calculating the first logic signal and the second logic signal. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 19, further comprising: a storing section which stores a correction value for the first or second reference voltage to correct a variation between the semiconductor photosensor device and other semiconductor photosensor devices. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 19, wherein the plurality of photodiode sections include a first photodiode section and a second photodiode section, the first photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance not more than a certain threshold illuminance, and the second photodiode section has an illuminance-output characteristic which is linear at an illuminance exceeding the threshold illuminance. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 21, wherein the switch selects the first photodiode section when the output voltage is equal to or less than the reference voltage, and selects the second photodiode section when the output voltage is more than the reference voltage. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 21, wherein the second photodiode section comprises a neutral density filter at a light-receiving region of the second photodiode section. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The semiconductor photosensor device according to claim 19, further comprising: said mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a first photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is equal to or less than the first reference voltage, the mode detecting circuit controlling the switch to select a second photodiode section of the photodiode sections when the output voltage is more than the first reference voltage.